- 7/7/2025
Countryfile Season 37 Episode 27
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00:00Go on girls.
00:06What a lovely day for moving cows.
00:30Every landscape tells a story of farming families who've worked it for centuries.
00:40Growing our food, caring for nature and ensuring that rural traditions thrive.
00:48For many of them, farming isn't just a job.
00:51It's a way of life, handed down through the years.
00:55The only thing I can see myself doing, really.
00:57Over four countryfile specials.
00:59I'm a bit nervous.
01:00I'll be travelling to Somerset, Leicestershire, Worcestershire and Wiltshire
01:04to meet some of those families that have farmed these agricultural heartlands for generations.
01:10Don't work with animals and children, did somebody say that?
01:13From grandparents to grandchildren, everyone plays their part.
01:16I'll be getting a glimpse into the way they work together day to day,
01:20the challenges they face and the inventive ways that they're keeping their farms thriving for the future.
01:29Today, I'm in Leicestershire, joining the Eggleston family at their farm near Melton Mowbray.
01:39Melton is known as the rural capital of food.
01:42And it's not just about the pork pies, it's about Stilton cheese too.
01:46Now, Stilton can only be produced from a handful of dairies where the milk is supplied locally.
01:51And the family I'm meeting today have been sending their milk to the Stilton dairy for over a century.
01:57This is where the cows are milked early in the morning and into the evening.
02:00But at the moment, they're all out of the field.
02:06I'll see how this dairy farm is constantly on the move.
02:10We've gone from 100 cows to 600.
02:13From the pasture...
02:14I just walk across the field, literally plonking.
02:18..to the parlour.
02:19My dad died fairly young. Goodness me.
02:21And that gave me responsibility from a very young age.
02:24Every generation plays their part.
02:27Don't work with animals and children, did somebody say that?
02:30To keep up with this lot, I'll need to stay on my toes.
02:34My words, where do I stand?
02:35Out the way.
02:38We'll also take a look back through the Countryfile archives
02:41to celebrate some local delights.
02:45Oh, release the cheese.
02:47And revisit some of the amazing farmers we've met.
02:50He's headed off down the hill like a mountain goat.
02:53What dreams are made of, really. I love it.
03:06Bridge Farm has been home to four generations of the Eggleston family.
03:11The late Roy Eggleston bought the farm in 1962.
03:18With his wife Brenda.
03:21Now their son Paul.
03:24And daughter-in-law Claire run the business.
03:27Helped by son James.
03:30And daughter Amy.
03:32With her son Joey being the newest member of the team.
03:35This impressive dairy farm produces around 3 million litres of milk every year.
03:47With every drop destined to become Stilton cheese.
03:51And it all starts here, with a herd of dairy cows.
03:54Hi Amy.
03:57Hi Adam, you're just in time.
03:59Are you going to let them out?
04:00Yeah.
04:01My words, where do I stand?
04:02Out the way.
04:04Twice a day, Amy together with her dad Paul.
04:08Hi, good to see you. Adam, how are you?
04:09All right, yeah, nice one.
04:10And brother James helped to move their 600 strong herd to the milking parlour.
04:16My word, it's all kicking off here.
04:18It is, yeah.
04:19Yeah, milking time.
04:20We milk twice for the summer, and then we go on to a variable in the autumn.
04:24And Paul, what you're doing is moving them from field to field, so the crossing's different every day, is it?
04:28Yeah, they graze a different paddock every 12 hours.
04:31So we're on a, therefore, 21 to 25 day rotation.
04:35Yes.
04:36We're grazing 50, 40 to 50 paddocks over that three week block.
04:39And how do they know where to go?
04:42They'll just keep walking until they find an open gate.
04:44Okay.
04:45Genuinely, they just...
04:46So if someone leaves a wire off, they've gone in the wrong place.
04:48Yeah, yeah, yeah.
04:49It's happened too many times to admit.
04:51They do end up in the wrong place sometimes.
04:53Yeah, once the village wants.
04:54Yeah.
04:55Really.
04:56And you've come from the family background, having learnt from your dad.
04:59Yeah, yeah, I was born on the farm, and worked, you know, farmed with dad.
05:03Did dad college, and then came home in 1991, so...
05:07And built up quite an empire now.
05:09Yeah, we've gone from 100 cows to 600.
05:11Wow.
05:12And so you're providing milk for cheese making?
05:15Yes.
05:16Yeah, for Stilton cheese.
05:17The local dairy was founded in 1911, started producing Stilton cheese in 1912.
05:24It was founded by 12 local farmers.
05:26It's now 31 local farmers.
05:28It's fully farmer owned.
05:30It's a true cooperative.
05:31My great-grandfather was one of the founding members.
05:33Wow.
05:34Wherever we are in the world, I'll go in the local supermarket and see if they've got Stilton.
05:38Stilton can only be made in Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.
05:41OK.
05:42And so, you know, you're very proud whenever you see it.
05:45It's most likely to come from our milk.
05:48And for you, is that a lovely thing to follow in the footsteps of granddad, dad and still be doing the same thing?
05:53Yeah.
05:54You know, even though his methods might have been different and he was doing it slightly differently, it's nice to know that, you know, my late grandfather was supplying milk to the same place.
06:01Yeah.
06:02So how are we getting on?
06:03Well, there's just a few stragglers left.
06:04Amy and I are going round those up.
06:05And if you want to walk up the road and catch up with James where they're crossing the road.
06:08Yeah, great.
06:09And we'll see you later.
06:10I'll navigate through the cows and go and find it.
06:11Yeah.
06:12See you later.
06:18Look at the grass.
06:19Leicestershire grass.
06:20Wish I had this in the Cotswolds.
06:23Go on, girls.
06:29James.
06:30Hi.
06:31Hi.
06:32Good to see you.
06:33What an operation you're running here.
06:34Yeah, there's a few cows that we're doing at the minute.
06:36A third of the farm's over the road.
06:37Yeah.
06:38So we spend a lot of time on here crossing the road.
06:40Do you love it?
06:41Yeah.
06:42Love it, yeah.
06:43And have you always wanted to do it ever since you were a little boy?
06:45Yeah, I've been here.
06:46I've been involved since I was, yeah, as long as I can remember.
06:48How big is the farm then, James?
06:50So we're around 600 acres here.
06:53Yeah.
06:54And then we've got some land off site as well.
06:56Then we have a separate business just next door.
06:58We're milling 30,000 a year of animal blend feed.
07:01Wow, goodness me.
07:02Yeah.
07:03And who does what in the business?
07:05I'm assistant herd manager at the minute, as well as overseeing the management of the other
07:08side of the business with the blending as well.
07:10Amy does a lot of the office work for a lot of the grants, all that sort of stuff.
07:14Sure.
07:15Dad's the financial director as well as overseeing the whole portfolio, you know, day to day.
07:19Do we need to let the bike through?
07:21Yeah, we'll just let these through.
07:22Okay.
