Hello! I’m Veronica, a second-year Human Geography PhD student at the University of Exeter. Last year, I had a wild idea for my PhD research – to cycle across England to interview women in farming communities. My research aims to diversify visions for the future of farming by engaging people whose voices are often overlooked in both research and policymaking contexts. I don’t know how to drive, so cycling seemed to me the best way of reaching the rural communities I wanted to include in my research.
When I first proposed the idea to my supervisors, I was convinced they would say “no,” so I was surprised (and thrilled) when they told me they loved the idea! And so, over the last ten months, I’ve been busy planning the Farming Futures Cycle Tour. I’ll be setting off from Land’s End in mid-April and (all going well) finish in early July at the Scottish border near Carlisle. I’ll be sticking predominately to National Cycle Network routes (you can check out my provisional route here) and camping along the way.
Background
I was born in the United States and grew up in the Netherlands, where I cycled to school every day from the age of 11. When I moved to England to start university, however, cycling became a much smaller part of my life, as I was nervous to cycle on roads and hills. The last year has, therefore, been spent building up my cycling confidence and strength, often through exploring Devon on the National Cycle Network (NCN).
Last July, I cycled from Exeter to Falmouth for my master’s graduation. The four-day, 150-mile bike ride is my biggest cycle camping trip to date, so my upcoming fieldwork ride will certainly push me out of my comfort zone, physically, socially, and emotionally. I have already experienced moments of self-doubt, where I question if this is something I can really succeed at. “Am I strong enough to actually cycle across the country? Am I brave enough to do this by myself?” Leaving the comfort of my home for three months is an intimidating thought, but my excitement to explore the English landscape and meet with people across the country overpowers those fears.
Reflecting on “adventure”
To start meeting some adventurous people, I attended the Adventure Travel Show in London, where I enjoyed listening to talks and wandering around the exhibitors’ stalls. One highlight was chatting with some Adventure Queens at their stall – it’s thanks to them that I’m sharing this blog post, now! I also really enjoyed hearing Adventure Queen grant-winner, Sahir Pernall, share the inspiring story of her solo ride from Glasgow to Istanbul.
As someone who is deeply concerned with the climate crisis, however, I was disappointed by the lack of locally-based adventure or travel providers at the show. The majority of exhibitors present represented far flung locations, seemingly implying that the only way you can have a real “adventure” is to fly to an exotic destination on the other side of the world.
But we all know there’s plenty of adventure to be had here in the UK. Just scroll through the Adventure Queen’s Facebook group for five minutes and you’ll see the incredible range of adventurous activities you can embark on without needing to step foot on an airplane – from hiking in the Scottish highlands, to coasteering on the south Devon coast, to rock climbing in the Peak District. We live in a beautiful country and I felt like it was a shame the show didn’t do more to highlight the incredible plethora of sustainable and low-carbon adventures we have available right on our own doorstep.
This portrayal of “adventure” as being something requiring an exotic destination reflects a similar tendency in geographic “expeditions” – it seems that very few expeditions take place here in the UK, despite there being a wide range of interesting research topics that could be explored locally.
This is one of the many reasons I wanted to do my PhD research by bike – to highlight the amazing adventures we are able to have in our local areas, without needing to fly to some faraway country. I’m hoping the story of my project will inspire other women to get out on their bikes, but also inspire other PhD students (and academics more broadly) to seek out research topics in their local areas that can be explored through low-carbon, human-powered adventures.
I feel very lucky that I’m getting the opportunity to combine my excitement for this research topic with my love for outdoor adventure. I love how the Farming Futures Cycle Tour is allowing me to draw on skills I’ve developed over the last five years, from my time at university to my my experience working as a freelance visual communicator. I enjoy sharing the stories of my adventures on Coves to Cliffs, my photography and adventure blog, so I look forward to sharing my fieldwork as it progresses.
I need your help!
- I will be undertaking this adventure solo, however, I would love to meet some of you along my way. You could come cycle with me for a day or two (a pre-warning, though, I am very slow), meet me for a slice of cake at a café I’m passing, or bring your tent and come camp with me for an evening! If you live near my route, feel free to drop me a message and we can try to arrange something! (And perhaps we can organise a handful of Adventure Queen groups rides, too, if people are interested!)
- If you have any suggestions for good cyclist-friendly campsites/cafes/must-see-landmarks along my route, please send them over. I’m making a big Google Map of places to visit and stay, so any recommendations are much appreciated.
- As a social scientist, my research funding isn’t sufficient to cover this trip. As a result, I’m looking for sponsors or project partners who might be willing to support my expedition. If you have any contacts at relevant organisations, please do let me know!
- And finally, if you’re a woman living or working on a farm somewhere along my route (and you’d be happy to be interviewed about your visions for the future of farming), do get in touch!
You can find out lots more about me and my research on my project website. Feel free to get in touch on Instagram or Facebook. I look forward to meeting you somewhere along my adventure!
