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00:00Carys in particular loves to be on telly.
00:03Not. It looks calm, it looks serene.
00:06But let me tell you, a farm during winter is anything but quiet.
00:10Yeah, well most of us are overworking the kettle, reaching for another blanket.
00:13Of course our farmers are out there breaking the ice, feeding their stock
00:16and doing anything and everything they can to get themselves and their animals warm.
00:21Now this is our final night of winter on the farm.
00:25I've got to be honest, I thought they'd be more disappointed than that one job, guys!
00:28Even a few moos.
00:31But don't worry, we have a wonderful finale in store for you.
00:35Welcome to winter on the farm.
00:53So here we are then with brothers and farmers at arms, Rob and Dave Nicholson.
00:57Very noisy in here at the moment, lads.
00:59How are we doing?
01:00Really well.
01:01Fern is much improved.
01:03Her eyes nearly open all the time.
01:05I think that injection's done the trick.
01:06It was lovely to see you.
01:08Lovely to see Fern blinking away.
01:10But who is this?
01:11That's Little Dicky.
01:12OK.
01:13Right?
01:14We named Dicky after Dicky Bird, one of Barnsley's own.
01:17He was Barnsley through and through.
01:18He's a great man, a great umpire.
01:19And we thought it was fitting that we named Little Dicky, Dicky, in honour of him.
01:24And hopefully, Dicky will grow up into a really tremendous bull and win lots of prizes.
01:29You said bull and I thought he was a bowler and I was like, it's a stretch too far, David.
01:32Listen, great to see that Fern is fighting fit and Little Dicky, what an absolute champion.
01:36I love the way you keep edging back every time Fern's hogs come in here.
01:40I'm like a boxer just on the end of it.
01:42Yeah, yeah, well I'm looking at the back end as well.
01:43She thinks she's going to get another injection, that's what it is.
01:46You're alright, Fern.
01:47It's all been done and dusted.
01:48Now then, all this week, you, our wonderful farming army, have been nominating your unsung heroes of the countryside.
01:54And it's been our pleasure to champion many of them.
01:57Today's farming heroes stepped up in a genuine emergency.
02:00When wildfires hit the North York Moors this summer, the farming community rallied round.
02:05One of them was farmer Chris Ford, who helped lead the effort and picked up the nickname, The Water Guy,
02:11as he collected water from farm ponds, slurry stores and even Whitby Harbour to help extinguish the flames.
02:18What an astonishing story.
02:19Yeah.
02:20Well done to you, Chris.
02:21Absolutely brilliant.
02:22Also coming up in today's show, I box clever with the Nicholsons as we work to help new feathered friends
02:27and we've tips on how you can help winter wildlife.
02:30Between JLS gigs, JB Gill finds time to visit the farm and help some new rare breed pigs settle into their new woodland home.
02:37And the Nicholsons make their last stop of the week in the Netherlands to get hands on with some Dutch footwear.
02:43For many farmers, farming is in the blood, passed down from generation to generation.
02:49James Newhouse's grandad was a Swaledale farmer, farming the slopes around Ingleborough in North Yorkshire.
02:55Yeah, his dad took a different path and so did James.
02:58But after 20 years as an aerospace engineer, he simply couldn't resist the call of farming perfectly on cue phone.
03:05Thank you very much.
03:06And he returned to where it all started.
03:08Winter can be harsh this high in the Yorkshire Dales and it takes a special kind of grit to farm here.
03:16But 41 year old James Newhouse is rising to the challenge on his 130 acre farm near Settle.
03:23I have always wanted to do it, ever since being a young boy, because my grandad, Bob Newhouse, he was a Swaledale sheep farmer.
03:33He's the one who got me into farming.
03:35Once you've had a taste of it and once you've got involved and done it, it never leaves you.
03:40We're farming Swaledale sheep.
03:42And today we've got our tupping, so you can see him there.
03:46So he's with 50 Swaledale sheep and hopefully, come April time, we'll have lots of lambs running around on the farm.
03:53James is the first new house to farm in the Dales since his grandad back in the 1980s.
03:58It skipped a generation with his dad, Roy, but he's here today, helping give these Swaledales their winter weigh-in.
04:07Right, this is the magic one which reads the ear tags.
04:10It gives a number so it logs everything on this machine so we have a record.
04:14What we want is about 44 to 46 kilo.
04:17This one, 43.
04:19So, everything's alright.
04:23He's always been interested in farming.
04:25He used to spend loads of time with his grandad.
04:27So he used to go with the sheepdogs on the tractor.
04:30He had to go and find it for his tits and things like that.
04:34Swaledales are the mainstay of the farm, but James keeps hardy cattle too.
04:39Go on, girls!
04:41These are our pedigree-belted Galloway cattle.
04:43The plan is to get them into the barn so that we can see if they're in calf.
04:47Hopefully they are.
04:51Cows are pregnant for nine months and today, local vet Andrew Linney is here to perform the all-important midterm scans.
04:59So hopefully they'll be three to four months in calf from when James put the bull out.
05:06Go on.
05:07And so we'll be able to show James as we're going along, show him the calf and hopefully we'll see if the heifers are bull calves as well.
05:13Yeah, go on.
05:16So first one, let's see what we've got James.
05:19It's looking good.
05:21So we're just coming onto the head of the calf now.