07:23Yeah.
07:24Whoa, girls.
07:25That's it now.
07:26That's enough.
07:27Yeah.
07:28Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
07:36Moving 600 cows twice a day across the roads to and from the parlour is quite a task.
07:42Go on, look.
07:43There's a good goss.
07:45But this place seems to run incredibly efficiently.
07:49What a lovely day for moving cows.
07:53The Egglestons employ a further five people on the farm.
07:56But the responsibility for the business rests with the family themselves.
08:01What's it like working with the kids?
08:03I'm really proud to work with the kids.
08:05I think it's fantastic that they're both on the farm.
08:07Didn't put any expectations in front of either of them.
08:10It's here if you want it.
08:11So it's delightful, really, that they both want to farm and work together.
08:15You know, we have our moments.
08:16They're both different.
08:17They're different characters.
08:18But no, it works well.
08:20Then how did your dad deal with you as a young man?
08:23Did you always want to do it?
08:24I always wanted to do it.
08:25Dad gave me responsibility from a very young age, which surprised me at the time.
08:30He obviously saw more in me than I saw.
08:33But, you know, and that proved invaluable, really, because, you know, by the time, unfortunately,
08:38Dad died fairly young.
08:39Oh, no.
08:40How old was he when he...
08:4161.
08:42Goodness me.
08:43So by the time, you know, Dad became ill and died, then, you know, I was running the
08:46farm, so I think...
08:47So it wasn't like you were suddenly dropped to the deep end.
08:49No.
08:50You already had the grips of it.
08:51So I think that's the lesson, you know, that, you know, let them get on, let them,
08:54you know, they're the age that should be making decisions.
08:57Sure.
08:58And seeing the fruits of their efforts.
08:59Yes.
09:00Between us, like, make a good team.
09:01Yeah.
09:02Well, that's special, isn't it?
09:03Yeah, it is.
09:04Yeah, working with them, it is special.
09:07For generations, the Eggleston family have sent their milk just half a mile down the
09:12road to the local Stilton dairy.
09:15Thanks to its protected status, Blue Stilton can only be made at one of the four licensed
09:20dairies in the country.
09:22And three years ago, Matt visited one of them, just a few miles away from here in Colston-Bassett.
09:35The dairy goes back to 1913, and was the brainchild of a local doctor, William Windley.
09:41He'd seen how farmers working together could make cheese, which meant some extra cash over
09:46the leaner winter months, and a way of using up excess milk in the summer.
09:51Billy Kevin is the cheesemaking manager.
09:52So, we've got pasteurised whole milk.
09:53Yep.
09:54Which is a legal requirement of Stilton cheesemaking.
09:55So, the blue mole is already in.
09:56We need to mix the milk.
09:57Oh, so it's warm, isn't it?
09:58It's warm.
09:59Yeah, it's very warm.
10:00I'm not going to tell you the temperature, because I'd have to shoot you.
10:02Oh, that's part of the secret, isn't it?
10:03One of the things that we do, everyone will have their own standards on that.
10:04Start there.
10:05Yeah.
10:06Push through to the bottom, and all the way up.
10:07You'll feel it mixing.
10:08Yeah.
10:09A little bit faster.
10:10God, I tell you what, that's a beautiful thing.
10:11That's a beautiful thing.
10:12Yeah.
10:13That's a beautiful thing.
10:14Yeah.
10:15Yeah.
10:16Yeah.
10:17Yeah.
10:18Yeah.
10:19Yeah.
10:20Yeah.
10:21Yeah.
10:22Yeah.
10:23Yeah.
10:24Yeah.
10:25Yeah.
10:26Yeah.
10:27Yeah.
10:28Yeah.
10:29Yeah.
10:30Yeah.
10:31Yeah.
10:32Yeah.
10:33It's a beautiful feeling, isn't it?
10:34It's a nice feeling, yeah.
10:35It's very, very relaxing.
10:36Oh!
10:37The curds formed from the milk are broken up, and dropped into a mould, forming the
10:44classic Stilton cheese shape.
10:48Once the cheese has been formed, it gets a good going over in the rubbing up room.
10:53On day five, we take this off, which is not as easy as it looks, if you only try.
11:00I've started it for you now.
11:02Oh, yeah.
11:03There's a bit of a vacuum in there.
11:04A bit of resistance.
11:05Yeah.
11:06Whoa.
11:07Release the cheese.
11:08There you go.
11:09Right.
11:10What do you do with it now?
11:11Okay.
11:12So what you're going to do is, you're going to open the knife, close the knife, nicely
11:16open, and then down the same angle.
11:19We're trying to create a barrier using the cheese that's there.
11:23So we're going up to the top, and then we're just squidging it down there like that.
11:27And the purpose of this is what, Billy?
11:29So we're creating a barrier for the blue mould spore, so we don't want air to go in and germinate
11:36the spore.
11:37That would be too early.
11:38So up and down, up and shut.
11:39That's it.
11:40You got it.
11:41Yeah, very good.
11:42It smells creamy, doesn't it?
11:43Yes.
11:44It should smell sweet.
11:46Any idea where that craze came from, of the blue mould in there?
11:50So, nobody really knows, but my own view is that people would be making cheese, and
11:58they'd probably be storing them in workshops, sheds, stables.
12:02Back in the day, stables would have tack, which we'd have mould on, and there would be
12:07ingress, so basically the cheese would have blued.
12:10That's my view, whether it's right or wrong.
12:13I've got to say, Matt, I'm impressed.
12:15First time out.
12:16That's rubbing finished.
12:17Excellent.
12:18We get to eat some now, do we?
12:19We do.
12:20Yes!
12:22The young cheese is left on wooden shelves in maturation rooms for about 12 weeks,
12:27and over that time develops its distinctive creamy flavour and blue veining.
12:36More!
12:37Wow, this is powerful in here, isn't it?
12:39More ammonia smell.
12:40This is the cheese that's nearly ready.
12:42Mm-hm.
12:43And we have to grate every cheese.
12:45We're looking for it to go in nice and smooth.
12:47Mm-hm.
12:48Without even pulling it out, I know that it's breaking down because you can feel it.
12:52Mm-hm.
12:53It's not hard and crumbly.
12:54So we should see some blue at the end.
12:57And it's only, it's only to about here.
13:01So it's not quite ready.
13:03Okay.
13:04But it's ready to taste.
13:06That's it.
13:07Do you feel how creamy that is?
13:08I do.
13:09Yeah.
13:10So it's starting to get an almost buttery texture.
13:12In mouth water.
13:13Good man.
13:15Oh.
13:16Mm.
13:17Mm.
13:19That's lovely.
13:20It's not as cold as a fridge in here.
13:24No.
13:25It's ambient.
13:26Yeah.
13:27As far as like the best conditions then to keep your stilton in.
13:29Okay.
13:30So if you're going to eat it straight away, room temperature.
13:33Right.
13:34If you're going to keep it for a day or two, fridge.
