- 6 months ago
Countryfile - Adam's Farming Families - The Paddas
Category
🛠️
LifestyleTranscript
00:01Go on then, show me how to pick a strawberry.
00:03Try to do both try.
00:05Oh, both hands.
00:06Both hands.
00:07You didn't give me tummy of that, both hands.
00:09Why don't you tell me both hands?
00:12Adam, you're costing us money here.
00:13You're costing us money.
00:14Twice fast.
00:30Every landscape tells a story of farming families who've worked it for centuries.
00:47Growing our food, caring for nature and ensuring that rural traditions thrive.
00:53For many of them, farming isn't just a job.
00:58It's a way of life, handed down through the years.
01:01It's the only thing I can see myself doing, really.
01:03Over four Countryfile specials.
01:05My word, I'm a bit nervous.
01:07I'll be travelling to Somerset, Leicestershire, Worcestershire and Wiltshire
01:12to meet some of those families that have farmed these agricultural heartlands for generations.
01:17Don't work with animals and children. Did somebody say that?
01:20From grandparents to grandchildren, everyone plays their part.
01:23I'll be getting a glimpse into the way they work together day to day,
01:26the challenges they face and the inventive ways that they're keeping their farms thriving for the future.
01:38Today, I'm in Worcestershire, visiting the Padda family's fruit farm in the Vale of Evesham.
01:43It's a very busy operation.
01:47It's gone from zero to hero.
01:49With the recent hot weather pushing things into overdrive.
01:52This year will be our biggest year ever.
01:55As generations of the family...
01:57We argue, we fight, but we make up.
02:00Hello, you all right?
02:02..all work together.
02:03Hello, lovely to meet you.
02:04More family members.
02:05More family members, family members everywhere, isn't it, Adam?
02:07We've got a big family.
02:08..to grow delicious strawberries.
02:10There's one in there, that's a really nice one.
02:12Making a fortune.
02:13I'm making a fortune.
02:15Adam, we've got to pick it all, yeah?
02:17This is a finely tuned operation.
02:21Tell him to get lost.
02:23Go on, Adam.
02:24We'll also take a look back through the Countryfile archives.
02:27Oh, my word.
02:29I mean, that's massive. I've not seen a blueberry that size.
02:32It is huge.
02:33Celebrating the best of British produce.
02:36Bright amount of runniness.
02:38Yeah.
02:39Perfect for a summer's feast.
02:41Look at the size of that! Cheese wheel!
02:44At Vicarage Nurseries, they don't do things by halves.
02:56There'll be up to 150 workers here through the season,
03:00picking and packing more than 4.5 million panets worth of strawberries.
03:09The farm was started by Mak An Singh Pada,
03:12together with his wife, Pal Binda, almost 30 years ago.
03:18Now this family affair is being run by their son, Bal,
03:22his brother, Harjit, and cousin, Jaswinda.
03:26With wives, husbands, cousins and kids
03:29all playing their part in the business.
03:31Fruit growing plays a big role here in Worcestershire,
03:40and the Pada family are big characters playing their role
03:43in this rural community.
03:47I'll be meeting lots of members of the extended family today
03:50on this 57 hectare farm.
03:52But I'm starting the day with Bal, the current boss.
03:58Hey, Bal.
03:59Hello, how are you?
04:00Good to see you.
04:01Long time.
04:02Quite a time of year?
04:03No, no, no.
04:04Very busy time of year.
04:05We're just checking the quality.
04:06It's gone from zero to hero.
04:08Really?
04:09Yeah, really crazy.
04:10Just because of all this heat?
04:11Yeah, because of the heat.
04:12It's been good weather, so cooler nights, warmer days,
04:15and also what we've planted as well,
04:17the varieties we've planted this year
04:18has allowed us just to get a better crop
04:20and earlier cropping.
04:21We've planted a lot earlier as well.
04:23So, for us, it's just gone...
04:25Has it?
04:26Yeah.
04:27Perfect.
04:28Making a fortune.
04:29Making a fortune, yeah.
04:31We've got to pick it all yet, don't we?
04:32All the fields, yeah?
04:34I think Bal's hinting that I should do some work.
04:38Go on then, show me how to pick a strawberry.
04:39I'm not going to...
04:40One over here is going to show you how to pick, yeah?
04:42How do you do it?
04:43She's the expert, not me.
04:44Okay.
04:45So, in with your fingers so you don't bruise the fruit.
04:47Like this?
04:48Yes.
04:49Very good. In there.
04:50Look at the size of these strawberries.
04:51I know, they're beautiful, aren't they?
04:52Do I need the little stalk on it like that then?
04:54You do, you do.
04:55Okay, that's all right.
04:56On some varieties, some varieties you don't.
04:59Now, your management, Bal, you wouldn't be doing this, would you?
05:02You've probably forgotten.
05:05I actually never did this job.
05:06I'm not going to lie, I didn't do this job.
05:07Did you?
05:08I've done the planting, the bagging and everything else, but I've never picked.
05:11Really?
05:12Yeah.
05:13And it's really difficult.
05:14I've done four and already are my fingers hurting.
05:16Yeah.
05:18What sort of volumes are we talking?
05:20This year will be our biggest year ever.
05:23God wishing, yeah?
05:24So we'll have about 2,000 tonnes.
05:25So we've gone all in this year.
05:28With so much fruit, and all of it hand-picked, Bal needs a large, dedicated team.
05:35We rely on seasonal workers, but they can only come over after six months.
05:39So they leave six months, they come back.
05:41So last year at our peak, we started in June.
05:43So they're not going to arrive back until June.
05:45Sure.
05:46So now, we have to bring in extras.
05:48And our regular staff are still waiting to come, and where the crop is earlier.
05:51So it's like, you can never get it right.
05:53Just because of the weather, your seasonal experienced staff haven't arrived.
05:57That's why I'm, like, going crazy, my hair's falling out, you know.
06:00So many different things to do.
06:01My supervisor there, Jess Winder, she's learning the job as well.
06:04So we're teaching her what to do.
06:05Go.
06:06Here we go.
06:07Try to do both sides.
06:08Like, both hands.
06:09Oh, both hands.
06:10Both hands.
06:11You didn't give me tummy that.
06:12Both hands.
06:13Why not?
06:14Tell him both hands, innit?
06:16Adam, you're costing us money here.
06:17You're costing us money.
06:18Twice as fast.
06:19I love this job.
06:26It's brilliant.
06:27Every year, there's new people coming in.
06:28So you're kind of like at a holiday camp.
06:30But I think, you know, I'm doing what I'm born about to do.
06:33I'm growing.
06:34It's in your bones.
06:35It's my bones in my blood.
06:37Our culture is very rich in farming.
06:39We come from bread basket, India, which is Punjab.
06:42So my dad's come from there.
06:44Everything is connected to farming.
06:46Yeah.
06:47And back in the old days, the kings of the world used to be the farmer, the grower.
06:52Now we become like, oh, well, you know, not so important.
06:55It's got to be the guys from the IT and this and the YouTubers and all that.
06:58It was always the farmer.
07:00The farmer was one with respect.
07:01The farmer was the one that everybody wanted to be looked up to.
