Known for its quiet neighbourhoods and proud farming heritage, Southampton West Central could face an altogether different future unless a new generation can be coaxed into a life tending the land. Tim Smith visited Constituency 31 with Up Your Street.

Tom Wadson wanted to be a farmer since his grandmother sat him down as a boy and told him: "Without agriculture, Bermuda is lost."

If a life ploughing the fields seemed an unusual dream for a young lad to follow four decades ago, in the Bermuda of 2010 many would say it borders on the absurd.

But Mr. Wadson fears that unless young people start coming forward to carve out careers in agriculture soon, the Island is going to pay a heavy price.

Southampton West Central probably has more acres of farmland than anywhere else on the Island but, according to Mr. Wadson, if we're not careful there won't be any farmers left to farm it before long.

"There's not a lot of us left. Everyone tells you about their grandfather who did this and that, but the worrying thing is the age of the farmers we have," he told The Royal Gazette as Up Your Street visited the constituency where his Lukes Farm is based.

"I'm sure they are making bets on me packing in. We have a couple of young guys on the horizon but my apprentice said to me he doesn't know if he can run at the pace I run at. I told him he has to be determined.

"The biggest risk is that if we lose the skill to do this. That's what happened in Trinidad, when they thought it would be easier and cheaper to import milk.

"It's pretty sad stuff, but it is the big stigma, it gets frowned upon."

Farmers growing broccoli on Mr. Wadson's farm told this newspaper it's not an easy job, but no more difficult than it used to be. Ariel Bautista, originally from the Philippines, said work begins at 7 a.m. and continues until it goes dark.

More than 600 miles from the mainland, Bermuda obviously relies on the produce of the likes of Mr. Wadson, but the farmer believes his service is more than that: he's merely a steward of the land, preserving it for future generations while all around him Bermuda is being turned into condos and office blocks.

"It's not mine, I'm just looking after it," said Mr. Wadson.

Constituency 31 MP Charlie Swan is also a keen supporter of protecting Southampton's farmland.

"Bermuda's ability to provide itself with freshly grown vegetables relies on having the land available for growing and having people who are willing to engage in the very difficult occupation of farming," he told The Royal Gazette.

"Southampton has a large proportion of land that is given over to farmers, and it's important that it stays that way.

Mr. Swan said setting up a farmers' market — as has proved popular in the past — could help make life easier for them as well as attracting people to the area.

Giving this newspaper a tour of his constituency, Mr. Swan said one of the main issues was protecting the remaining green land and the railway trail, which families continue to enjoy.

One home-owner has already built an extension on the South Shore which spoils the otherwise attractive view of the ocean.

"You are not supposed to infringe on the ridge line or the views," said Mr. Swan.

He also reels off a list of local concerns, particularly regarding road safety, claiming a sidewalk and crossing are needed at Granaway Heights, where he says schoolchildren catch the bus as cars speed round the corner; while large sections of Middle Road and other streets need to be resurfaced.

Southampton West Central, however, has not suffered some of the more serious problems affecting other parts of the Island, such as gang violence.

Indeed, one resident said: "The thing we value the most around here is that it's so quiet. We're lucky to live in an area like this I guess."

Mr. Swan added: "Southampton has always been a place that people aspire to move to, and we want to keep it that way."

• Next week's Up Your Street visits St. David's. Residents of that constituency who would like to comment on local issues should e-mail tsmith@royalgazette.bm