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Countryfile Season 37 Episode 30
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00:00So how do you feel about watching a boy doing this sort of stuff?
00:03Incredibly resilient and, well, and capable.
00:06Oh, hello.
00:07We've got a bit more to tidy up now.
00:09That's a learning lesson.
00:30Every landscape tells a story of farming families who've worked it for centuries.
00:46Growing our food, caring for nature and ensuring that rural traditions thrive.
00:54For many of them, farming isn't just a job.
00:57It's a way of life, handed down through the years.
01:00The only thing I can see myself doing, really.
01:02Over four countryfile specials.
01:04My word, I'm a bit nervous.
01:06I'll be travelling to Somerset, Leicestershire, Worcestershire and Wiltshire
01:09to meet some of those families that have farmed these agricultural heartlands for generations.
01:15Don't work with animals and children. Somebody say that.
01:18From grandparents to grandchildren, everyone plays their part.
01:22I'll be getting a glimpse into the way they work together day to day,
01:25the challenges they face, and the inventive ways that they're keeping their farms thriving for the future.
01:36Today I'm in Wiltshire, joining the Lemon family, near the village of Wilton.
01:42It's mainly an arable farm, but things are evolving,
01:47and the family are starting to rethink how they work the land.
01:53From the crops they grow...
01:55This is going to the dock for export to, I'm afraid to say, the Europhys lager market.
02:01To the more unusual side...
02:03I've got all kinds of creatures.
02:05Oh, my word, I'm a bit nervous.
02:07Three generations of family are working together.
02:10He's very good at delegation, Peter, isn't he?
02:13He's learnt that skill already.
02:15To keep the family farm thriving for the future.
02:19I can't wait to just sort of do this full-time and this to be my life.
02:23We'll also take a look back through the Countryfile archives.
02:27It can be quite a juggling act.
02:29Revisiting some of the other amazing farmers we've met over the years.
02:35My word, look at it all going on here.
02:46Manor Farm's story began with David Lemon,
02:49who then handed it down to his son, Peter, in 1970.
02:5420 years ago, Peter's son, also called David,
02:58took over the reins with his wife, Millie.
03:01Of their four children, 18-year-old James is already a keen farmer,
03:05working alongside his parents and grandad,
03:08whenever he's not in college.
03:11It's a beautiful sight, dotted with historical buildings,
03:15including a 16th-century barn and a 200-year-old windmill.
03:22But it's the scale that impresses me.
03:24This is a big farm.
03:27Around 1,335 hectares of wheat, barley, oilseed rape and maize.
03:35We're starting the day at the 6,000-tonne grain store,
03:38where 29 tonnes of barley are being loaded onto a lorry.
03:43Everyone has their part to play.
03:45Grandad Peter is in the office, recording weights
03:49and writing the all-important ticket and passport
03:52for these red tractor-assured grains.
03:5718-year-old James is operating the telly handler and loading the lorry.
04:01Which means I can have a catch-up with his dad, David.
04:09Now, where's the barley going, David?
04:10So, this is going to the dock for export
04:13to, I'm afraid to say, the Eurofizz Lager Market.
04:17So, not beautiful English pale ale?
04:19No, I'm afraid not, no, no.
04:21It's a variety that yields well,
04:25but that's what they want out in Germany,
04:26so that's what we grow them.
04:27Sure.
04:28It's all about the margin, isn't it?
04:30So, how do you feel about watching your boy doing this sort of stuff?
04:33Yeah, it's great. It's great.
04:34I mean, he hasn't done a huge amount of lorry loading,
04:37but he's keen as mustard and just can't get enough of it,
04:39which is lovely.
04:40Quite a responsibility for an 18-year-old.
04:42Yeah. Yeah, it is.
04:43I mean, you know, as we all make mistakes when we're young,
04:47we just hope it doesn't make too many.
04:49And for you, growing up here, were you in a similar situation?
04:53Yeah, I was.
04:53I did my first harvest when I was 17, same as him.
04:56I did the general dog's body harvest from about the age of 14,
05:00where you drove a broom or a shovel most of the summer.
05:03I was exactly the same.
05:04And looking back, I suppose, particularly the men who took on the farms,
05:09you know, they did amazing things at young ages.
05:11Yeah, my grandfather left home.
05:14He was farming near devisers with his father.
05:16He up sticks and came here at age 18,
05:20took a rent from a farm above the windmill here.
05:23I'm just sort of thinking, at 18, would I have been capable of doing anything?
05:26I mean, loading a lorry would have been about it.
05:28Yeah, sure.
05:29Not starting up my own farming enterprise.
05:32Incredibly resilient and, well, and capable.
05:35Oh, hello.
05:36We've got a bit more to tidy up now.
05:37That's a bit...
05:39That's a learning lesson, isn't it?
05:41That's a learning lesson, yeah.
05:41Yeah, so he just overcrowded the bucket a little bit.
05:43He did.
05:43Yeah.
05:44He did.
05:50As far as the future of the business goes,
05:53I mean, you're still a young man.
05:54How do you see that transition?
05:56So, yeah, I mean, I'm in my mid-40s.
05:58I would love a bit of time farming with my son
06:01before I hand it over completely.
06:03I'd love to farm with him and farm together.
06:06He's a bit more interested in livestock than I was,
06:09which is fine, but...
06:11So we're just starting on a little enterprise there,
06:14but, yeah, I mean, as long as the arable keeps going and...
06:17And with the system, that sort of...
06:18Are you going down the regenerative route,
06:20looking after your soils, growing mixed cropping and that sort of stuff?
06:23Yeah, we've definitely...
06:24We've moved a huge, huge stride to that end.
06:28The amount of cultivation we do
06:29and the disturbance of the soil is drastically reduced.
06:32Yeah.
06:33Inputs are very focused, but we're still chasing yield.
06:37We're trying to farm as regeneratively as we can
06:40while still turning the biggest profit we can.
06:43Yeah, absolutely.
06:44And that's what it's about, a margin, isn't it?
06:45Yeah, it's all about a margin,
06:46because the first rule of sustainability
06:48is that I can be sustained and still be here farming next year.
06:51Exactly, yeah, it's about cash.
06:52Yeah.
06:58It's good to see father and son working so well together
07:03and obviously with granddad involved as well
07:05and all quite patient and giving towards one another.
07:10You know, having the time to be able to learn on a farm
07:13is very important.
07:14You've got to be able to make mistakes and learn by them.
07:17And, you know, James is a very young man,
07:20but this is quite a lot of responsibility.
07:23That lorry load of grain is worth a lot of money.
07:27That legacy of passing it on to the next generation
07:30is a really fantastic thing, I think, in agriculture.
07:34For me, I'm a tenant farmer
07:36and my children have gone off to do other things
07:38and I would support them in that, of course I would.
07:40But it must be very special
07:41for, you know, three generations to be working together
07:46passionate about the same industry.
07:50Now it's sort of quite warming in the heart, I think.
07:58This is a good position to be in
08:00because I can commentate whilst not having to work.
08:03I'd better go and help.
08:14By the way, boy, this is a warning.
08:16If it happens again, you'll have to face the music.
08:20We're not doing it twice just to save your blushes.