07:04That's a skill set.
07:06And the skill set that these people, ladies and gentlemen, have got here
07:09and the people that are growing the fruit for us.
07:11There's one in there.
07:12That's a really nice one.
07:13Look at that.
07:14I'll have to eat.
07:15Try it.
07:16Yeah, you are.
07:17Try it.
07:18Try it.
07:19And how that tastes.
07:20Did you hear the crunch as well?
07:22Mm.
07:23Isn't that beautiful?
07:24To hear the crunch, to hear the noise.
07:25And really sweet.
07:26Yeah.
07:27Extra sweet because of the weather?
07:28Yeah, because of the weather.
07:29And the variety as well.
07:30I'm going to show you some more variety.
07:31Come on.
07:32Let's have a look.
07:33At this time of year, strawberries and Wimbledon go hand in hand.
07:45And of course, so do strawberries and cream.
07:48A few years ago, Matt visited a family farm in Cheshire that keep a rare breed of cow to help make their clotted cream.
07:56This is cattle country.
07:59Well-drained flatland ideal for high quality grass.
08:03And that means high quality milk.
08:09Generations of the same family have worked this farm in the village of Clotten near Chester.
08:21And meeting one of the new breed, Henry Cook.
08:26And his older brother, Rob, who runs the farm.
08:33So how many generations are you then, Henry?
08:35So I'm sixth generation here.
08:37So we have been here quite a long time.
08:39Yeah.
08:40The pressure then that comes with being the next generation of farmers on the very same farm.
08:45How did you cope with that initially, you and your brother?
08:48Yeah, there was a lot of pressure to be honest.
08:50We had to make a big decision on what the future of the farm was.
08:53It's not quite big enough for me and my brother to both work on together.
08:56So this is why I've sort of had to look at a different way of bringing in extra income for myself.
09:03And Henry's done that in an unexpected way.
09:06Right here, in the heart of Cheshire, he's making something that you'd usually associate with Devon and Cornwall.
09:12Clotted cream.
09:14It was quite a risk, wasn't it? It's not really done around here.
09:17It's not at all. For some reason.
09:18No, but there's no reason why not though.
09:20Yeah.
09:21And as we've found out since we started, there's a big demand for it.
09:26And the brothers have brought in a rather unusual breed of cow to provide the perfect milk for the job.
09:31You've got quite a mix of breeds in here, haven't you? So why did you decide to run at the stock that you've got?
09:37Rather than the standard Holstein cow, we needed a more high fatty cow.
09:40Right.
09:41And that really gives you the flavour and the milk. So we've gone for the Danish red.
09:45As you can see here in front of us.
09:47Yeah.
09:48Beautiful cow.
09:49We've got jerseys, jersey crosses.
09:50Right. So with the Danish red then, I mean, did you have to go far and wide to go shopping?
09:53Yeah.
09:54Denmark.
09:55Denmark, right.
09:56So yeah, my brother went over to Denmark and come back with 40 cows.
10:00Time to get these beauties in for their afternoon milking with older brother Rob.
10:11As with the years of family history on this farm, teamwork is vital.
10:16You're looking after the farm side of things and he's doing the kind of the dairy.
10:20So how is it working out?
10:22It works really well. Everyone has their own area of the business so you can focus on it.
10:26You know, we help each other out as and when it's needed.
10:29Henry still does the morning milking for me, which keeps him in touch with the farm side of things.
10:34No, I'm really pleased about how it's working really.
10:37And how are you actually tweaking your farming system in order to kind of work with his green business?
10:42Yeah, so we're trying to tailor the milk supply to match that.
10:45We've shifted the carving pattern slightly to ensure that we have an all year round supply.
10:50Right.
10:51And then we're just trying to maintain the quality of the milk really.
10:54Yeah. And it's the ultimate goal then that all of the milk from here will go in to making green.
10:58Every litre.
10:59Every litre.
11:00Every litre wants to go through that creamery, yeah.
11:02Yeah, fantastic.
11:03That's the plan.
11:04It'll happen, I'm sure it will.
11:05So the milk is coming from these milking machines up through these pipes into this vat and then it's stored and cooled in here in the dairy before being transported into the creamery.
11:22Let's go and get changed.
11:23So there's the cream coming out now.
11:24It's a beautiful colour, isn't it?
11:25So we're just going to check the consistency.
11:26Mm-hm.
11:27Check it's a nice thick golden cream.
11:28Yeah.
11:29Looks beautiful to me.
11:30There's a fine art to getting it right.
11:45Different fat content gives different results.
11:47Oh, that is luxury in a bucket that.
11:51Henry adds back a tiny amount of the separated part of the milk called skim.
11:56There we go.
11:57Mm-hm.
11:58It's only the smallest little bit of skim we need to put back in.
12:01Just to get that kind of...
12:03It's not looking too bad to me.
12:04...bright amount of runniness.
12:05Yeah.
12:06Only when the fat content is right can the clotted cream making really begin.
12:11We can't go over there because this is the top secret bit.
12:14Yeah, you just stay over there now.
12:17So that's pretty good cream, that is.
12:19Is it?
12:20Good.
12:21That's as generic as we can go.
12:22Now for the big moment when the cream becomes clotted cream.
12:28And for that to happen, you have to bake it.
12:31Yep, bake it.
12:32This would normally be the bit where we say at what temperature and for how long,
12:37but guess what?
12:38That's a secret as well.
12:40Roughly ballpark figure.
12:41Under two hours, over an hour.
12:43Okay.
12:44That'll do.
12:45So after under two hours, but over an hour, the baked cream goes into a fridge overnight to really thicken up.
12:54And that's how they've ended up making clotted cream in a village of Clotten.
12:59I still don't know why Henry hasn't called it Clotten cream.
13:02I'm spending the day in Worcestershire on the Padder family farm.
13:12Right Adam, we've specially set something up for you.
13:15A little taster.
13:16Let me introduce you to young Giovanni, my cousin's daughter.
13:19Hello.
13:20Hello.
13:21Lovely to meet you.
13:22Still in the family.
13:23Jazz.
13:24Good to see you.
13:25This is lovely.
13:26Wonderful.
13:27So what have you got here then?
13:28We got seven varieties of stories here.
13:31Seven varieties.
13:32Why have you got so many?
13:33What happens is, because all varieties come different times.
13:36So they have their phase, first phase, second phase, third phase.
13:39Because the customers demand, so we get a continuity from April to middle of November.
13:44From April to November?
13:45Yeah.
13:46November, yeah.
13:47Wow, that's a lot.
13:48So the different varieties ripen at different stages, but do they taste different too?
13:51Yes.
13:52You tell me, is it a different taste or not?
13:54Right.
13:55Well, it's delicious.
13:56Very sweet.
13:57Okay.
13:58Yeah.
13:59Then try another one.
14:00What do you think, what's your favourite then out of these two?
14:05Well, actually, I really like that one.
14:10Slightly crunchier.
14:11Yeah.
14:12Maybe a little bit sweeter.
14:13Really lovely.
14:14Yeah, that variety is quite sweeter than that one.
14:16Is it?
