These days growing numbers of people are questioning where their food comes from.

Supermarkets are latching on to this by printing the name of the farmer on the produce, but the customer has to take it for granted that these people meet the required high standards.

But these days it is possible to meet the producer gace to face at a farmers' market, talk about where the food has been sourced and how it has been prepared.

A good example is the Meat Joint, a butcher based at Iron Down Farm, near Deddington, which sells mainly through farmers' markets or even to people coming to its door. If necessary, customers can even see the animals in the field.

The Meat Joint was set up two years ago by farmers Tony Collier and Sebastian Peissel who came together to feed the growing demand for local, sustainable produce.

With decades of farming experience behind them, they can offer the customer the benefit of their expertise with no middle man involved.

Mr Collier started his career as a shepherd with John Charrington in Hampshire, before going on to sell agricultural machinery and then, through contacts in the trade, he became a farming journalist working for titles such as Farming and Stock Breeder.

In 1983, he moved from London to Iron Down Farm near Deddington and embarked on his task to transform it from arable to sheep becasue it was "easier to do."

He started with a flock of 100 and built it from there. Six years ago he found himself short-handed and persuaded fellow sheep farmer Sebastian Peissel to help out.

Mr Peissel does not come from farming stock but growing up in Adderbury, he helped out at David Chown's farm in the holidays and after school.

He went to agricultural college and when Mr Chown decided to retire he decided to take it on.

"For someone outside farming to get their own farm is almost unheard of."

He built up a herd of cattle to about 80 head, supplementing his income by working for neighbours as a dairyman and shepherd.

The BSE struck and that led to the near-collapse of his business, with cattle prices plummeting. then his landlord decided to do some barn conversions on the farm and he was forced to pull out and rent fields and buildings nearby.

He moved into sheep which was when he linked up with Mr Collier, renting his land and he started selling lamb at farmers' markets.

Just as he was getting back on his feet, Foot and Mouth disease struck in 2001 and stopped the markets.

"I struggled through a couple of miserable years and when the markets re-started, I realised how important they were to my overall income."

As a result, he decided to step up his activity to markets, using Adderbury butcher Rob Babij but soon Mr Babij was unable to handle the growing demand from Mr Peissel.

He talked about the problem with Mr Collier and the pair decided to go into business together, transforming a building at Iron Down Farm into a butchery unit and the Meat Joint was formed.

Mr Collier decided to refocus his business on pigs — the traditional Gloucester Old Spot — while Mr Peissel took over the whole sheep side of the operation.

"Both of us have a passion for farming and a clear idea about quality," said Mr Peissel.

The sheep are North Country Mules which traditionally produce good meat but Mr Peissel is also trialling Poll Dorsets, another old English breed which lamb much earlier around November, allowing the business to produce genuine spring lamb in March/April.

The business now employs two butchers, one full-time, as well as someone to pack and wrap the meat for the markets.

The business received a £70,000 grant from the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in 2006 which covered 40 per cent of the investment.

Although not organic, Mr Collier and Mr Peissel are dedicated to ensuring the best farming practices.

The pigs are kept in a field where they roam freely and, when I visited, were happily crunching apples they fell from the trees.

Mr Peissel also grows clover which not only feeds the livestock but acts to naturally restore nitrogen into the soil, removing the need for fertisliser which is environmentally damaging and very expensive.

This is a traditional method of farming which is making a strong comeback as ultimately it is more sustainable.

The Meat Joint can be found at farmers' markets in Banbury, Bicester, Woodstock, Chipping Norton, Charlbury, Deddington, Didcot and as far away as Newbury.

Mr Peissel is a former chairman of the Thames Valley Farmers' Market Co-operative and is convinced that local produce is the way forward with more and more people wanting to know where their food is coming from.

He added: "BSE really started people thinking more about where their food is produced which, ironically, has been beneficial."

The Meat Joint also sells through its website which again attracts a predominantly local clientelle who can call at the farm and buy their meat direct.

It also supplies local pubs and restaurants including the Deddington Arms, the Black Boy at Milton, the newly opened Lambert Arms at Aston Rowant and the Red Lion at Steeple Aston as well as local delicatessens such as Bread and Milk at Bloxham.

Competition is understandably stiff, so the emphasis is on quality.

Mr Peissel added: "Presentation is also important. Customers have a lot of choice, so we are driven to make our products better.

"I also think we have done a lot with the farmers market movement to educate the public and enable them to feel more at home with buying direct."

FACT FILE: Name: The Meat Joint Owners: Tony Collier and Sebastian Peissel Number of staff: Six Turnover: Confidential Contact: 01869 338115/338635 Web: www.themeatjoint.co.uk