08:25You'd have never done this, though, Peter, would you?
08:27Still do.
08:28Not in your day.
08:28All the unspilled barley will be malted and used in the brewing industry.
08:39But barley isn't the only crop that's crucial to make the perfect pint.
08:43Back in 2016, Anita visited a farm in Surrey
08:49that was on a mission to revive the age-old tradition of hop growing to the area.
08:55At the industry's height, there were nearly 3,000 acres of hop grounds throughout the county.
09:00But by the start of the 20th century, disease had all but wiped out hop growing in Surrey.
09:06By the 1970s, there were fewer than 30 acres still in production.
09:14Hop plants have been used in brewing for more than 1,000 years.
09:18Its pungent flowers give flavour to our beer.
09:21And growing them takes age-old skills.
09:28This is the last commercial hop producer left in Farnham.
09:33Putnam Hop Garden, managed by Bill Biddle.
09:36Well, I've never seen hops growing, so...
09:40Well, they're very different to a field of barley or a field of wheat.
09:43So this is it?
09:44These are hops?
09:45These are the real thing, yes.
09:47These are Fuggles hops.
09:48That's the variety we grow.
09:50This is what we're looking for.
09:51That's a very small example.
09:53And that's it.
09:55Grab it together, push it around and sniff it.
09:57And you'll get the bitterness coming through.
09:59Bitterness, but really fragrant as well.
10:01It's in the air, Bill.
10:02It's all around us.
10:03It's all around, and that's part of the drying process as well.
10:07How fast do they grow?
10:08Well, they grow very fast,
10:09because in April, they're just starting down at the bottom in the ground.
10:13So they live in the ground all year round.
10:15Some of these plants, these are about 35 years old.
10:17And then in April, they start growing very fast.
10:21And we want them on the top wire, up there, by the 21st of June.
10:26And if they're doing that, we're happy.
10:27In two months, they grow that high?
10:29They're sort of supersonic runner beans.
10:31That's incredible.
10:31And is it very difficult to grow?
10:33Lots of maintenance?
10:34Do you have to keep an eye on them?
10:35It's very much hands-on, yes.
10:37We need to actually train each hop plant to go up the string.
10:41So we've handily put a string in here.
10:44There's a coir string with lots of fronds on it.
10:47So the young hops at an early stage can actually hang on to those fronds,
10:51and they go start moving and twiddling round.
10:53So somebody has to come and do that.
10:55This is quite labour-intensive, then, isn't it?
10:56It's hugely labour-intensive at various times of the year.
11:11Once the picking is done, it's over to the shed where the vines are plucked.
11:16So this is the next bit of the process.
11:20This is quite impressive.
11:22This is where the vines, this is called the bind track.
11:25Yeah.
11:25And this is where they're put up individually in order to go through the plucking machine.
11:29And how long have you had this piece of technology?
11:32This wonderful bit of technology has been with us since, I think, 1962.
11:36Fantastic.
11:37Well, would you like to have a go?
11:38Well, it would be rude not to.
11:40A couple of gloves.
11:40Come on.
11:42So are you spending the whole summer doing this?
11:44Just September.
11:45Just September.
11:46Do you get any nice perks?
11:48Free beer?
11:48Free beer.
11:49Free ice creams.
11:51Oh, free ice creams.
11:53Done.
11:53I'm sold.
11:55Yeah, yeah.
11:56Right.
11:59The plucking machine separates the leaves from the hop flowers.
12:03Then the hops make their way along a series of conveyors where they're sorted by hand and
12:08any waste picked out and discarded.
12:11Finally, they're bagged and transferred to an attic for probably the most important part
12:15of the process, drying.
12:18A gift of hops.
12:21Do we just grab it?
12:22Right.
12:22We just pull the bags off and drag them along.
12:26OK.
12:27The man in charge of drying is Paul Thompson.
12:29His family has been involved in hop growing and drying for generations.
12:38And then they go.
12:39So how are they dried in here?
12:41Well, they're dried by hot air.
12:44The air gets blown through the floor, the slatted floor, and then it just goes through
12:48the hops and then out the top.
12:50And out the top there.
12:50Yeah.
12:51So it's a perfect, it's a system that works and that's been doing for years and years.
12:55Well, yes.
12:55And how many hours does it take?
12:57Well, eight hours in here and it reaches a temperature of 140 Fahrenheit and then they're
13:02cooled down outside because you can't put them in the pockets warm.
13:06What are the pockets?
13:08Well, they're the bags you press the hops into.
13:10Right.
13:10Well, let's see that bit of the process.
13:12Yeah, yeah.
13:13The pockets are filled in a traditional way, using a wooden scuppet.
13:18Right.
13:18Here we go.
13:19Oh, this is satisfying.
13:22OK.
13:23And I think it's filled up.
13:25You shut the door.
13:25Yep.
13:28Right.
13:29And then push the green button on the side.
13:31That's it.
13:39The Putnam Garden Pockets bear the emblem of a church bell, a sign that they're from the
13:44Farnham area.
13:45It's all part of a tradition that stretches back to Surrey's hop-growing heyday.
13:50But the real proof is the tasting.
13:54And here at the Hogsback Brewery near Farnham, each new season's beer is greeted in time-honoured
13:59fashion with a grand tasting.
14:01And today is the big day.
14:04All these people have gathered here to drink tea.
14:08Yep, that's right.
14:10Tea.
14:11Rupert Thompson, the brewery owner, is going to tell me all about it.
14:16So, Rupert, what's tea?
14:18Tea is traditional English ale.
14:20And this is traditional English ale with green hops added.
14:24So, they came from Putnam.
14:25We picked them in the morning and we added them straight into the boil.
14:29Do you want to try it?
14:30I would love to.
14:30So, you don't dry it?
14:31Not that...
14:32No.
14:32And what this gives it is it gives it a lovely, softer, slightly...
14:37There we go.
14:39There we go.
14:39I think you should have one too.
14:40Yeah, no, I'm going to try one.
14:41Yeah, definitely.
14:42So, you don't dry the hops?
14:44We don't dry them.
14:45They've come from Putnam, where I was this morning.
14:46Yep.
14:47It smells lovely.
14:47It smells really fruity, doesn't it?
14:48Yeah, yeah, it does.
14:49Cheers.
14:49Cheers.
14:50Good health.
14:50Good health.
14:53Mmm.
14:55It's good.
14:55It's really good.
14:56Good.
14:56Delicious.
14:57And is it popular?
14:58Well, this is the first time we've brewed this, so you're going to have to find out.
15:02Ah, well, I will.
15:03Also sampling this new release are members of the Tongham Traditional English Ale Club.
15:08So, what do they make of this brand new brew?
15:11It just has a nice, fresh taste to it.
15:14It's very easy to drink, isn't it?
15:15I know, it's a trouble.
15:17It's got a nice head on it.
15:18Yeah, it does.
15:19Lovely.
15:21Good colour.
15:23Golden.
15:26Cheers.
15:27Good health.
15:28Nice to see you.
15:29Yeah, I love this.
15:34Mmm.
15:36Oh, I like it.
15:37What do you think?