14:17Testing for sweetness isn't just done by taste.
14:20This clever bit of kit is called a refractometer, and it measures sugar levels in the juice of
14:25the fruit.
14:26What should that be, Jas?
14:27To be perfect?
14:29Normally we have ten, twelve, not below seven.
14:32So at the moment it's 14.3, it's like a record.
14:35So 14.3, that's really high?
14:37That's really, really high, yeah.
14:39And why is it so good?
14:40Because the weather has been really, really nice.
14:42The spring was really warm and the nights were cold.
14:46Yeah.
14:47The plants make the sugar in the daytime and convert into the fruit later.
14:51And there's love in it as well, isn't it?
14:52So everybody here has put a bit of love in it as well, so it's got that little bit of uniqueness
14:55as well.
14:56Selling all of these strawberries, I mean, that must be a logistical nightmare, is it?
15:00How do you move them all to different places?
15:02Well, that's the bad job.
15:04That's my job.
15:05That's where you come in.
15:06Yeah, you push it onto me.
15:07We're trying to get it within 24 hours, pick it today, pack it today, and out.
15:11So it's within 24 hours in store, yeah?
15:1324 hours, yeah.
15:14The record we've had is 12 hours.
15:1512 hours, yeah.
15:16We did once per 12 hours, yeah.
15:19The latest trial on the farm uses any surplus or wonky fruit for a new potential product.
15:26It was initially developed as a treat for Makan, who's diabetic.
15:31We produce germs that have more fruit and less sugar.
15:36So this is for your dad?
15:37For my dad.
15:38Yeah.
15:39Do you want to taste it?
15:40Yeah, yeah, why not?
15:41It's, like, delicious.
15:46Mmm.
15:47I'm not just saying it, but that is really, really good.
15:49Yeah.
15:50Because you don't actually...
15:51There's so much sugar in the fruit, you don't need to add sugar, do you?
15:54Yeah, that's right, yeah.
15:55I'm going to put some more on.
15:56Yeah.
15:57So you're family too?
15:58Yeah, so I am the third generation.
16:01I am his cousin's daughter.
16:02Okay.
16:03And my background is more kind of accountancy, but, like, here working in the farm, it's,
16:08like, very different experience and a very wonderful experience.
16:12It's, like, seeing people putting their hard work is, like, motivates you to do more hard
16:17work.
16:18Sure.
16:19Speaks very highly of you, Bal.
16:20I know, they do.
16:21I played them a lot.
16:22I played them with strawberries and jam.
16:23Yeah.
16:24Good currencies you have in it, you know what I mean?
16:26It's wonderful.
16:27And from these conversations, you know, as a family, I can sort of feel the passion.
16:30It is a passion.
16:31It is a passion.
16:32Most of the time we spend here, we just go home, let's sleep and come back here.
16:35So that's our passion, you know, we love it.
16:37Yeah.
16:38Living, eating and breathing.
16:39Yeah.
16:40That's it, yeah.
16:41Let's celebrate that by eating some more.
16:42Yeah!
16:43Yay!
16:44Yay!
16:46These British strawberries are a true taste of summer.
16:51A couple of years ago, Sean was in Cambridgeshire for another sweet seasonal harvest.
16:57This is buckwheat, and it's got a rather particular smell.
17:04It's actually an edible seed, and when milled, creates a gluten-free flower.
17:09But we're not going to be harvesting it or doing anything else with it today.
17:13Because it wasn't planted for us, it was planted for them.
17:21Despite the unusual smell, artisan honey producers, Simon Crossan,
17:26and wife Caroline love the stuff.
17:30So what's the buzz all about?
17:33Simon, Caroline.
17:34Hi, Sean.
17:35How are you doing?
17:36It looks like I'm going to need one of those.
17:37You're definitely going to need one of these.
17:38Join the club.
17:39Great.
17:40And some gloves.
17:41So how easy is it to get one of these?
17:42Oh, I see, so I just...
17:43What is it that sort of got you into bees?
17:45Well, this man used to have honey in his tea,
17:48and I saw somebody had advertised a beekeeping course.
17:51So that was literally it?
17:52Yeah, yeah.
17:53He just had a lot of honey and you just...
17:54Yeah, and he could produce his own honey rather than me buying it all the time.
17:57Yeah.
17:58So where does your knowledge come from?
17:59So I was lucky enough to work for a charity called Bees Abroad,
18:03who allowed me to take what we called a bee safari.
18:06And I brought lots of useful information from that.
18:09And there's a couple of nasty parasites, diseases,
18:13that come from all parts of the world.
18:15Maybe in a decade or so, we might start to suffer.
18:18So it was nice having that first-hand knowledge.
18:21You are.
18:22Head over the top.
18:25Since starting in 2021,
18:27Simon and Caroline currently have around 680,000 bees.
18:31But we're not the only ones after the honey.
18:36And just getting up to this one, you can see that there's...
18:39I mean, there's quite a few bees, but there's quite a few wasps.
18:41It's been a problem.
18:43And what do the wasps do?
18:44Well, they attack the bees.
18:46They'll get inside the hive,
18:48and they're after the honey more than anything,
18:50but they could strip out everything in there.
18:52So what do you do?
18:53How do you get the wasps out?
18:54Well, we have to let nature take its course to a degree,
18:58and you can see on the top there's a few dead wasps there.
19:03So that's the bees have killed the wasps?
19:05Yeah, I think the wasps have gone to this,
19:07what we call a travelling screen,
19:09and the bees have got hold of it.
19:12The bees have successfully defended their honey against the wasps,
19:16and thankfully don't seem too bothered by our intrusion.
19:21One bee in there looks a little bit different.
19:23Oh, my word.
19:25That's the queen bee, is it?
19:26That's the queen.
19:27I've never seen a queen bee before.
19:30We'll actually see if we can find some honey.
19:32Ah, show me the honey.
19:38Well, I'm getting that smell of buckwheat now.
19:40You can't miss it, can you, that buckwheat smell?
19:43This is all the honey.
19:46Oh, it's heavy, isn't it?
19:47About two and a half kilos.
19:49That's like two and a half bags of sugar.
19:52Yeah.
19:53This is just laden with honey.
19:55How much honey does a bee create?
19:57Around about one teaspoon per bee.
20:00One teaspoon?
20:01God, it puts into perspective, you know,
20:03actually when you have that teaspoon of honey in your tea,
20:06how much work has gone in to create that?
20:09How long does it take them to produce this amount?
20:11Dependent on the weather, they might fill them all up in a few weeks,
20:15or if it's wet and cold, they can't go out and forage,
20:18so they stay at home and consume themselves.
20:20But like we do, just sit on the sofa and eat.
20:22Yeah.
20:25Leaving the scent of buckwheat behind,
20:27we've harvested a frame of honey to take back to the farmhouse.
20:30The moment of truth.
20:31Take a bit of that.
20:32The honeycomb's coming off with it, is that?
20:33Yeah, all of it.
20:34You got it all.
20:35You got it all in.
20:36I don't think I went big enough there.
20:37Go big or go home.
20:38Yeah.
20:39Oh, it's wonderful.
20:40Wow.