05:25You can see the head's just moving slightly.
05:27So this one, in calf, two months, very happy.
05:36If you look really carefully there, you can actually see the heartbeat.
05:39I can see it, yeah.
05:42Number four.
05:43With 12 cows and 100 sheep, you'd think James wouldn't pick favourites.
05:49So 600236 is my favourite cow, hard as hell.
05:53She has a calf every year and she's produced our first bull that we're going to keep on the farm.
06:02James' children, both his favourites, have got the farming bug too.
06:06Eight-year-old Elkie and five-year-old Ned are keeping the family tradition alive by helping with one of this winter's most vital tasks.
06:17Have you got that one? How many can you hold?
06:19Right, that's enough, that's enough.
06:20So we'll make a hole like that.
06:22Wedge that plant in there.
06:24That's it. Wedge it in together.
06:25Push it, push it, push it.
06:27And then stand round it, so trample it in.
06:29That's it.
06:31These flower plugs are the key to enriching the pasture on the farm,
06:33leading to greater biodiversity and ultimately better tasting meats.
06:38This time of year the grass isn't growing,
06:41so it's important to get these plants in to allow them to get the roots to establish.
06:45That's it. Wedge it in.
06:46Our animals, they don't just want to eat grass, they want to eat different flowers, they want to eat different things.
06:51That's it. High five.
06:53Is it hard work being a farmer, Elkes?
06:55Yeah.
06:56Do you love it?
06:57Yeah.
06:58Farming is one of those things that's in your blood, definitely.
07:04If you don't love it, then you're not going to be a farmer.
07:07Because when it's wet and when it's cold and stuff goes wrong, it's a very tough job.
07:11However, I think it's brilliant.
07:13What a fascinating story, and you two surely can relate to that generational instinct for farming.
07:24I think if you've got a love for the land, I think it grabs you, and that's obviously what's happened there.
07:28Plus, a love for tractors and diggers.
07:31The grandson has.
07:32But the thing is, it's not just about the emotions, is it?
07:34Like, you've seen how much farming has changed over the years, and you might have thought,
07:37yeah, I'd love to do that, but actually, it's not always financially possible for people.
07:41The farming landscape is changing so much.
07:44It's heartbreaking.
07:45It's all about whether you can make it pay, and thankfully, we've found a way to do that,
07:50and if we hadn't done, it would have left a sadness.
07:52So, to anyone out there who's struggling to do that, I just wish them all the very best.
07:56I don't know many farmers now who just farm, most work for Deferol, work for the auction mart,
08:01or do other things in addition, that's just the way it is.
08:03They've just got other side hustles going on, because if they didn't do that,
08:06they'd have to sell the farm, and they wouldn't feel as complete as they do on the land.
08:10But when we talk about it being in the blood, what would be your way to define it?
08:15For me, every day I get up, I don't go to work.
08:18I just get up, I get on with it, and, you know, it doesn't matter what time you finish,
08:22you know, the later the better, it's just fantastic.
08:25Unless he's going out.
08:27Or I'm off to spin.
08:29And we know what happens when we go out.
08:31And I think we should unpack that on television.
08:33Right, join us after the break, because Yorkshire vet Rowan Odula will be popping by,
08:37Jules will be on the tools, making a nest box,
08:40and we'll be checking in with an Indian organic farm that is also an animal sanctuary.
08:44Join us in a few minutes.
08:46So, on these nights out, do you get really cross with him on just the left?
08:49I'll just keep him in check.
08:51We're on about Jules now.
08:52Yeah, let's leave it there.
08:55Welcome back to Winter on the Farm.
09:21Now, Rob and Dave, like most farmers, see themselves as custodians of the land.
09:25And they have recently discovered that Cannon Hall is being visited by some very special guests on night manoeuvres.
09:31I'm talking about barn owls.
09:33So, with the help of Jules, they have rolled up their sleeves to give their feathered friends a helping hand through the winter and beyond.
09:41There's something magical about barn owls.
09:44And as expert pest controllers, they really are a farmer's best friend.
09:49Nice day for it, lads.
09:51Barn owls are often spotted on the fringes of the farm.
09:54We would like a desirable residence to put in that barn that a barn owl would flop to.
10:00Do you get the joke?
10:01Flop to.
10:02Nice.
10:03As a handyman myself, I'm hoping to help Rob and Dave encourage them to be permanent residents.
10:07You're after an owl box, right?
10:09Well, it's a barn conversion with a twist.
10:12Yeah.
10:13En suite.
10:15I'm just not sure how big an owl box should be.
10:19Shall I have a look on the internet, Jules?
10:21Okay.
10:22And I'll go down to the builder's yard and see what I can find.
10:23Yeah.
10:24And I'll meet you back in the yard.
10:25Sounds good.
10:26Yeah.
10:27Right.
10:28It can't be that difficult.
10:29Tell you what.
10:30If Jules could make something like that, I'd move him myself.
10:34With the lads shopping list from the builder's yard in my boot, I can't wait to see what they have in mind.
10:42Oh, look at you.
10:43Look at this.
10:44We've got this for you.
10:46Oh, this is nice.
10:47It's a good shape and I like the way it's kind of naturally weatherproof with the sloping sides.
10:51Bit of a randa at the front.
10:53You got this off the internet?
10:54Yeah.
10:55And it must be right because it's from the Barnail Trust.
