Dear Devon,
I am oh-so-sad to say goodbye. It's too bad we couldn't have spent more time together.
You are beautiful. SO beautiful. You introduced me to:
Hedges
Sheep and beef farming
driving the quad bike
Elderflower cordial (a special thanks for this one!)
Shandi
Ashton's luxury hot chocolate
Gemma and Jonathan
Cider
Landrovers
Cream tea
And so much more
Trust me, I will be back. And when I return, I will spend every waking moment in the fields, loving the views, hugging the hedges, drinking cordial, and just reminding myself why I love it in Devon.
Goodbye dear Devon, see you soon :)
Showing posts with label Devon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Devon. Show all posts
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Happy 80th!
To Devon Young Farmers!
80 years is a big achievement. Especially for a rural-based youth organization that is trying to make it in a world where agriculture is on the decline.
Devon, however, has made it! As one of the largest counties, they have a good reputation and I am beyond happy that I was able to celebrate with them.
The weather was dreary, but spirits were high as the celebrations commenced. There was an afternoon high tea with some entertainment followed by a hog roast and disco (dance).
I soon discovered how different the music is. Can you even believe that they don't know You Shook Me All Night Long?! Tragedy.
Some new friends:
80 years is a big achievement. Especially for a rural-based youth organization that is trying to make it in a world where agriculture is on the decline.
Devon, however, has made it! As one of the largest counties, they have a good reputation and I am beyond happy that I was able to celebrate with them.
The weather was dreary, but spirits were high as the celebrations commenced. There was an afternoon high tea with some entertainment followed by a hog roast and disco (dance).
I soon discovered how different the music is. Can you even believe that they don't know You Shook Me All Night Long?! Tragedy.
Some new friends:
Devon Eggs
I met a remarkable gal today. At just 21, she already has her own (extremely successful) business, Devon Eggs. Essentially, she provides farm fresh eggs to businesses. She has between 75- 100 customers. WOW.
This gal is called Lucy and she is so very sweet. I was able to spend an entire day with her whilst in Devon. We started the day bright and early- first thing on the list:
Ducks!
We had to put her ducks out of their hut and collect the eggs. Lucy collected while my clumsy self supervised ;)
Afterwards, it was time to prepare the orders. We headed into her Dad's shed, which he will point out that she has taken over little by little, where there is an egg sorting machine:
This machine sizes all of Lucy's eggs (it is required, by law, that the eggs are sorted like this in the UK). There is a conveyor belt which feeds the eggs on to little holsters. These holsters are weight sensitive. This machine will drop the egg into certain ares based on its weight. Hence, XL, L, M, SM eggs.
The eggs are then packaged by six and labelled. This was my job. While I was nervous to break every single egg I laid my hands on, I ended up doing quite well. I am proud to boast that I didn't break a single egg! I know that all of you that have witnessed my clumsiness are amazed as well :)
So, as I packaged and labelled the eggs, Lucy sorted. I also put them into boxes for ease of delivery.
Today's deliveries were in the Dartmoor area. For any of you who saw the recent film, "War Horse," you would recognize Dartmoor as it is where the movie was filmed!
The moors were s.t.u.n.n.i.n.g. Overcast, yes, but oh so pretty. Where most of Devon would feature hedges, Dartmoor boasts stone walls. And sheep. And ponies. The sheep and ponies of the moor wander aimlessly. You see, there are not held in by fencing but are rather able to graze at their own leisure.
This brings me to my next point: watch out for them when you are driving along the road because they will often wander onto it. :)
Once all of the deliveries were done, Lucy and I picked up some more eggs from her neighbor/supplier and watched some telly with her Mom, Veronica, and her sister, Zoe.
Lucy is fabulous. I really enjoyed my day with her. She is so successful and makes me feel like perhaps I could start my own business? Hmmm, time will tell.
I have a new found love for Come Dine with Me. Perhaps we should do our own version, friends?
This gal is called Lucy and she is so very sweet. I was able to spend an entire day with her whilst in Devon. We started the day bright and early- first thing on the list:
Ducks!
We had to put her ducks out of their hut and collect the eggs. Lucy collected while my clumsy self supervised ;)
Afterwards, it was time to prepare the orders. We headed into her Dad's shed, which he will point out that she has taken over little by little, where there is an egg sorting machine:
This machine sizes all of Lucy's eggs (it is required, by law, that the eggs are sorted like this in the UK). There is a conveyor belt which feeds the eggs on to little holsters. These holsters are weight sensitive. This machine will drop the egg into certain ares based on its weight. Hence, XL, L, M, SM eggs.
