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00:00And we've fallen for this way of life, hook, line and sinker.
00:08Oh, can you keep this?
00:11Right, Milo, let's get some jobs done.
00:14Farming's a breeze, compared to having four kids.
00:19We're surrounded by the spectacular peat district.
00:23As far as an office goes, it's pretty good, isn't it?
00:27With ancient woodlands and rolling hills as their playground.
00:38This year, we've big plans to increase our flock and herd.
00:47Can I ride on him?
00:49Oh, you can't ride on him, no.
00:51Whilst continuing to diversify.
00:53What about if we created some sort of farm musical?
00:57Kevin, we've got enough to do, we're not creating a farm fan song.
01:00And we're excited about what our next chapter might hold.
01:04I can't think of something that would beat this for me.
01:07This is my version of a happy, full life.
01:09Right, let's get some cup of tea then.
01:11This week on our farm, our nerves are on edge as vet Hugo checks our herd.
01:28Big day today, TB results day, so naturally this is where the nerves kick in.
01:34Because, you know, it can be devastating.
01:37And we also keep everything crossed for the pitter-patter of tiny hooves.
01:41This is the next test.
01:42We've got to get Ruby in and find out, one, if she's back in calf and two, when she's due.
01:47Mateus gets stuck into some farm jobs.
01:50It's quite heavy. Heavy, isn't it?
01:52I'm stronger.
01:53You are stronger.
01:54Because I eat my dinner.
01:57Yes.
01:58All of it.
01:59And I have grand plans to become the greatest showman in Cheshire.
02:04I could create a farm musical.
02:07It could almost be our story.
02:10Two actors.
02:12What?
02:14Kelvin, we've got enough to do.
02:16We're not creating a farm banto.
02:29A new day means more newborns.
02:34And our twins, Maximus and Mateus, are helping to protect the lambs against infection by spraying them with iodine.
02:41Good lad.
02:42Are we going?
02:43Good lad.
02:44Put it down.
02:45And what's that?
02:47That's a little girl.
02:49That's a ewe lamb.
02:50And that's yours, Maximus.
02:52So you can name her.
02:53Good boy.
02:54Hiya, mami.
02:55Hiya, mami.
02:56Hiya.
02:57Mya!
02:58Right, Mateus you spray that one, darling.
03:02Good lad.
03:04And this one is a little girl too.
03:07What d'ia want to call her?
03:08Gartan!
03:09Gartan, aw!
03:12Okay then.
03:13And while Milo is on cleaning duties, Marnie is heading to the paddock to check on her young Jacobs.
03:21Come on.
03:23Come on, sheep.
03:24Come on!
03:25Yeah, lad!
03:27Yeah, lad!
03:29Yeah, lad!
03:31So the Jacobs are running towards me.
03:34The sheep walks in great shape already.
03:37All of her lambs arrived without a hitch,
03:40and they've been turned out to enjoy the fresh spring grass in the sunshine.
03:44There's this one sheep, and I meant to have another two double,
03:48but I don't know where the second one is.
03:50One, two, three, four, I need one more.
03:54Where's my other one?
03:56This year, Marnie is flying solo with her flock,
03:59and we couldn't be prouder of the work she's putting in to rear them.
04:03My lambing season was quite good.
04:05I think the lambs came out very good.
04:08Just one little lamb's a bit slim, but we can get that.
04:12The first time I was lambing, it felt like a bit nerve-wracking.
04:17I was just, like, really worried, really scared.
04:20But I feel very proud. I think they've lambed very well.
04:23I think they've done a great job.
04:26Marnie's hues have produced five healthy boys.
04:29All Marnie needs to do now is make sure they're all present
04:32and correct and growing well.
04:34The plan is to get some more sheep.
04:37So, then, when I've got enough sheep, I can then make lamb boxes,
04:41my lamb boxes, Marnie's lamb boxes.
04:44Or I can give them to market when I make some more.
04:49Right, I've got to look for that last one.
04:55Right.
04:56Think like Kelvin's lecture.
04:58While Marnie channels my sheep wrangling skills,
05:01the twins are helping to settle the next set of newborns.
05:05What we're going to do now, we've set the pen up ready.
05:08So, we're going to take the two lambs and the mummy will hopefully follow.
05:11So, I want you boys to get a lamb eat.
05:13Show me your muscles before you pick...
05:15Big muscles, yeah?
05:16Big muscles, right.
05:21You can have that one.
05:22A bit strong.
05:23Two hands.
05:24You'll have to help Max, babe, cos I can help two.
05:27And a baby.
05:28Strong, be strong, mate.
05:29Come on.
05:30There we go.
05:31Come on, say come on.
05:32Come on.
05:33Come on.
05:34There you go.
05:35In you go.
05:36Show!
05:37Yay!
05:38Well done.
05:39Well done, kids.
05:41Well done.
05:42High five.
05:44Right.
05:45All my Jacobs are over there.
05:47So, that's three.
05:49One, two, five.
05:52So, I've got five.
05:54To be fair with you, they all, all the sheep, my dad and mine,
05:58they all look pretty healthy.