10:57Okay.
10:58Do you want to give us a hand getting these sheets out then and we'll get on it.
11:01We're using shuttering plywood, which will do the job nicely.
11:06Hopefully we've got enough.
11:07Well, I think you've got enough for a row of houses.
11:09It's strong and weatherproof, so it should stand up to our Yorkshire winters.
11:15Can I give you some advice?
11:16Go on.
11:17Measure twice.
11:18Cut once.
11:19Let me give you some advice.
11:21Measure three times.
11:22Cut once.
11:23Let me give you some advice.
11:24Just let Jules do the cutting.
11:29Our owl box will be made up of a kit of parts.
11:32Right.
11:33Make sure it's past the table though.
11:34Right.
11:35Here we go.
11:36This is my favourite bit.
11:39That was like a hot knife through butter.
11:43So that then is the shape of our owl box.
11:47The next one then are we doing the bottom and then the sides.
11:51Yeah.
11:52Then we can start putting it together.
11:54In the UK, Barn Owl numbers are on the up, with more pairs nesting than previous years.
11:59So do you know how many chicks they would fledge a year?
12:04If they had two or three, they'd be doing well.
12:07I suppose it's feeding them once they've got them hatched.
12:10That's the secret.
12:11It's how much food is out in those fields.
12:13Yeah, yeah.
12:14What we need, Jules, is tussocky grass, dry stone walls.
12:17We need hedgerows.
12:18All these things provide food for the things at the top of the food chain.
12:22It's all about increasing the biodiversity.
12:25We do our job, right, as farmers.
12:27There will be mice for them to eat.
12:29Right.
12:30Okay.
12:31Not bad, are they?
12:32Not bad.
12:33We're attempting to attach batons to our pieces.
12:36He's a real man.
12:37I'm only a bit of a natural.
12:45Easier said than done.
12:47It's a good job.
12:48They're better farmers.
12:49Could have happened to anyone, that, Rob.
12:52But it couldn't happen to a better person.
12:55Finally, we can start assembling our parts.
12:59I love it when something comes together.
13:01Just try that.
13:02Oh, no, wait a minute.
13:04It's an inch too much either side.
13:06Right, let's notch it out.
13:08An improvised adjustment.
13:10The ability to adapt to design is important, Jules.
13:14And we're back on track.
13:17Right, last bit.
13:18Go on, whack it in.
13:20We're in.
13:21It is.
13:23There.
13:24Are we having a topping out ceremony?
13:27Not bad.
13:28Even if I do say so myself.
13:31Almost done.
13:32I'll hold the ladder, shall I?
13:33It's a big moment, this, isn't it?
13:35Jules, thank you for coming down and doing this for us.
13:38And doing it for the owls and for the countryside in general.
13:41So we really appreciate it.
13:42I can't wait to hear the good news that you've got the pitter patter of feathered feet. How about that?
13:48Well, it would be something special.
13:50Anyway, Jules, I think we owe you a cup of tea and what about a pork pie?
13:54Oh, come on, lads.
13:56Come on.
13:57I'll get the ladder, shall I?
13:58Yeah, well done, Dave.
13:59Yeah.
14:00We'll get you one as well, Dave.
14:02Thanks.
14:03I'm delighted to say that we are joined now by Sally Coulthard, who is an author and a smallholder.
14:11We're going to talk to you in a minute, Sally, but what was that?
14:14Well, that was what happens when three cowboys get together to build an hour box.
14:18I don't know what you mean, but I could have moved into that. I thought it was for a barn owl.
14:21To be fair, lads, you were heading off to the sales in Avon, weren't you?
14:24So we didn't have long to put that together.
14:26But all in all, is it still up? Is it working?
14:29It's still there, but nothing's moved in yet.
14:31Well, I have to say, I was inspired by what you did.
14:34So I went home and I made another one.
14:36Have a look underneath that green rug.
14:39There we go.
14:41Look at that.
14:42Oh, my word.
14:44And I've given it some owl furniture.
14:47What do you think, Sally?
14:48That looks like a dead res for owls.
14:50It is, it is.
14:51There you go, yeah.
14:52It's ready to go, because I've got a lovely old oak tree at home.
14:55We've got a couple of owls.
14:56I can hear them all the time.
14:57I'm going to put it up in Herefordshire, and fingers crossed they might move in.
15:01Oh, so what you're saying is, here's what you could have won, guys.
15:03He's taking that home.
15:04Yeah, yeah.
15:05I've left you with that one. I'm taking that one with me.
15:06Yours is lovely.
15:07And do you know what?
15:08I'm sure, come spring, there will be plenty of barn owls who will move in there and enjoy it.
15:12We'll keep you posted.
15:13Now, Sally, just tell us, how many books have you written?
15:15Because I'm pretty sure I've got half of them on my shelves at home.
15:17Well, it's about 35 at the last count, so yeah, quite a lot.
15:20But at least one of them does focus on barn owls, but many others champion what we can all do to encourage and help wildlife in our own gardens.
15:27That's absolutely true.
15:28And the message that I'm really keen to get across is that looking after wildlife shouldn't be difficult, shouldn't be expensive.
15:34And one of the easiest ways is to plant things with berries on them.
15:38You've got things like hawthorn, even ivy has berries and lots of people don't realise that it does.
15:44And birds will devour them all.