The eggs are then packaged by six and labelled. This was my job. While I was nervous to break every single egg I laid my hands on, I ended up doing quite well. I am proud to boast that I didn't break a single egg! I know that all of you that have witnessed my clumsiness are amazed as well :)
So, as I packaged and labelled the eggs, Lucy sorted. I also put them into boxes for ease of delivery.
Today's deliveries were in the Dartmoor area. For any of you who saw the recent film, "War Horse," you would recognize Dartmoor as it is where the movie was filmed!
The moors were s.t.u.n.n.i.n.g. Overcast, yes, but oh so pretty. Where most of Devon would feature hedges, Dartmoor boasts stone walls. And sheep. And ponies. The sheep and ponies of the moor wander aimlessly. You see, there are not held in by fencing but are rather able to graze at their own leisure.
This brings me to my next point: watch out for them when you are driving along the road because they will often wander onto it. :)
Once all of the deliveries were done, Lucy and I picked up some more eggs from her neighbor/supplier and watched some telly with her Mom, Veronica, and her sister, Zoe.
Lucy is fabulous. I really enjoyed my day with her. She is so successful and makes me feel like perhaps I could start my own business? Hmmm, time will tell.
I have a new found love for Come Dine with Me. Perhaps we should do our own version, friends?
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Farm Life: Swannaton
Jonathan’s family farm is called ‘Swannaton.’ Loosely translated, it means pig herd. The house was built hundreds upon hundreds of years ago. He says it was built around the 900s and his mum says it was in the 15th Century. Either way, it was like taking a step back in time. The farm is even listed in the Doomsday book!
Just wait until I post the photos of the inside on facebook!
They consider themselves grassland farmers, and they have a herd of 800 ewes (with over 1500 lambs!) and about 400 beef cattle. They farm about 400 acres. Their animals are grown off the grass. They do feed some barley, etc. But the primary source of food is the grass.
When I was there, I had the chance to help out with some of the chores:
Feed and Check on the cattle/sheep: Let`s be honest, J fed the animals, I took photos. Although I did help with a few bags- I promise ;)
Foot Bath: Essentially, we had to clean something like 1200 sheep’s feet (actually, probably more). Some of them had bad feet and the water that they walked through had special medicine in it to heal them. We did this on both days that I was at the farm- the first time we had to build a pen and all the fixings, but the second time everything was already set up for us.
After the pen and trough were in place, we had to herd the sheep. Yup, I’m basically a Sheppard.
This was our `built-from-scratch`contraption. Note: J is working hard as I take photos, typical haha
Deadstock: J would say: “The thing about farming is that where there is livestock, there is also deadstock.” Sad, but true.
Cider Run: We went to pick up some cider when we were foot bathing in Winkleigh from Sam’s Cider. Folks, this isn’t like our Canadian apple cider that is mulled in crock pots across the Great White North in the winter. You see, this cider is alcoholic. And quite good! You can also get a stronger cider called Scrumpy.
Sam’s was a family business that was sold to a large company and then run to the ground. It was reopened a few years later and has been providing Devonians with strong apple goodness ever since! The woman that worked there was so sweet. She gave us samples and was so happy to just sit and chat- a true resident of Devon :)
Quad: Yup, I got to DRIVE the quad bike. The first day, J drove. The second day- he let me!! I was even complimented on my gear shifting skills! He probably had second thoughts when I almost tipped the bike though ;)
ALSO- I have a funny story for you. It is a pure Victoria moment. So here we are, J and I, herding some sheep to drench them. The dog, Jack, was slacking and some of the sheep were getting away. J was driving and I was sitting on the back of the quad bike holding on to the rack. As he put the ‘pedal to the medal’ to go up a steep hill, I was thrown off balance and my feet went over my head and I almost fell off!
I think I was too amused at myself to even be scared. It was like something out of a movie. I paid more attention and held on for dear life afterwards :)
Drenching: Just like we needflinstone vitamins, so do sheep. Lambs get ‘drenched’ every six weeks to ensure that they are getting all the necessary vitamins. It requires the Sheppard (J in this case) to get suited up in a ghost busters-esque outfit. The liquid is held in a backpack and they stick a large application tube/gun thing in the lamb’s mouth and shoot the liquid in!