20:41The bees have transformed this buckwheat,
20:42which has got a sort of strange sort of smell into a richness that's in the honey.
20:58It's one of the strongest tasting honeys.
21:00It's really beautiful, isn't it?
21:02Yeah, it is.
21:03But it needs to be had with a slice of bread.
21:06I'll show you one of those.
21:07There you go.
21:08I'm just going to use the knife.
21:09Yeah, scoop in there.
21:10It's gone in.
21:11It's gone in.
21:12There we are.
21:13Oh, look at that.
21:15It's going to get a bit messy.
21:18Perfect.
21:19Beautiful.
21:20Beautiful.
21:21Love that.
21:28From the bees of Cambridgeshire,
21:33to the buzz of the Padder family farm in Worcestershire.
21:37This is a proper family operation.
21:39Everyone has their roles to keep the wheels turning.
21:42I'm going to catch up with Bal and he's going to take me down to the packing room where I'm
21:46going to meet his cousins, love, print and happy.
21:48And then we're going to go up into the office and see his son, TJ.
21:51Come on in, Adam.
21:52There we go.
21:53Oh, look at this.
21:54This looks very smart.
21:55Very smart.
21:56Yes, it is.
21:57But it's our first year of packing.
21:58All latest equipment brought this year, ready for the season.
21:59And this fruit is coming straight from the field?
22:00Straight from the field.
22:01What we've seen earlier on this morning.
22:02It's picked and it's brought here, ready to get packed.
22:03And you can see it getting packed and getting going.
22:04Amazing.
22:05And once it's in the planets, where does it go?
22:06Into shops or supermarkets?
22:07Everywhere.
22:08Retailers, supermarkets, wholesalers.
22:09Everywhere.
22:10Everywhere.
22:11Retailers, supermarkets, wholesalers.
22:12Everywhere.
22:13Let me introduce you to one of my cousins.
22:14This is lovely.
22:15Hello.
22:16Lovely to meet you.
22:17More family members.
22:18More family members, family members.
22:19Everywhere.
22:20We've got a big family.
22:21She runs the operation side of it.
22:22How heavy do they have to be?
22:23400.
22:24400.
22:25And so, it's 430.
22:26It's 430.
22:27It's 430.
22:28It's 430.
22:29It's 430.
22:30It's 430.
22:31It's 430.
22:32It's 430.
22:33It's 430.
22:34It's 430.
22:35It's 430.
22:36It's 430.
22:37It's 430.
22:38It's 430.
22:39And so, 430, is that too much?
22:41That's okay.
22:42Now, panet wedge, 30.
22:4315 grams panet wedge.
22:44Okay, so a little bit extra for the panet.
22:46Yeah.
22:47Do you want to give it a go, then?
22:48Yeah, look.
22:49I'm on it.
22:50Okay.
22:51Take one out.
22:52Take a little one out.
22:53Yeah, a little one out.
22:54You don't want to give too many away, Val, do you?
22:57There you go.
22:58Look, there's loads in there.
22:59Too many, isn't there?
23:00Yeah.
23:01Oh, it's okay.
23:02Right.
23:03Busy loves husband.
23:04Happy, happy, happy.
23:05Oh, okay.
23:06Good to meet you.
23:07And what were you doing in India before?
23:08Before I met the bank manager.
23:10You were a bank manager?
23:11Yeah.
23:12Banking the same as this.
23:13You got accounting, everything.
23:14Every strawberry's accounting, so there you go.
23:15Yeah, sure.
23:16It's all about money.
23:17And is it good to be working with family?
23:18Yeah, yeah, it's very good.
23:19It's okay.
23:20It's my boss, boss.
23:21Yeah.
23:22Family member afterward.
23:23Boss at work, but family when you're out of work.
23:24Yeah, yeah.
23:25And there's quite a lot of them there that I did and now the correct weight.
23:29Oh, you have to do it.
23:32Okay, show me again.
23:33Okay, so I'm checking quality.
23:35Yeah.
23:36No.
23:37Too heavy.
23:38This is too.
23:39Too heavy.
23:40Yeah, yeah.
23:41Still too heavy.
23:42Yeah, yeah.
23:43Green.
23:44Green.
23:45Good to go.
23:46Now you can put in the line.
23:48Okay.
23:51Happy's not very happy with my work.
23:53Okay, thank you.
23:54This smooth.
23:56He's telling me to get lost.
23:58Come on, Adam.
23:59We're going to get on from sales.
24:00Thank you, everybody.
24:05The business side of things is run from a small office on the farm.
24:08Bal's eldest brother, Harjit, and his team look after the finances.
24:12Not too bad.
24:14And Bal's son, TJ, is following in his dad's footsteps, getting stuck into sales and marketing.
24:20Okay.
24:21Send it over.
24:22Let's have a look at it.
24:23I'll speak to the old man, and we'll come back to you, won't it?
24:25With Padda Strawberries going out to major supermarkets and wholesalers.
24:29How are you?
24:30Hi, TJ.
24:31How are you?
24:32Nice to meet you.
24:33Sorry to interrupt.
24:34It's a vital part of the operation.
24:36TJ, you've got a really important job here, haven't you?
24:39Dealing with, you know, large players in the marketplace.
24:42Yeah.
24:43And your family business seems to be very integrated.
24:45Everyone's got their own little jobs.
24:46Does it work?
24:47You've got your own sector.
24:48Yeah.
24:49So Grandad obviously started it.
24:50The old man and me are doing sales.
24:52He's obviously leading it.
24:53I'm behind him.
24:54Then I've got my uncle.
24:55My dad's older brother doing the finance with his lad.
24:57Your cousin's in finance, so he's dealing with all the money?
24:59Yep, dealing with all the money.
25:01And the youngest one, because there's three grandsons, he's doing all the field work, checking on the people, make sure stuff's going on, make sure people are good.
25:08He's only just turned 18 as well.
25:10Right, wow.
25:11So he's come straight into the family business he has.
25:12Cousins, brothers, dads and sons, you know, often there's got to be a bit of angst.
25:17Yes, we've all got egos, I'll give you that.
25:19We've all got massive egos and that comes with the family, but I think we all grew up very close.
25:23We all grew up in grandad's house.
25:24Come over the summer, after school, my nan would always cook everyone a meal seven days a week, even to the point she would cook meals to send with my grandad over to the farm.
25:33Not just for the people, my old man or my uncle, it was for people that worked here, people that have come from different countries.
25:39There's always food on the table.
25:40So it's that family-orientated vibe we've always had.
25:43And is that part of your faith as well?
25:45Yep.
25:46Yeah.
25:47To be there, be equal.
25:48Everyone's the same level.
25:49Everyone's human.
25:50There's no difference in anyone, culture, religion, background, nothing like that.
25:55It sounds wonderful, really.
25:57I mean, it's just kind of a perfect situation, although I know farming isn't easy.
26:00No, it's not easy.
26:01No.
26:02But nothing's easy.
26:03Nothing's got as easy as it.
26:04So working hard, doing it, you get the enjoyment, but you sometimes get the hard days.
26:08We argue, we fight, but we make up, you know.
26:11It shows in the strawberry and the berries that we provide and that people buy and eat.
