We found some roadside stands and followed signs to farms shops to collect things like produce, flowers, etc.
But then we also came across a couple more unusual places that had exactly what we wanted! We had previously stocked up on meats, but were just about to run out, so we hoped to find some more, preferably wild or grass-fed. We couldn’t believe it when we passed a sign for wild game along a road we’d taken, only open five hours each week, but still open when we arrived!
I think this is a place where hunters bring their excess to sell. They had everything you can imagine, at really good prices. We bought venison and wild boar for stews, and a nice venison shoulder roast. They also had lots of other local meats that we passed on– squirrel, for example
Yes, they actually had zebra, kangaroo, ostrich, and crocodile. This seems pretty ridiculous to me, since I imagine these are imported (or from the local zoo?!) but still interesting. Amelia kept begging me to bring home all sorts of rare animals to cook and serve her– in her book, the cuter it is, the better it probably tastes.
The next very pleasant surprise was a stand at a small dairy for raw milk!
I had found sources for raw milk in California and Oregon, but it always took quite a bit of looking. It was so cool to just find it without even trying! From this educational sign, I gather that raw milk is not exactly commonplace here yet, either.
The prices were extremely good, and I picked up a smaller carton and some clotted cream, which is super delicious. They also had eggs (we needed some, how perfect!) and huge winter squash.
I don’t know how many stops we made on the way to the coast yesterday, but we quickly filled up the back seat of our car, and ticked everything off our shopping list. Here are some pictures of what we brought home:
What we bought:
2 Packages of Stew Meat– Venison and Wild Boar
1 Package Ground Venison
1 Venison Shoulder Roast
2 Packages of Pork Sausages
2 Dozen Pastured Eggs
Raw Milk
Clotted Cream
2 Bouquets of Dahlias
2 Large Bags of Apples
Winter Squash
Carrots
Turnips
Tomatoes
Pickled Cabbage
Cauliflower
Onions
Lemons
Cucumbers
Peppers
Also, that cool carved wooden bowl.
Guess how much we spent?! About 50 pounds, which is under $80. I am very happy with that, and am still amazed that we were able to find everything we needed without looking for any particular store, shop, or farm!
Hurray for living in the country.
(This post was shared at Your Green Resource and Small Footprint Friday.)
greatdanasworkshop says
Wow! Amazing food and prices! How fun! That’s wonderful you aren’t going to have to spend months tracking down sources for these foods! I love the pictures here, they are so telling!
Anonymous says
Beautiful and healthy finds for such an amazing price. Free markets! I am still tracking to track down a good raw milk source in Oregon where we live (and amazing to learn you lived here once too). Enjoy your time in England. I am living vicariously through your posts, exploits and pictures.
Gabrielle
Ariana says
Hi Gabrielle,
Thanks for stopping by, and for following along with us! I don’t know where you live in Oregon, but if you are in the Portland/ Salem area, I might have a couple of leads for you on raw milk, although the prices can be pretty challenging in that region! I’m assuming you know all about realmilk.com, but if you don’t you can find suppliers there.
Hausfrau says
Amazing haul–good for you! I have wondered if I can get raw milk (and grass-fed beef that doesn’t cost a fortune) around here–bet I can, but it’s obviously not widely advertised, and the language barrier can be an issue.
Ariana says
Hausfrau– I wondered the same thing! I often asked around about grass-fed beef, and was given names of different butchers, once people kind of understood what I was getting at. I at least appreciated the abundance of “bio” beef, even in places like Netto. And they sell “milk scalders”– little metal pitchers– at the grocery stores, so I would have to assume that many people are getting unpasteurized dairy. Hope you find some!
Nathan says
Looks like a good place to be a carnivore! Love it.