THE LONG road wound through the countryside like a slow worm escaping a lifted garden slab, its hedges brushing up against my car doors, leaving a trail of leaves in its wake – a telltale trace of my journey.
My modest hatchback – a vehicle purchased for city life, now shoehorned into country living – bobbed up and down the holey trail as if it were a runabout on an angry river.
At some point along that passage near Bridestowe, I spotted it. The Rockett and Marshall family’s dairy farm. A pack of farm dogs bounded over to greet me, a harbinger of the farm’s liveliness. Rusty, a buoyant collie, looked at me with an intelligent suspicion, whereas his work colleague, Lily – a small terrier with a rattling spirit – threw all mistrust out the window, hopping into my arms and showering me with kisses.
Alerted to my presence by the hounds’ excitement, Tracy Rockett, the matriarch of this farming family, emerged from a side path with a welcoming smile. Her wellies, almost as long as her legs, are well-worn and clearly not work shy.
Another car pulled up behind me: Tracy’s daughter, Abi Marshall. A vision of youthful vigour and a mildly shy enthusiasm – after a few sheepish hellos, the two began to guide me through their world.
We began with the milking parlour. A giant vat stood filled with a lake of milk – you could go for a swim in it. “That’s just from this morning.” Tracy said, pride in her voice.
Beyond the barns, the fields stretched outwards into the hills. Dotted with cows grazing under the vast Dartmoor skies. The giants approached us, their curious noses sniffing the air around me, sometimes nuzzling their heads into my chest.
As we walked, Tracy and Abi’s words painted a picture of their triumphs. They enter their cattle into various shows – and they do not just enter, they very often win.
Greenway Ross Great Jubilee, a name as grand as the cow herself, had won Reserve Supreme Dairy at the Devon County Show and the Bath and West Show.
Greenway Thea, another mighty stock, had won supreme dairy champion at the North Somerset Show. Both Thea and Ross teamed up to win the Interbreed Pairs title at the Bath and West Show, also.
Tracy Rockett looked at her daughter with a motherly pride as she described her achievements. Abi is proving to be a force to be reckoned with in the show community: Overall Champion Handler at Devon County, and Champion Holstein Calf with Greenway Lambda Harmony at the Royal Bath and West Show. These are just some of her recent accomplishments.
From the fields, a man waved, his figure strong and sure despite the walking stick in his hand. Tracy’s husband - and Abi’s stepdad – Leslie Rockett had joined us, his presence completing the family tableau.
The Rockett and Marshall family farm is more than a livelihood; it is a living, breathing testament to tradition, perseverance, hard work and love. Its influence extending beyond the boundaries of its fields; a perfect example of rural Britain at its best.