13:37Yeah.
13:38If you're going to keep it for a month or two, cut it into small pieces.
13:42Wrap it in foil.
13:43Yeah.
13:44Put it in your freezer.
13:45Freeze it?
13:46Take the same piece out the day before you want it and put it in your fridge.
13:50It comes out as good as it went in.
13:53Top tip.
14:00While the stilton cheese sticks to tradition, milk production on the Eggleston's farm has moved with the times.
14:07Their herd of 600 dairy cows are safely at the parlour and ready for milking.
14:12There are two parlours on the farm, each with the capacity to milk 24 cows at once, with another 24 ready and waiting.
14:24And with every cow milked twice a day, the whole process has to run like clockwork.
14:29That's an incredible set up you've got here, Paul.
14:36Alan is the farm's herd manager and heads up the milking parlour.
14:40But Paul still keeps his hand in.
14:48Well, you're still a dab hand at it, Paul.
14:50Well, you know.
14:53OK, go on then, I'll do one.
14:54Yeah, you'll go.
14:55Do you need to click something up here?
14:56Back and forward.
14:58Yeah, then press the button underneath.
15:01That one?
15:02That's it.
15:03Hold that under with your hand as you lift the units up.
15:09Have you got a set way round you do it?
15:11I start front-left, front-right, back-left, back-right, yeah.
15:15This milking system is very simple.
15:17There's very little electronics on these parlours.
15:20There's not a lot to go wrong.
15:21It seems to me that as a sort of captain of the team, or the coach, that you're making sure you've got the right people in the right positions doing the right job.
15:29Is that true to think?
15:30Yeah, and hopefully everyone gets to enjoy what they're good at.
15:33You know, when you get a bigger team, you're able to play to people's strengths.
15:37You know, when we were 100 cows, everyone milked and everyone scraped up, and no-one had a day off.
15:42So, with you and your wife, you know, particularly yourself, I suppose, running the farm and running the family, what are some of the mistakes that you wish you hadn't made?
15:51Mistakes-wise, I think inability to delegate is one of mine.
15:55You know, I find it quite difficult to delegate.
15:57I'm almost like to tell you what I want you to do, I'll show you how to do it, and then I'll probably stand there and do it with you.
16:02Yeah.
16:03And your biggest success with the family?
16:05You know, the fact that the kids have both come home to work.
16:08Claire is a fantastic people person.
16:10She's the glue that holds our family together.
16:12Right.
16:13You know, I'm action-driven, I want to get stuff done.
16:16I wake up with a plan, and, you know, whereas Claire thinks about the people along the way.
16:21Yeah.
16:22It's very important.
16:23Are you a good cop, a bad cop?
16:25Definitely, yeah.
16:26Bad.
16:31And you love it, do you, still?
16:32I love it.
16:33Yeah, I love it.
16:34You know, I said to you, Dad's not around anymore.
16:36I think if he came back, he'd think we'd done okay.
16:38Yeah.
16:39I think he'd be very proud.
16:40It's incredible what you've achieved.
16:41Well, see the kids, see the kids' farming, I think, will be the highlight, for sure.
16:45Yeah.
16:46I'd have never made a dairyman, Paul.
16:52It's not for everyone, Adam, as to be said.
16:56I think I'd better leave Paul and Alan to it.
16:59The herd will soon need a fresh paddock to graze, and Amy's on the case to find the very best spot.
17:11Hi, Amy.
17:12Hi, Adam.
17:13Is that standing in a field?
17:14Well, you know.
17:17This bit of kit is called a rising plate meter, and was originally developed by farmers in New Zealand.
17:24What are you up to?
17:25So, I'm measuring the grass, as weird as that sounds.
17:27Yeah.
17:28The plate here sits on top of the grass, whilst the bar goes down to the floor.
17:32So, basically, I just walk across the field, literally plonking.
17:36Yeah.
17:37That is the word they use, plonking.
17:39Plonking this up and down, and it will give me an average measurement of how much grass is on this field.
17:44This is just to assess, basically, is this field ready to graze for our cows or not.
17:48Sure.
17:49Can I give it a go?
17:50Is there a technique?
17:51As long as you keep the plate flat, and just straight up and down, then you're good to go.
17:56Right.
17:57And how often are you doing this?
17:58So, we try and do the whole farm every week.
18:01It can take over three hours, so it's a pretty big job to do every week.
18:05But it's important that we have the right data, because if we allocate the cows too much grass,
18:11they'll waste it, and just tread on it, basically.
18:14And if we allocate them too little, then they'll be hungry.
18:17Sure.
18:18And so, this is a really important part of your dairy system.
18:20Yeah, this is really the central pillar of our whole system.
18:24We tend to try and graze the cows about February to November time,
18:28so a vast majority of the year.
18:30So, we need this information to be able to tell us where are they going next.
18:34And how are we looking?
18:36I mean, that's a pretty good measurement for this field.
18:39What I'll do, I'll divide that by seven kilos.
18:45Seven kilos is basically what I want to allocate them in kilograms of dry matter.
18:49Per head?
18:50Yeah.
18:51So, that means you can put 400-odd cows out here?
18:53Yeah.
18:54That does leave the question of where do we put the other 200.
18:56Yes.
18:57So, what do you think your grandparents would have thought of this?
19:02To be honest, I think they'd be shocked.
19:04It was so different to the system they ran.
19:06This was a high-yielding farm, so the cows were a lot bigger.
19:10They gave a lot more milk, but it was a lot more complicated.
19:13You know, they had special diets.
19:15They had all sorts of different things that they needed.
19:17So, your system is sort of less intensive?
19:20Yeah, a lot different to what it was.
19:22The system is low input, really.
19:24So, we put less into them, therefore get less out of them,
19:28but we find that to be more profitable.
19:31We're breeding a smaller cow.
19:33They're better on their feet.
19:34They have to walk quite far.
19:36We need a smaller cow for that.
19:37That doesn't happen overnight.
19:39You know, the breeding has come over many years.
19:41And where did that idea come from?
19:43New Zealand, to be honest.
19:44As a family, we've spent time over there,
19:46taking inspiration from what they're doing.
19:48We don't have it quite as good as them,
19:50because they can keep the cows out all year round.
19:52We do have to come inside for the winter,
19:54but they have a lot that we can take inspiration from,
19:57using technology like this.
19:59I worked out there for a number of months
20:01and absolutely loved it.
20:02And as an agricultural industry,
20:04I mean, they're incredibly progressive,
20:06but they also have a lovely way of life, don't they?
20:08Yeah, we think so,
20:09and that's kind of why we've tried to mirror
20:11what they're doing here and prioritise lifestyle,
20:14as well as, obviously, what's best for the cows.
20:16Sure. Let's keep going, shall we?
20:17Yeah, definitely.
20:21Plonk.
20:22Keeps going, yeah.
20:23Plonk.
20:24This is good grass out here, isn't it?
20:26Yeah, it's looking nice.
