I spent Thursday of last week at the Devon County Show near Exeter. Many similarities between our Royal Easter Show but a big change in choice of hat for judges and stewards (see photos). By far the biggest representation was in the Red Ruby Devon ring for beef cattle with the judge having 24 junior bulls to sort out. South Devon, a few Shorthorns, lots of Dexters but much smaller individuals than ours, and a group of British Blue, British Charolais, British Simmental and plenty of British Limousin. These all looked similar to their French and Belgian equivalents with extremes in type (muscling, size) being favoured.
A wide range of sheep breeds on display with many obscure pure breeds such as Blue-faced Leiccesters and Shetlands. Three days of the show with judging of breeds on the first day, interbreeds and champions on the second day and grand parades of all exhibits on the Saturday and Sunday.
The broader trade displays are very similar to ours: power companies, telcos, massage chairs, private schools. Great information for farmers in the areas of alternative power sources, anaerobic digestors and water filtration plants for farms or for larger schemes. I could have talked slurry all day with the anaerobic representative, but when there are 80 local beers and ciders in casks in the local beer tent, needs must.
There were many single-focus groups hanging their shingle out for a response: the countryside groups (hunting, shooting and fishing), bird preservers, ramblers and walking groups and the cuddly-animal huggers. I did, although, move on to something else when the falconer, mounted on a 'farty' white horse, watched in amazement as his second expensive falcon disappeared out of sight. I'm sure they came back eventually.
Badgers are big news over here, as they are protected as well as vectors in the spread of bovine tuberculosis which if your animals test positive for it means you are under an enforced quarantine for a period of time. The general public don't like seeing badgers killed, but the disease problem is minimised by reducing the badger numbers. A simple connection really.
I talked to some cattle breeders and some sheep people and they seemed to agree that you needed a marketing edge to get your product out into the buying public. People sell boxes of their own 'branded' meat, they process their own milk into cheese or ice cream or they sell through a single outlet like a farm shop. Value adding to farm produce is a very big deal.
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