26:15TJ, great to meet you.
26:16It's a pleasure.
26:17This area is famed for its fruit production.
26:20And while the Padder family still handpick all their fruit here in Worcestershire, a few
26:26years ago, we crossed the border into Herefordshire to meet Stephen Hare, who was trying out a high-tech
26:32cherry harvester on his farm.
26:34Yeah, I'm a third generation farmer.
26:38I'm a grandfather, moved here in 1943.
26:42Now we've moved on to what we call an agroforestry system, and that's a diverse mix of trees alongside arable.
26:51So this is what I mean by agroforestry.
26:56Instead of having a huge monoculture right the way across the field, we started off by planting a wildlife corridor.
27:02On either side of this, we've grown two rows of cherry trees.
27:06So as well as giving us more light and air around the trees, we link a hedgerow at one end of the field to a hedgerow at the far end of the field,
27:17which gives us plenty of natural predators to predate on any pests attacking our fruit trees.
27:24And with the cherries ripe for harvesting, true to nature, Stephen's about to try something different.
27:33Meet the beast from the east.
27:36Stephen's hoping this clever Polish machine will shake the cherries off his trees and save him from hiring pickers to harvest them by hand.
27:46Yeah, so this machine will shake and catch the fruit so it doesn't touch the floor and get any bacteria.
27:53It is obviously a gamble, but business is about risk.
27:58Looking forward to the harvest is Stephen's colleague Richard from Latvia.
28:02It is a fantastic feeling when you can go in the field and see how well you have done.
28:07But already there's a problem with the £50,000 machine they're having to assemble themselves.
28:14A glitch which could scupper the day.
28:17Seems they have delivered the machine without the nut which has a very specific thread.
28:22I'll see if I can fit a different bolt in there.
28:25It is a very specific one.
28:27It has a spacer on it as well.
28:29At the moment I'm struggling to find something that's long enough.
28:33Luckily, with a bit of improvisation, the machine's ready to roll.
28:38Hopefully.
28:39So if we can fix it in securely and safely, then once it's on, it's on.
28:44So give me a shout if you need a hand, Rhys.
28:47I need a hand.
28:48You need a hand? Yeah.
28:49All right.
28:50Harvest.
28:52Harvest time.
28:58At last.
29:00We've never used a shake and catch harvester before, so it's all new to us.
29:04I'm obviously apprehensive because we don't know till later whether this is going to work.
29:08If the shake is too rough, it could destroy the tree roots, which would be a disaster.
29:16So what we're going to do is drive alongside the trees.
29:20We then extend the sail underneath the tree, which creates like an umbrella almost underneath it.
29:25Then we shake the tree with a jaw and that means the fruit lands on the sail.
29:33That's then retracted onto a conveyor and then it gets placed into a big plastic bin.
29:39First tree done and the high-tech harvester is looking promising.
29:44We've got cherries and we've got a tree still in the ground, so, so far so good.
29:49But then they notice another problem.
29:51What we've found is these cable ties here are starting to break off and I'm communicating with the factory
30:00and make sure we don't do any irreparable damage.
30:03You can sometimes have regrets that you're trying something new and it's a frustration.
30:09If only I had just stayed conventional, it would have been an awful lot easier, but actually that's what I thrive on.
30:15Luckily, the Polish manufacturers explain the mystery.
30:19Panic over.
30:20It looks like we didn't have the machine calibrated correctly.
30:24It's the downside of being an innovator, isn't it?
30:27It must be mighty frustrating because I'm always trying new things and he's having to clear up the mess behind it.
30:36With the harvester now calibrated correctly, the cherries are rolling in.
30:40What would take a person half an hour to pick from a tree, the machine gathers in just a minute, saving weeks of labour.
30:49I'm really pleased.
30:50I know it's a lot, lot easier than hand-picking.
30:56So, a great sample of cherries and no stains on my hand.
31:02No stains on my hand.
31:03Much easier, much easier, much better.
31:12Now it's that time of year again, when we invite you to show us the countryside through your lens.
31:17Our Countryfile Photographic Competition is now open.
31:22Here's John with how to enter.
31:23Our country is blessed with an incredible array of beautiful settings and opportunities to capture on camera its wonderful wildlife.
31:42The theme this year is Wild Encounters.
31:52We'll be looking for photographs that reveal the untamed side of our countryside in all its glory.
31:59It could be a captivating landscape or a magical encounter with wildlife.
32:05Whatever you choose, we want to see your interpretation of what a wild encounter really is.
32:13From all the entries received, 12 photographs will be selected to feature in the Countryfile calendar for 2026.
32:23This much-loved calendar is sold in support of BBC Children in Need, a tradition that dates back to 1998.
32:31Thanks to your continued support over the years, more than £33 million has been raised to help change young lives across the UK.
32:44The photographs that you've submitted over the years have made it all possible.
32:48So now's your chance to once again head out into our green spaces to capture in vivid detail all that the countryside offers.
32:58Once all the entries are in, a panel including yours truly and a celebrity judge will choose the winning photographs that will star in the Countryfile calendar for 2026, sold in aid to BBC Children in Need.
33:12And there will be an overall winning photo chosen by you, our Countryfile viewers.
33:21Not only will that picture feature on the cover of the calendar, but the winner will also get a £1000 gift card to spend on photographic equipment of their choice.
33:32And the person who takes the judge's favourite photo will receive a gift card of £500 to be spent on their choice of photographic equipment.
33:44You can enter up to three photographs in total that fit with the theme Wild Encountered.
33:51To submit your photographs, go to bbc.co.uk forward slash Countryfile where you'll find a link to the entry form.
33:58Photographs that have won national or international competitions or have been taken by professionals can't be submitted.
34:04Pictures must have been taken within the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man.
34:09And I'm sorry, but we can only accept online entries.
34:13All the details on how to enter the competition can be found on our website, plus the terms and conditions and privacy notice.
34:18The competition's submission period closes at 10am on Monday, the 28th of July, 2025.
34:34And now, it's over to you. Get out there with your cameras, your smartphones, your tablets and capture your images of Wild Encounters.
34:47We can't wait to see you.
34:48Back in Worcestershire, I'm spending the day with the Padder family on their soft fruit farm.
35:06So far, I've picked, packed and tasted.
35:14But now, I want to hear from the man who started the whole venture.
35:19Makan and his wife, pal Binda.
35:21It's wonderful what you have here, but it came from small beginnings.
35:28When we started, we got a few acres.
35:32Yes.
35:34Greenhouse and I think 3,500 bags.
35:38OK.
35:40Keep growing every year.
35:42Wonderful. And have you always worked together?
35:44We're very close to each other.
35:46Yeah.
35:47We've been separate, sent to be married.
35:50And how long have you been in England? When did you arrive here?
35:54Oh, when I got nothing here.
35:56When you were a boy.
35:59I came in here in 1966.
36:01And how difficult was it, though, in those early years?
36:05We were both working in the field.
36:08Really? Yes.
36:10We were picking sprouts together, and we were picking grusemary,
36:13and rhubarb cutting.
36:15We both were going together.
36:17Apple, apple, apple.