15:41Back in Wiltshire, the Lemon family have finished loading their barley, and it's now on its way
15:51for export, which means it's time to crack on with some maintenance.
15:55All right, what's the plan then, James?
15:57Under the watchful eye of Grandad Peter.
16:00I'm going to give James a hand.
16:02So, have you been busy with this machine yet this year?
16:05So, this is the first time we're actually going to be doing it this year for footpaths.
16:09He's using this topper to cut in a new footpath and create field margins around the crops.
16:17Yeah, so that shaft will then power the blades and, like, a great big glorified lawnmower, really, isn't it?
16:23Yeah, exactly that, yeah.
16:25So, what's next now?
16:26So, we'll probably clean it off, the whole thing, just brush it off with our hands, and then we need to grease up.
16:31James is about to finish his studies at Agricultural College, but I'm keen to know what's next for him.
16:37And the plan is to come home, is it, then, James?
16:40Well, so, next year, my plan is to go to New Zealand.
16:44Oh, is it?
16:44I farm out there and sort of learn as much as I can about other ways and other methods, different ways we can be more sustainable and work things out from that.
16:55It's great to get away from the farmer bit, Peter, isn't it, when you're young?
17:00I am a great believer that no farmer's son should go home immediately after college.
17:06Yes.
17:07You will make man management mistakes, and if you go home, your mistakes will be there for the rest of your life.
17:14Sure.
17:14If you go and work on another farm and run that, you make mistakes with men, you always will.
17:21We all have.
17:22Yeah.
17:23But you then leave it behind.
17:24Yeah, sure.
17:25Yeah, good advice.
17:27Yeah.
17:27Yeah, absolutely.
17:28Yeah.
17:29So, your granddad gave me some advice when I was, well, a little bit older than you, when I was out of college.
17:34My dad rang him up and said, you need to come home and put my boy straight.
17:38So, Andy, he came and gave me some very good worldly advice.
17:43In fact, it made me feel a little bit inadequate, to be honest.
17:45I realised I had to step up to the plate a bit.
17:49Well.
17:49But we've been successful ever since, so that's all right.
17:52That's good.
17:52Yeah.
17:53We'll grab the grease gun then and give it a grease up.
17:55Yeah.
17:58When you've finished your travels, James, what's the plan then?
18:02So, currently looking at unis and things, so Harper Adams and Siren Sester, maybe Newcastle.
18:08Yeah.
18:09But just sort of need to get the right UCAS points for that.
18:13Sure, yeah.
18:13Work a bit harder, I think.
18:14But, yeah, if we...
18:15Just a bit of one as well.
18:17I mean, important to get your qualifications if you can, isn't it?
18:21I mean, farming is a complex and complicated business, isn't it?
18:25Yeah, exactly.
18:25And being able to learn the managing skills and other things like that.
18:32Yeah, important to get it right.
18:33Yeah.
18:35Go on, I'll get my hands out of here.
18:37That didn't all work.
18:39He's very good at delegation, Peter, isn't he?
18:43He's learnt that skill already.
18:44Get someone else to do your dirty work.
18:46Yeah.
18:47He's well taught by the master sitting over there.
18:50Exactly.
18:50Yeah, exactly that.
18:52So, travelling for a little while.
18:55Yeah.
18:55Then off to uni, hopefully.
18:56Yeah, that's the plan, yeah.
18:57Get your studies done.
18:58Yeah.
18:59And then home.
19:00And then home, and then kick Dad out and...
19:02How easy is that going to be, Peter, moving Dad to one side?
19:06It's a very important part of farming.
19:11Yeah.
19:12When David decided to come home, we sat in the office with a sheet of paper, my name, his name,
19:19and a line down the middle.
19:20And we discussed every aspect of the farm and who was doing what.
19:27Yeah.
19:28Good way to do it, isn't it?
19:29You know, sort out those responsibilities.
19:30Otherwise, you're stepping on each other's toes.
19:32Well, that was the point.
19:33Yeah.
19:34And it worked.
19:35Hopefully, Dad and I can have the same as him and his father.
19:39Who rules the roost, your mum or your dad?
19:41Well, I think Mum calls the shots.
19:43So, are machines your thing?
19:47Is arable your business?
19:48Well, I do love arable farming, but I've convinced Dad to get some cows.
19:53And the idea is just to get on our feet with the livestock.
19:55Yeah.
19:56And then eventually we'll move, buy our own beef cattle, when hopefully the market's dropped a bit.
20:01Yeah, sure.
20:01Yeah, the price is flying at the moment.
20:03Yeah, exactly.
20:03And how come you're into livestock?
20:04Because were you a livestock man, Peter?
20:07Years ago, we used to have two dairies on the farm.
20:10The last one went in summer of 1963.
20:15Right.
20:16Because of the 1962 winter, it snowed on Boxing Day and the snow left on April the 15th.
20:23Wow.
20:24And we had no grass, therefore no silage, no nothing.
20:28Yeah.
20:29And we sold the cows.
20:31Yeah, yeah.
20:32And then...
20:34That's a lovely peacock in the background.
20:37Fantastic.
20:37So this is now a reintroduction of cattle to the lemon family.
20:43Yeah.
20:43That's good.
20:44A lot to look forward to, yeah.
20:45Yeah.
20:45Fantastic.
20:46Right, let's get this thing rolling.
20:49Planning for the future is never easy on a family farm.
20:52See you later, Peter.
20:53Yep.
20:53OK.
20:54Bye-bye.
20:55But here in Wiltshire, the succession plan looks to be firmly on track.
20:59Back in 2018, in the hills of North Wales, Joe met another family with their own take on securing the next generation.
21:17And on the Jones family sheep farm, they certainly start them young.
21:24Meet the Jones boys.
21:27They're from a family who've tended flocks here for more than a century.
21:31They're serious about sheep farming.
21:37And they're six and two.
21:42This is Alfie and Luca.
21:44Their farm is in the north of Gwynedd, on the outskirts of Caernavon.
21:53Gerrath Jones is their dad, and Alfie Senior is their granddad.
21:59So, Alfie, how long have you been doing this?
22:01How long have you been here?
22:03My parents bought the farm back in 1951.
22:07How many sheep did you keep?
22:08Roughly just over 300.
22:10Half of them are Welsh Mountain sheep, and the other half are Llin Cross sheep.
22:17And this family interest is continuing, because Gareth, you come up here as well, don't you?
22:21I mean, you're part of the farm.
22:22You helped dad out?
22:23Yeah, yeah.
22:23I've been doing it all my life since, well, since I was a little boy.
22:27It would be a pity if I was the last generation to carry on farming here.
22:32And I'm glad that Gerrath has taken an interest, and the boys as well.
22:38Yeah, so let's talk about the boys.
22:39So, what, six and two, they seem very keen, is that right?
22:43Yeah, they're very interested.
22:45They love coming up here to feed the sheep.
22:49So, yeah, hopefully it's in their blood as well.
22:52How involved can the young lads get with the sheep on the farm?
22:54Yeah, they like to be, like to get involved.
22:57But these sheep, they can be a bit wild.
23:01So, I don't think it's a good idea to put Luca in a pen, especially being so small.
23:07Yeah, so that's why we decided to do something different.
