Evidence from a survey of farmers' reactions to milk quotas suggests that there remains a fundamental divide between policymakers' views of the future farm and those of the farmers themselves. This paper examines this dichotomy in the context of one important milk‐producing county, Devon. Here an emphasis at County Council level on non‐agricultural diversification is found to contrast with the actions and intentions of sampled farmers. These favour instead an increase in farm self‐sufficiency and an exploration of mainstream farming options, particularly an increase in beef and sheep enterp