Bill’s Excellent Adventure - Day 2

Day 2 actually began well before Rob Will’s knock at the door. I had been awake for about 10 minutes, my mind racing with thoughts of the previous day’s tour as well as the opportunities to advance Devn in particular and sustainable agriculture generally in the United States. Day 1 had opened the “box”.

Once Rob’s knock did come, it was up and to the ready as quick as I could. Sue Wills had prepared a delicious breakfast before she headed off to her job of cooking for the local hospital. Rob and I consumed the hearty meal and headed out once again.

Rob gave me a guided tour of their beautiful farm prior to leaving for the day. It began with a trip up the hill to the moor above the farm. We drove a narrow road engraved between two hedgerows that had obviously been there for centuries. The trench-like nature of the road came from thousands of hooves etching out the dirt as they were driven to the pasture on the moor over many centuries. The road is now paved but still serves as an easy channel to drive cattle up to high pasture. Driving up the narrow road, I could only imagine the lives and events that its history encompassed.

Once on top amidst the moor, we were greeted by large patches of burn-off areas between patches of dense mesquite-like vegetation. Grazers from below have free range on the moor and co-mingle their cattle. The fog limited our vision but what we could see would warm the heart of old-time free range advocates.

Our first stop of the day was Forde Abbey at Crewkerne in Somerset Parrish. Lisa Roper greeted us warmly and showed us around their absolutely magnificent estate. Their home is a former monastery and could house all the people from the town where I grew up. The Ropers run a Bed & Breakfast and Event Center at the Abbey and farm just less than 2000 acres. The monastery itself, flower gardens, pools and manicured grounds defy adequate description. A walled vegetable garden and green house looked like Mother Earth News gone Victorian.

Lisa took us to view her herd of Devon which was significantly reduced from a production sale held approximately a fortnight before. For those of you who are like me and have heard the term “fortnight” without knowing exactly what it means, it is a two week period. We reviewed some excellent cows with some very well muscled, healthy calves in a table top (level) pasture using MIG practices with a single strand electric fence. The grass quality was excellent and reflected long term soil management. The cows were deep bodied, wide and thick.

We continued on to check an excellent bull with some very nice heifers on a hilly pasture overlooking a brook that would inspire any artist. The second to last pasture held two very nice yearling bulls that reflected the consistent quality maintained in the Forde Abbey Devon.

The final pasture walked was a group of very nice cows turned in with Lisa’s herd sire Forde Abbey Aesop. He is a very muscular bull with an excellent rear quarter that was clearly being passed on to his calves. I had seen pictures of the bull previously but he was better in person than any picture could portray. He was very correct in the feet and legs and traveled smoothly and effortlessly.

Lisa and her husband Mark were supposed to leave for Scotland the morning we arrived at the farm. They were very gracious to delay their trip to accommodate our visit. I trust we did not keep them too long. They were very engaging and there was much to learn and enjoy from their conversation. They are people of taste with an absolute commitment to excellence as reflected by their property, cattle, chickens and dogs. Their Labrador Retrievers and Cocker Spaniel would make any dog connoisseur swoon. They had phenomenal conformation, condition and temperament.

I viewed the Abbey as long as I could in the rear view mirror while my engineer and conductor of our 45 mile per gallon train pulled away. Rob put the petal to the metal and made time count driving north to Hansett Farm at Canon Frome Ledbury in Herefordshire Parrish.

Sue Farquhar greeted us at her farm in one of the most picturesque rural settings I have ever seen. Lush green hillside pastures, immaculately clipped and managed, were bordered by wooded hilltops. Sue is President of the Shropshire Sheep Association and raises champion Shropshire Sheep in conjunction with her Devon cattle. Sue is a master with livestock and stock dogs. Her Border Collie needed only minimum direction for maximum performance.

Sue’s Devon herd was the smallest we saw during the tour. However, the quality was excellent. She had a Cedric Bealey heifer in her herd that was outstanding. She also had a yearling bull by a Kerrivale bull from Australia that was tremendous. He had the bulge to the round and depth of twist I was looking for to improve our herd. We have hopes of bringing in semen from this bull in the future.

The quality of sheep, cattle and dogs coupled with the visible top quality forage management put Sue in an elite class of stock producers. She is extremely knowledgeable, has a clearly defined view of life and is not timid in engaging conversation on any topic. She fed us a delicious lunch and fed our minds as well with wisdom on livestock, farming and life. Her strength of conviction and spirit of accomplishing the worthy goal validate the saying, “There will always be an England.”

Once again, Rob stuffed me in his car way too soon and made the fence posts blur as we headed to Northmoor at Witney Oxford in Oxfordshire Parris. We were greeted by Rob and Mary Anne Florey who run a beautiful bed and breakfast as well as farm on a large scale. The Floreys had us in for tea and milk with apple cake that could absolutely be habit forming.

We then proceeded to review the Florey Devon cattle that were still in their winter barn lots. They were excellent cattle and very uniform in size and scale. Rob could have his own branded beef and score “A” on consistency. Some of Rob’s cattle reflected Salers influence which brought me up to date on the recent history of Devon in the UK.

Salers blood was introduced to some of the British Devon to stretch the length and raise the frame score. I was told that the UK Association will grant full blood papers to such Salers influenced cattle as long as they are 7/8 Devon. The Salers influenced cattle appeared to be excellent but will not work in our North American Devon Association. We have made the commitment to perpetuate purity as much as humanly possible and to concentrate and preserve the traits that make the Devon so phenomenal as a converter of grass. The Florey herd was exceptional in so many ways, I hope to revisit them in the future and possibly extract some of the quality that can trace back pure Devon.

I encourage any folks from the US traveling in the area near the Floreys to put their bed and breakfast on their itinerary. Rob and Mary Anne are excellent stock producers, perfect host and hostess with acute business minds. They also reflect the elegance and hospitality I found so prevalent in the UK. They have adorned their property with flower gardens that heal the soul when gazed upon. One partakes of the good things of rural England at the Florey’s.

David Bell, Rob Will’s friend and business associate, joined up with us at the at this point. David farms and raises top quality Simmental cattle. He is expanding to include producing semen for grass genetics cattle with a very nice Devon bull Sunset 2 and a couple of excellent Galloway bulls imported from Denmark. David took over for Rob at the Florey’s. Rob headed back home to attend to the multiplicity of responsibilities there while David and I headed out for the next leg of the journey.

Nightfall was rapidly approaching as David and I pulled in to a village pub for supper. We ordered some beef ribs, vegetables, potatoes, and salad after “queuing up at the bar.” While the meal was being prepared, David ordered a “cider” at the bar. I did not correlate cider as something one gets at a beer tap. However, I am in to cultural enrichment, so I ordered a “cider” as well. That cider was obviously made from very happy apples.

The day ended with David dropping me off in his village at the local Best Western hotel. It was a charming place and very comfortable. It also taught me the premium put on space in the UK. I could use the loo (bathroom), brush my teeth, and shower without moving my feet. Two more steps and I was in bed. It was very comfortable and very efficient. My head hit the pillow and achieved Rem sleep in record time.

Thus ended the second day. Stay tuned to the next Viewpoint for, as Paul Harvey would say, “the rest of the story.”

You can write Bill at roberts@northamericandevon.com