06:02Who's the cutest out of you two?
06:17With the animals all fed and watered,
06:19we can turn our attention to the next big task on our to-do list.
06:23Good lad.
06:24While Marnie and Milo are at school, they get a bit of them time with us.
06:28They get to get all the attention.
06:30We need one more little piece of wood.
06:33Hey, that was good.
06:36The work on renovating the farmhouse has been delayed while the insurance claim gets sorted.
06:42But that hasn't stopped us exploring other renovation work that we can do in the meantime.
06:47So, it should be warm, dry, practical.
06:52But still have that rustic farm feel.
06:54Yeah, yeah.
06:56We're always exploring new ways to generate revenue.
07:00With that in mind, we're turning our focus to the barn.
07:03And we have some exciting plans in the works.
07:06But we need to get cracking.
07:08So, this was our old stable block, and we've decided to kind of convert it into a bit of an event space,
07:16an all-encompassing space that we can have our little farm events here.
07:21But the biggest thing is we've actually agreed to have a wedding here in September, four months away.
07:28I know.
07:29When we agreed to it, it felt like it was years away.
07:32And now, it's come round quickly, hasn't it?
07:35They asked us 12 months ago, and we were like, oh, it'll be done by April.
07:39We have had a house fire.
07:41We have had a house fire.
07:42Let's not forget that.
07:43The plan this year was to build this barn, was to do this barn.
07:46What we're doing this year is not only farming, but doing this barn and rebuilding our own house.
07:51True.
07:52Having had a fire, so we've had...
07:54There's been a lot.
07:55There's been a few curveballs, but...
07:56There's a lot on the list.
07:57You know.
07:58With a big day fast approaching, Liz is letting her creative juices run wild,
08:04working her magic to turn this tired old barn into a glamorous wedding venue.
08:09I just want everything to be like wood inside.
08:13So, basically how it looks outside, but on the inside.
08:16So, you don't see any of the brick.
08:19There's a nice concrete floor, and then I want some really old antique,
08:24if I can find any, barn doors on both sides.
08:28So, we'll have two nice antiquey barn doors on there.
08:31Three doors.
08:32All right, OK.
08:33So, this needs ripping out?
08:34Yeah, we're going to get rid of all that.
08:35So, it's just a full, empty space.
08:38We've always said there's so much potential.
08:40So, this is phase one.
08:42Get it ready for September, for the wedding.
08:44And hopefully, you know, who knows, it might be...
08:47We might have more weddings in the future.
08:50We just need to have a clear plan.
08:51I mean, they were excited about it, looking like this.
08:54They were like, this is fine!
08:56We got married in an old decommissioned church,
08:58which was, again, not a barn, but an empty space
09:01that we decorated the way we wanted.
09:04And I think that's the vision that we have here,
09:06that this is an empty space and whatever we do here,
09:09we can decorate the way we want.
09:12I mean, we've been married ten years this year.
09:14We could get remarried here.
09:15Ten years this year, isn't it?
09:17Hey, we could have a party here for our anniversary.
09:19Oh, we could, yeah!
09:20Couldn't we have a ten-year anniversary in here?
09:22We could have...
09:23Why don't we do that?
09:24...a ten-year anniversary party in the barn.
09:25Party, yeah.
09:26Yeah.
09:2728th of November.
09:30We should do it.
09:31That's a good idea.
09:32My God, shall I wear my wedding dress?
09:34I don't even know where it is.
09:37But first things first is someone else's wedding.
09:40After talking through the plan,
09:42it's become clear we've got a massive job ahead of us.
09:45Think less.
09:46Weekend project.
09:47More.
09:48Epic transformation.
09:51First things first, empty the barn.
09:53So, over the next few days,
09:55this barn's got to be completely cleared out.
09:57Yeah.
09:59Operation Barn, that's what I like.
10:02The countdown starts.
10:03Right.
10:04Let's go.
10:25Today I've got my farming apprentice, Matthias,
10:27helping me with a few odd jobs on the farm.
10:30I'd say this is that he's a proper farmer.
10:33I'm not a betting man, but if I was to place a bet
10:37as to which one of the four children would be the first in line
10:42to take over the Fletcher farm, he'd be this lad.
10:49He's not shy of a bit of hard work,
10:51and he just loves being outside.
10:53What I used to do is go to my dad's work with him.
10:56He used to work with trucks as a diesel fitter,
10:58and I'd just be there passing in spanners and passes a 12mm,
11:02and I'd have, you know, that was just my...
11:04And I loved it.
11:05I was his little apprentice.
11:07And I kind of sensed that, you know,
11:10Matthias is like that with me, really.
11:13Anything with an engine.
11:15And, of course, he's already got his own tractor
11:17that we're doing up at the minute.
11:19Do you remember that tractor we bought?
11:20Yeah.
11:21Yeah, that'll be ready soon, hopefully.
11:23And then you can drive it.
11:24On my own?
11:25Yeah, you can...
11:26Yeah, you can...
11:27You don't need daddy.