15:46What about this, though? What are we doing with this?
15:48So I wanted just to show you how to make a queen bumblebee house.
15:53So plant pot, that's all you need.
15:55I just fill that inside with some hay, but you could use dried leaves.
16:00So this would go on a redundant flower bed or something?
16:03Flower bed, under a hedge, anything.
16:05Or you could even do it in a container and you just simply pop it on top like that.
16:08So the queen will go through the hole and then find her way down through into that warm layer of hay.
16:13She will, yeah.
16:14Now we've got a lovely set here, lots of twinkly lights, but you've brought some lights in here to highlight an issue.
16:20I have. I'm really keen not to spoil Christmas.
16:23But actually, studies have found that cool coloured lights, so things like the blue lights, are more distracting than the warm lights.
16:31So if you can, stick to warm coloured lights and also not flashing.
16:36We're going to cause domestic arguments up and down the corner.
16:38I know.
16:39I've cancelled Christmas already, it seems.
16:42Sally, it's been an absolute pleasure.
16:44Lovely to meet you.
16:45Keep writing those books.
16:46Can't wait for more.
16:47Now then, from a very chilly Barnsley to the subtropical hills of Himachal Pradesh in northern India.
16:53Peepal Farm is an organic farm, but also an animal sanctuary.
16:57And it's where Robin Singh is preparing for winter.
17:00Hey guys, my name is Robin and I'm here at Peepal Farm, which is an animal rescue.
17:05But also, it's my house where I also have a tiny farm where I'm able to produce some food for all of us.
17:13Almost all our winter plantings been done.
17:15By that sugarcane patch is our potato beds.
17:18Behind me is mustard.
17:19Then we have three variety of peas.
17:21We have radish, turnip, carrots.
17:27You would also see a lot of these mulberry trees because we need these as fodder for goats, sheep, cows.
17:38Bananas and papayes are something we keep harvesting all year round because the climate here is subtropical.
17:45An interesting thing in our cow shed is this compress.
17:52We use this to compress this cow dung and some ash from our wood stove to make these cow dung pots.
18:03We don't have to pull this off like a plastic, so there is no chance of root shock.
18:07And when the roots grow, they have a nice manure package to grow into.
18:12Self-fertilising cow muck plant pots. I wish I'd thought of that.
18:21Do you want it for Christmas?
18:22No.
18:24We're joined now by Yorkshire Rose and Yorkshire vet Rowan Odula.
18:28Rowan is busy doing a little test on gorgeous Yorkshire Rose here because...
18:33Because we're trying to raise awareness around colic and it's so important to recognise the signs of colic early and to act quickly.
18:41And Rowan, what do you look for? Because I suspect there's a bit of misunderstanding around colic.
18:46There is. It's a really varied condition. In fact, it's not even really a condition, it's just a description of symptoms.
18:52So colic just means abdominal pain.
18:54Okay.
18:55And so the first thing we often do will be to listen to the heart, listen to the guts.
18:59We want to know that there's gut sounds on all four quadrants and that it sounds as it normally should do.
19:04But what would cause an animal to present in such a way that you suspected colic?
19:10There's a lot of signs when horses are just not quite not themselves and things such as if they're not passing poo as normal,
19:17if they're subdued, if they're kicking their flanks. In severe cases, they'll even go down and be rolling around.
19:23I know that you boys watch with an eagle eye over all your animals, but we lost Hercules. Has that made you even more cautious around Yorkshire Rose?
19:34One hundred percent. One thing I encourage our team members to do is when they're mucking out, make sure there's enough muck in the barra.
19:40You know, if he's not done enough, then there might be a reason for that. And then that's an early flag.
19:45It's a head start on finding out if there's something wrong.
19:48Yeah, absolutely.
19:49So it's very much a case then of forewarned, forearmed, getting there early.
19:53Yeah, absolutely. I think the sooner you call the vet out, the better chance we have of turning things around.
19:58And a few of the checks we often do, I'll come around here, is just a little feel around here.
20:02You can feel their pulse around there and see there's a strong pulse.
20:06They're not sure what's going on now. You're going to get a scratch as well.
20:10And the other thing we often do, just have a little look at the claw of the gums and we can see they're lovely and pink, which is what we want.
20:16It's also important at this time of year to stay on top of worming treatment and being aware right now is the big risk period for tapeworm, which is another cause of colic.
20:25I think one other thing you've got to think about as well, general public feeding horses out in the field, you know, they're on a balanced diet and anything that varies from that can be disaster.
20:34Colic can be caused by overfeeding.
20:36Yeah.
20:37I've got to say, whatever you're doing with these horses, you're doing a great job.
20:40They're absolutely magnificent.
20:41Beautiful, aren't they?
20:42You're the queen of the quotes, Rose.
20:44Great to see you again, Rose.
20:45Don't tell me you're my favourite.
20:46Now then, coming up after the break, we head to the Isle of Arran, where farming in the winter is more than challenging.
20:52We also check in on some of the young farmers we met back in springtime and JB Gill helps the boys introduce a new herd of pigs to Cannonhill Farm.
21:01We'll see you in a bit.
21:02Welcome back to Winter on the Farm.
21:27Well, we're heading now to the gorgeous Isle of Arran off Scotland's west coast, home to Bellevue Farm and brothers Donald and Andrew Curry, seventh generation farmers who are preparing for winter in the most stunning surroundings.