36:19From starting out as pickers on farms here in the UK,
36:23they've now built a thriving business of their own.
36:26And look at all these people that you employ.
36:29Hello, Mr Prada.
36:31Hello, you all right?
36:33Hello.
36:34You're providing an income for all of these people.
36:36Yes.
36:37There's a real sense of community here, of a wider family,
36:41grounded in farming and in faith.
36:43You all right?
36:45Yes.
36:47Tell me, what are you doing here?
36:49This we call them prashad, holy prashad.
36:54Makans bought this traditional Sikh offering to share with a team of workers
36:58that hail from nine different countries.
37:01There's nothing more important than farming.
37:05Nothing more important than farming?
37:07Yes.
37:08Because we've got good people, good family.
37:11Truthfully, I'm very, very happy with what I'm doing.
37:19The Prada family's story is one of heritage finding a new home.
37:23Back in 2019, Anita met a family in Cornwall,
37:31who had also brought their farming traditions to British soil.
37:37In the late 1990s, Anne-Marie Spearing and her husband Joost
37:42brought their young family from Holland
37:44to follow their dream of running a small dairy farm in Cornwall.
37:47Their youngest son, Giel, is now an integral part of the family business.
37:53But just nine years ago, this farm was on the brink of collapse.
37:59How does a Dutch family have a farm in Cornwall?
38:04Well, we had a farm in Holland, but my husband always wanted to milk cows.
38:08In Holland, it was £1.35 per litre to buy the milk quotum,
38:12and in the UK, we paid 35 pence per litre.
38:14So, here, we could afford the farm and the cows and the milk quotum.
38:19But it was tougher than any of them imagined.
38:22Milk prices have been always, like, going up and down,
38:25but, you know, over the years, they were more down than up.
38:29At the end of the year, if we broke even, we were like,
38:31oh, yeah, we broke even, which is not good, is it?
38:34And we thought we were just going to sell the farm
38:36and we'll see what we do, you know?
38:38We just couldn't do it any more.
38:40It must have been absolutely devastating.
38:41Yeah, I sort of just came home from school
38:44to the decision that we were going to sell the farm.
38:47We all wanted to carry on farming, you know, there was no doubt about that.
38:50So, we thought, let's try and make the milk pay look into a dairy product.
38:54I went to Holland, where my cousin makes a bit of cheese,
38:57a bit more larger scale, but he taught me the basis of cheese making.
39:01And then I bought a book all about, you know, how to make gouda
39:04and just started making cheese in our, in the shed.
39:08Yeah!
39:10Had anyone made any cheese before?
39:12Yeah, so my mum made a...
39:14She actually went on a gouda-making course in Holland
39:16when she was pregnant with me.
39:18It's like it's a sign!
39:20It all makes sense now.
39:22He may only have been 17 at the time,
39:24but Giel's idea turned this farm's fortunes around.
39:30But it's not just the cheese and Giel's family that hail from the Netherlands.
39:34The extended family do too.
39:37Their 200-strong herd of pedigree Frisians are a Dutch breed
39:42and it's Anne-Marie and her husband's job to look after them.
39:46How important is the quality of your milk for the cheese?
39:49Very, because if the quality of the food isn't good,
39:52then you can taste that in the milk.
39:55So what are they fed on?
39:57They get, like, a silage.
39:59It's grass silage and maize silage and hooker up barley.
40:02So we make a first-cut silage over the whole clan
40:06and then we do a spring barley on top of it
40:08and then a third on top of that for the weights.
40:10And then we feed the same the whole year
40:12because it's like a lasagna over the whole length,
40:14so they get the whole year the same food.
40:16Anne-Marie, when you think about your life now
40:19compared to where you were in 2012,
40:22yes, yeah, it's a lot less, it's probably even more work,
40:27but it's just wonderful, you know, it's wonderful
40:29because if Giel wasn't doing this, we would not be here, would we?
40:32I have no idea where we would be, but we would not be here farming
40:35and we love this place, you know, it's magical.
40:36Giel was 19 years old when he started the company.
40:40Seven years on, and he's now making 22 wheels of cheese every day.
40:50And the best bit, he buys the milk from his parents' herd to make it.
40:55What is it that makes this Gouda Cornish?
41:00Um, literally, the milk itself. That is the entire aspect of it.
41:06So, um, we believe that Cornwall provides us with the best grass.
41:11And it's all about the grass because that's where all the flavour comes from
41:15in terms of the cheesemaking.
41:17The curds go into the moulds.
41:21I can't do it. I don't do it. Thanks. Thanks, Giel.
41:25Which is a little trickier and heavier than I'd imagined.
41:29Oh, Giel, I'm... They are heavy. Sorry.
41:33We can do some more Anita-sized ones if you like.
41:36Now he brings out the little ones.
41:38Just go straight in? Straight in.
41:40See? Look at that. See? I do that.
41:42Yeah.
41:44Now that I've clearly mastered the cheese moulding,
41:47it's into the brining room where the cheese begins to form its rind.
41:51We never change the brine.
41:54So this is the same brine as seven years ago.
41:56A lot of the flavour sits in the brine itself.
41:59This is our recipe. This is what makes us so unique.
42:02So now we need to basically turn them all round.
42:05The more you splosh around with the brine, the higher the pH goes.
42:09And we need to be keeping the pH below 5.
42:11So you have to be really gentle with it.
42:17Gosh, they need a lot of love and care and attention, don't they?
42:21Do you have to speak to them in Dutch?
42:23Oh, I normally put the radio on and listen to some music.
42:28The final part of the process is the one I've been looking forward to the most.
42:32It's where the gouda is matured.
42:34Look, it's a cheese cane!
42:37Currently there's 35 tonnes in here.
42:40Look at the size of that cheese wheel!
42:43Oh yeah, that'd get your biceps there, wouldn't it?
42:46Every single wheel in here needs five coatings of wax.
42:51It helps protect the cheese from drying out too much during the maturing process,
42:56which is four months for a mild flavour and up to three years for the most mature.
43:00One down, 75,000 to go!
43:06Now, I couldn't come all this way without having a taste, could I?
43:12This is what I've been waiting for.
43:14How old is this one?
43:15This one's ten months old, this is our award winner.
43:17Oh, it smells fantastic.
43:21Mmm.
43:23Mmm.
43:24Creamy, salty.
43:26Yeah, you've got that nice butteriness to it, while still having a really rich depth flavour.
43:31Yeah, it's amazing.
43:32Thank you very much.
43:33It's super good.
43:35I'll just take this one.
43:37That's me done.
43:38Look at the smile on my face.
43:45It's been warming up all day, but I wonder whether the weather will be ripening in the week ahead.
43:53Here's the Countryfile forecast.
44:00Hello. Temperatures today have pushed over the 30 Celsius mark in the hottest areas
44:05as heatwave number three draws to a close, but it was even hotter yesterday.
44:09Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland recorded their hottest day of the year so far yesterday,
44:13but not for England and the UK.
44:15No, the highest temperature so far this year was recorded on the 1st of July in Faversham in Kent,
44:2135.8 degrees Celsius.
44:24How hot is that?