11:28That'd be good, wouldn't it?
11:31Matthias might have to wait a little while
11:33before getting behind the wheel of a vintage tractor
11:36we bought the twins last year.
11:40But right now, there's a few more jobs to do
11:42before I get to that.
11:45After collecting the old fencing from the paddock,
11:47it's now ready for sorting.
11:51It's a bit of a long-winded job, this one.
11:54Some of the waste wood is going to be used...
11:59..in our bonfire at the end of the year.
12:02And all the good bits, we're going to...
12:06Should I say Liz is going to design
12:08kind of like a bench table,
12:11which will hopefully go in our events barn
12:14and provide the seating.
12:16This has to be done because
12:18we've obviously got some events happening at the farm
12:20in our event space very soon,
12:22starting with a wedding in September
12:24and then hopefully a few more after that, so...
12:26People are going to need somewhere to sit
12:28and have their dinner, aren't they?
12:30So all this stuff,
12:31we need to pull the nails out,
12:32give them a good sanding down.
12:35And I've got a nice little job
12:37that Matthias can help me with.
12:39Just like the jobs my dad used to give me.
12:42See this nail?
12:43How it's all crooked?
12:44I need to take that out.
12:45How?
12:46Well, I'm going to show you.
12:47This is called a crowbar.
12:49To get the nail out.
12:51To get the nail out.
12:52Yeah, feel it.
12:53It's quite heavy.
12:55It's heavy, isn't it?
12:56I'm stronger.
12:57You are stronger.
12:59Because I eat my dinner.
13:01Yes.
13:02All of it.
13:03All of it, yeah.
13:04So what's that called?
13:05A crowbar.
13:06So we get it like this.
13:08Yeah.
13:09And then we pull up.
13:17See?
13:18It's the big one.
13:20It's the big nail.
13:21We just got it out.
13:22What we do now with that big nail,
13:24we go and put it in that blue box.
13:26So nobody stands in it.
13:27Why?
13:28Because that's what we do with all the old nails.
13:30And the cows will stand in it.
13:32Then the cows won't stand in it.
13:34So go on.
13:35Go and put that in that blue box.
13:43Another one.
13:46That's it.
13:49One.
13:50Two.
13:54All the nails are out.
13:59Yeah.
14:00My little handyman is soaking up skills
14:02that I'm hoping will prepare him
14:04for his own farming journey.
14:05Alongside his brothers and big sister
14:07who are currently on their own adventure
14:09with their mum.
14:10Liz is taking Marnie, Maximus and Milo for a spot of fishing.
14:17Come on, Maximus.
14:18Right, let's go over here.
14:19Over there, please.
14:20Come on, let's see if we can see any tadpoles.
14:21First, what do we need to collect tadpoles?
14:25Uh, with a bucket.
14:26We need some water in this bucket.
14:27And then when you scoop them up,
14:28you can pour them in here.
14:29So let me down first.
14:30You've got all that big black blob over there.
14:31There's loads over there.
14:32There's loads over there.
14:33There's loads over there.
14:34There's loads over there.
14:35Go over here. Over there, please.
14:38Come on, let's see if we can see any tadpoles.
14:41First, what do we need to collect tadpoles?
14:44Er, with a bucket.
14:46We need some water in this bucket.
14:47And then when you scoop them up, you can pour them in here.
14:50So let me down first.
14:52Oh, that big black blob over there. There's loads over there.
14:55Now, don't ever do this without me around, OK?
14:59Come and jump in.
15:00Or Daddy.
15:01So I'm going to hold you.
15:02So is that the longest it'll go?
15:05Wait, I think I can do it.
15:06See it.
15:09Right, put them in the water.
15:11I think I've got some.
15:13Wow.
15:14Wow, you're alone.
15:16I've got a whole family.
15:19Oh, my gosh.
15:21There's so many.
15:24With each season comes new life.
15:27And with an abundance of natural habitats on our doorstep,
15:30we're lucky to have the opportunity to witness the life cycle
15:33of so many different creatures.
15:37It changes throughout the year.
15:38It's, you know, the flowers die off in the winter.
15:42And then at spring, they just come alive again.
15:44And there's so much life here.
15:46Our lake is home to many birds, insects and impressive mirror carp.
15:52Although there is some disagreement on what this particular body of water actually is.
15:57So I call this a pond, but Kelvin tells me that officially, because of the size of it, it's a lake.
16:04But I just can't bring myself to call this lake.
16:06So it's a pond.
16:07But one thing is, it is full of life.
16:10It's full of fish.
16:11It's full of tadpoles every year.
16:13We have birds and ducks and chicks and a heron.
16:17We have so much going on here.
16:19And it's not too deep, but it's just deep enough where we can kind of see through
16:25and just get a glimpse of the fish and what is going on under there.
16:29And it's so interesting to watch.
16:30I could sit here for hours and watch what goes on in here.
16:34And the kids are getting a live nature lesson to boot.
16:39Not a bad way to pass the time.
16:56Several weeks ago, we got the sad news that our much-loved cow Ruby miscarried her calf.
