BBC Online recently published a story which could have been tailor-made for the Best Rural Retailer competition. "Plant tree,' air travellers urged" focused on Welsh farmer, Ru Hartwell, who has launched a business called treeflight.com.

Mr Hartwell, who is based in the Cambrian Mountains, has concerns about carbon emissions caused by air-travel and so has launched a tree-planting business to offset the damage. If you are about to fly, contact Mr Hartwell, pay your money, choose your tree and enjoy your flight, knowing that the environmental impact has been somewhat offset. This simple and brilliant smallholding diversification is exactly the sort of community-minded, breath-of-fresh-air (literally) idea that this competition is about. Read the full story here