44:26Well, if we look at the hottest days for the last 75 years,
44:30you can see it's really rare to get temperatures above the 35 degrees Celsius mark,
44:35although it is becoming a little bit more common over recent years because of climate change.
44:39Meanwhile, if we look at our cooler summers when they come along,
44:44back in decades gone by, some of our summers we didn't even see temperatures reach the 30 Celsius mark.
44:49But in our warmer world, nowadays we always see summertime temperatures above the 30 degree mark.
44:55And again, that is another sign of climate change.
44:58Now, as our heatwave draws to a close, we are looking at an Atlantic weather system bringing rain and showers in overnight to western areas.
45:05It will be another warm night for sleeping though, with temperatures at 11 o'clock still well up into the 20s.
45:12Cooler and fresher air will arrive later in the night.
45:15Now, for Monday and Tuesday, this area of low pressure is going to be bringing cooler and fresher air moving in off the Atlantic.
45:23With that, there will come rain and showers and some of the rain can be quite heavy at times too, even with a rumble of thunder.
45:28So for Monday, a real transition day, a day for those of you that hate the heat to celebrate, because for most it will be fresher.
45:37Could be some thunderstorms mixed in with these downpours, mind you.
45:40Temperatures for most areas of the UK falling back into the low 20s, but it will still be quite hot across eastern areas of England.
45:4727, 28 degrees Celsius on the cards.
45:49Heading into Tuesday, some very wet weather for the hills of Wales and northern England, 20 to 40 millimetres of rain.
45:57The cooler air arrives along with the rain across eastern areas of England.
46:01Although there will be heavy rain around, it won't be enough to reverse the hosepipe bands that are in force in parts of the country.
46:07It won't really make much in the way of a difference, but certainly a cooler and fresher feeling day.
46:10Now later this week, we'll see weather systems try to move into western areas of the UK, but high pressure never far away from the south and east, where it will probably get a bit warmer as the week goes by.
46:24Weather-wise on Wednesday, really a day of sunshine and showers.
46:28Some of the showers could end up being quite heavy, maybe even with an odd rumble of thunder across parts of eastern England.
46:34Another clutch of showers potentially working into the west.
46:36Temperatures quite widely into the 20s, feeling warm in the July sunshine.
46:42Into Thursday, it looks like the heaviest rain will be working into the northwest of the UK, particularly northwest Scotland.
46:48Again, there could be an odd rumble of thunder here.
46:50Quite a lot of cloud out west, the best of the sunshine across eastern areas, and that is where we'll see some of the highest temperatures.
46:57In London, we're back up to 28 Celsius.
47:00Well, that's on the threshold for a heatwave in London.
47:03We need three consecutive days for that, so could we be looking at heatwave four?
47:06Well, maybe.
47:08Friday, again, a lot of dry weather and sunshine across central and eastern areas of England.
47:12Some showers, maybe some thunderstorms working into the southwest later in the day.
47:17Our temperatures, well, around 24 in Glasgow, up to 29 in London, and above the heatwave threshold in Cardiff.
47:23So, a brief dip in temperatures this week over the next few days, but warmer by the end of the week.
47:28I'm here with the Padder family on their strawberry farm in the Vale of Evesham.
47:40Strawberries have long been a staple of the British summer.
47:43But there's another berry, still relatively new to UK soils, that's becoming a regular in our fruit bowls.
47:52A couple of years ago, Sean visited the Mee family on their farm in Northamptonshire, just in time for the blueberry harvest.
47:58Today, these little berries are so familiar that it's hard to believe that in the not-too-distant past, they were considered an exotic luxury, mainly grown in North and South America.
48:11They were introduced to the UK in the 50s, and for a few decades, just one farm was responsible for growing every British blueberry.
48:19Now their popularity is on the rise, and the Mee's are one of around 20 farms busy harvesting them at this time of year.
48:29I'm meeting Zoe Mee, who has embraced farming these superfruits.
48:35So, the farm here was predominantly arable, and arable farming is quite a volatile industry.
48:43So, we're always looking at ways of making the business more sustainable and spreading our risk.
48:51We had an advisor, and he could see how the demand was growing around the world.
48:57And here we are today, with 35 acres of blueberries.
49:01Wow. Did you know anything about blueberries before?
49:04We knew absolutely nothing about blueberries.
49:06Really?
49:07They like acidic, very loose soil, so we have planted them in a compost, which is made up of recycled garden waste.
49:15They like the warmth, but then, because they're under polytunnels, they then need water.
49:20A couple of seconds ago, you told me before you knew nothing about blueberries.
49:23Now you know everything about blueberries.
49:25And you just sort of learnt this as you were going along.
49:27Yes. It takes a good sort of five, six years to actually get a good yield from a blueberry plant.
49:31So, at any time during those five years, did you think,
49:34maybe we've done the wrong thing, I'm not quite sure?
49:36Because it's a long time, isn't it, to wait for a harvest?
49:39I've had lots of sleepless, sleepless nights.
49:42You wake up in a cold sweat worrying about it.
49:46They've got a really interesting appearance, haven't they?
49:49Because they've got this, it's almost like a sort of cover on the skin, it feels like, a whitey...
49:53That's what we call the bloom, and that's very natural.
49:56And it shows that they haven't been handled very much.
49:59How much bigger will they get?
50:00This variety can grow to about the size of a 50 pence piece.
50:03I mean, that's massive. I've not seen a blueberry that size.
50:05It is huge. It is huge.
50:07In the prime harvesting months of June to September, the Mee family employ 44 blueberry pickers to harvest their 58,000 blueberry plants.
50:19Right back at the beginning, when you first decided to do blueberries, almost, it felt like, when talking to you, you were forced to diversify, to survive.
50:25Yes, yes.
50:27And now you're forced to modernise because you're successful in producing blueberries.
50:30Yes.
50:31We've managed to automate the pack house. One of those bits of equipment is an optigrader.
50:36Optigrader, wow.
50:37Yes, yes.
50:38Sounds like a fatty in a film or something. It's like some monster.
50:42Overseeing this beast is manager Charlotte Foster, who I'm meeting in the pack house.
50:47It's noisy, isn't it?
51:00Yes, yes.
51:01This is where the magic happens, then?
51:02Indeed.
51:03This looks really high-tech. What's happening here?
51:06It takes about nine photos of every berry coming through the line. What it's doing is it's telling us if it's got defects or if any are undersized for the run that we're doing.
51:18If it's got pest damage or it's underripe, and then it will come out on this.
51:23And it can tell?
51:24Yes.
51:25Just from a photo?
51:26Yes, just by that photo.
51:27Or nine photos.
51:28So here it will show you the firmness. So this one's showing 34.
51:34That's an individual blueberry?
51:35Individual blueberry.
51:36And that's another one?
51:37Yes.
51:38And I'm just looking at the thousands you've got going through the system.
51:41Yes, there's a lot of blueberries.
51:44So these are the five channels here. We have one channel for packing. We've got one for soft, one for deep wet fruit, and one for undersized fruit.
51:53This machine, it seems so good. Almost too good to be true.
51:56Yes.
51:57Can we test it?
51:58Yeah, go for it.