20:29It's great to see Amy and the family
20:31drawing inspiration from a New Zealand farming system.
20:34I've had a real affinity for the place ever since my student days,
20:39and I was lucky enough to go back about eight years ago.
20:42While I was there, I visited a cattle farming family in Hawke's Bay,
20:46who really embodied that classic Kiwi can-do approach to farming.
20:50Back in 1967, Ian Brickle purchased his first farm with his wife Caroline.
21:06What's remarkable is, at the age of 78, Ian's still farming,
21:11now at this remote location that's hours off the beaten track.
21:18Hi, Ian. Good to see you.
21:20I'm pleased to meet you, Adam.
21:21Goodness me, you're a tough man to find.
21:23I was coming all the way through the forest and I thought I was lost
21:26and then got to your farm in what a remote spot.
21:29It's remarkable.
21:30It is remote, I agree, but that's the way I like it.
21:33And you're 78, how do you manage farming here?
21:37I honestly believe that you grow unfit more than you grow old.
21:40As long as you can keep your fitness, and obviously if you've got good health,
21:44then, yeah, you just keep going.
21:47Now, so what are you farming here? I see livestock everywhere.
21:50Well, we've got 600 breeding ewes,
21:53we've got 83 Welsh black cows, and I also breed horses.
21:59Wonderful.
22:00So can we go and take a look at your Welsh black cattle?
22:02You can.
22:03Let's go.
22:06Today, Ian needs to muster his cattle from the mountain
22:09to do some routine checks in the handling pens.
22:12His grandson, Jacob, and his team of working dogs are on hand to help out.
22:18Right.
22:19Goodness me, how many dogs have you got?
22:21Got six here, six working dogs and a Jet Russell.
22:24Wow. Can you control them all at once?
22:26Try to, yeah.
22:27Doing my best.
22:28And what are they? There's hunter ways, I recognise.
22:30Yep, hunter ways and heading dogs.
22:31So the heading dog is a bit like our border collie, is it?
22:34Yep, yep, yep.
22:35And how many cattle have we got together then? How many is all together?
22:37200.
22:38200.
22:39And if I'm in the wrong place, just shout at me.
22:47The tranquillity is about to be broken.
22:51The famine is going.
22:52And they just running.
22:53They've been running for theseaus.
22:54They've been loosed yet.
22:55They're being loosed yet.
22:56To be on the right spot.
22:57They're going to be broken down.
22:58No ihracаты.
22:59They have the consequences of these.
23:00They're going to be helplessly.
23:01All for this.
23:02The right place.
23:03Dealing with a sword.
23:04They're going to be very shallow.
23:05They're going to be by force.
23:06The hunter took us, and they're going to be old.
23:07The hunter takes us to be a survivor.
23:09To be the hunter.
23:10They're going to be our help.
23:11To be alive.
23:12Goodness me, Ian, those hunt-aways can really go, can't they?
23:25Jacob's a really good young shepherd.
23:27He's probably matured beyond his years when it comes to his dogs.
23:30He's got very good dogs.
23:32So the black and white ones are the heading dogs to get round in front and round them up?
23:36That's right.
23:37And then a hunt-away hunts them away up the mountain?
23:39That's correct, Adam.
23:40And why do you love this wild country so much?
23:43I mean, what is it in you that makes you want to be out here?
23:46I mean, we're miles from anywhere.
23:48I can't answer that.
23:50I guess it's my genetic make-up or something.
23:53But, you know, I just love the wild places, always have done.
24:03And were all these calves born outdoors, or do you have to bring them into the sheds out here?
24:07We don't have sheds.
24:09No, no, my cows calve completely on their own, unassisted, no problems.
24:16And is that part of your mantra, part of what you want to try and achieve, a cow that looks after itself?
24:20Well, I think it's part of the New Zealand hill country farming.
24:23We've looked to breed a type of animal that are perfectly capable of looking after themselves.
24:30It's a low-cost animal, really.
24:32Yep.
24:32And low input from our point of view.
24:35Yeah, sure.
24:36They don't have to pamper them.
24:37But the Welshies are brilliant at surviving on rough grass.
24:40They really are.
24:41It's great to see traditional British breeds still thriving here.
24:46How popular are the Welsh cattle?
24:47Not as popular as they should be, Adam, but let me say I have tried all those breeds out of Angus, Hereford, Short Horn, Charolais, and the Welsh leaving them for dead, in my opinion.
25:02I've judged Welsh black cattle once, actually, and really like them.
25:05And I'm half Welsh, so, you know, I'm feeling quite patriotic.
25:15Well, that's the young cattle through the first gateway.
25:18There's still quite a long way to go.
25:19And I said to Ian, shall I go back and get the buggy?
25:22And he said, no, no, I'll go.
25:23I'll just run down.
25:24And he literally meant run down.
25:26He's headed off down the hill like a mountain goat.
25:29This guy's 78.
25:30It's quite remarkable.
25:32We're just chasing these cattle up here now.
25:45Jacob's still working his dogs and moving them along nicely.
25:49The herd have split a bit.
25:50Some have gone along the track, and then the others are going down this really steep hill.
25:54Just remarkable, really.
25:57This is really exciting for me.
25:59You know, coming back to New Zealand and rounding up cattle, you know, out in the middle of nowhere is what dreams are made of, really.
26:07I love it.
26:07The cattle are being rounded up for an annual TB test.
26:25In New Zealand, in 1990, the percentage of cattle with TB was about seven times greater than in Britain.
26:33But by 2011, it was about 40 times less.
26:36I'm keen to know how they've achieved this incredible reduction, as back home, my animals have suffered with TB for decades.
26:47Michelle Murphy is an animal technician, and TB testing is her full-time job.
26:52Michelle, over here, you've managed to reduce your prevalence of TB in the herds very dramatically, haven't you?
27:01How have you succeeded doing that?
27:03It's controlling the infected wildlife.
27:06Which wildlife are you controlling?
27:08Possums, feral deer, ferrets, wild pigs, anything that can carry or spread TB.
27:17And so they're all non-native species?
27:19Yes, they are.
27:21And do they cause damage out in the environment as well? Is that why they're considered as pests?
27:25Yes, they do.
27:26The possums ruin the native trees and bird life.
27:31And how much TB would be in this area now?
27:34Very little, if any.
27:37Well, we've got a similar problem at home, but the vectors, the animals in the wild that carry TB, particularly badgers,
27:44have been in our country for centuries, if not thousands of years.
27:48So they're a native species, very symbolic to Britain.
27:51So it's really difficult for us to get on top of it.
27:55But interesting how you've managed it over here.
27:57You've been really robust about it, though, haven't you?
27:58Yes, yes.
28:01Thankfully, this herd was later given the all-clear.
28:05Testing is a stressful process for the cattle, so we release them as quick as we can and drive them towards some fresh mountain pasture.
28:17Well, it's been about a 10-hour day and we're still climbing up the hills and I'm starting to fade, but Ian's still going strong here.