23:12And so Gareth and his wife Kerry added to their growing flock.
23:17These are Valley Blacknose sheep, known for their sociable, docile and friendly nature.
23:23Come on, girls!
23:24Hello!
23:26For Kerry, they're now a real part of the family.
23:29So, we have Elsa, Diva, Eden and Amelie.
23:34So, what is their temperament like? How are they around the children?
23:37They're really, really calm. They have such a placid nature.
23:40It just means that the kids can get involved and feed them and wash them.
23:44They thrive on human contact, so they love that interaction.
23:47They're super intelligent as well, so they respond to their names, most of them in the flock here.
23:53Each one of them, they've got different characteristics, you know, and their own little personalities.
23:57And with the kids, you know, do they interact as well as you'd hoped?
24:00Yes, they do. I mean, the only thing we say with the children is they've got to be, you know, careful around their hauls.
24:05It's not that there's anything malicious about the breed, but because they're over-friendly, you know, sometimes you can get knocked by a horn and stuff.
24:11I keep feeling it on the back of my leg.
24:13Yes, you keep it on the back of your leg.
24:14Yeah, you'll end up with a bruise on the back of there.
24:17Valet were imported here from Switzerland about five years ago.
24:22Today, it's thought there are around 2,000 across the UK.
24:26Kerry and Gerrath certainly went the extra mile to get theirs.
24:30I think within a space of five months, we'd travelled five and a half thousand miles.
24:35What?
24:35Yes, throughout the UK, up north, all the way down south, just to kind of hand-pick our ewes.
24:41So we kind of cherry-picked from flocks just to build our breeding foundation up.
24:46So all of this to get your boys into sheep farming?
24:49It's quite extravagant, isn't it?
24:51It is quite extravagant, but, I mean, the hours of pleasure that they have and stuff, it's all really worth it.
24:59What's lovely about the Joneses flock is they're truly part of the family,
25:02and, like every family, each member has a different relationship.
25:08The reason I love these valley sheep is that they're so friendly,
25:11and you can do anything with them that can towards you in the field.
25:15They're completely different to the sheep that don't run away.
25:18Last year, we went to a local show, Show Eglisbach,
25:23where Eva, our youngest daughter, she showed a few of the ewes for the first time,
25:29and she got, I'm sure, a supreme champion.
25:33My favourite is Eddie, purely because he was our first valet ram.
25:38When he arrived on the farm, the addiction started.
25:42Not at all convinced to start with, but they're quite docile,
25:46great for the kids, and they seem to be blending in well with all the other sheep.
25:52But, ultimately, the flock is about these two.
25:57Hi, boys.
25:59Now, I hear you're the real sheep farmers around here, is that right?
26:03Yeah.
26:03Yeah.
26:04Shall we go and have a look at your flock?
26:05Yeah!
26:06Come on, then.
26:07Here we go.
26:12Come on in, Alfie.
26:15Introduce me.
26:15Who have we got here?
26:18Fifi.
26:18This is Fifi.
26:20And who's this one?
26:21Foncet.
26:21Hello, Flossie.
26:23Do you have to make sure you pat each of them?
26:26Yeah.
26:26What happens if you don't?
26:27They are going to be jealous.
26:29Are they?
26:30What do you feed them?
26:31With nuts.
26:33You feed them with some nuts.
26:34Do you want to be sheep farmers when you grow up?
26:38Yeah.
26:39Do you?
26:40Do you want to be a sheep farmer?
26:43Excellent.
26:44And who's this one over here?
26:45We haven't met this one.
26:47Esmeralda.
26:47And what's special about Esmeralda at the moment?
26:50I think she's getting a baby.
26:55A baby?
26:57Wow.
26:57Since filming, we hear Lucas making his mark in young handler's classes, while Alfie is
27:11showing his sheep at top-level shows.
27:13Back on the Lemons Farm in Wiltshire, I'm joining James as he works on some of the 40 hectares
27:24they've put aside through Countryside Stewardship, a government scheme that helps farmers support
27:29wildlife and protect the landscape.
27:31Well, it's a beautiful part of the world, isn't it?
27:36And obviously, a very privileged position to be in, as long as you want to be a farmer.
27:41But it seems like that's your dream now.
27:43Well, yeah, exactly.
27:44That's the only thing I can see myself doing, really.
27:47With James' brother pursuing a career in professional rugby, and his sisters still a bit too young
27:53to be thinking about the future, James looks set to be the next generation to take the farm on.
27:58How well did you get on with your dad?
28:02Er, I'd say, like, very well, yeah.
28:05Do you ever have clashes?
28:06Yeah, of course, everyone does, but sometimes I think I know more than him, and I probably
28:12don't, but he definitely listens to me sometimes, and then he'll listen to me and then prove to
28:17me that I'm wrong.
28:18OK, right.
28:19But, you know, it was like the worker it doesn't.
28:21Yeah, exactly, yeah.
28:22So the farm is very much in your hands, then, to take it on?
28:26Yeah.
28:28So with the scale of the business, do you feel the pressure of taking it on?
28:39Er, yeah, obviously there's a lot of connections you need to keep and, like, friendships you
28:44need to maintain, whether that's with a dealership or a partner or anything, really.
28:49Er, so it's just being able to communicate, I think, is the main thing.
28:54Yeah.
28:54You need to keep a good balance.
28:55About relationships, yeah, yeah.
28:58And having been to, you know, school and now college, do you think culturally the attitude
29:05towards agriculture and farming is changing?
29:07I think there's a lot more people understanding that it's not just, you know, sit in the tractor
29:14and, erm, there's a lot more that goes on, might finish a day at nine o'clock at night
29:19and then, erm, cows will be out or there'll be something else and you never quite know
29:24when you're going to end up going out.
29:25Yeah, 24-7, isn't it?
29:26Yeah.
29:27And what about things like, sort of, working hours and mental health?
29:32Do you think younger people are being more receptive and responsible?
29:38Yeah, I think, erm, there's definitely a world that everyone can speak how they're feeling
29:43a lot more openly and even so there's still, erm, people who I know who have taken their lives
29:50and because he had to take on the farm and, you know, it's just...
29:54Yeah, horrible.
29:55Yeah.
29:56It's really, really sad and you just, like, you don't know how to talk to people, I don't
30:01know, it's, it's, yeah.
30:03It's tough, isn't it, that whole world of, you know, poor mental health.
30:07Yeah.
30:07And particularly agriculture is one of the worst industries, isn't it?
30:09So, you know, for you and your friends to be able to communicate and chat about life
30:14is, er, is important, isn't it?
30:16Yeah.
30:16And that certainly seems to be getting better.
30:19I agree, yeah.
30:21James's attitude to farming is really encouraging to hear.
30:25He's so positive and grounded and with his tractor skills, he's clearly got a bright future ahead.
30:31Very good.
30:33Ten out of ten.
30:34I'd give you a job.
30:35Great.
30:36I'll take it.
30:39If you're suffering distress or despair and need support, including urgent support,
30:44a list of organisations that can help is available at bbc.co.uk forward slash action line.
30:52Or you can call for free to hear recorded information on 0800 066 066.
