The real ‘good life - part 1

Readers of a certain age might recall the popular 1970s BBC sitcom featuring Tom and Barbara Good (Richard Briars and Felicity Kendal), choosing a self-sufficient lifestyle in ‘The Good Life’. Now, with climate change and Brexit shortages influencing our lives, Amy Rhodes is taking three generations of her family on a real life journey of sustainable living in Chulmleigh.

“With my parents and grandmother living next door to my 6 acre smallholding, we set out in September to produce almost all our food for a year on our land - only buying flour, sugar and salt,” said Amy. “It is something I’ve been interested in for a long time. I wanted to be a farmer from when I was little, as my grandparents farmed in this area and now my uncle.”

When Amy was about 15 she was given a book called ‘The complete guide to self-sufficiency’, and wanted to see if it would be possible. She has worked in farming for 13 years and built up her own smallholding. “There are many reasons why we decided to do this, including eating more seasonally, relying less on supermarkets and reducing waste,” added Amy

“Plus being more creative with cooking and growing, spending more time outside, seeing how a natural diet affects our health, and just to see if it is possible on a wet Devon smallholding!”

Amy has 6 acres of land including a large vegetable garden (above), an orchard, hens, cattle and sheep.

Making something like a cake now involves milking the cow, then making butter and getting eggs from the hens before she can even start making the mixture. “We certainly snack a lot less now!” said Amy.

The all important Christmas dinner featured all the usual trimmings, including home grown Brussels sprouts and their own reared pork as the centrepiece.

Amy admits there were lots of cravings in the beginning (peanut butter, hot chocolate) but

Amy Rhodes on her smallholding at Chulmleigh and inset, calves Claudia and Pasha

says they’re now starting to reap the benefits. “We’re eating really fresh, healthy and tasty food, and are feeling much better for it. Luckily so far we’ve had plenty to eat,” said Amy. “Of course it has been difficult, especially planning and the decisions that have to be made, but we’re also getting the health benefits of working the land and tending to our animals.” The next instalment of Amy’s sustainable living story will be in the February Molton Monthly.