21:41Hello, Winter on the Farm. I'm Donald Curry.
21:46We've got 50 suckler cows, 250 breeding yews.
21:51So when we're up feeding the calves every day, we always have to check their water, make sure it's clean.
21:58So we put a mix of silage into these calves every second day and every other day, we'll push up the silage, check their waters, make sure they're all coming and eating and they're all fitting well.
22:09So I'm here feeding the pigs. This is the last two in this batch. They're on this rough bare ground and they've fairly come on recently.
22:16These are homebred yew lambs. They were born in April time this year. They're with the Beltech Stups at the moment and the plan is to lamb them to the new year at approximately one year old.
22:26We're just drawing some fat lambs out of here. We've just noticed there's a few with dirty bombs so I'm just giving them a quick clip of these clippers.
22:34What a wonderful slice of Ireland life. Beautiful place to live. Thank you for sharing your story.
22:46Talking of stories, this year we have celebrated some inspirational young farmers and we always talk about the next generation.
22:53The future is looking bright if we think about some of the people we've met this year.
22:57The future is young people and young farmers and without them the industry will stagnate, go backwards and will not survive.
23:05Well in fairness you two have led from the front on this. Do you remember Stanley?
23:09Oh yeah. 11 years old. Yeah.
23:11Started off with I think six sheep. Now he's got over 70 and he's got his dad and his granddad roped in. They're building him a new lambing shed.
23:20That's just what happens, Jules. It snowballs, isn't it?
23:24Look at what's happened here.
23:26That is what you need, don't you? That energy. It's a leveller for a lot of people, isn't it?
23:30You remember five-year-old Henry? He has doubled, well more than doubled his flock. He had three, now he's got ten.
23:36He's been showing and winning adult classes. That's the kind of story that really puts a smile on your face because his whole family said that those animals have really helped him navigate neurodiversity.
23:47Yeah. I think animals, showing, all that sort of stuff can just be the catalyst for improvement and happiness and calmness and all those things.
23:58Do you remember young farmer Joe? Not so young anymore. Now 13 years old. Never.
24:04Yeah. And of course you've gifted him, Arnie, you're Jacob Ram. He's now got 35 Jacobs and a diary booked up with school visits for next year.
24:12So he is inspiring in the way that you inspired him.
24:14Oh, that's wonderful news, isn't it, Dave? It's an inspiration to us as well, Jules.
24:18With that sentiment, I think it is worth acknowledging and applauding all of our young farmers and everybody.
24:23Yeah, a big round of applause.
24:27Now then, trying to manage their ever-increasing batch of woodland here at Cannon Hall is a challenge that the boys have met characteristically by bringing in some new arrivals.
24:37To be specific, a collective of rare breed pigs.
24:46Just a stone throw from the gleaming glass and steel towers of London's financial district lies a little oasis of countryside.
24:53Mud Chute Farm is run by Tom Davis, and it's one of their very special rare breeds that's brought me and Rob 200 miles down from Yorkshire.
25:05We're here today to examine the possibility of some rare breed pigs.
25:10We've got some large whites, we've got land racers, we've got Hampshires, but I've heard there's some middle whites.
25:15Middle whites are my favourite pig.
25:17They do look like they've run into a wall, but they're an old breed. They're nearly 200 years old.
25:22We've got a nice bit of woodland that we want to regenerate. We want those wildflowers to come back.
25:28And what better to do that than a load of pigs?
25:33Pigs root up the ground, which turns the soil and helps spread seeds.
25:37Middle whites are really good at this.
25:39We've made the journey to the big smoke because the pigs here have a good bloodline.
25:44And good genes makes for better stock.
25:47Now then, Tom, how you doing?
25:50Hiya, Tom.
25:51How we doing, chaps? Welcome.
25:52Yeah, I'm Rob.
25:53I'm Dave.
25:54Good to see you, and welcome to Mud Chute.
25:56Well, what a place. I'm blown away already to the proximity to central London.
26:00I mean, you're literally right on the doorstep.
26:02We're the largest inner city farm in Europe at 32 acres, right here in the middle of London.
26:07Am I right in thinking there's only 80 or so breeders of these pigs in England?
26:12Yeah, there was around about 350 registered breeding females left, which makes them rarer numerically than things like the giant panda and the tiger and stuff like that.
26:21Right.
26:22So it's a critical thing.
26:26Once one of the most successful pig breeds in England, these beautiful beasts were on the brink of extinction in the 1950s.
26:33Numbers are still low, so we're keen to do our bit.
26:38As middle whites originate from Yorkshire, we struck a deal with Tom to take two of his rare woodland bloodlines back home.
26:47These are a Woodlands Lady bloodline, which is a rarer line within the middle whites.
26:51So you're doing a fantastic job taking them back to where they came from in an environment where they would have been originally anyway in woodland.
26:59So, you know, it's a match made in heaven.
27:03Go on, George. Go on, George.
27:07You woke him up.
27:09That's a girl.
27:11Oh, right, yeah.
27:13See, that's a boy.
27:15He's got a dangly bit.
27:17Well, I didn't want to say that.
27:22Straighten up, Rob, and then you can pull forward.
27:30Any animal needs some cajoling to get in a trailer.
27:35But pigs take the biscuit.