17:02Thankfully, she was soon well enough to run with our young bull again.
17:06And today, we will find out if he's done his job.
17:10Busy day today.
17:11We've got Hugo the vet here.
17:13And we've got all our cows in in the shed.
17:17And then we'll get Ruby in.
17:18And all being well, she's back in calf.
17:20And she'll be calving not too long after her charity.
17:24Because the plan is, obviously, Royal Cheshire Show, 2025.
17:30Four children in the young handlers.
17:32That's my dream from last year.
17:35So, fingers crossed, we'll see.
17:38The Royal Cheshire Show is one of the biggest events in the agricultural calendar.
17:43And after winning a handful of rosettes last year,
17:46we're keen for our herd of cows and kids to get in the ring again.
17:51So, before Hugo does the pregnancy test on Ruby,
17:54he's checking the herd for TB,
17:55which they will need to be clear of if we're thinking of entering the show.
18:01Hi, Hugo.
18:01Hi, morning.
18:02Are we clean?
18:03Clean, clean, yeah.
18:05I'm going to see you've got the first patient in.
18:08Probably TB test them first, then do the dirty job after.
18:11Right, OK.
18:13TB is a chronic infectious disease
18:15that is still an issue in parts of England and Wales.
18:19As I've done before,
18:20just clip some hair off in two patches.
18:23Anybody who keeps cattle has to go through this.
18:27We're every six months with the area where we are
18:29and there's a new established herd.
18:32If you do get a reaction and they deem it, you know,
18:37conclusive that it's, that animal needs to be cold,
18:39then, yeah, it's devastating on your herd, really.
18:45We don't like finding any,
18:48but it's important that it's done properly
18:50and it's important that it's done, isn't it?
18:52Yeah.
18:53But, yeah.
18:55So, I'll just take some measurements off here now.
18:59Hugo will inject a small amount of a derivative of the bacteria
19:02into the cows.
19:04He'll return in a few days to check any reactions.
19:09Friday's the nervous day.
19:11And, um...
19:12But, like my dad always tells me,
19:15if it's not in your control,
19:17don't be worrying about it.
19:20Next up is Cherry.
19:24She's a...
19:24This is an award-winning cow, isn't it?
19:26This, Cherry.
19:27Cherry, do you realise that you're a champion?
19:31You're a Cheshire champion, you, you know.
19:33You'd never been in a ring before and I took you in.
19:36After her health check,
19:38Hugo scans Cherry again
19:39to see how her pregnancy is progressing.
19:42Six and a half months, yeah,
19:43judging by the size of the calf's head that I'm holding now.
19:47So, that means she's going to be sort of an end-of-May carver, doesn't it?
19:54Yeah.
19:55Then that could potentially mean we're taking a two- or three-week-old calf
20:00to Cheshire show.
20:02Yeah, perfect.
20:03In June, yeah.
20:03Yeah, yeah.
20:04I would love to take her to defend the title,
20:07but I don't think I'll be showing her.
20:09I don't really intend on showing this year, me and Liz.
20:11I think we're going to try and take a back seat
20:13and try and get like the kids.
20:15And if we've got four kids, showing four calves, then.
20:18Our young calves, Sonic and Ray,
20:20would hopefully be joined by Cherry's expectant calf
20:23and Ruby's if we get a positive result today.
20:26We don't know, actually, because this is the next test.
20:29We've got to get Ruby in and find out,
20:31one, if she's back in calf and, two, when she's due.
20:33The last time I was this nervous about a pregnancy scan
20:36was when we found out we were having twins.
20:42Right.
20:43OK, so we've got a pregnancy.
20:47So, she is three months in calf.
20:51Twelve weeks.
20:53Possibly a bit more, actually, looking at the size of the legs.
20:56But it was 14 weeks.
20:58So, a bit late for show season,
21:00but I think we were expecting that, weren't we?
21:03Yeah, we were.
21:04That's good news, yeah, she's back in calf.
21:05That's the main thing, and it's healthy.
21:07So, unfortunately, she's going to miss the Cheshire show.
21:11So, one of the twins, I'm not too sure who yet,
21:14but we'll be without a calf.
21:15They might have to share a calf.
21:17The most important thing is that she's held this calf.
21:19You know, last time she did get in calf and she miscarried, so...
21:22Yeah, I'm very happy.
21:23She's done well there.
21:25Well done, Ruby.
21:27I'm so thrilled for Ruby.
21:29She produced such a cracking calf last year,
21:31I just hope this one is a simpler birth.
21:35This is little Ray.
21:37So, he was born in July.
21:38He was about 50 kilos.
21:40He was quite a big calf.
21:42And he wouldn't come out.
21:43He'd been stuck.
21:45I mean, Liz pulled him out.
21:46And look at him now.
21:47I mean, they are modicodled a little bit here, but if you keep him tame and keep him friendly
21:54and calm, then days like this hopefully go a little bit smoother.
21:58He says...
21:58Let's hope the TB testing runs smoothly too.
