A Day in My Life on the Farm (Or Why I Rarely Sit Down)

There seems to be a romantic idea that life on a farm consists of leisurely breakfasts, wandering through fields with a basket of flowers and perhaps feeding a few chickens while wearing an immaculate jumper. That’s what all the social media influencers seem to ooze anyway but I can assure you that my reality involves considerably more mud, considerably less leisure and usually a chicken or a horse trying to escape somewhere it shouldn't!

My alarm goes off at 6.30am because apparently my husband and daughter are both perfectly capable adults who somehow still require assistance to get up in the morning. Quite why this responsibility falls to me remains one of life's great mysteries. Once everyone is pointed in roughly the correct direction for work and school, I can begin my own day.

The Chicken Committee

First stop is the chickens. All twelve of them. Ten hens and two cocks, all of whom appear to believe they haven't been fed for at least a fortnight. While I’m preparing their food, they are rampaging in the kitchen unless I keep the door shut! They are fed, watered and their coops cleaned while they supervise my efforts and discuss my performance. Meanwhile, the cats are usually yowling somewhere nearby as though nobody has fed them since the previous Tuesday. Fortunately, my husband eventually reaches the kitchen and assumes responsibility for the feline breakfast service. Misty, my Border Collie, is already waiting by the door because she knows the next job.

The Daily March to the Horses

The stables are about 150 yards from the house, which doesn't sound very far until you've walked back and forth several times having forgotten something important. I have three horses on the yard — two ponies and one horse — all of whom have varying opinions about how the day should proceed. Because EMS, PPID and laminitis are constant considerations here, breakfast is less "all-you-can-eat buffet" and more "carefully measured nutritional management programme." Hay gets soaked. Feeds get weighed. Grass gets negotiated. Nobody is particularly impressed. Depending on the weather, they either stay out or come into their stables, particularly if it's going to be hot. One of my liveries often beats me to the field and has poo-picked by now, which is incredibly helpful although I feel guilty that she has done it once again!

Breakfast. Eventually.

Only once the horses, chickens, cats and dog have all eaten do I finally get to think about my own breakfast. This usually involves checking both of my shops, looking for orders and attempting to make a plan for the day while I stuff bits of toast, fruit, scrambled eggs into myself along with a stiff latte – very healthy, er, maybe not. The plan generally lasts about twenty minutes before real life intervenes.

Riding Versus Reality

If the weather is cool, I'll often take my horse out for a ride. I try to ride three or four times each week. Sometimes this happens. Sometimes a customer order, an urgent job or simply life itself has other ideas. If it's hot, the ride moves to the evening because my horse would quite understandably prefer not to exercise in the middle of the day. Frankly, so would I.

The World's Most Beautiful Office (With Terrible WiFi)

One of my favourite places to work is the balcony that stretches along the back of the house. It overlooks the Quantock Hills and becomes my outdoor office whenever the weather allows. The scenery is magnificent., however the internet is occasionally less so. Actually, forget occasionally, it’s pretty much most of the time. Living this rurally means that WiFi sometimes behaves like a reluctant teenager — technically present but not especially helpful.Still, sitting outside with birdsong in the background and those views in front of me makes even the slowest internet connection feel slightly more forgivable.

Rural Planning

Living in the middle of nowhere requires organisation. Trips to the shops, appointments and errands all need to be carefully combined into one expedition because "just popping out" isn't really a thing here. Thursdays belong to my mum, who lives in a nursing home. It's a day that matters enormously to me and one of the reasons I value the flexibility of working for myself. The downside, of course, is that work doesn't always end. Sometimes I finish at five. Sometimes it's ten o'clock at night and I'm still covering the marketing while promising myself that tomorrow will definitely be more organised but it never is.

The Best Part of My Day

My favourite times are walking Misty or riding my horse. Because all of our walks and rides are off-road, I can switch off completely. No traffic, or roads. Just nature and the peace and quiet. The Quantock Hills are unlike anywhere else I've ever known. Wild, rugged and just breathtakingly beautiful. I often find myself stopping to identify birdsong with my app, taking photographs or simply standing still for a few moments and appreciating where I live. Those are the moments when I remember how lucky I am.

The Farm Itself

The farm is home to sheep and cattle that are not mine. I have a particular weakness for Highland cattle, although the ones here are Black Angus. They are just lovely though, very comical and escape frequently. I can always tell when they are off on another adventure by the sheer amount of mooing!! The sheep are wonderful, particularly during lambing season when I happily involve myself wherever I can. There’s something about new life and I never get bored of seeing them be born. The cows all have calves every year and it’s wonderful to watch them all scampering around and the lambs bouncing out of control.

There's something incredibly grounding about living alongside the seasons. The weather matters a lot and the farmers don’t always get what they want – and neither do I. The mud in the wintertime just takes over and keeping it out of the house is next to impossible. And don’t get me started on snow when it does choose to land in bulk – we do prepare if we know it’s coming and stock up the cupboards and freezer because you are not getting out of here for a couple of weeks!! It is remarkably still and even more tranquill when there is a thick blanket of snow on the ground.

Where My Inspiration Comes From

Many of my products begin outside. The sunflower items came from a huge field of sunflowers grown on the farm. I remember looking at them and immediately thinking:

"Well, those are definitely going onto something."

The sheep, cows, wildlife and countryside all quietly find their way into my work. When I choose designs, colours and materials, I'm often trying to capture the feeling of this place. Because Quantock Inspiration isn't really about products. It's about bringing a little of this area of the countryside, nature and slower living into people's homes.

"Don't You Feel Isolated?"

People ask me this surprisingly often. After twelve years, the answer is still no. We have neighbours and a small community here. We're not on top of each other though, we're simply away from the noise, the traffic, crowds and the endless rushing around – actually, that bit is a complete lie!! And honestly? I wouldn't have it any other way. Because somewhere between the chickens, the horses, the dog walks, the orders, the endless jobs and the occasional internet meltdown, I found a way of life that inspires everything I create. And perhaps that's what Quantock Inspiration really is; a small piece of this place, shared with others.

 

Hope you have enjoyed this read! 

Much Love E xx