We did two batches. About 1200 sheep. Me= Sheppard.
All in all, I love Swannaton. They run a smooth operation and they really are great farmers. I really enjoyed being part of their operation and seeing how they operate. Even just being able to chat with J and his parents about farming, foot and mouth, the EU`s CAP, and so much else was rewarding and informative. J taught me that a farmer`s best friend is some twine and a knife.
They really included me in the chores and made me feel like part of the family! I would love to return someday because I am sure that the operation will only grow and improve over time.
Swannaton, thank you for making me realize how much I really do love agriculture and country life
They consider themselves grassland farmers, and they have a herd of 800 ewes (with over 1500 lambs!) and about 400 beef cattle. They farm about 400 acres. Their animals are grown off the grass. They do feed some barley, etc. But the primary source of food is the grass.
When I was there, I had the chance to help out with some of the chores:
Feed and Check on the cattle/sheep: Let`s be honest, J fed the animals, I took photos. Although I did help with a few bags- I promise ;)
Foot Bath: Essentially, we had to clean something like 1200 sheep’s feet (actually, probably more). Some of them had bad feet and the water that they walked through had special medicine in it to heal them. We did this on both days that I was at the farm- the first time we had to build a pen and all the fixings, but the second time everything was already set up for us.
After the pen and trough were in place, we had to herd the sheep. Yup, I’m basically a Sheppard.
Deadstock: J would say: “The thing about farming is that where there is livestock, there is also deadstock.” Sad, but true.
Cider Run: We went to pick up some cider when we were foot bathing in Winkleigh from Sam’s Cider. Folks, this isn’t like our Canadian apple cider that is mulled in crock pots across the Great White North in the winter. You see, this cider is alcoholic. And quite good! You can also get a stronger cider called Scrumpy.
Sam’s was a family business that was sold to a large company and then run to the ground. It was reopened a few years later and has been providing Devonians with strong apple goodness ever since! The woman that worked there was so sweet. She gave us samples and was so happy to just sit and chat- a true resident of Devon :)
Quad: Yup, I got to DRIVE the quad bike. The first day, J drove. The second day- he let me!! I was even complimented on my gear shifting skills! He probably had second thoughts when I almost tipped the bike though ;)
ALSO- I have a funny story for you. It is a pure Victoria moment. So here we are, J and I, herding some sheep to drench them. The dog, Jack, was slacking and some of the sheep were getting away. J was driving and I was sitting on the back of the quad bike holding on to the rack. As he put the ‘pedal to the medal’ to go up a steep hill, I was thrown off balance and my feet went over my head and I almost fell off!
I think I was too amused at myself to even be scared. It was like something out of a movie. I paid more attention and held on for dear life afterwards :)
Drenching: Just like we need
We did two batches. About 1200 sheep. Me= Sheppard.
All in all, I love Swannaton. They run a smooth operation and they really are great farmers. I really enjoyed being part of their operation and seeing how they operate. Even just being able to chat with J and his parents about farming, foot and mouth, the EU`s CAP, and so much else was rewarding and informative. J taught me that a farmer`s best friend is some twine and a knife.
They really included me in the chores and made me feel like part of the family! I would love to return someday because I am sure that the operation will only grow and improve over time.
Swannaton, thank you for making me realize how much I really do love agriculture and country life
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Visiting Devon
The first thing that I must reiterate about Devon is that it is beautiful. It rained or was overcast almost all week, but I still fell in love with it. The hedges, hills, farms, and people were brilliant.
Exeter
I spent a day in Exeter and I would recommend a stop in. Be sure to check out the shopping centres- they have a Primark! Also, start at the RAMM and take an hour or so to explore the museum. They recently renovated and there are some fabulous displays.
Just down the road from the RAMM is Northenhay Gardens. You cannot miss them! They are stunning and the Roman Wall runs along the right hand side. Gemma and I walked through and enjoyed the views. We also lucked out because our day in Exeter was one of the rare sunny days that we had when I was in Devon.
This is me attempting to jump in front of the Roman Wall
If you are in Exeter for lunch, be sure to stop by the Tesco to grab a sandwich and make your way over to the Cathedral. Pop a squat on the lawn and enjoy the view. It’s a great spot to people watch and unwind.