22:02Wait three days and then we'll come and check the skin and, fingers crossed, none of them
22:07have any reactions on the skin and then we're TB clear.
22:12They're nervous waiting now until three days.
22:15You go, come back on Friday.
22:17Examine them again.
22:18Then.
22:20See you Friday.
22:21Yes, thank you for today.
22:21Keep your fingers crossed till then.
22:23Yeah.
22:24We'll be alright.
22:24Bar the odd grey day, this spring has been the best we've ever experienced on the farm.
22:43And I'm hoping all this spring sunshine will be helping our new addition thrive.
22:48Our first crop of oats.
22:51As with most of our other endeavours, we're learning as we go.
22:54But we're lucky enough to have some expert help at hand in the form of Ben, our agronomist.
23:00And he's back today to check on the crop and make sure it's growing as it should be.
23:09How are the oats looking?
23:10Are they looking good?
23:11They are looking good to be fair, yeah.
23:13In comparison to last week, it was quite a dark green.
23:17Now it's sort of gone a lighter green.
23:19And I mean, I'm going to do a tissue sample to double check.
23:22But my suspicion is it's manganese deficiency throughout the day.
23:26The plant is meant to open and close its stomata, which is a thing that sort of allows things in.
23:31Allows nutrients.
23:32Allows nutrients and water in.
23:33The problem is what happens is if you've got manganese deficiency, that process can't happen.
23:38So they remain open all the time.
23:41And then all the moisture is being let go.
23:43And that's why, in part, it looks kind of floppy.
23:46If you feel it, it doesn't feel very...
23:48It's not very...
23:48Sturdy.
23:49Sturdy.
23:50That's manganese deficiency.
23:51Oh, right.
23:52You spray it with, like, foliar manganese, and that just goes away in about a week.
23:58You don't want a floppy one, do you?
23:59You don't want a floppy one!
24:00Moving on from flaccid crops to more solid issues, arable farming has been a real eye-opener.
24:10It's taught me just how sensitive plants can be, and how critical it is to get the environment
24:15and nutrients just right if you want your crop to thrive.
24:19And you said the crop's looking good, as you said, but it's got a deficiency.
24:23So deficiency's a bad thing, surely?
24:25Nutrient deficiencies, they're not good, but every single crop is going to get a nutrient deficiency, really.
24:31The soil won't provide it with everything that it requires to grow, so you have to apply it as a foliar feed, basically.
24:39And what about the lack of rain? Is that an issue?
24:43Well, yeah, so the lack of rain, for one, it will create this hormone in the plant.
24:48The plant's response is to produce a thing called ethylene.
24:50And ethylene is effectively the ripening hormone of all plants.
24:55So you want a bit of ethylene to make it mature at the end, or else it would never actually mature.
25:01But if you have a build-up of ethylene, what effectively the plant does is goes,
25:04we're under pressure, we need to race to the end.
25:08Because all the plant wants to do is survive.
25:10But that's not good if you've grown a crop.
25:12These side shoots will start to die, and it will only keep what it really needs.
25:18Wow, so it'll kind of self-sabotage just to survive?
25:22Just to get through to the end, yeah.
25:24Another thing that I have seen is when, in these big fields, you just see kind of massive, fancy garden,
25:31essentially like a garden jet on a bigger scale, just spraying water.
25:35If it's not raining, then can we just, like you'd water the grass in the garden?
25:40Well, you know, it's actually not a stupid thing to say,
25:42because in certain parts of the country, in Europe and in America, they do irrigate their crops.
25:48Right, right, wow.
25:48But the amount of water that you'd need to sort of simulate the rain would be thousands of litres.
25:55Oh, really?
25:55You'd have to be doing it with a sprayer, like, I don't know, you'd have to do like 100 passes in a day,
26:02just to get close to like two mil of rain.
26:04I can keep my watching car in the shed.
26:06I wouldn't bother, you'll be there.
26:08Visions of me and Liz walking up with kids.
26:11I'll come next week and you'll be exhausted, you'll still be going.
26:15Well, that option's definitely off the table.
26:18So it's back to watching the weather forecast and crossing our fingers for some rain.
26:23And who would have thought that oak crops would earn a spot on my ever-growing worry list?
26:28So I'll wait for these lab results on the leaf test, tissue test,
26:32and in the meantime I'll do a rain dance.
26:35Exactly.
26:36Right, thanks, Ben.
26:39Yeah.
26:39See you next week, mate.
26:40See you next week.
26:43It feels like at every stage, every week, there's something new to consider.
26:49It's so dependent on the weather and things out of your control, really.
26:53But the whole point for me of having a low-input farm is that nature kind of does all the hard work, really.
27:01You've got great animals that thrive in the conditions we've got.
27:04Those native breeds we know will do so well.
27:07And we want to establish a crop that will do well.
27:10900 feet above sea level in the north of England.
27:13And I want the kind of land to provide itself in that sense, you know, sustain itself.
27:19But there's a lot to grow in crop.
27:22Nothing is ever straightforward.
27:24I'm not deterred by that.