28:24I have to say, Ian, I'm so jealous of the place you live and work, your wonderful cattle.
28:30This farm's just extraordinary.
28:32I know I'm truly blessed, Adam.
28:34I know that.
28:35But I've got a wonderful wife.
28:37She's been very supportive, too.
28:39And I've still got my health.
28:41I've got no reason to stop and I certainly don't want to stop.
28:44And you've got lots of children and grandchildren, too, all following in your footsteps.
28:47Yeah, well, we've got seven children and 24 grandchildren and, yeah, there's a bit of talent starting to show up amongst the grandkids, too.
28:54Well, that's just good breeding on your part, isn't it?
28:56I wouldn't say that.
28:58Maybe they get it from their mother.
28:59Well, I have to say, Ian, this is a day that I'll remember for a very long time.
29:04Oh, that's lovely, Adam.
29:05I hope you've enjoyed yourselves.
29:07It's been great.
29:12Eight years on, at the age of 86, Ian is still as dedicated to farming as ever.
29:19He and Caroline are now back on the farm where it all began and Ian's working alongside his son once more.
29:24Meanwhile, back in Leicestershire, James, his sister Amy, baby Joey and his grandma Claire check in on their newest dairy calves.
29:37OK, James, so round the...
29:41Down there, yeah?
29:41Yeah, I see it right under the front legs.
29:43OK, so we're on...
29:4590?
29:48Tag number...
29:5012.
29:51There we go.
29:51So we're just weighing these calves to check on their condition, make sure they're growing well, and if they're not, they can get a bit of extra grubs.
30:00So it's clever, this tape, isn't it, Amy?
30:02Yeah, so it looks a bit like a tape measure, but actually it's got weights on, so when you put it under the calf's belly, it will tell you exactly what they're weighing.
30:13Yeah, 95.
30:14So we'll try and weigh them every eight weeks, and that gives us a good constant progress,
30:20it's essentially like a graph of how they're doing.
30:22If one drops behind, why does she drop behind?
30:25Is she being pushed off the food, for example?
30:28It's a good constant, like, progress tracker of how she's doing.
30:31Yeah.
30:31So you've finished calving now, Amy?
30:33Yeah, yeah, we're just coming to the end of a 12-week block.
30:35So these girls have been on a diet of milk, and soon we'll start getting them used to being outside at grass, just like their mums.
30:43Sure.
30:43And, yeah, that'll be their diet for the rest of their lives.
30:47So, James, are you the muscle in the business?
30:50Something like that, when required.
30:53I've got three older sisters, and how do you find working with your sister?
30:58Yeah, pretty easy, actually.
31:01We're both good at different things, so...
31:03Yeah.
31:03Compliment each other's skills.
31:05Yeah, definitely.
31:05You won't catch me on a tractor?
31:07No.
31:08No.
31:08You don't very often catch me in the office.
31:10There's always going to be disagreements, you know.
31:12We won't always have the same views, but we just have to weigh up the pros and cons.
31:16Sure.
31:16And as far as the family demographic then, Claire, how does it work to, you know, remain smooth and, you know, without too much conflict?
31:23We all sit down as a family, and any decisions that need making, we make together.
31:29I think Joey is more interested in his mum's hair than farming at the moment, though.
31:34Yeah.
31:36Yeah.
31:37Don't work with animals and children.
31:39Did somebody say that?
31:40How often is he out with you on the farm?
31:42Not too often, to be honest.
31:43It's not the easiest to get my job stuff.
31:46Do you want to take him off your back?
31:47What are you doing?
31:49Don't worry.
31:50Here we go.
31:52Oi, don't drop you.
31:54Oh, that's clever, isn't it?
31:54So you can sort of plonk him.
31:56Can I have my hair back?
31:58You know, the reality is, I have to have either mum helping me or my mother-in-law or nursery, because he can't be here all the time.
32:06Sure.
32:06So whilst it's lovely, you know, to do things like this and see him enjoying it, and also for him to be around the animals, it's not that practical sometimes.
32:14Yeah.
32:15And when you were bringing these two up, what was that like, having them on the farm?
32:18I had help from my mother-in-law.
32:21She also was back up.
32:23She did office work on the farm as well.
32:26It's always been that support of the older generation.
32:30Yeah, it's always a juggle.
32:31Most people don't spend this much time with their family.
32:34No.
32:34Most people go to a nine-to-five job or a normal job and then see their family when they choose, whereas we're all spending, like, we're all each other's colleagues.
32:42Yes.
32:42And people say to me, how often do you see Amy and James and baby Joey every day?
32:49Yeah.
32:49But, you know, everybody's here every day.
32:51Yeah.
32:51Seven days a week, mostly.
32:53But would you change that?
32:54No.
32:54The next generation of dairy farmer and dairy cows seem to be thriving.
33:04While it's all about the Stilton cheese here on the farm, we couldn't come so close to Melton Mowbray without mentioning pork pies.
33:12Margarita got a taste for herself when she visited Melton in 2022.
33:16For centuries, Melton Mowbray has been a destination for hungry travellers.
33:27Up until the late 14th century, this path was the only route between London and York and then on up to Edinburgh, which made Melton here a very popular place to visit.
33:38It's said that 19 monarchs passed through during their time, helping make it the rural capital of food.
33:46Today, a blue plaque marks this ancient byway that passes right in front of St. Mary's Church, which dates largely from the 13th century.
33:55However, for one week every March, this historic building becomes a cathedral of pies.
34:05This Grand Knave hosts the British Pie Awards.
34:12And there's even a pork pie in one of the windows.
34:17King of pies round here is competition organiser Matthew O'Callaghan.
34:22So is this the cup everyone wants to win? Hi, Matthew.
34:25Hello.
34:26It's the supreme champion, the pie of pies.
34:29It looks incredible.
34:30So can anyone enter across the UK?
34:32The pie has got to be commercially available.
34:34So it's not a public competition.
34:36It's a trade competition for butchers, bakers, restaurants, sports clubs, etc.
34:41And why a pie contest?
34:44Why not?
34:45I mean, it's Britain's contribution to international cuisine.
34:49We've taken the pie further than any other country on the planet.
34:53And therefore, I think we ought to have a competition that celebrates that.
34:57And that's why we've got the British Pie Awards.
34:59And how many classes do you have here in the competition?
35:02There are 23.
35:03So we've got, obviously, pork pies, Melton Burberry.
35:06We've got vegetarian pies now, chicken, ham, steak and kidney.
35:09All the traditional favourites.
35:11Dessert pies, my favourites.
35:13And I'm told the pies are served hot for judging.
35:15Yeah, of course they are.
35:16Most of the pies are hot-eating pies.
35:17So we have a bank of ovens in the church.
35:20And you sense the smell, the incense wafting in the church of pies being gently heated.
35:26So that they're at the right temperature for the judges to taste them.
35:29And what are the judges looking for?