The Cathedral is quite beautiful
Be sure to wander through town and stop in at the shops- especially the Cath Kidson shop. It has some great items, although most were out of my student budget. Also, get lost in the side streets. There are so many little pubs and shops that you will just stumble across. You cannot go wrong!
Dartmoor
As the setting for the recent film, War Horse, I would say that Dartmoor is a must-see area. Much more rocky than the rest of the county, you will see vast fields with stone walls in lieu of hedges. Fences are frowned upon and sheep and ponies are able to roam at their leisure.
If you are driving, take care of the animals as they tend to lay on the road. Make sure to stop often and take loads of photos.
I went on a rather rainy day, but I still enjoyed it. They tell me that it is not
unusual for the fog to roll in to Dartmoor so thick, that you cannot see your own hand in front of your face. I secretly wanted it to happen ;)
Exmouth
When in Devon, be sure to head to the coast to dip your toes into the English Channel. No need to bring a swimming suit, just dip your toes in ;)
Exmouth is a little tourist town. We walked the beach and G & J pointed out the beach huts along the road. You will find them in all British seaside towns. They are colorful and people own or rent them to keep their beach toys in. Some people will set up chairs and sit in the doorway.
If you look down the beach in Exmouth, you will see a massive building. Don’t be deceived, it is not a restaurant or a holiday let, but rather a lifeboat house! You can walk right up to it and check out the lifeboat. It’s pretty neat. They even do drills occasionally, so be sure to see if you can catch one. I imagine it would be quite interesting.
We finished off our Exmouth trip with Cream tea- my very first! We went to the Model Train Cafe, which I would recommend. G&J said it was a good price. You will get your tea, 2 scones, clotted cream, and jam. Slather on the clotted cream and THEN the jam- you will not be disappointed.
High Streets
Each little town will have a High Street- it’s the equivalent to our Main Street in Canada. Be sure to wander up and down them because they are loaded with little one-of-a-kind shops.
High St in Crediton
Pubs
There is a pub culture in Britain. It isn’t like the pubs at home though- no loud music, just the sound of the locals having a time.
Go to a pub- any pub- and order a lager shandi. I don’t drink beer, but this drink is a must have for anyone who wants the full pub experience! It is beer and lemonade (mostly lemonade) and is quite tasty! You can also get bitter shandis, but I prefer the lager. It is more similar to what we would call beer in Canada. Bitter is flater. I tried a bitter, too, but preferred the lager (if you are drinking more than one ;) ).
Also- most pubs are family friendly, so feel free to take children along!
Those are just some of the tourist-y things that I did in Devon. I must admit, though, that you need to just explore the countryside to get the full Devon experience. Country lanes and hedges, cows and sheep- they have it all!
Exeter
I spent a day in Exeter and I would recommend a stop in. Be sure to check out the shopping centres- they have a Primark! Also, start at the RAMM and take an hour or so to explore the museum. They recently renovated and there are some fabulous displays.
Just down the road from the RAMM is Northenhay Gardens. You cannot miss them! They are stunning and the Roman Wall runs along the right hand side. Gemma and I walked through and enjoyed the views. We also lucked out because our day in Exeter was one of the rare sunny days that we had when I was in Devon.
This is me attempting to jump in front of the Roman Wall
If you are in Exeter for lunch, be sure to stop by the Tesco to grab a sandwich and make your way over to the Cathedral. Pop a squat on the lawn and enjoy the view. It’s a great spot to people watch and unwind.
The Cathedral is quite beautiful
Be sure to wander through town and stop in at the shops- especially the Cath Kidson shop. It has some great items, although most were out of my student budget. Also, get lost in the side streets. There are so many little pubs and shops that you will just stumble across. You cannot go wrong!
Dartmoor
As the setting for the recent film, War Horse, I would say that Dartmoor is a must-see area. Much more rocky than the rest of the county, you will see vast fields with stone walls in lieu of hedges. Fences are frowned upon and sheep and ponies are able to roam at their leisure.
If you are driving, take care of the animals as they tend to lay on the road. Make sure to stop often and take loads of photos.
I went on a rather rainy day, but I still enjoyed it. They tell me that it is not
unusual for the fog to roll in to Dartmoor so thick, that you cannot see your own hand in front of your face. I secretly wanted it to happen ;)
Exmouth
When in Devon, be sure to head to the coast to dip your toes into the English Channel. No need to bring a swimming suit, just dip your toes in ;)
Exmouth is a little tourist town. We walked the beach and G & J pointed out the beach huts along the road. You will find them in all British seaside towns. They are colorful and people own or rent them to keep their beach toys in. Some people will set up chairs and sit in the doorway.