27:26This was an experiment this year, let's not forget that.
27:29You know, we've never done this before.
27:30This farm has not done anything like this for the last 20 or so years.
27:35It was always going to be a bit of a gamble.
27:36It was always going to be a bit of an unknown.
27:38So, I just think we've tried it.
27:42That's enough.
27:43That's, you know, that's a big step.
27:45It's looking all right so far.
27:47That's an even bigger step.
27:49And what will be, will be.
27:51So, keep our fingers crossed.
27:53Who's your favourite cow?
28:07Which one is it?
28:08Um, um, the little cow.
28:12The little cow.
28:13Is that Ray?
28:14Yeah.
28:14Do you like Ray?
28:15Yeah.
28:15Is it your favourite?
28:17Oh.
28:17Not a big cow.
28:18Not the big cow?
28:19Do you not like the big ones?
28:20I like a little one.
28:22Do you like the little one?
28:24No, okay.
28:25Big day today.
28:26Um, TB results day.
28:28So, naturally this is where the nerves kick in.
28:31Yeah, we just want a clear result today.
28:33Um, because, you know, it can be devastating.
28:35If you've got five cows or 500 cows, it's, it can have the same sort of impact.
28:40So, fingers crossed.
28:41Let's think positive.
28:43Although TB cases in Cheshire are in decline,
28:46our farm sits in what's called an edge area,
28:49bordering counties where the infection rate remains higher.
28:53Max, what do you reckon?
28:54Is he going to be good today?
28:56We've got you smiling, so that'll be a final.
29:00Right, Hugo.
29:01Oh, Galvin, right.
29:01We've got an apprentice here today.
29:03I can see.
29:04Little Max is, er...
29:05This could be determined whether he becomes a vet or a farmer.
29:10Do you think?
29:10Might, maybe, yeah.
29:11What do you think, Max?
29:12Would you like to be a vet like Hugo or a farmer like Daddy?
29:16A farmer like Daddy.
29:17A farmer like Daddy.
29:19Yeah, I'll do that, I'll do that, if I would do.
29:21Let's get you sat down, then, Mr. Cute.
29:24There we go.
29:26Like that.
29:27Perfect.
29:27How's that?
29:28Is that a good little seat?
29:29Yeah?
29:30Right, you sit there.
29:31Daddy's going to climb over here, and we'll just get him through, yeah?
29:34Hugo will inspect and measure the site where he injected a form of the bacteria.
29:45If any reactions are detected, then the cows will have to be called.
29:50Yeah, no reactions, no lumps, so she's clear.
29:54No TB in her.
29:56Good, good.
29:57Just cross her off the list.
29:59Yeah, no, it's a good start.
30:00We'll get him through.
30:01So, again, no lumps, no reaction, so that one's clear.
30:11Right, cool, next one.
30:13Two down, three to go.
30:15Max, you OK, mate?
30:16Guess who this is?
30:19This is Ray, your favourite.
30:22Give him a wave.
30:25Ray's OK, Max.
30:27He's good.
30:28No TB.
30:28He's all right.
30:29Not poorly.
30:29All but one done, yeah, we've got the last one now.
30:33Crowd of the bull.
30:36Come on, lad.
30:42Yeah, so he, no lumps, no reactions, so that means there's no reactions on any of them,
30:48which is a clear TB test, so you can relax now.
30:52Good, good.
30:53Cross him off, and I'll put that through to the ministry later.
30:58Yeah, all right.
31:01Yeah, big relief.
31:04It's only five, but still, it's pretty nerve-wracking.
31:06Can't imagine what it must be like if you've got scores in school.
31:10But yeah, good news.
31:12Clear result, and start looking forward now.
31:15Hugo will update the government site that is tracking the disease, and hopefully, many
31:23other farmers will be receiving the same good news this spring, and TB rates continue to
31:28fall.
31:28Are you going to say well done to all the cows now?
31:32Yeah.
31:33Come here.
31:34I want you to say, say well done, cows.
31:36Yeah, good, guys.
31:37So what do we say to Hugo?
31:39Yeah, thanks, Hugo, for today, mate.
31:41No problem.
31:42Good result.
31:42Yeah, yeah.
31:43Good on, mate.
31:43All right.
31:44All right, come on.
31:45Growing up on the farm means that when we're not roping the kids in to help with the farm
32:03jobs, they're off finding their own fun, and sometimes, they find natural treasures.
32:10Guys, look what I found.
32:12What have you got?
32:14Look what Milo's got.
32:16What is it?
32:17Look, look, look.
32:18I think it's a bird nest.
32:20I just found that on the floor.
32:21Oh, really?
32:23The kids all know not to disturb nesting birds, but this abandoned nest is great for the kids
32:30to see up close.
32:31Hey, look what they've used.
32:33What's that?
32:34Sheep wool.
32:35Sheep?
32:37I've never known a bird's nest to use sheep's wool before.
32:40Wow, that must have been a cosy.
32:43Who would like to sleep in there?
32:44Me.
32:44Me.
32:45I'd love to snuggle up in there.