35:30What makes a great pie?
35:32It's got to be a filling completely encased in pastry and baked.
35:36And when you slice it up, then you want to make sure that the pastry is baked properly.
35:39And it's got lots of filling inside and are the seasonings balanced with the main ingredients.
35:46And you have a magnificent venue in which to hold this competition.
35:49How did this happen?
35:51It's at the centre of the community.
35:53And when we suggested it to the rector, he was all for it.
35:56This is the Cathedral of Pies.
36:02Of course, the pie most associated with Melton is the pork pie.
36:06To earn protected status as a regional food, it has to be made to specific guidelines.
36:12Local producers who abide by these can apply for protected geographical indication, or PGI status, under UK law.
36:20One such producer is March House Farm, south of Melton Mowbray.
36:25Jo Roger and her team make hand-raised pies using shoulder and belly pork from their herd of British pigs.
36:31We use traditional native breeds, and we cross-breed to get the right meat-to-fat ratio for that really good quality pork.
36:41Handcrafting them is master pie maker Derwent Lambert.
36:45The pork pies are bald and ready to be hand-raised.
36:48He'll use a wooden dolly, and then he will lid and finish, and they will go back to the kitchen for baking.
36:53And once they're ready to be filled with jelly, Derwent will come back to the pies and make sure that the jelly encases the whole pork within that pie and is set ready for them to go out to the shelf.
37:07Achieving the PGI status, being able to use the sticker, being able to say that our product meets that standard was really exciting.
37:15You're up there with the champagnes and products of the world.
37:19We're very proud that we've been able to do that.
37:21The reverence for the pork pie in Melton Mowbray can be explained by its centuries-old heritage.
37:28I understand there's a link between pies and hunting.
37:31In Melton Mowbray, in the 1800s, this was the scent of fox hunting.
37:36And so during that season, what were they going to eat?
37:38Well, we had a simple pie, which was made with pork, a pork pie.
37:43But of course, if it's in your pocket and you're riding over ditches and hedges, it breaks up.
37:47So the pie evolved in Melton such that it had hot watercrust pastry, which withstands knocking.
37:55And then you would then put hot bone stock jelly inside the pie when it cooled, such that A, it sterilized the pie, but B, it filled all the crevices.
38:04And so you'd have this solid pie, which would survive the rigors of the hunting fraternity.
38:11Now it's that time of year again, when we invite you to show us the countryside through your lens.
38:28Our Countryfile Photographic Competition is now open.
38:32Here's John with how to enter.
38:34Our country is blessed with an incredible array of beautiful settings
38:46and opportunities to capture on camera its wonderful wildlife.
38:54The theme this year is wild encounters.
38:58We'll be looking for photographs that reveal the untamed side of our countryside in all its glory.
39:08It could be a captivating landscape or a magical encounter with wildlife.
39:14Whatever you choose, we want to see your interpretation of what a wild encounter really is.
39:21From all the entries received, 12 photographs will be selected to feature in the Countryfile calendar for 2026.
39:33This much-loved calendar is sold in support of BBC Children in Need, a tradition that dates back to 1998.
39:42Thanks to your continued support over the years, more than £33 million has been raised
39:48to help change young lives across the UK.
39:53The photographs that you've submitted over the years have made it all possible.
39:59So now's your chance to once again head out into our green spaces
40:03to capture in vivid detail all that the countryside offers.
40:09Once all the entries are in, a panel, including yours truly, and a celebrity judge,
40:14will choose the winning photographs that will star in the Countryfile calendar for 2026,
40:20sold in order to BBC Children in Need.
40:23And there'll be an overall winning photo chosen by you, our Countryfile viewers.
40:31Not only will that picture feature on the cover of the calendar,
40:35but the winner will also get a £1,000 gift card
40:38to spend on photographic equipment of their choice.
40:42And the person who takes the judge's favourite photo
40:45will receive a gift card of £500
40:48to be spent on their choice of photographic equipment.
40:53You can enter up to three photographs in total
40:56that fit with the theme Wild Encountered.
41:01To submit your photographs, go to bbc.co.uk forward slash Countryfile
41:06where you'll find a link to the entry form.
41:09Photographs that have won national or international competitions
41:14or have been taken by professionals can't be submitted.
41:18Pictures must have been taken within the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man.
41:23And I'm sorry, but we can only accept online entries.
41:27All the details on how to enter the competition can be found on our website
41:34plus the terms and conditions and privacy notice.
41:38The competition's submission period closes at 10am on Monday, the 28th of July, 2025.
41:45And now, it's over to you.
41:49Get out there with your cameras, your smartphones, your tablets
41:53and capture your images of Wild Encounters.
41:57We can't wait to see you.
41:58Well, it's been a glorious day here in Leicestershire
42:11and the cows are loving the sunshine.
42:13But what's the rest of the week got in store?
42:15Here's the Countryfile forecast.
42:16Hello there.
42:24So far, this summer has been one of very high temperatures and very little rainfall.
42:29We've had two heat waves so far and we're only into early July.
42:34We've got another one on its way for this week ahead.
42:37It's going to be warm across the board, but certainly so for England and Wales.
42:42Now, for this weekend, low pressure's been dominated.
42:44It has brought some very much needed rainfall.
42:47A couple of weather fronts moving south across the country
42:49have enhanced the shower and storm activity.
42:52And if you caught a downpour or thunderstorm through today,
42:55consider yourself lucky as the parched gardens aren't going to be receiving much rainfall
42:59over the coming week or even longer.
43:03Here's where the recent storms have been through the Midlands,
43:06parts of east and southeast England, some torrential rain in places further north.
43:10A few scattered showers there for southern Scotland into parts of Northern Ireland.
43:14But the heaviest of the downpours will clear away through the evening
43:17and then we're left with variable cloud and further showers.
43:19But that's other weather front moving southwards will enhance the rainfall once again
43:23across England and Wales as we push through the night.
43:26There could be some heavier bursts here where we have more cloud where the rain is.
43:29A mild night to come, but some chillier spots across the north under clear skies.
43:34Now, we've got low pressure to the east of us, high pressure building into the west.
43:38This is the high that's going to bring us the heat wave as it pushes eastwards
43:41and starts to draw warmer off the near continent later in the week.
43:45But we'll start off with that heavy rain on Monday across southern and eastern areas.
43:48It'll clear away and then it brightens up.
43:50I think many places will be drier through Monday afternoon.
43:52Just the chance of an isolated shower, a brisk northwesterly wind down some eastern coast.
43:57Top temperatures 21 or 22 degrees.
44:00The high teens further north.
44:03Now, it's not until we reach around midweek,
44:05we start to see things really warming up as high pressure establishes itself across the UK.
44:11That'll start to push that area of low pressure further east on Tuesday.
44:15You can see it rolling in from the west.
44:17These weather fronts, though, will be flirting with the northwest corner of the UK.
44:21So a bit more cloud, I think, for northern and western Scotland, northern Ireland.
