The Royal Manure

From 1945 to 1947 the then Princess Elizabeth and her husband Prince Philip rented Windlesham Moor in Surrey as their private residence.

Painting of Windlesham Moor by Winston Churchill

My mother’s cousins farmed close by in Bagshot.  One night, in the pub, the Royal Stable Manager caught sight of my Uncle Jack (this is obviously the non Quaker side.)  He offered my great uncle as much manure from the royal stables as he needed as long as he was willing to remove it himself.

In due course Uncle Jack sent over two of his sons, then aged seventeen and fourteen, with the trailer. The boys found a gigantic pile of poop and straw at one end of the stable yard and set to work. It was a hot day and after a while they looked and smelled foul.

To their horror they saw Princess Elizabeth enter the yard and begin strolling along the horse boxes. Handling the situation with aplomb was beyond the skill of two teenage boys. They dived into the manure pile, covered themselves and waited a considerable time in the fulminating mess until they were sure the coast was clear.

I often wonder if the Princess knew they were in there and was having a good giggle. Needless to say the boys were given a wide berth by friends and family for some time after.

Naturally, the whole family now feels closely connected with the Royal Family. I really wanted to show my respect to “Auntie Liz” on the occasion of her Diamond Jubilee but was stumped until I saw a posting by Pyjama Gardener. Following her lead I hastily planted a pot with blue and white pansies and red salvia. I placed a piece from the Coronation tea set, inherited from my husband’s grandmother, in the centre. My husband marched the arrangement around to the front porch, stepped back and snapped off a crisp salute. I curtsied. 

I made a pot of tea using the Earl Grey from my Coronation souvenir tea caddy, also from Granny. 

We sipped it on the veranda overlooking the south lawn (back deck) and reflected on Her Majesty’s reign, satisfied we had done our duty.

For the ultimate in Jubilee afternoon teas click here Hurtled To 60

Eagle Creek Farm

 A bucket list item, in my opinion, is to explore Eagle Creek Farm's Sunflower Maze. Imagine a warm August afternoon, clear blue sky, arms brushed by golden sunflowers-who would actually want to find the way out? Then take home an armful of flowers from the  U-pick fields. Also not to be missed, The Lily Festival, in honour of their 30,000 lilies. The location is close to Bowden, which is a beautiful summer drive out of the city. They also have an excellent CSA program for all your veggie needs, summer and winter, and they deliver to Calgary pretty much all year round.
 http://eaglecreekfarms.ca/

Community Supported Agriculture

 If you always wanted to grow your own veggies but buying from a farmer's market is the closest you are likely to get, think about buying directly from the farmer 
through a Community  Supported Agriculture (C.S.A.) program.                                                                  
The farmer sells the consumer a share in his crop at the beginning of the year. The consumer then receives their share of the crop, as it is harvested, in the form of a box picked up at a convenient locale or sometimes delivered directly to your door.

The advantages are: You have access to amazingly fresh and tasty food. You know exactly where your food originates and how it is produced.  In most cases you are encouraged to visit the farm. The farmer has a reliable source of income. You are supporting plant diversity and food security.
Disadvantages are: You share the risk with the farmer, if the crop fails you lose your money.  You often do not know what vegetables you will be receiving each week. The boxes will have small amounts to start and an abundance at the end of the season, so you need to be adaptable and ready to freeze or can or share. It is undoubtedly more expensive than buying at the grocery store.

In my experience costs can be reduced by volunteering to work on the farm for an agreed number of hours. My kids loved visiting the farm. If you live in an area where the growing season is short,  consider a farm in another area and request the box be shipped out by Greyhound. Some farms also have a winter program where they store root vegetables for you and you receive a pre-arranged amount each week. I have found this to be good value. Honey, fruit, eggs and meat are also available at varying prices. If you donate to a charity that needs fresh food consider using part of your donation to purchase a CSA share in their name.

This program is for people who can afford to pay extra for good quality food.  Who believe in supporting small farms. Who want to cut back on exposure to pesticides. Are concerned about food security and loss of diversity. Shares are on sale from January to end of March.


wwwcsafarms.ca, www.ffcf.bc.ca/resources, www.ffcf.bc.ca/resources