Mopsa and Fenn move to Devon

Back in June 2005 we moved to Devon, partly to accommodate the addition of Mopsa's half-sister Fenn, but mostly to find more space and a more peaceful environment. We seem to have ticked all those boxes, and the livestock have moved down with us, as did the contents of the greenhouse. The spuds stayed behind and I hope the new owners have found, dug, and enjoyed them. Visitors have been keen to see the new place and we have been thrilled by the quality of local food available to feed them. For the first time in a decade, we haven't been in a position to produce all our own summer veg, so the thriving Riverford has been our source of organic green grocery, delivered to the door every Friday morning just in time to plan weekend menus. However, we think ahead and with no greenhouse here, week one found us buying a massive polytunnel to make sure that 2006 = homegrown. Of course it is still unpacked and lying on the ground looking as reproachful as a heap of plastic and scaffold tubes can manage, but I have faith that it will go up well before it's time to sow seeds.
The Tuesday Hatherleigh market has proved a good place to buy live poultry and waterfowl if you take your time and tune into the auction-speak. After a few months of being duck-egg-less (the trauma of travel?) we are finally producing our own breakfasts again, and I suspect that the addition of 5 new ducks - Khaki Campbells and Magpies - finally created enough impetus for the ducks to assess that they could either get on and lay or face the pot. Local cheese is also interesting - Devon Oke, Curworthy, Cornish Yarg (local-ish), although the Sainsburys Brie that was discovered to be riddled with maggots (immediately after eating a large chunk) still makes me squirm.