51:59So put something else in.
52:00Yeah.
52:01Put some blueberries that clearly aren't ready.
52:03Yeah.
52:06See how this goes.
52:10Let's see if it finds them.
52:23Oh my gosh.
52:24Yeah.
52:25They're already coming through.
52:26This is them.
52:27Yeah, this is them.
52:28And it's got every one of them.
52:29Yeah.
52:30The octagrader has basically taken a load of photos, worked out that these aren't right, and chucked them out.
52:37Rejected them, yeah.
52:38The rejected blueberries are put to good use in jam, ice lollies, sparkling wine, and other treats made on the farm.
52:45So these are the blueberries that won't be going to the shops.
52:49What about the ones that will be going, the good ones?
52:51Yeah.
52:52So they are currently being packed the other side on the podic filler.
52:56The high standards of the octagrader allows the Mees to sell their blueberries as premium quality to supermarkets.
53:03The team are in full swing today and expect to process around three to four tonnes of blueberries.
53:09On a good day, they've been known to process one tonne per hour.
53:14So these are the good ones?
53:15Yeah.
53:16So this is everything that has gone through the machine and is the correct quality and size grade for the order that we're packing now.
53:24So it's weighing them out, is it?
53:25Yeah.
53:26So we've got the bulk belt here, which weighs the majority of the weight.
53:30And then we've got this small triple belt here, which then fills it with a few more berries here.
53:35And that tops it up just to make sure it's 400 grams?
53:37Yeah.
53:38Yeah.
53:39So at the moment, we're probably packing about three, three and a half tonnes a day.
53:44I could sit here and watch this for days, hypnotised by the blueberry.
53:48Picking blueberries or strawberries on a sunny day might seem idyllic.
54:03But when your livelihood is at the mercy of the British weather, being a farmer is certainly no picnic.
54:12Bal, it's such an impressive set up you've got here, but farming isn't all easy, is it?
54:17It's not all easy. It's really difficult.
54:19We went to storms beginning of the season.
54:21We were a little bit delayed there.
54:23We had a lot of damage.
54:24A lot of tunnels were down and a lot of plastic damage.
54:26But also, the weather is not predictable anymore.
54:29I remember this one day, I think it was last year, where you had everything.
54:32You had the snow, the wind, the sun and the rain all in one go.
54:37So everything, you know, sometimes against you.
54:42It's beautiful weather now at the moment and we've got a great crop.
54:45We're literally two weeks ahead of where we want to be.
54:47Sure.
54:48So you've got your staffing issues, you've got to get your staffing exactly right.
54:50We've got half the staff that we need to be picking what we're doing.
54:53Because of how the system is and how we recruit staff and how the people are available,
54:57you've got to get your customer demand exactly right, because we need to be consistent in it.
55:01So yeah, it is difficult. It's a very difficult job.
55:04Your father's obviously created something very special here.
55:07But isn't it time for him to take a step back and tire?
55:09No, come on. No, never. The Queen never retired, is she?
55:13You know, the Queen never retired, you know what I mean?
55:15So why should my dad?
55:16We need somebody, you know, pushing us, giving us that edge to go, yeah?
55:20How involved is he now on a day-to-day basis?
55:22Every day. My dad's here every day.
55:23Is he?
55:24Every single day.
55:25Probably the first person here, the last person to leave.
55:27Involved in every conversation, from the sales to the growing side,
55:31to the management side, the hiring, the firing, everything, so he's still involved.
55:34Really?
55:35And it's good, because you know what? You need to be.
55:37So for him to leave, I can't see him ever doing it, personally.
55:41Our culture is all about the beauty of farming, so once you're a farmer, you are that,
55:45that's what you are, because it's in your blood.
55:47Same for my family and my brother and nephews as well, and my son.
55:52And with your dad carrying on, and you and your brother taking a very senior role in the business,
55:56you've got cousins coming through, but also your children.
55:59Yeah.
56:00How does that make you feel?
56:01I'm excited for them. I'm excited.
56:03Imagine coming back in, like, 50, 60 years and seeing where they've taken it.
56:07Can't wait to see what the future holds for them, plus us as well.
56:13At the end of every long picking day, the family gets together to eat.
56:17And today, I've been invited to join them.
56:20Can I squeeze in there somewhere?
56:23Is there room in the middle?
56:24Yep.
56:25That's astic.
56:26Wow.
56:27Traditional Indian Punjabi food.
56:29Is everyone related?
56:30Yep.
56:31Somewhere around there.
56:35So Mr Singh, what is your proudest moment for the farm and the family?
56:39I'm very proud because my family here.
56:41It's quite a creation, isn't it?
56:43From starting just a few acres and a glass house to this.
56:46We only try to be a hobby.
56:49And for the two brothers working together now, I mean, you're continuing to invest, aren't you? Lots of things happening.
56:54Yeah, we're investing not only in our children, in the structure, the infrastructure, the machinery and looking at newer ways.
57:03Things are progressing all the time.
57:04All the time.
57:05So, Mr Finance.
57:06Yep.
57:07Where's the future?
57:08I think the future of the business lies in all of our hands.
57:11The three grandsons of Mr Singh.
57:13And I think, at the moment, the future looks very bright.
57:16As long as we communicate with each other, as long as we keep things structured, I think we'll be fine.
57:21But yeah, very bright.
57:22And although you've got an amazing business and a wonderful family, thank you for welcoming me here today.
57:27Who cooks this food?
57:29Grandma.
57:30The most important person here, I would say.
57:32Yeah.
57:33I think we should drink to that.
57:34To the family.
57:35To the family.
57:36Next time, I'll be on a mixed farm in South Somerset, joining three generations of the Baker family.
57:44I've only watched YouTube videos and that's it, to be honest.
57:51You've got it nailed.
57:52I reckon that's good.
57:53I ended up just having nine orphan piglets.
57:56It was hard.
57:57We learnt the hard way.
57:59You're usually quite so forceful.
58:01Well, I always put my oar in.
58:02Let's put it that way, isn't it?
58:04Yeah.
58:05Well, it's all going rather well, Vincent, isn't it?
58:08Yeah, at the moment.
58:09Shush.
58:14See you then.
58:15Bye-bye.
58:16One more samosa for me.
58:25An unruly rivalry.
58:26The stormy relationship of Liam and Noel.
58:29The rise and fall of Oasis on BBC Sounds.
58:32Listen now.
58:33Treachery and betrayal.
58:35The Kiwi way on BBC iPlayer.
58:37Press red for the Traitor's NZ.
58:44One more samosa for today's time.
58:47That's one.
58:49One more samosa for Australia.
58:51You can see.
58:53One more yяться.
58:54Cheng at Sky.
58:55That's one more samosa for now.
58:57One more s crecаша.
58:59Take care.
59:00Okay.
59:01Two more samosa for now by Yupisi.
59:03five more samosa for now.
59:04Tela Oasis.
59:05Then, the thing is on the show of memory of VRFM poets.
59:06There's a lot of Joey that's didn't get to you.
59:07Here's the show oforden.
59:08tutoring.
59:09Have Whats playing such as food as children.
59:10See you then.
Be the first to comment