27:37This should be fun.
27:39They probably won't want to go up the ramp.
27:41I think we should brace ourselves for a little bit of squeaking, a little bit of assistance required.
27:46Let's hope you can stop a pig in a passage.
27:48I've never heard that before.
27:50It means you might be more legged or something.
27:51So, keep me legs together.
27:52Exactly.
27:53Keep your legs clenched and your buttocks clenched and you'll be all right.
27:59Gladiator, choose your weapon.
28:01I've only got a small one.
28:03No, Dave.
28:05If that's what nature intended.
28:08Come on, pigs.
28:09Look at this.
28:10I'm thinking, wow, we've never been out for a while.
28:12Come on then, piglets.
28:14Oh, look at this.
28:16Oh, look at this. Look at this.
28:18It's the pig-pied piper of London who needs a board.
28:21Well, I'm going to give you 10 out of 10 for that.
28:23Cheers, mate.
28:26Well, that went way better than expected.
28:29What Tom did there, cajoling those pigs on with a minimum of stress, was really impressive.
28:35I'm really chuffed to get them aboard and we're ready to set off back to Yorkshire now.
28:39I'm excited to get these pigs back.
28:41You know, get them into the woodland and doing what they should be doing.
28:43Home again, home again.
28:46Jiggity-jig.
28:50So the pigs made it up the M1 and JB Gill and farmer Charlie were on hand to help Rob and Dave settle them into their new home.
28:57Oh, this is very exciting. I cannot wait to get these pigs out.
29:02There's nothing like moving house, is there, JB?
29:04Ah!
29:06They're bonnie, aren't they?
29:08Yeah, they are.
29:10Charlie, what do you think of these?
29:11These are gorgeous. This is exactly what I was looking for.
29:14And a rare breed, of course, as well, which is very important to me.
29:16Absolutely, yeah. So a lot of our native pig breeds are all endangered.
29:19A lot more rarer than Giant Panda and the middle-wise being one more in particular.
29:23Small size means they're not a great porker, but I just love their little scrunched up faces.
29:26Yeah, look at them. They're looking good to be fair.
29:28Consider these, Charlie, your Christmas bonus.
29:31So what's the plan for them then?
29:34Well, we've got a piece of woodland here that was being sort of drowned out by non-native shrubbery.
29:40Yeah.
29:41So we've cleared all that out. We've opened up the woodland canopy.
29:43These pigs are going to work the magic by disturbing the soil.
29:46I'm hoping that, come springtime, we'll have bluebells, cowslip, all kinds of wildflowers that'll set this woodland alight.
29:54I'll tell you what, if there's one thing that pigs love, it's fresh woodland to get themselves stuck into, isn't it?
29:58Well, I can't wait to see them venture out into the new territory and just turn over the soil a little bit.
30:03Well, it looks like they're itching to get out of their new playground.
30:05Charlie do the honours, eh?
30:07Come on.
30:09Oh, let's see what they think.
30:11That's the last time we'll see them that colour.
30:14Just how long will they be in an area like this?
30:17Probably keep them in here till the early spring.
30:19And then we'll be looking to move them on, will we?
30:21Well, we're not going to move them on too quickly.
30:23We want to breed with them in the spring.
30:24I want to take them round the shore circuit as well.
30:26Yeah, well, it'll be good for us, but it'll also be good for the wildlife as well, won't it?
30:30Exactly.
30:32Wow, those pigs are most definitely living their best lives.
30:36Now then, after the break, we go nuts for, well, nuts.
30:40And Rob and Dave's Netherlands road trip takes a detour to look at some traditional Dutch footwear.
30:45We'll see you in a bit.
30:56Welcome back to Winter on the Farm.
31:11It is time now for our final instalment of the week, following Rob and Dave's epic Dutch adventure.
31:15What's on your feet?
31:16Do you know what I often think about you? You're missing a pair of clogs.
31:19Do you think?
31:20Well, in the Netherlands, the centuries-old art of clog making is dying out.
31:25But Martin Dyckman is trying to keep it alive one block of wood at a time.
31:28It's chilly here in the eastern part of the Netherlands.
31:33But we're heading to a workshop in the town of Luttenberg to warm our cockles.
31:38Cheers, Dave.
31:40It's where Martin Dyckman, one of the last traditional clog makers, plies his trade.
31:46So, Martin, that looks like a lump of wood. I'm presuming it's going to end up being a clog?
31:51Yeah, maybe you can see it already.
31:53Oh, yeah.
31:55My grandfather came on holiday to the Netherlands probably 90 years ago.
32:00And he came home with a pair of clogs.
32:02And Dad said he can see him now walking down Market Hill in Barnsley with his clogs on.
32:07And he had an affinity with the Netherlands ever since. He really loved the place.
32:11But do you know how all the clogs are in Europe, England?
32:15No, you tell me. We're here to learn.
32:17At least 800 years old.
32:18Right.
32:19Clogs were the shoes of choice for farmers and anybody who worked on the land.
32:26They were sturdy, waterproof and protected the foot.
32:30Martin makes his using the same tools his grandfather used.
32:35Including the long knife that creates the characteristic shape.
32:40Look at that. That's like a hot knife through butter.
32:43Traditionally, clogs are made from willow or poplar.
32:46Softer types of wood that are easier to work and were historically abundant in the Netherlands.