44:25Maybe some splashes of rain.
44:26But elsewhere, winds will be lighter.
44:28There'll be a lot of strong July sunshine, so it will feel warmer on Tuesday up to around 24, maybe 25 degrees.
44:36And perhaps a little bit warmer as well across Scotland, particularly towards the east.
44:40As you move out of Tuesday into Wednesday, these weather fronts make a bit more progress eastward.
44:44So we could see some splashes of rain across the north of the UK.
44:47But high pressure dominates further south.
44:50So plenty of sunshine for England and Wales through the day.
44:53Further north you go, closer to those weather fronts, likely to see some splashes of rain here and there.
44:59Nothing too heavy.
45:01And those temperatures will be a little bit higher, I think, across eastern Scotland.
45:04Certainly warmer for England and Wales, the mid to high 20s in places through the afternoon.
45:11And then as we push towards the end of the week, this area of high pressure begins to move eastwards
45:15and starts to draw hot air from the near continent, from Spain and from France.
45:20And that'll drive it northwards, keeping these weather fronts out at bay.
45:24Though they'll always be very close to the northwest of Scotland.
45:26But you can see the darker colours even across parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland for the end of the week.
45:32So it's warming up for all, certainly for England and Wales, where we will be exceeding the heatwave threshold there.
45:38Temperatures could be reaching highs again into the low 30s Celsius.
45:42With increasing humidity, it's going to start to feel a bit more uncomfortable.
45:46Stay tuned to The Forecast.
45:47Head on to the BBC Weather app to check out the weather for where you are or for where you're going.
45:50Take care.
46:01I'm in Leicestershire with the Egglestons, a family who've been supplying their milk to the local Stilton dairy for more than a century.
46:08That's an incredible set-up you've got here, Paul.
46:13The family's simple farming system means good grass, great milk and, ultimately, cracking cheese.
46:19The system is low input, really.
46:22So we put less into them, therefore get less out of them.
46:25But we find that to be more profitable.
46:28But the Egglestons' way of doing things isn't the only approach to dairy farming.
46:32Back in 2021, we visited the Lilburn family in County Down, where husband and wife team Richard and Pamela run a very different kind of dairy farm.
46:45The Lilburns operate a zero grazing system, with the herds staying inside for most of the year.
47:13And since taking on the farm in 2011, the couple have invested heavily to keep their cows comfortable and content.
47:21You know, the fresh beds, the comfortable mattresses, they have food on tap, the scratchers, the foot baths, you know.
47:30It's like a five-star hotel for cows.
47:32You wouldn't be a farmer and do what you do if you didn't want to progress and make things work and try and make it work to the best.
47:40There's so much technology out there.
47:42You have to pick the best that will work best with you.
47:46And what we can get our hands on.
47:48And what we can afford.
47:49Despite the tech, good grass is still at the heart of the system.
47:56But on this farm, the cows receive a daily delivery service.
48:01Matt caught up with Richard to see this zero grazing system in action.
48:07Gosh, so this then is your grazing field, but your cows don't come in here to eat it.
48:13No, we bring this lovely lush grass to the cows.
48:17What's straight away fresh?
48:18Every day it's cut fresh, it's brought into them, that way you get the best nutrients.
48:22And how long have you been farming like this?
48:24We started doing this nine years ago now.
48:26The first year we started doing it was more out of necessity.
48:28We had lovely lush grass that year, but the rain came and it kept raining and it kept raining.
48:34And the cows were destroying the land and they were wasting perfectly good grass because it was so wet.
48:39And so this then is the kit that you're talking about.
48:42I mean, it's effectively like a massive kind of lawnmower that collects up the fresh grass.
48:47You want to cut it nice and clean and short.
48:49And then that allows you to use your organic slurry to put back on the land to regrow your grass again.
48:55It literally is a circle.
48:56Grass in, slurry out.
48:58And it's all obviously then collected in here.
49:00Yeah, so this is a wee bit we've got in already.
49:02Yeah.
49:02Now, because the grass has really jumped the last while, it is slightly too far on.
49:09But at the same time, you have perfectly good lush grass.
49:14I have to say, it smells incredible.
49:16So this being your feeding system then, whenever you want to feed the cows,
49:20you've got to come out here and collect the grass fresh and deliver it straight to them.
49:24So how often are you doing this in a day?
49:26We're doing this three times a day.
49:28The 200 cows are rooting through 20 tonne of fresh grass a day.
49:3020 tonne a day?
49:3320 tonne of fresh grass.
49:35Goodness me, I mean, that is a huge quantity.
49:37You would never get that intake of grass into a cow in a normal grazing pattern.
49:42No.
49:42Because if you imagine 200 cows going out into a field,
49:46as they're going out and fanning out into the field,
49:49they're tramping the grass down, they're walking over it, they're urinating in it.
49:52The wastage is huge.
49:55So this way, as you can see in the field, there's nothing wasted.
49:58Literally, I will cut this, go straight to the yard, back it in, tip it out,
50:03and the cows will eat it straight away.
50:04Well, I've made silage, I've made hay,
50:06but I've never delivered fresh grass straight to the cows like this,
50:11and it looks like fun.
50:12Well, sure.
50:13We'll let you have a goat stay and see how you get on.
50:16Run down and back again?
50:17Yeah, you'll get it in.
50:18You'll be fine.
50:18Great.
50:19Right, here we go, then.
50:24Get me away.
50:27I've got to be aware that the moor is out to my right-hand side there,
50:31so just watch the hedge line.
50:33I've got my revs, I need to sit back, relax, and cut the grass.
50:45Oh, he's not doing too bad.
50:51We've got a full load there.
50:54Let's deliver it to the cows.
50:55Oh, my word.
51:07Well, there's plenty here for you to go at, girls.
51:11The zero grazing system used by the Lilburns
51:13means the cows spend much of their life inside.
51:16This way of doing things does have its critics,
51:19who feel cows should be mainly outdoors.
51:22Although it's used on a minority of farms,
51:24research suggests interest in it is increasing.
51:27Is this the full milk and herd in here, then, Richard?
51:30This is us.
51:31This is our important ladies, so it is.
51:33Right.
51:33And how many important ladies do you have in here?
51:36We have 100 cows on either side.
51:38But they are in here the whole time, then?
51:40While they're milking.
51:41While they're milking.
51:42As far as milk yield is concerned,
51:43how much milk does this system produce?
51:46This time of year, we're averaging around 30 to 32 litres per cow per day.
51:50Right.
51:51So our top cow during the winter was given 89.6 litres a day.
51:55Right.
51:56So if you imagine you're coming home with your carton of milk from the shop,
51:59that's a lot.
52:00A cow milking every day,
52:02they use as much energy as we would nearly use running a marathon.
52:06It's so important to get good food into your cows.
52:09And what kind of reactions do you normally get
52:11from people who see this for the first time?
52:12Because it is very different to the kind of traditional dairy farm
52:15that people would expect.
