Modern Simple Living

The ultimate in modern simple living is to home produce, home bake and make as much as possible. Few of us have the time, resources or skills to do this on a large scale however. All is not lost, the next best is to look to support those people around us who do have the goods we require. There are many goods which can be purchased locally if you live in the country, especially food and flowers. If you don't, even the high street and supermarkets offer British goods just look for the trademarks. Usually they cost around the same price as their competition too but it is much better to support our country and keep our people in employment, better for the environment too as it doesn't need to be shipped over just driven a few miles down the motorway.

Here in Devon we have many opportunities to buy Devon produce as we are famous for our milk, cream and bakery products as well as producing eggs and honey etc. I have welcomed the clear marking of local or british products and much prefer to buy them. I have never been comfortable about buying foreign meat and have mainly used the local town butcher for my joints. I am happier to purchase chicken and larger joints from supermarkets now that it is clear where they are from. British farmers have to abide by much stricter rules than foreign farmers and I believe that the quality of the animals welfare while alive should be recognised when we decide which joint to buy, the meat should be more nutritious and tastier too if the animal was fed well.

I went shopping in the city of Exeter today and saw a sign beside the bunches of flowers on display outside 'Trugs' flower shop which said 'Devon Grown Flowers'. Beside them were bunches marked as being Cornish produce. The customer wants to know more of the history behind what they are buying and are more likely to purchase if it is from their own locality, especially if they can get a couple of extra days out of their flowers because they are so much fresher than those that travelled many miles while in bud to get to the shop in time before they died!