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Cruise Ship Visitors Experience Farm Life at Long Island By
Sharon Marsh This is the second tourist season that cruise ship World Discoverer has landed passengers on the beautiful mile-long sand beach at Long Island. They are then free to wander around the settlement and observe the day to day tasks carried out on the farm owned by Neil and Glenda Watson. An initiative launched by Sulivan Shipping two years ago, the Long Island excursion has fast become a highlight of the Falklands tour for many visiting cruise ship passengers. First stop for visitors is the peat bank where Ben, the couple's youngest son, demonstrates the age old, but fast dying, tradition of peat cutting. The house at Long Island uses peat for both heating and cooking. Ben encourages the tourists to try peat cutting; many do, and are shocked by the weight of each sod lifted from the bank. In the shearing shed Pat Whitney, a neighbouring farmer, shears a couple of sheep and follows through with the wool handling and classing. There are always a lot of questions about the wool prices and the end products and I hear one tourist commenting "we really have to stop buying these fleece shirts" - the synthetic fabric that has done more than its fair share to oust wool from the garment market. At the 'old house' which is now used as a cow shed and horse gear (tack) storage area, some of the lades who regularly help with the gathering in of the 3,000 sheep from the 19,000 acre farm, are explaining the different types of gear used, and demonstrate how to gear up a horse and ride, Falkland style. Long Island farm operates in a very traditional manner, one that might be considered antiquated by other farms throughout the Falklands. However, this traditional style enables the Watson family to live the lifestyle of their choice and to achieve organic status for their farm. Plus, it is a unique attraction for visitors. The sheep are gathered together out of the camps (fields) by shepherds on horseback; occasionally a motorbike will assist the riders. The camps are too big for Neil and Glenda to gather alone so family and friends help out and, at the same time, get to ride some of the twenty three, wonderfully tame work horses. Despite the fact the sun is shining and it is glorious to be outdoors, the real highlight of the day for most visitors is a visit to Neil and Glenda's home. Neil is standing outside the house chatting to people, and collecting kisses from the female members of the crew he has come to know well from previous visits. He urges people to go indoors and "grab a cuppa". The idea of inviting complete strangers into your home seems alien to most of the visitors, but they all enjoy the experience immensely, and many of the English visitors are enthusiastic about the very 'Britishness' of it all. Inside the house Glenda and a band of helpers meet, greet and offer tea, coffee and food to their visitors. The kitchen table is laden with sausage rolls, empanadas and other calorie-filled goodies typical of a Falklands 'smoko' (elevenses or afternoon tea). Falkland Islander Jeremy Smith has been lecturing on World Discoverer for the season. One passenger I spoke to said "he is so enthusiastic about the Falkland way of life we had to come to Long Island and see it for ourselves". Another said he really enjoyed his visits to West Point and Carcass Island where the wildlife and scenery were "magnificent" but added "today was great because we saw a different side to the islands". The hospitality extended to Long Island is returned each visit, as the hosts are invited to board World Discoverer for lunch and a short cruise to Stanley. Sharon Marsh is Deputy Editor of Penguin News but for almost 20 years was a farmer on West Falkland First published in the Penguin News on 5 March 2004 and reproduced with the kind permission of the Editor
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