If you look down the beach in Exmouth, you will see a massive building. Don’t be deceived, it is not a restaurant or a holiday let, but rather a lifeboat house! You can walk right up to it and check out the lifeboat. It’s pretty neat. They even do drills occasionally, so be sure to see if you can catch one. I imagine it would be quite interesting.
We finished off our Exmouth trip with Cream tea- my very first! We went to the Model Train Cafe, which I would recommend. G&J said it was a good price. You will get your tea, 2 scones, clotted cream, and jam. Slather on the clotted cream and THEN the jam- you will not be disappointed.
High Streets
Each little town will have a High Street- it’s the equivalent to our Main Street in Canada. Be sure to wander up and down them because they are loaded with little one-of-a-kind shops.
High St in Crediton
Pubs
There is a pub culture in Britain. It isn’t like the pubs at home though- no loud music, just the sound of the locals having a time.
Go to a pub- any pub- and order a lager shandi. I don’t drink beer, but this drink is a must have for anyone who wants the full pub experience! It is beer and lemonade (mostly lemonade) and is quite tasty! You can also get bitter shandis, but I prefer the lager. It is more similar to what we would call beer in Canada. Bitter is flater. I tried a bitter, too, but preferred the lager (if you are drinking more than one ;) ).
Also- most pubs are family friendly, so feel free to take children along!
Those are just some of the tourist-y things that I did in Devon. I must admit, though, that you need to just explore the countryside to get the full Devon experience. Country lanes and hedges, cows and sheep- they have it all!
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Delightful Devon
Friends, if you have been keeping up with me, then you know that I have been posting daily recaps. I will be changing it up a little now that I am in the countryside. You see, I spend some days on tourist-friendly adventures, and other days on farms. I’m going to try to do posts that group similar things.
Today, I would like to tell you a bit about Devon, where I was from June 11th-17th.
Devon is in South West England and is one of the biggest counties. It is the only county with two coastlines. It is also stunning.
There is an expression here in Devon: “Devon is heaven.” It is so very true (DISCLAIMER: I have described many things on this trip as ‘heavenly.’ While P. Lee, my journalism professor, would be less than impressed with my overuse of ‘heaven’ and lack of real description, I would like to defend myself by saying that this entire country really is heavenly ;) ).
Devon has rolling hills with high peaks and low valleys. It is green and lush. The country lanes are small, and the hedges are large. I could see myself living here happily.
Whilst in Devon, I stayed with Gemma and Jonathan in Crediton. They have a flat called “Kingsbury” which is cozy and well- decorated(shout out to Gemma, the decorator!).
Gemma is the Sports and Social Rep for Devon and did not grow up on a farm, although she does have a love for animals. She has one brother and works for a farming company.
Jonathan is a beef and sheep farmer. His farm is AMAZING. It’s actually listed in the Doomsday book. That folks, is one historical farm. He has two brothers and the most lovely parents, Jim and Karen.
They took me on some wonderful Devon adventures. I look forward to sharing them with you!
Today, I would like to tell you a bit about Devon, where I was from June 11th-17th.
Devon is in South West England and is one of the biggest counties. It is the only county with two coastlines. It is also stunning.
There is an expression here in Devon: “Devon is heaven.” It is so very true (DISCLAIMER: I have described many things on this trip as ‘heavenly.’ While P. Lee, my journalism professor, would be less than impressed with my overuse of ‘heaven’ and lack of real description, I would like to defend myself by saying that this entire country really is heavenly ;) ).
Devon has rolling hills with high peaks and low valleys. It is green and lush. The country lanes are small, and the hedges are large. I could see myself living here happily.
Whilst in Devon, I stayed with Gemma and Jonathan in Crediton. They have a flat called “Kingsbury” which is cozy and well- decorated(shout out to Gemma, the decorator!).
Gemma is the Sports and Social Rep for Devon and did not grow up on a farm, although she does have a love for animals. She has one brother and works for a farming company.
Jonathan is a beef and sheep farmer. His farm is AMAZING. It’s actually listed in the Doomsday book. That folks, is one historical farm. He has two brothers and the most lovely parents, Jim and Karen.
They took me on some wonderful Devon adventures. I look forward to sharing them with you!
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