32:52It's good, isn't it? Yeah.
32:55Yeah. Yeah.
32:56You can try.
32:57Could I have a go?
32:58Yeah, of course.
33:01Be careful about your fingers.
33:02Yeah.
33:03Put my fingers right around the back.
33:05Rob wants to be too quick.
33:07Slow down.
33:08You have to slow down.
33:10Yeah, that's better.
33:11That's it.
33:12This long knife definitely does the job of shaving the wood.
33:15But getting the shape and the exact size, that's due to generations of skill and a down to Martin.
33:22Craftspeople have been making clogs this way since the 13th century.
33:27Warm in the winter and cool in the summer.
33:29They're still worn by many that live and work in the Dutch countryside.
33:38I've got to get this right.
33:40Oh gosh, it's powerful, isn't it now?
33:42I just love the sound of the wood as it chips off the clog.
33:46And the smell of the freshly worked poplar is lovely.
33:50Martin, Rob seems to have taken a big chunk off the left-hand side. Is it still okay?
33:54Yeah, it's still okay.
33:55Are you teachers? Are you snitching on?
33:58And now that piece of wood looks more like a clog.
34:01It's time to hollow out the footbed with another special tool.
34:05So we have a spoon drill.
34:08We have different sizes.
34:09We start with the small one and then the bigger one.
34:12And then, yeah, you scoop every time, like ice cream.
34:15But before Dave can start scooping, Martin needs to create a couple of holes.
34:20I do this one and then you can do the second one.
34:25It does look quite physical.
34:26It does.
34:27Right, okay.
34:29It's harder than it looks.
34:31You're shaking your hips.
34:33Dave, you're not on Japanese Whispers dance floor in 1986.
34:39I like that.
34:40Yeah.
34:41I like that.
34:42Yeah.
34:43You use a lot of string, eh?
34:44Yeah.
34:45But actually it's more technique.
34:48Go on then, show me.
34:49Yeah, yeah.
34:56Oh, you make it look easy.
34:58Yeah, yeah, yeah.
34:59Before you know it, both those holes will meet and you'll have a shoe.
35:08And I think a shoe is about to be born.
35:12Martin makes around three pairs a day, all different sizes.
35:16The key to a good fit is to allow just enough room for the foot to wiggle round and wear them with a good sock.
35:23There's a tool for every job, isn't there?
35:26Yeah.
35:28And a job for every tool.
35:32I feel as though I've watched something really special evolve before my eyes.
35:36Thank you, Martin.
35:37It's been an absolute education.
35:40Really enjoyed it.
35:43And now we can keep up the family tradition by taking our wooden clogs back to Yorkshire.
35:48What a trip they had.
35:53One day we'll get to go with them on one of these epic adventures.
35:56They have some fun, don't they?
35:57And here come our intrepid explorers.
35:59All right, boys.
36:00Oh, look at this.
36:01Say we never buy you anything.
36:03Oh, look at that.
36:04Oh, thank you.
36:06Hang on, yours look bigger than mine.
36:07Yay!
36:09Oh, look.
36:11It's got your name on.
36:13You worry.
36:15And you've got little straps, look.
36:17Look at that.
36:18Oh, wow.
36:19Are you jealous?
36:20That is great.
36:21I mean...
36:22What a giggle, though.
36:23You must have had a great time.
36:24It was a trip to remember Jules.
36:25We had a brilliant time and what a wonderful country.
36:27I'm so glad I've been.
36:28And the people were so warm and welcoming.
36:30I mean, they look great, but I've got to be honest, they're the most uncomfortable things I've ever had.
36:34Give them a road test.
36:38Look at this.
36:39Great.
36:40It was like a Friday night in 1995.
36:43How many have you had?
36:44Good.
36:45Let's have a go.
36:46I'll tell you what, lads.
36:47It's the socks that make it.
36:48Definitely.
36:49What a look.
36:50What a look.
36:51Why can he pull that off?
36:52They actually suit him.
36:53Yeah!
36:54I could cut this around Herefordshire.
36:55I mean, this could be the new thing.
36:56Because he's very, very posh, Helen.
36:58Fabulous, guys, but thank you for thinking of us.
37:03We always appreciate it.
37:04Now then, to Glastonbury in Somerset, where farmer Andrew Kent has been working his land for over 40 years, very much in the traditional way.
37:12Growing crops and looking after animals, but now he is branching out into something completely different.
37:17He is nuts about nuts.
37:19With the UK importing nearly 3,000 tonnes of hazelnuts, farmer Andrew saw a gap in the market.
37:29He now manages over 9,000 hazelnut, chestnut and walnut trees with the help of his family, son Laurie and daughter Elsa.
37:38The thing that's really cool about the hazelnuts and nuts generally is that we're growing perennial protein here.
37:45So that's nuts growing on trees that grow back year on year on year.
37:50And so you don't have to be planting each year and disturbing the soil in that way.
37:56It's a race between us and the squirrels. Come harvest time, the squirrels are a very, very tenacious species.
38:03With the land being over farmed through the years, Andrew is using the sustainable practice of growing trees and crops in the same field.
38:16We're growing crops in between the trees, oats, we've grown wheat, we've grown potatoes and we've grown beetroot.
38:23The two crops do seem to benefit each other, keeping the soil really healthy at the same time as producing some kind of return from the ground.
