I first discovered “Devon Yeast Cakes” at South Molton Pannier Market, on the Women’s Institute baked goods stall. They were made for sale by a venerable old lady who had been taught to make them by her mother many years before. On the one occasion I met her before she passed away, she told me that they were standard breakfast fare on farms in the area at harvest time when she was a girl. They were made to fill up the farm workers before the start of the working day, and then again with their mid afternoon tea. Cheap and easy to make, she said some of the “boys” could almost eat their own body weight in them!

I confess that I am cold-hearted and cheap. Though I love raising poultry, I hate spending time and money anywhere but on my little farm. So I process at home. If you are only raising a few birds for yourself, say 25 or 30 at a time, I recommend having a party and doing it all by hand. My journey backward from machines to hands started with a chance encounter with a Kenyan chicken grower visiting the United States. He finishes 15,000 broilers each year.

The science of anything may be taught or acquired by study; the art of it comes by practice or inspiration. The art of seeing things is not something that may be conveyed in rules and precepts; it is a matter vital in the eye and ear, yea, in the mind and soul, of which these are the organs. I have as little hope of being able to tell the reader how to see things as I would have in trying to tell him how to fall in love or to enjoy his dinner. Either he does or he does not, and that is about all there is of it.

Since the beginning, the equipment development process of the European non-profit association Schaff mat Päerd has been based on retro-innovation. This approach consists of reviving and reintroducing old or outdated ideas, technologies, or designs in a modern context. It involves taking inspiration from the past and combining it with current advancements to create something new and innovative. It is a dynamic approach to innovation that celebrates the past while embracing the future.

One hundred and ten years ago serious research and plant development were the norm, with great rewards possible from successful new planting varieties. The USDA yearbooks published a series of articles showcasing what they called “Promising New Fruits.” If any of these survive today they likely might be seen as heirloom varieties. – SFJ