32:48That looks so cosy.
32:49This is like a little bird's nest, isn't it?
32:52Is this like a little bird's nest?
32:53I'm the baby bird.
32:55You're the baby bird.
32:55Oh, we're the live birds.
32:58I'm the baby bird.
33:13One project that's seriously testing our mettle is the barn.
33:17We had the bright idea to host a wedding here for some friends.
33:22Very romantic, very ambitious.
33:25But with the big day fast approaching, we really need to get moving, especially since
33:30it's currently looking more like an agricultural storage unit than a wedding venue.
33:34The wedding is the tester, so we're emptying it, so there's a blank canvas, and from then
33:39on, we need Kelvin to get our thinking caps on and see what else we could do in here.
33:43We're getting the concrete poured in a couple of days.
33:46It's got to be emptied for that.
33:48And if there's one thing we're good at working to, it's the deadline.
33:51It takes a special set of wheels to handle a job of this importance.
33:56My jingle van.
33:57This van has been with us for a very long time, before we ever lived on a farm, and
34:03my dad borrowed it once, and he didn't give it back for two years.
34:07And then when we finally moved to the farm, we were like, Dad, can we have that van back?
34:13It's rusty, it's old, but it just does the job.
34:17The only thing is wrong with it, the only thing, it's only two-wheel drive.
34:22And we've been stuck a few times, haven't we?
34:23Today, though, it'll be used as originally intended to help us haul some of this rubbish away.
34:32Well, I say rubbish.
34:36The birds will be loving life, isn't they?
34:39Don't they?
34:40Yeah.
34:42It's like a ready-made hedge, isn't it?
34:44We don't waste anything on the farm if we don't have to.
34:47Some birds will be really happy in that next season.
34:51Between the birds, a bonfire, and Liz's creations, every twig will find a new purpose.
34:59Oh, I hope we don't get stuck.
35:03Yeah, keep going.
35:07Slow down, not too, Matt.
35:09If you spin a little bit, there's no point in thinking.
35:13Keep going.
35:14Yeah, that'll do.
35:23Get that on.
35:25This is our first crack at renovating a space like this.
35:29Nail it, and it could pave the way for plenty more events to come.
35:32It'll be nice to have a bit of love and romance on the farm, and someone else's memory of, you know, it's quite an honour to host someone's wedding here.
35:47It's something really special.
35:49See, I'll do all this, and then Kelvin will get his favourite...
35:53..favourite machine out.
35:59It's quite impressive.
36:01You know, it's something that, when I met him, if he'd have picked me up in it, I'd have never met him again.
36:13But it's really handy around the farm.
36:18Here he is.
36:25That's how you sweep the bat.
36:26All this talk of weddings has me feeling romantic.
36:36You know there's going to be a wedding here?
36:38Yeah.
36:38Or a first ever wedding.
36:40I've got an idea.
36:41What?
36:42We come to new our house.
36:44Aww.
36:45What do you come with?
36:46Why not?
36:47No, it doesn't matter.
36:53I just thought about all the work I'd have to do to make this a wedding space for us.
36:57It'd be fine, it is.
36:58Just a few fairy lights.
37:00I'll be in my wedding dress putting fairy lights up.
37:02Be romantic.
37:03We're going to bring a bit of romance to the farm.
37:05I might need to let the idea sink in a little with Liz, but this space certainly has potential.
37:11The barn is empty.
37:13The barn is empty.
37:14It's going to be good, isn't it?
37:15It's going to be really good.
37:16This could be so many things.
37:17I know.
37:18Interior shop.
37:20Stage.
37:21A show.
37:22A show.
37:23A theatre show.
37:23A pantomite.
37:25It could be anything.
37:27Might well get myself a job.
37:28I could actually cast myself in my own production.
37:33You know what we could actually do?
37:35We could create a farm musical.
37:38I'm serious.
37:41Can you sing?
37:42No, no, no.
37:44No, that bit I won't be in.
37:46It could almost be our story.
37:48Two actors.
37:51What?
37:53Why have you just spat your tea out?
37:56Babe, it could be our story.
37:58Two actors decide to get a farm.
38:01Kevin, we've got enough to do.
38:03We're not creating a farm panto.
38:05No, it's not a pantom farm.
38:06It's a musical.
38:08We could get someone into it, won't you?
38:10Oh, God.
38:12Babe, do you not think that could be a good idea?
38:13It is, but just one step at a time, OK?
38:16Let's get through the wedding.
38:18The farm musical.
38:20Is that the scent of a Tony Award or just manure?
38:24Either way, the barn refurb just took a major leap towards showtime.
38:29This year's lambing season is almost done.
38:44We currently have over 60 strong, healthy lambs bounding around our fields.
38:48And the last of our expectant mums is finally showing signs of going into labour.
38:54She's doing good.
38:56She'll be all right for a minute.
38:57Let's do this.
38:59Three, four years ago.
39:00Oh, babe.
39:01That would have been a big, not panic, but we'd have been like,
39:04that's lambing.
39:05We've got to move them.