31:01Now, last year, I met a young farmer in County Down who has worked incredibly hard to diversify
31:10and develop her own father's farm.
31:12I caught up with Emily when her latest venture, a flower picking event, was in full bloom.
31:18Hi, Emily.
31:24Morning.
31:24How are you today?
31:25Good to see you.
31:26You all right?
31:26Yeah, very well, thank you.
31:27My word.
31:28Look at it all going on here.
31:29Isn't that amazing?
31:30You have brought the sun.
31:31It's great.
31:31Looking out across the lock with all these beautiful flowers.
31:34I know.
31:34I'm so, so blessed.
31:35And heaps of people.
31:36Lots of people.
31:37The sun definitely brings people out.
31:39So tell me what's going on at the front here.
31:41So the way we have this set up, this is like a little coffee area.
31:45So the public are welcome to come in for a coffee or they're very welcome to enter the
31:49event, which is just behind us.
31:51If you're picking flowers, it's free entry.
31:52If you're not picking flowers, there's a general entry fee.
31:55Okay.
31:55So we've wildflowers, sunflowers and dahlias right at the top of the hill.
31:59Wonderful.
31:59Can I take a look around?
32:00Yeah, let's go.
32:00You've got a lovely mix of reds and blues and yellows in here.
32:11How difficult were they to establish?
32:13The sunflowers, I remember Dad calling me one morning and being like, there's no sunflowers.
32:18They haven't emerged at all.
32:20But actually, they've done okay.
32:21You're dealing with nature.
32:23Totally.
32:23It's quite tricky, isn't it?
32:25Totally.
32:25And if you're dealing with one crop, it would be a lot easier.
32:28But because we have essentially four, trying to get them all to come at the same time has
32:33been hard.
32:34But some things close to right and some things that we can improve on.
32:38What does your dad think?
32:39Because this is quite different, isn't it, to his journey in farming?
32:42Oh, yeah.
32:43He'll tell you himself.
32:44You know, he planted veg for so many years and had a great time.
32:50But it was always, you know, you were dealing with supermarkets and it was just a negative
32:54experience mostly.
32:55But this, you're dealing with the public and, you know, people are here for a family
33:00day out and it's just, people are happy, which is great.
33:07Emily's dad, Adrian, may have taken a step back from the day-to-day running of the farm,
33:12but he's still very much involved and ready to lend a hand.
33:14And a lot of farmers would perhaps be a bit more controlling of their children and want
33:20them sort of doing it the way they've done it for years and years.
33:23But you're quite open-minded.
33:26You know, you don't mind a bit of entrepreneurialism sneaking in there with Emily?
33:29Well, I think with Emily, it's hard to hold her back.
33:33She has that enthusiasm and energy, wants to keep doing things.
33:37But that is something that, as farmers, we all should be better at, probably.
33:42Just let them at it.
33:44If they have to make a few mistakes, so be it.
33:47And how do you feel about it as a farmer, as an individual?
33:50Has it sort of given you a new lease of life?
33:52Yeah, totally.
33:53Your wheat came from an industry which was waning.
33:56Vegetable production has been really tough, but this opens up with the sunflowers.
34:01The light starts to come into the farm again, and I'm so delighted.
34:08Lots of us could learn a thing or two from Adrian about unleashing the next generation of farmers.
34:13It's only the second year Emily's put on this event, but with her dad supporting her,
34:18she's confident enough to throw the kitchen sink at it.
34:21There's a lot of investment with something like this, you know, with seed and our container
34:25and our picnic benches, everything like that.
34:28And my aim was to cover the costs.
34:30And we did that last weekend, so we're making a bit of money now, which is good.
34:33That's fantastic, isn't it? Great.
34:35Then you can sell these things to your dad even more.
34:36You see?
34:37When you're making a bit of profit.
34:38It always helps.
34:40And that is what it's all about.
34:42You know, that sort of sustainability, the ability to last,
34:45is about making money so you can reinvest, so you can move things on.
34:48Exactly.
34:49And it's just finding ways.
34:50Our current farming set up, there needs to be income from elsewhere,
34:54so hence why we're doing things like this.
34:58Diversification can be vital for smaller farms like Emily's.
35:01And between the flower picking, coffee and maize-maze for the kids to get lost in,
35:06this event should provide an important boost to the farm's finances,
35:10alongside their commercial chickens and sheep.
35:12So, in here we've this year's lambs, which are actually doing quite well.
35:17How many sheep have you got?
35:18About 200 commercial yos.
35:20OK.
35:20So, not quite small, really, considering.
35:24With you being more at the helm in the business now, what are the highs and lows?
35:28The shop, I am trying to create it as a stand-alone business.
35:33And in terms of the farm, I'm still learning.
35:36And, you know, Dad has all the knowledge on how to grow veg and how to do it all,
35:40so I'm trying to soak up as much of that as I can.
35:43Well, I have to say, you know, there's a lot going on here.
35:45You've got your core businesses.
35:47But with the diversification you've got, it's very impressive, just being brave,
35:52because you've taken some quite big risks, haven't you?
35:54No, absolutely, and risks take investment.
35:58But if you're not growing, you're going backwards, in my opinion,
36:01so you just have to try things.
36:04We need to learn from this year and see how we can evolve that.
36:08In terms of the farm, it's very difficult to make a farm make money.
36:12So all these little bolt-ons are what is making this place survive.
36:17Well, it's been lovely to catch up with you,
36:19and I'm very impressed by what you're achieving, so well done.
36:32Back in Wiltshire, I've been hearing how James has plans of his own for the family farm,
36:37including bringing cattle back into the mix.
36:39And he's not the only one in the family keen on having animals here.
36:46Hi, Millie. Hi.
36:47You've got everything you need for your menagerie?
36:49I think so. I think so.
36:51Have you got loads of animals?
36:53I have lots of animals.
36:55Yeah, David's arable farm, which is heading into a mixed farm,
36:59I've got all kinds of creatures.
37:02We seem to inherit slightly obscure animals.
37:09Oh, my word, I wasn't expecting this. Emus.
37:16Yeah, we've got emus during lockdown, because they were cheaper than chickens.
37:22That's extraordinary, but not quite as easy to look after.
37:25They're really easy to look after.
37:28Are they?
37:28Yeah, they're really friendly.
37:31They generally don't escape.
37:33Right. Oh, my word, I'm a bit nervous.
37:36Apparently, their brain is smaller than their eyeball.
37:40Stop.
37:41They're very greedy, aren't they?
37:43They're very greedy, but they're very friendly.
37:44And how many have you got? These three?
37:46Yeah, she's a female, and these two are boys.
37:48OK. People riding down here on their bikes must think it's extraordinary.
37:52Yeah, people leaving the pub, people walking past,
37:55everybody is intrigued by them, and they're so curious,
37:58and they're always putting their head over, they'll chat to anybody,
38:01but they are very friendly.
38:02And do you use them for anything? Do you keep their eggs?
38:05Last year, we got our first eggs.
38:07We gave them away, and everyone was intrigued by them,
38:09and we've had one batch this spring as well.
38:13And as far as... Can I stroke it?
38:16Yeah, yes, absolutely.