38:32before the nuts start yielding.
38:36That's actually deep enough, yeah.
38:41They have a busy winter ahead, transplanting 3,000 trees to a new piece of land so the crop can be harvested mechanically.
38:50Before they can be moved, the shoots of the trees need pruning.
38:55This tree's got four suckers coming off here below where we want it to be.
39:02It's a lovely little hazel tree other than the four suckers.
39:05And it's about 800 millimetres above the ground so that's perfect.
39:10This tree will be really easy to grab with our mechanical harvester there and then shake to get the nuts to drop onto the tarpaulin.
39:19So we don't have to physically pick every nut off by hand.
39:22So it's perfect for us now.
39:24To help out with their enormous task of transportation, they have a new piece of kit.
39:30Today it's out for the first time on a test run.
39:33The size of this hole is important that we get it big enough so that when we transplant our new trees into it, the root ball is not disturbed too badly.
39:43That's lovely, look at that.
39:45Yeah, that looks good.
39:46These trees have been in the ground for four years and it'll probably be another two years before they produce a viable crop.
39:53We should get up to about four kilos per tree, which if you scale that up to the trees that we hope to have then that will be a pretty decent yield for us.
40:03Hopefully we'll be able to grow the business just to kind of push the potential I think of UK grown nuts.
40:09Once harvested, the secret is preserving the nuts' all-important nutrition and flavour.
40:16This is our batch dryer for walnuts.
40:18We're just checking the nuts to make sure they're dry and that they taste nice, which they obviously do because they're British homegrown walnuts.
40:26My hope for the future is that more British farmers take up growing nuts, and with Christmas round the corner, what could be better than being able to buy really tasty British nuts?
40:40A little flicker of recognition across your face there, wasn't it?
40:42Well, I have to say, watching that VT back, I knew Andrew Kent many years ago when he was a farmer in Suffolk, and yeah, we had a few good nights out.
40:48So, Andrew, if you're watching, great to see you again.
40:51What are we making, Tim?
40:53Chocolate profiteroles with a hazelnut praline.
40:56These are filled with chocolate mousse.
40:58Okay.
40:59So I've pre-made this chocolate mousse.
41:00When you say you've done profiteroles, how have you done this?
41:03So, basically, you melt some butter.
41:04Yeah.
41:05Fire in your flour.
41:06Okay.
41:07Hang on.
41:08Melt some butter, fire in your flour.
41:10Yeah.
41:11Beat that so it's almost like a roux, and then you'll drop in your eggs.
41:14And then you'll pipe these onto a baking sheet, and then they'll puff up nicely.
41:18Right.
41:19And then the chocolate mousse gets squirted into the middle.
41:22Oh, look.
41:23And then you can dip.
41:24That looks gorgeous.
41:25Oh, gosh.
41:26I mean, they over-sheep, don't they?
41:27I love that one.
41:28Well, here's how you get on with your profiterole filling.
41:31I'm not that good at these.
41:33What are you doing here?
41:34How have you done this?
41:35So, melted some caster sugar.
41:37Okay.
41:38Nice and gently, so you don't want it to burn.
41:41Dropped in some hazelnuts, and then poured it onto some grease-proof paper.
41:44Can you smash that for me?
41:45Oh, absolutely.
41:46I've brought a serious rolling pin.
41:49Oh!
41:54Have you finished?
41:55Was there something on your mind, Helen?
41:56That was wildly satisfying.
41:57Do you feel that now?
41:58Right.
41:59A bit more chocolate on there.
42:02Mmm.
42:03Oh, look how gooey.
42:04That hides a thousand sins.
42:06Well, that's just what I was thinking, Robert.
42:09And that's it.
42:10So, that's my roast hazelnut chocolate profiterole.
42:13Amazing.
42:14I like that, isn't it, David?
42:15Why don't you spit it in your mouth and squeeze it, David?
42:17I've got to be honest, that is a real trick.
42:20Wow.
42:21That was lovely.
42:22Tim, thank you so much for your expertise and your patience.
42:25I'm sure that was really annoying for people who can actually cook,
42:27but we had a lovely time, didn't we?
42:29And, boys, thank you for having us round at your place, as ever,
42:32and to all of our friends and experts who've joined us over the last few days.
42:36But, sadly, that is it for this season of Winter on the Farm,
42:39but not the last you're going to see of Canterhall Farm this year.
42:42No, we have got a Christmas extravaganza for you.
42:45We will be joined by J.B. Gill in the flesh,
42:47the dog father himself, Graham Hall, will be with us,
42:50as will Nicholas Ralph from All Creatures Great and Small.
42:53We'll have a band spreading festive joy.
42:55We'll have drinks, we'll have presents, we'll have laughter,
42:57we'll have merriment.
42:58No family arguments.
42:59It'll be fabulous.
43:00But until then, from all of us here in Barsley, goodnight!
43:03Bye!
43:09We've watched him grow from a wee one to a grown man with a digger.
43:13Stream Rubenow and Life in the Dales now on 5.
43:16Next, Santa with his reindeers is in for a luxurious treat
43:20as they turn up inside the Four Seasons at Christmas.
43:23Brand new after the break.
43:25All right.
43:27All right.
43:28We'll see you all in the next day.
43:29Bye.
43:30Bye.
43:31Bye.
43:32Bye.
43:34Bye.
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