Bill’s Excellent Adventure - Day One

By Bill Roberts

Experiencing life through middle age has taught me to be aware of unforeseen opportunities that come my way. Recently, my employer, Novartis Animal Health, requested my presence at a world-wide company conference in Paris, France. It appeared once again that a Higher Power had aligned circumstances to work in my behalf.

For many years I’ve wanted to visit southern England and particularly spend time with Rob Wills of UK Genetics. Rob had visited our Devon operation some time ago thanks to mutual friends, Jim and Julie Vaughn. He had extended an invitation to review Red Devon cattle in their place of origin and Rob’s home, Devonshire, England.

Three phone calls and a couple of edits on flight arrangements opened the door to a three-day tour of southern England immediately following my business conference. Rob and I jammed my schedule with visits to UK Genetics Bull Stud, Gerald David & Family Master Butcher Shop and Farm Store, and 6 prominent Devon breeder operations.

My ability to articulate what I learned and experienced in my three day adventure falls far short of what transpired. However, I will try to impart a measure of the bounty so that the treasures tapped from people, cattle and the land can be shared.

The English leg of my journey began as I flew in to Exeter airport on the southern coast. The abundance of rich green pasture teeming with livestock of varying types drew my attention from the air immediately. Neatly trimmed hedgerows that acted as fences were a testimony to generations of stock producers with long term vision and commitment. I learned it takes at least 7 years to establish a new hedgerow. The manicured appearance and judicious utilization of every inch of ground was a model of optimum stewardship.

Rob Wills met me at the airport nestled in the heart of scenic countryside, now a tourist haven for Londoners. We stopped first at Gerald David & Family Master Butcher Shop and Country Store. Whole Foods and Wild Oats eat your heart out! This store was an oasis for those thirsting for natural, healthy, superior-quality, locally grown food. Devon is the only beef carried by the store. It is harvested at a local abattoir and then transported as halves to a large cooler at the store for aging. Mr. David very graciously gave us a tour of the facility. The huge cooler filled with hanging beef and lamb tipped me off that the store does a booming business. The strict standards of excellence upheld by the store were evident on every shelf and cooler display. Local producers were showcased and the local aspect of origin was highly touted. It was truly an edifying experience and a magnet for a return visit.

Next it was off to tour UK Genetics Sire services at Dartington in Devon Parrish. Rob showed me around the facility and introduced me to Andrew the manager, Hillary the technician and Pete the bull handler. They exuded passion and commitment to their work. It was a preview of the British stock grower’s intense commitment to their chosen profession and lifestyle common to all those I met.

Even though it was the slow time of the year for the stud, there were ample quantities of a variety of bulls including Friesian, Jersey, Ayrshire, Charolais, Simmental, Angus, Shorthorn and Devon. Quality from generations of strict selection stood out. The crew tried to give me an overview of the operation while we got to know each other and the cattle and share jokes as we toured the facility. It resembled a “Thank Goodness It’s Friday” after work party mixed with an academic wet lab on reproductive physiology.

Rob’s impeccable sense of scheduling to be on time every time forced me out of the Bull Stud and into the car. We stopped at a nearby village shop to grab lunch. We had mince (hamburger) and potatoes wrapped in a crust and served piping hot. It was delicious and nutritious. We complemented the meal with an apple, crisps (potato chips) and bottled water. The best part was parking near a bridge overlooking a beautiful stream and eating on the bridge while viewing hikers traveling on the abundance of trails in the area. Rob and I solved most of the problems of the world while we dined, feasted on the surrounding beauty and drank in the clean refreshing coastal air.

Following lunch, it was off to Healand Manor at Torrington in Devon Parrish. Mr. and Mrs. Cedric Bealey and Kenton Bealey proved to define the words gracious and hospitable. Their breath-taking property was on a high hill surrounded by rolling grassland only about 5 miles from the village. We toured several grouping of Devons of outstanding quality. I learned that almost all cattle in the UK over winter in barns or loafing sheds to avoid pugging on the perennial rye sod during the very wet winters. The Bealeys had just turned out some groupings of cattle two weeks earlier. Most of the heifers and steers were still in the barns.

The first bull we saw was an impressive two-year-old Devon named Barrister. He had just been sold but was awaiting transport. He was a very muscular and well proportioned bull with good feet and legs. He wet my appetite to see more.

 

I was not disappointed when we came to their herd sire Viacount. He is a bull that would make any savvy cattleman in the US learn to spell Devon. Rob, Mr. Bealey and I are working on plans to collect Viacount and bring semen to the US. He is nothing short of a national treasure to the UK and a testimony of the Bealey family’s preservation of centuries of British livestock intelligence.

It was obvious that Kenton has gleaned from his father and will continue the legacy for another generation. Mrs. Bealey had us all in for tea with milk, scones, delicious breads and fellowship the likes of which one dreams about. Mrs. Bealey was as elegant, gracious, kind and lady-like as is humanly possible. It was a healing balm to be in the presence of such wonderful people. The contrast in human behavior made me long for a by-gone day and appreciate the Bealeys for what they are – the salt of the earth, the light of the world.

I must admit, I was saddened to leave the Bealeys. But, my conscience (also known as Rob Wills) whisked me away. Our next leg of the journey can best be described as a very high rate of speed continued over a long period of time despite many narrow winding roads. Just to make Rob feel comfortable with all that, I napped a good bit of the way. Even with the nap, I was still not as energetic and refreshed as Rob as we pulled in to Narracombe in Newton Abbot in Devon Parrish.

Angus Cottey had three excellent yearling bulls and a grass finishers dream two year-old haltered and tied waiting for us. They were groomed immaculately and reflected Angus and Sue Cotteys commitment to quality. The Cotteys are top-notch stock growers and have a fantastic herd and facility on a beautiful 80 acre farm. Maximization of resources is reflected in every aspect of their operation. The cattle were in excellent flesh and condition. They are so feed efficient, Rob feeds primarily straw during the winter. He feeds a bale of haylage every other week to avoid binding up.

You will not see cattle in the US in better condition consuming the best grain mix the co-op has to offer. I kept thinking, “When will the commercial cattlemen in the US wake up to the feed efficiency the Devon has to offer?” If they were with me at Angus and Sue’s, the answer would have to be right then or they would prove themselves absolutely blind!

The cows and heifers at the Cottey farm were just the right size and scale for grass finishing. They were also very muscular and thick in the right places. The uniformity in the herd was exemplary. Cuttcombe Jaunty is a bull that had a lot of impact on Rob’s herd and we will be importing semen from the bull this year.

Following the tour of the cattle, Angus and Sue had us in for tea and milk and desert. They are not only very progressive and well-educated stock growers; they are exceptionally cordial and outgoing. They are the kind of friends every person wants to have. Our visit was cut short as Rob the punctual tour guide directed me back to the car to head to his home for supper and lodging for the night.

Rob and Sue Wills live at the family farm that has been in Rob’s family for multiple generations. Sue had a delicious, hearty, healthy meal for us that could not have been better. Sue proved to be a pastoral soul who enriched the spirit, soul and body by her gracious care. She could serve as the hostess of good will for the United Kingdom Ministry of Commerce and make allies out of enemies. Rob and I consumed a bottle of his Chilean wine and unwound from the rush of the day. When I hit the bed, I did not regain consciousness until morning.

Thus ended the first day. Stay tuned for days two and three to come and at the end I’ll post a photo album of more pictures of my tour.

You can write to Bill at roberts@northamericandevon.com