38:18I've seen emus a lot, but I've never actually touched one.
38:21They have, like, waterproof feathers on the outside
38:23and warmer feathers on the inside.
38:25Go on, then. Have they got names?
38:27She's called Petrie, Bluey and T-Rex.
38:33I can see why.
38:35But I hear emus are just the tip of the iceberg
38:38in terms of Millie's menagerie.
38:41We've got alpacas, goats, chickens, turkeys, peacocks,
38:47less traditional tortoise, budgies.
38:50Really? Yeah.
38:51A lamb that lives in the house often.
38:54A lamb that lives in the house?
38:55Yeah, she comes and goes, but she thinks she's a dog,
38:57cos there's only one.
38:59Wow, and is that OK, having a farm animal in the house?
39:01Oh, Dave is quite tolerant, luckily.
39:03Is he? Yeah, yeah.
39:04He's got used to... We've had lots of animals in the house.
39:07Have you, what else?
39:08We had a pig called Blossom.
39:09Ponies have been in the house.
39:11The kids must just love that, mustn't they?
39:13Well, they think it's normal.
39:14Do they? Yeah, yeah.
39:15You could open to the public.
39:16You've got a zoo. Yeah.
39:17And what do you think about, you know,
39:19the next generation coming into the farm?
39:21Oh, well, I think it's amazing that they have the opportunity
39:24to, you know, live this slightly extraordinary lifestyle
39:28and have the opportunities to do things that they want to do.
39:32Of course, you know, there is quite a lot of pressure on a young person,
39:35cos this is a big, serious business to look after.
39:39Yeah, I think it's really serious,
39:41and I'm really proud that our children and the next generation
39:44are taking it so seriously.
39:47Are you worried about the responsibility that James would be taking on?
39:50Oh, I think he, um, I think it's an enormous pressure,
39:54but he's really enthusiastic about it.
39:57And he's had some training,
39:58but he's also got an incredible grandfather and father to help him.
40:02Oh, I think it's a great way to learn.
40:04There we go. Look, they've eaten all their food.
40:07That's very good. I enjoyed that.
40:09Yeah, they are friendly.
40:10Yeah.
40:10It's been absolutely glorious today in Wiltshire,
40:28but I wonder what the weather has in store for the week ahead.
40:30Here's the Countryfile forecast.
40:31Hello there. Good evening to you.
40:41Hard to believe we're nearly at the end of July already.
40:44What a month of contrast it's been,
40:46because if you cast your mind back to the beginning of the month,
40:48the 1st of July, in fact,
40:49we saw the highest temperature of the year so far.
40:52That was 36 Celsius in Favisham in Kent.
40:55That came off a very hot, dry, sunny June as well.
40:58Since then, it has cooled down gradually.
41:00We've seen some thundery downpours in the mix,
41:02though not all areas saw the rain,
41:04and we still remain in drought conditions for much of the UK.
41:08Now, for the last week of July,
41:10it looks like it's going to be much the same as we've had over the last few days.
41:13It's occasional rain, not that much really.
41:16Some drier and sunnier moments,
41:17and temperatures remaining around the seasonal norm.
41:20And in fact, for the upcoming week,
41:21we will hold on to this pressure pattern
41:23with higher pressure down towards more southwestern areas of the Atlantic,
41:27lower pressure to the north,
41:28and that's feeding in this fresher Atlantic airflow.
41:31And that has brought a few showers around.
41:33We did see a few today across the UK.
41:35They fade overnight, clearer skies,
41:38temperatures into the low teens for most.
41:40So how does Monday start?
41:41Mostly dry on a fresh note, in fact,
41:44with northwesterly winds continuing.
41:45Because we've got a ridge of high pressure across the UK,
41:47it'll stay mostly dry.
41:49Could see an isolated shower in the afternoon,
41:51but sunny spells continuing on those temperatures around the seasonal norm again.
41:55High teens in the north, low to mid-20s in the south.
41:59As we move out of Monday into Tuesday,
42:00could see this tangle of weather fronts pushing off the Atlantic.
42:04So it looks like at this stage,
42:05Tuesday will be a cloudier day with some much-needed rain,
42:08but it won't be widespread rain.
42:10Some of it could turn heavier as it spreads across the Midlands
42:13into southern and eastern England later in the day.
42:16And with more cloud around Tuesday,
42:18it'll feel a little bit fresher, I think.
42:20We're looking at 18 to around 21, 22 degrees.
42:24You move out of Tuesday into Wednesday,
42:26similar sort of pattern.
42:27Those weather fronts clear away,
42:28and another ridge of high pressure builds in from the southwest.
42:31So a drier picture for mid-week,
42:33I think, with quite a bit of sunshine to start.
42:36Could be that the cloud tends to build in through the afternoon,
42:39could herald the odd shower.
42:40But again, most places will be dry,
42:42thanks to that ridge of high pressure.
42:44Temperatures, high teens, low 20s,
42:47maybe up to 24, 25 degrees.
42:49Now we're stuck in this pattern again
42:50as we move towards the end of the week.
42:52So for Thursday,
42:53could see another cluster of weather fronts
42:55start to push into northern and western areas.
42:57That could bring some substantial rain,
42:59perhaps for a time for Northern Ireland.
43:00And into Scotland.
43:02But for England and Wales,
43:03closer to the higher pressure to the south,
43:05it could be that it stays mostly dry here,
43:08with sunny spells continuing to the low to mid-20s,
43:11at mid to high teens further north.
43:14As we move out of Thursday into Friday,
43:15which is the 1st of August,
43:17these weather fronts could be loitering
43:18across northern and eastern areas.
43:20So it could be a bit of an unsettled start to August,
43:23although it's quite a long way out here.
43:25It could be some rain at times for Scotland,
43:26northern England,
43:27maybe into the southeast.
43:28And further south and west you are,
43:30you're closer to the ridge of high pressure,
43:32so it could stay mostly dry.
43:33And again,
43:33those temperatures mid to high teens in the north,
43:36low 20s in the south.
43:38And we maintain this pattern
43:39as we move into the first weekend of August too,
43:42with lower pressure to the north,
43:44higher pressure to the south,
43:46and fresh winds coming in from the Atlantic.
43:48So again,
43:49those temperatures will remain around the seasonal norm,
43:51with a greater chance of seeing much needed rain
43:53across more northern areas,
43:55largely staying dry in the south.
43:56And there are no signs of any heat waves on the horizon
43:58or substantial rain either.
44:00Of course,
44:00stay to tune with the weather forecast
44:03for where you are or where you're going
44:04using the BBC Weather app.
44:06That's it from me.
44:06Take care.
44:07I'm spending the day on Manor Farm
44:18with the Lemon family.
44:20They've been farming this land for three generations,
44:23with a fourth,
44:25son James,
44:26showing a keen interest to take it on.
44:28Anything I can see myself doing, really.
44:32The Wiltshire landscape is ideal for arable crops,
44:35and its rich pastures
44:38are just as well suited to grazing cattle.
44:44But last year,
44:46Matt visited a farm
44:47just a few miles north of the Lemons,
44:49with some slightly more unexpected goings-on
44:51in the fields,
44:53thanks to its unique set-up
44:55on Salisbury Plain.
