Family of James Bertram KEETCH and Pamela DAMSEL

Orbituary James B Keetch, (13/4/1998).

James Keetch

The man who attracted nine million visitors a year to farms

James Keetch who has died aged 70 was the founder of the National Farm Attractions Network which succeeded so well that last year there were more than nine million visitors to the 450 farms open to the public.

The project originated in the early 1980s when Jim Keetch started the Northampton Farm Attractions County Group to promote holidays and farm attractions in the county. In 1987, eager to develop his idea, he set up the national network, travelling the land to encourage similar county co-operative groups.

Such was his enthusiasm and resolve that the National Network is now represented in 30 counties in Britain, while in England 90% of the population are within 20 miles of a farm in the scheme.

James Bertram Keetch was born in Somerset on July 13 1927 and studied at Somerset Agricultural College. After the war he established his own market garden business and was one of the first to use black container pots for shrubs. He then went on to pioneer the idea of using plastic instead of concrete to line swimming pools, which made them easier for schools to afford.

With his consistent enthisiasm for the potential of rural tourism, at the end of the 1970s Keetch started a farm park at Welford, Northamptonshire. Visitos could see - and touch - not only ordinary farm animals but also owls, llamas and ostriches. A larger than life character, Keetch was just the man to inspire other people to follow in his footsteps.

James Keetch married, in 1952, Pam Damsell; they had three daughters.