39:07Whereas now we're a bit like, oh, yeah, that's having a lamb and we're going to move these cows.
39:12We know what we're doing a tiny bit more now.
39:14Most of the ewes have managed to birth naturally, but it's always good to keep an eye on them
39:22just in case they need a helping hand.
39:25What's it like to have a contraction?
39:27Oh, it's like...
39:30It's so hard.
39:31It's like, do you know, it's like, it's one of them feelings.
39:34And what tense is just, you're like, your stomach?
39:36It's like pins and needles, but like, all tensing, yeah.
39:39What, and then it's on, then it goes off?
39:41Then it goes, and you're like, oh, and then it comes again,
39:44and you're like, it's, it's hard.
39:48The hardest thing that you'll ever do.
39:50I sometimes forget that you've actually had kids, haven't you?
39:54Well, I don't forget that, but I mean, you've,
39:56thinking back to you having contractions and that, you were really strong.
40:0030 hours I was having contractions for.
40:02You step in after half an hour with the sheep,
40:0430 hours I was having contractions for.
40:07The things I've done.
40:10As this ewe is clearly struggling,
40:12with only the lamb's head and one of the legs out,
40:15it's time to jump in and give her a hand.
40:18You push her in and I'll just pull the lamb out.
40:21Oh, God.
40:23Oh, yeah, the foot's stuck.
40:25She's dead tight.
40:27I can't find the foot.
40:28Oh, she's coming, she's coming.
40:44Pick it up, pick it up.
40:45It's a big lamb.
40:47Yeah, babe.
40:47We've had a couple of lambs like that, though, eh?
41:02Just one leg is out and the other one is stuck.
41:06It's almost like you go over to help and the mums tighten up.
41:10You just have to get in there and pull them out
41:11because you think it would push them out a bit tricky.
41:13Yeah, but she did it.
41:17With the lamb born safely and the cows clear of TB,
41:20we can get them all out of the barn
41:22to enjoy the fresh grass and spring sunshine.
41:25Managing the animals has definitely become a lot easier
41:39over the past year,
41:41which is more than I can say for our other herd.
41:46They make more mess than any other animal on this farm.
41:49Our kids are actual animals.
41:54The biggest animals of the farm are our kids, without a doubt.
41:58They're the hardest to control.
42:00They're the hardest to keep clean.
42:02They're the hardest to move.
42:05Farming's a breeze compared to having four kids.
42:10There's a reason I look so dishevelled all the time,
42:13and it's because I've got four kids and a farm.
42:15Somehow, we are still managing to run the farm and raise kids,
42:21whilst dealing with the upheaval
42:23of still not living in the farmhouse after the fire.
42:27Look.
42:28It's open to you, Daddy.
42:31And while Marnie and Milo are now old enough to understand
42:35we'll be back on the farm in time,
42:37I can't help but think how this situation
42:39is affecting Maximus and Mateus.
42:42For the last six months of their lives,
42:45it's been, you know, they've been living in hotels
42:47and Airbnbs, and it's all been, you know, a lot of disruption.
42:53Yeah, they just see it as the places where we come and do jobs
42:55and, for them, just have fun.
42:59It's like a day out.
43:01They are still quite confused because
43:04they don't really see this as their home at the minute.
43:10They don't actually realise that this is where we live
43:13and our house, their bedroom, is not their bedroom
43:17because we've had a fire.
43:19But it will be, hopefully, again soon.
43:22I wonder if they remember this when they get older.
43:25Kids just take it in their stride,
43:27but you can see it's a pretty confused blessing.
43:32Although we're still not living in the farmhouse,
43:35we bring the kids up to the farm every single day.
43:38As Liz and I have always known that since moving here,
43:41this is where our family is meant to be.
43:44When I say green light,
43:45you're going to run as fast as you can.
43:47It's not just about farming, it's not just about that.
43:52It's such a lifestyle
43:54and a lifestyle that has suited us, having four kids.
43:59It's been a real blessing
44:00because I think it's given them so much purpose
44:04and so much adventure to their life
44:07that I just...
44:09I can't imagine them any other way.
44:12Put your head down that way for five seconds.
44:16Like, they're filthy, they mess,
44:19they cause absolute destruction wherever they go.
44:23And I think...
44:24You're only fit for a farm, really.
44:28I don't know if we'd be welcome on the street anymore.
44:40Next time on Our Farm,
44:43training for the Royal Cheshire Show gets underway
44:46and it's no walk in the park for me and Sonic.
44:50And next up is...
44:51The Lincoln Reds.
44:53Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey.
44:55Hey, Zaf, you OK?
44:56Shh, shh, shh.
44:57The twins lend a hand with our newborn lambs.
45:00Did you like that?
45:01Yeah.
45:02Did she say a yes?
45:04A friendly game of rugby
45:06throws a spanner in the works.
45:10It feels like I've torn my bicep.
45:12And our sheep give us the runner-out.
45:17Just as a thought,
45:18the sheep just do whatever they want.
45:20Yeah, Mum!
45:38Transcription by CastingWords
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