Bill’s Most Excellent Adventure – Summing Up
By Bill Roberts
Just as a grapevine’s value is determined by the fruit that it bears, any value of an experience in life is determined by the increase in quality of life that experience generates. The sheer enjoyment in the moment of my trip to the UK was worth the trip. I endeavored to share some of that enrichment in articles past. This summary article will attempt to articulate some of the “longer term” effects and benefits from the exposure. First time website viewers will profit from reading archived articles about days 1, 2 and 3 prior to reading this cranial cascade.
Key takeaways in general: The citizens of the UK appear to place extremely high value on the quality of their food, the local availability of their food and respect for the people involved with their food. Perhaps this conscious awareness stems from memories of lack during the World Wars or the limited quantity of real estate for a growing populace. Whatever the reasons, agriculture is given an obvious prominent spot in the culture. The rural villages were clearly limited in urban sprawl. The people were clustered in villages where space was clearly precious and utilized as efficiently as possible. The outskirts of the villages abruptly turned into well manicured agricultural land. This regard for efficiency and preservation of local production was even manifest in London. I was amazed to see garden spots everywhere there was marginal land such as along railways or roadsides. Apartment dwellers in London even had vegetables growing on rooftop gardens and flower boxes. The general population looked much more engaged with their food than what I encounter in the US these days.
I could have spent the entire trip in the Gerald David and Family Farm Store and Butcher Shop. The passion for this chosen pursuit in life and the energy and excellence committed to the pursuit captivated me. Either Mr. David is a world class motivator for his staff or everyone in the store recognizes their unique value in their community and society. The thought and work put into the displays and presentations of their meats and products exuded warm hospitality, super abundance of locally supplied resources and the feelings of security that impregnated in the mind, and wholesome nutrition to optimize the health of the spirit, soul and body. The patrons were engaged in a partnership with the store, not treated as a casual customer.
I was told by Rob Wills that the thinking Brits are becoming keenly aware of the encroachment of corporate giants such as Tesco. Because of selection and shopping convenience these corporations are banking large percentages of the average family’s annual income. They in turn use this purchasing power to buy up the smaller local suppliers of food, goods and services. The obliteration of competition follows a predictable trail to price increases and the effects of reduced competition. A shift is taking place to guard the local food and fiber producers, processors and retailers. This concern about centralization and consolidation of supply lines may be also stimulated by the recent terrorist activity in the UK. A multiplicity of local production and distribution centers are more sustainable through adversity than a concentrated food chain. The US seems to be more aware of local production and availability lately but not to the degree I encountered in the UK.
Key takeaways on the land and cattle: I did not encounter an “average herd” of Devon cattle in my entire trip. Pride of ownership, dedication to one’s chosen pursuit, efficiency dictated by economic pressures and the impact of BSE all seemed to motivate commitment to quality in the cattle. Obvious strong points the cattle have to offer include; excellent milk production as evidenced by udder capacity and the mass and bloom in the calves, deeper thicker bodies with tremendous rear quarters manifesting bulge to the round and depth of twist that verges on ideal, and an obvious capacity to get hog fat on nothing but forage. Feed efficiency was evident everywhere. I must say forage quality was evident everywhere as well. Tilted udders appear occasionally in the UK as they do in the US. I did not see many in the extreme but it is still a trait that needs to be addressed in the breed.
The genetic propensity for abundance of meat, quality of finish, and overall bloom were allowed to manifest because of extremely fertile soil and high quality forage. Gearld Fry’s recent article in the Op-Ed section is a wise complement to the rediscovery of the genetic wealth in UK Devons before one imports 1,000 embryos to implant cows grazing the Nevada desert country. The cattle in the southwest of England are reared in a climate and soils similar to Washington and Oregon. Extremes in temperatures are moderated by south to north currents offshore in the Atlantic Ocean. The country is significantly more rocky and rolling than Central England nearer London where grazing is giving way to cropping on the more level landscape. All the soils I encountered were extremely rich compared to our southeastern soils. I likened it to being back in Iowa where we lived for several years and could grow a better garden by mistake than one could with great effort in many other regions of the US. The perennial ryegrass encountered on each farm in each region appeared as a carpet. It must have been in soils of optimum ph and fertility because weeds were hardly noticeable. Gavin Hunter in the rich cropland of Central England told me he could not remember when he last fertilized his grassland. Centuries of manure deposits, continuous well managed grass, and a wet temperate climate contribute to extremely rich soil. I tried to keep the soil and climate in mind as I viewed the cattle. I assume some physiological adjustment would have to take place in certain geographical regions for offspring from semen and embryos imported from the UK . However, we have the history of the North American Devon, Herefords, Shorthorns, Angus and others to assure us the acclimatization can effectively take place.
A final note on observations of the cattle in the UK centers around soundness and ease in travel. The limited land, fertile soils and necessity to keep cattle in barns during the very wet winters to avoid pugging of soils would make it easy to select cattle for top phenotype but overlook soundness of feet and legs and way of going. If cattle do not have to cover 40 acres to survive, any slew- foot that looks good and is a meat wagon will do. I did not encounter that in the UK but it would be a trait to easily overlook in selection of a show winner or cooler hanger in such a plush environment. My critical nature on soundness and motion stemming from judging horses for several decades was satisfied that most Devon encountered in the UK would work in Big Sky Country as well as New England. Overall, their quality of meat, feed efficiency, reproductive efficiency and disposition proven by centuries of performance in the UK warrant the time and effort to prove their potential in any geographic area in the US.
Key takeaways on the people: Words can not adequately express my thanks to Rob and Sue Wills and all the staff at UK Sire Services (Andrew Champion, Hillary and Pete), David Bailey, the Bealey Family, Angus and Joy Cottey, Rob and Mary Anne Florey, The Ropers, Sue Farquar, and the Gavin Hunter Family for their openness and kindness. They are all dedicated agriculturalists and unique personalities that enriched my life. I trust that the relationships formed will evolve and stimulate a broad base of international interaction to advance the quality and quantity of Devon Cattle specifically and excellence in agriculture generally.
As a post script, anyone interested in UK genetics can contact Rob Wills at rob.wills@uksireservices.com or go to their website by googling for UK Sire Services. Anyone interested in partnering on a significant semen order to incent British breeders to collect yet uncollected bulls should contact me through the NADA website. I am particularly interested in importing Cedric Bealey’s Viscount in 2008.
Cheers!
Contact Bill Roberts at Roberts@northamericandevon.com