52:17It is, but the cows are so content.
52:20They're lying up in their beds.
52:21They're full.
52:22They're comfortable.
52:23You know, the food on top.
52:26And like you can see in here,
52:27it's a very chilled environment for the cows.
52:29We don't chase the cows.
52:30We don't round them up or herd them.
52:32It's all up to themselves.
52:34They go and milk when they want.
52:35So this is unbelievable, then, how it finds the udder.
52:40So there's a cleaning process that...
52:42See those little rollers with the brushes on to start with?
52:46So some feed has been delivered then at the other end,
52:49so she's chewing away there.
52:52With the laser, it finds the tink with the laser.
52:55And so how often will she come in, then, to be milked?
52:58Well, see, every cow is different.
53:00That cow that was given at 89.6 litres,
53:02she was coming in five times a day, purely of her own accord,
53:06because she felt the pressure and the need to come in and get milked.
53:10And that's the beauty of this.
53:11They can come when they want to.
53:14The milk itself, then, it's going down these tubes.
53:16Going down these tubes.
53:17And in this here arm, there's a lab.
53:20And in that lab, it's testing the salt levels.
53:22It's checking the cow's temperature.
53:24It's checking butter, fats and proteins and everything.
53:27It's all being tested as the cow is being milked.
53:30As you can see, that's coming off.
53:32But it had projected that the cow would give 9.9 litres.
53:37Actually, give 9.5.
53:38So it, near enough, knows exactly what she should be given.
53:41Do they ever decide to come in in the middle of the night?
53:43Oh, yes.
53:44Have they known?
53:44There's never an hour of the day where there's not a cow in a robot.
53:47Really?
53:48These things cost over £100,000.
53:50How many have you got?
53:51Four.
53:52You know, you sort of...
53:55I took a considerable loan from the bank to do all this.
53:59And I told my father, this is the direction I'm going.
54:04It's on my head.
54:05But we have to move forward.
54:08And technology is expensive and it's scary.
54:11And I mean, look at you, Richard.
54:12You're clean.
54:13You're not even wearing an overall.
54:14No, and the cows are still being milked.
54:17I wouldn't quite go as far as a gentleman farmer just yet.
54:19They're still working hands.
54:20If you didn't make the changes that you did when you made them...
54:28Yeah.
54:28Do you think the future of the farm would have been in jeopardy?
54:31The future of the farm would have been very much in doubt,
54:34purely because I have two sons.
54:37Now, me and Dad were hammering away the way we were going,
54:39and that was fine.
54:41We were still making it work.
54:42But if I want my sons to come into this industry and this business,
54:46I'm sort of thinking, right, hang on,
54:48are they going to want a job where they're having to stand in the parlour for eight hours a day
54:51and then go out and do lots of other work on top of that?
54:54And if I could put the technology in to make it more appealing,
54:59they can see now, our children,
55:00that we can now have a life alongside the farm as well.
55:04So I hope that will encourage them to think, you know,
55:07they can still have a good life and still farm and continue to farm.
55:11Yeah.
55:18Back in Leicestershire,
55:27I've been following the Eggleston's dairy farming system from field to parlour.
55:34With today's milking now complete,
55:36it's time for the herd's favourite part of the day,
55:39being put out to fresh pasture.
55:41And it's all thanks to the smart system Amy, James and Paul have put in place.
55:53Amy, the cows were in a different paddock earlier on.
55:56They've been milked and now they're down here.
55:58How long will this last?
55:59Only 12 hours.
56:00So, yeah, we'll be looking for another new paddock tomorrow morning.
56:03And that's about grass efficiency?
56:05Yeah, we want to make sure they're getting just the right amount,
56:07not giving them too much, not giving them too little
56:10and making sure that we can graze the whole farm, really.
56:13You've got cows walking all over the place, haven't you?
56:16A huge amount of infrastructure, isn't it?
56:18Yeah, so there's 75 of these paddocks,
56:21you know, with seven mile of track between them to get to and from.
56:26There's two water troughs at least in every paddock
56:28to keep the girls with the water.
56:30And, yeah, at least 50, 60 kilometres of fencing.
56:33Goodness me.
56:34And, Paul, an amazing system that you and the family have built up.
56:39What is it that you love most about farming?
56:41Well, for me, Adam, I absolutely love this grazing cow.
56:44I love the sound of a cow grazing fresh grass.
56:47And she's doing that, you know, 24 hours a day in our system
56:51for as many months of the season as we can.
56:53So I think it's just so rewarding.
56:55You know, when the spring comes in this year, it's been early.
56:57It's been fantastic to get the cows out
56:59and to enjoy grass growth earlier than the last two years.
57:02You know, we get to work together and see through highs and lows.
57:07You know, and there's been, weather-wise,
57:09there's been a few lows in the last couple of years.
57:11But when it's light, when you get up in the morning,
57:14you know, it just makes you want to, you know, get on grazing cows.
57:18It's the best job in the world when the sun's shining.
57:20Well, it's been a pleasure to meet what seems to be a really lovely family
57:27and a lesson for us all how you can all work together so well
57:31in what is clearly a very successful business.
57:34So thanks very much for sparing your time.
57:36I haven't got in the way too much, have I?
57:38No, not too much. Thanks for coming.
57:40All right, good to see you.
57:41Oh, no, I'm all this.
57:44Next time, I'll be meeting three generations of the Padder family
57:48on their soft fruit farm in Worcestershire.
57:52Look at the size of these strawberries.
57:53Oh, no, they're beautiful, aren't they?
57:54This year will be our biggest year ever.
57:57It's gone from zero to hero.
57:58Hello, you all right?
58:02More family members.
58:03More family members, family members everywhere, isn't it, Adam?
58:05We've got a big family.
58:06We argue, we fight, but we make up.
58:11This move.
58:12It's telling me to get lost.
58:16Hope to see you then.
58:17Bye for now.
58:20Listen to those cows grazing.
58:22It is a beautiful sound.
58:28Tonight, four decades on Bob Geldof Talks Live Aid
58:34to mark the 40th anniversary of the event
58:36in a new series at nine.
58:38Playing the ultimate game of deception
58:39is always a must-watch murder mystery.
58:42Press red for the traitors of New Zealand.
58:44We'll be right back to you then.
58:45We'll be right back to you then.
58:46We'll be right back to you then.
58:47We'll be right back to you then.
58:48We'll be right back to you then.
58:49We'll be right back to you then.
58:50We'll be right back to you then.
58:51We'll be right back to you then.
58:52We'll be right back to you then.
58:53We'll be right back to you then.
58:54We'll be right back to you then.
58:55We'll be right back to you then.
58:56We'll be right back to you then.
58:57We'll be right back to you then.
58:58We'll be right back to you then.
58:59We'll be right back to you then.
59:00We'll be right back to you then.
59:01We'll be right back to you then.
59:02We'll be right back to you then.
59:03We'll be right back to you then.
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