44:59Farming is a difficult job at the best of times,
45:02but when your neighbours are busy soldiering on
45:04all around you
45:05with training exercises
45:06involving trundling tanks and rifle practice,
45:09it can be quite a juggling act.
45:15Neil Harley is a third-generation farmer
45:18working with his cattle on the plain,
45:21and knows farming can be a bit of a military operation in itself.
45:24On this farm,
45:26we're running approximately 500 mainly Angus cows.
45:30There are approximately 40 tenants on the plain,
45:32of which we're one.
45:34Across these farms,
45:35there's a wide variety of arable farming,
45:38along with a mix of livestock.
45:39They train everywhere,
45:41so we quite literally farm amongst the military
45:44whilst they're training.
45:46Farming on Salisbury Plain
45:47is very different to farming anywhere else in the country.
45:50I mean, obviously, we don't have fields
45:52as you would normally recognise them with nice fences.
45:54It's a vast open area
45:55with tanks and troops rolling around.
46:01I've grown up with it,
46:02which gives me a sort of unique perspective,
46:04and to me, that's how you're supposed to farm,
46:05but of course,
46:06everyone else would look over the fence
46:07and consider it absolutely mad, really.
46:12One of the hardest parts of farming here on Salisbury Plain
46:15can be making sure that you're in the right place
46:17at the right time,
46:19avoiding any military operations that might be going on.
46:24Livestock are kept in a series of pens
46:26scattered throughout the plain,
46:28so keeping track of all the penned areas and animals
46:31can be quite a mission in itself.
46:35Warrant Officer Class 1, Jeff Elson,
46:37is responsible for this part
46:39of the Salisbury Plain training area,
46:41and he's a key figure in coordinating who goes where.
46:47It's quite a big job,
46:48the coordination of the farmers and the military on the plain.
46:52We have a monthly meeting.
46:53Once the deconfliction of the training units has occurred,
46:57we then have a pennings meeting
46:59at which the farmers have submitted their requests
47:02to where they want to graze on their licensed areas,
47:05and what we then do
47:06is we balance that against what the military are doing
47:09so that they don't interfere with one another.
47:14Not always is it a smooth transition.
47:18Farmers sometimes put the animals in the wrong place
47:20because there's better grass or better feed.
47:24Sometimes military training
47:25forces a move of the pennings at short notice.
47:29Sometimes we do have units
47:31who don't see the fences.
47:33At night especially,
47:35we have vehicles who sometimes drive through the pennings,
47:37and then we have to call the farmer
47:39and ask him to gather his cattle or his sheep
47:42and put them back in the pen.
47:46Hi, girlies.
47:49Neil's herd is divided into smaller groups
47:51to make them easier to manage,
47:53and today he's moving a group of 145 cows
47:57from pen 6 to pen 41,
48:00using maps and an online GPS
48:02to get the job done.
48:04So this herd,
48:08originally called herd one,
48:10they've been grazing here for just over a week.
48:12They've had all the best of the grass.
48:14They've opened up the sward really nicely.
48:16So they're going to move on.
48:17That'll give them fresh grass,
48:18which will be good for the cows,
48:19and it'll allow this patch of ground
48:21to recover
48:22and turn into a beautiful flower-rich sward,
48:25which, as you can see behind us,
48:26where we were grazing a few months ago.
48:27They graze each patch,
48:29sometimes twice a year,
48:30sometimes they'll be left for an entire year.
48:31It just depends on what we're trying to achieve
48:33with each individual area of grassland.
48:36But as you can see,
48:36they're very happy, very healthy.
48:38They only ever have grass.
48:40There's no supplementary feeding out here.
48:41It's a very simple system in that way,
48:43and it produces one of the healthiest types of beef
48:46you can get, really,
48:47all organic and pasture-fed.
48:49With everything meticulously planned out,
48:53there's only one job left to do.
48:55It's time to move some cows,
48:58ably assisted by stockmen Malcolm and Lewis
49:01from Neil's Farm.
49:03OK, come on then, girls.
49:05I assume you've turned the fence off.
49:08All right, sweetheart.
49:10Come on, girls, let's sit.
49:11So the cattle,
49:28they're all into their new pasture.
49:29As you can see,
49:30they're just going to go and have a bit of an explore,
49:32make sure everyone's there,
49:33they're calling to each other,
49:34and they'll settle down in the next 10 or 15 minutes,
49:37put their heads down,
49:38and they'll start enjoying the new grass they've got there.
49:41We move them every week,
49:42so they're used to it.
49:43In fact, I mean, they look forward to it.
49:44It's probably their favourite time of the week
49:46when they can go and all get the freshest bite of grass.
49:49So they look around the pasture,
49:50find the best bits,
49:51and that's where they'll all be for the next hour or two
49:53before they settle down and sit down and chew the cud.
49:56Moveable fencing secures the cows in their new patch,
49:59so it doesn't take long for them to feel at home.
50:02But how did they react to the tanks and manoeuvres
50:05during military exercises?
50:07The cows here, they don't notice the tanks at all.
50:09If they do, mainly it's just curiosity.
50:11They like to wander over and have a look.
50:13The big bangs, the helicopters, the planes,
50:16all the noise and disturbance,
50:17they really aren't bothered by it in the slightest.
50:19They're quite used to it.
50:20Out here, these guys were all born here
50:22and grew up in this one place,
50:23so to them it's completely normal,
50:24and they're very happy with it.
50:28Being out here, you get to see all sorts of things
50:31that farmers just wouldn't see or wouldn't even imagine.
50:33I mean, you know, it's not uncommon to be moving the cattle
50:35and have to stop to let the tanks roll through.
50:41You know, it all adds to the spice of life, that.
50:44I would never farm anywhere else.
50:46This is one of the most glorious environments you can find,
50:48and we're absolutely privileged to be out here.
50:50A stone's throw from Salisbury Plain,
51:01the Lemon family farm is a world away from military manoeuvres,
51:04but strategic forward planning is essential here too,
51:08as son James is adding a new chapter
51:10to this large-scale arable farm
51:12by bringing cattle back into the mix.
51:15I'm joining him and his dad
51:18to see the plan taking shape.
51:22I'm loving this, David.
51:23Cows on the farm.
51:25He's responsible. It's his fault.
51:26Well, that was my idea to...
51:28Originally, we were supposed to get beef,
51:30and the price of beef is quite high at the moment,
51:33so we've found another way to get cows on the farm.
51:36So how does this work?
51:37They sort of come in from another farm,
51:39and the farmer pays us to look after them,
51:42feed them and bed them up.
51:43Literally, it's like having them here, B&B.
51:45Yeah, sure.
51:45Yeah, you're just looking after them, feeding them.
51:47Yeah, check them twice a day.
51:49And so these are dairy heifers that,
51:50once they're a bit bigger, will go back to the dairy farm?
51:52Yeah, exactly, yeah.
51:53Great.
51:54And being a man of crops with now cows about,
51:57how are you finding it?
51:58Well, I haven't come out in a rash yet.
52:01No, actually, I'm really enjoying it.
52:03It was lovely all winter coming up here
52:04and spending, you know, an hour a day up here
52:07just feeding them, looking after them, looking over them.
52:09Is this sort of part of a regenerative farming journey?
52:13Yeah, definitely.
52:13I think it's all to do with sort of not getting fertiliser out of a bag
52:17and artificial furt, whereas we can get fertiliser from here.
52:20It's great for the soil,
52:21but also it's nice to have livestock
52:24and makes it feel more like a farm, I think.
52:27Yeah.
52:27And that regenerative farming system is about livestock, isn't it?
52:32It's about that sort of rotational grassland, livestock, muck
52:34and arable farming all mixed in together.
52:37Yeah, a lot of the regen
52:38is what my grandfather would have called mixed farming.
52:41Yeah.
52:42You know, I mean, it's probably mixed farming with the benefit of hindsight.
52:45The principles that were right then are probably still right today.
52:47So, actually, your minds are set alike, really.
52:51You know, it's sort of you're working together on this.
52:53Yeah, absolutely.
52:54Excellent.
52:54And you've asked me to carry these stakes.
52:57What are we up to?
52:58Well, when we put the cows out,
53:00we were expecting to put nearly 50 out here.
53:03We've actually only got 30
53:04and we're going to reduce the size of this plot
53:07because we're doing mob grazing here
53:10because it's better for the soil.
53:12We allow the grass to recover and then move them on.
53:14But we probably need to half the width of this paddock.
53:17OK. Yeah.
53:18All right.
53:18I'll give you a hand.
53:19Right.
53:19They look fit and healthy, James.
53:27Yeah, they do.
53:28Yeah, they look happy.
53:29They seem pretty quiet, so, yeah.
53:30It's quite important to have them quiet.
53:32We've got two footpaths that run across this field.
53:34Oh, OK, yeah.
53:35And, you know...
53:36We certainly don't want them escaping.
53:37We don't want them on the run, no.
53:41So, if we run the wire off the post
53:44just to get a straight line and then we'll peg it...
53:47So, how many paces?
53:48Seven.
53:49Seven only.
53:50Seven only.
53:51One, two, three.
53:55There we go.
53:56Oh, so I'm the heavy one that can put it in.
53:57Yeah, because you can get them in.
54:00So, how do you...
54:01Are you enjoying this so far, then, James?
54:03Yeah, I mean, it's really fun.
54:05It's like a dream come true.
54:06It's, yeah.
54:08I'm just so chuffed.
54:09We've got some livestock now.
54:11Sitting on a tractor all your life wasn't for you, then, you don't think?
54:13Well, no, I don't mind it, but it's nice to have a change
54:16and some cheerful faces around, really.
54:19Yeah.
54:19They're always smiling, aren't they?
54:21So, more expansion.
54:23Yeah.
54:23More animals.
54:24More animals.
54:25As many as we can get, really.
54:25But, with a caveat, he's off to New Zealand on a gap year.
54:30OK.
54:30And we'll keep going as we are until he gets back,
54:34and then we can make another plan.
54:35But Muggins here is not becoming the cowman.
54:38While he's away.
54:39Whilst he's away, yeah.
54:40And with that, with him going away,
54:43you know, some young people getting into the family businesses
54:46feel some pressure?
54:48Yeah, they do.
54:50These kids have to grow up to be happy.
54:52If they don't want to farm, they don't have to farm.
54:54It is...
54:55It's a wonderful life, but it is a millstone around your neck,
54:58and if you're not up for it, then don't do it.
55:01Don't live unhappy.
55:02Yeah.
55:02That would be my very strong advice.
55:04I've got...
55:05Yeah, we know too many people that...
55:06I've struggled with it.
55:08I've struggled with it.
55:08Yeah, indeed.
55:10It is a wonderful way of life.
55:11You know, we're very, very privileged to be able to do this.
55:14Yeah.
55:15To be able to be out here doing this today, you know,
55:17we could be sat in an office working through some accounts.
55:20Yeah, sure.
55:20And although we do have to do that...
55:22How do you...
55:23Do you feel positive, then?
55:25I mean, you seem like a pretty upbeat character
55:26and excited about the future.
55:28I can't wait to just sort of do this full-time
55:31and this to be my life.
55:32I mean, at the moment, at college, it's great,
55:34but I'd love to have this in my life.
55:36Finding out different ways that we can keep cows in the pasture
55:40and keep the arable farm going,
55:42then that'll be the best way to do it.
55:45A positive boy there.
55:46Yeah, yeah, wonderful.
55:47And what about Peter, grandad?
55:49How do you think he feels looking on?
55:51Oh, I think he's absolutely made up with it.
55:53I think he's delighted that there's going to be another generation
55:55that want to come and farm.
55:56You know, he's passed on a legacy not only of high-quality farming,
56:02but he's been a stalwart for the local community
56:04because it's very easy to forget that, you know, farmers, we don't move.
56:07So people come and go in and out of the villages,
56:09but farmers, we don't move.
56:10So if you can be positive for your community,
56:14then that's a great thing because you're always going to be here.
56:18If there's a flood, we're out trying to help.
56:20If there's snow, we're out shoveling it.
56:23It's all part and parcel of life here.
56:28It certainly seems that by working together so closely,
56:32the family are ensuring a strong and secure future for their farm.
56:36But for the final word on that, it's back to Millie.
56:41James did say it's mum that calls the shots around here.
56:44And I'm a little taken with those emus.
56:48What's an emu cost?
56:49£40.
56:51Really?
56:52Yeah.
56:52I'm going to guess some.
56:55Now then, for you and your family, what's the plan?
56:59Oh, I think always moving forward.
57:01Things are changing.
57:03Having the cows on what was a traditionally arable farm...
57:07Yeah.
57:09..is great and exciting.
57:11So moving forward.
57:12And you get even more animals.
57:13Yeah, more animals.
57:14What could be better?
57:14It's very exciting.
57:19Next week, it's over to John,
57:24who, as a proud Yorkshireman,
57:25is celebrating the heritage of the county.
57:27I've spent half a lifetime telling stories from all over the UK countryside.
57:39Well, that's quite a climb.
57:42But now, in four special countryside programmes, I'm back on home turf.
57:47Flamedy Sen.
57:48Flamedy Sen.
57:49Don't you know that?
57:50No.
57:50Get yourself organised.
57:51Everybody says that to me.
57:52Flamedy Sen.
57:54Exploring the traditions.
57:56You can taste the difference, can't you?
57:58The heritage.
58:00Oh, yeah, there we go.
58:02Whoa!
58:03Yay!
58:03The legacy and the characters that make me so proud that I was born here in Yorkshire.
58:14Would you like to drive?
58:16Really?
58:16Yeah.
58:18I'm an engine driver.
58:26Hope to see you then.
58:27Bye for now.
58:27And in September, Countryfile on stage.
58:35In Conversation at Kew Gardens.
58:37Tickets available at inconversationlive.co.uk now.
58:41And there's been a big Strictly announcement today.
58:43Find out more tomorrow morning on Scott Mills' Breakfast Show
58:46with some very special guests.
58:47Listen from 6.30 on BBC Sounds.
58:571.30 on BBC Sounds.
59:161.50 on BBC Sounds.
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