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00:01Across Scotland's remote and rugged landscapes...
00:04It's absolutely out of this world.
00:08..farming families...
00:09Keep going. Well done.
00:10..are working harder than ever...
00:12..to make a living.
00:15Blood, sweat and tears went into them.
00:21..embracing new ideas...
00:23He's in.
00:24Perfect.
00:25Abby?
00:26..and preserving ancient traditions.
00:28His goal was to get us to love it,
00:30and he's definitely achieved that.
00:32..trying to ensure the future for the next generation.
00:36Would you prefer to be farming or school?
00:38Farmer.
00:39..in challenging times.
00:41Are they going to take away a farm just yet?
00:44When you see this, you have to deal with the problem.
00:47It's quite heartbreaking.
00:49Five families...
00:50Please.
00:51..share their struggles.
00:53I don't even know why I'm crying.
00:54It happens all the time.
00:56It's all very stressful.
00:58Oh, my goodness.
00:59..and celebrate their triumphs.
01:01Well done.
01:02Isn't that not just the most beautiful thing you could see?
01:05That's why I do it.
01:10It's all very beautiful.
01:11It's all very beautiful.
01:11It's all very beautiful.
01:11It's all very beautiful.
01:12Summer is turning to autumn.
01:15On you go.
01:16Up, up, up.
01:17The change of season marks the end of the farming calendar.
01:23There you go.
01:24Happy days.
01:25And the seeds of new beginnings.
01:28Right, let's go out the glen.
01:35In Dumfries and Galloway, at Old Newton Farm, it's a 5am start for the Johnston family.
01:43What shoes are you wearing, Piggy?
01:47To keep their dairy contract, they have to be producing milk in just six weeks' time.
01:53But to do that, they need a new dairy herd.
01:56Now, other foot, please.
01:59That's him. Good job.
02:00So, today, they're heading to a farm sale in Cheshire.
02:05Do you think we're going to buy a little cow today?
02:07Two. Oh! You're not very optimistic, then?
02:11A little bit nervous, because they could be at a fairly strong price.
02:16So, it's a tough one, I reckon we've done all of this
02:19to maybe not be able to buy any if they're too expensive.
02:25All right.
02:26Get your headphones on to it.
02:28You can always go for a wee nap on the way.
02:32The market for dairy cows is at a high right now.
02:37A cell ring's just a pressure cooker though, isn't it?
02:39Yeah.
02:40You get 30 seconds, maybe a minute in the ring...
02:42To make a decision on the cow.
02:43To make a decision and bid on it.
02:45It's only the day that might define the rest of your milking career.
02:49There's no nerves to be had.
02:51And that's not their only challenge.
02:53The dairy shed build is now weeks behind schedule.
02:58And they can't produce milk without a working parlour.
03:03If we don't hit our deadline on the milk in the tank,
03:06we lose our milk contracts.
03:08So, that puts into jeopardy our whole business.
03:12We've just spent in the region of £300,000 on a new dairy build.
03:17So, I would say it would be pretty catastrophic
03:19if we lost that contract and we have nowhere to sell our milk.
03:25Oh, my God!
03:33They're not a million miles different tarpaulin happens, are they?
03:36No.
03:38Is that a smell?
03:40Adam's dad, PJ, has driven up from Gloucestershire to help out.
03:45He's gorgeous, isn't he?
03:49Look at your grandson.
03:50It's like a proper farmer.
03:52A bad part of Jayol.
03:55Right, we're going to have a quick look around these cows.
03:58Everyone got their fuel they need?
04:00Yeah?
04:00Everyone happy now?
04:02All the boys are fed, or being fed.
04:05And we're going to go look around some cows.
04:14These are all milking cows.
04:16We want to buy the dry cows
04:17because, obviously, we've got nowhere to milk them at the moment.
04:21Dry cows are pregnant and not in milk,
04:24but they'll calve in time to produce milk for the delivery deadline.
04:29They look really smart, actually.
04:31A lot bigger than I thought they would be.
04:34Yeah, really smart, but...
04:37Pardon?
04:37No, I know which other one I want.
04:40OK.
04:41Dairy milk we want.
04:42Yeah.
04:43Dairy milk.
04:44Oh, OK.
04:45I reckon we just found the person to take over our farm
04:47when me and Adam want to retire.
04:54Yeah.
04:55Another couple of inches, wait.
04:57Yeah.
04:57Cheveller.
05:00And then mine's in a hole.
05:02Ian's your favourite out of all of them?
05:05Oh, you just like them already, yeah?
05:08Ladies and gentlemen, we've got 250 milkers
05:11that were being sold today,
05:12and then tomorrow we've got towards 250 young stock.
05:17Over the two-day sale,
05:18Lucy and Adam want to buy around 40 cows.
05:23But there's a lot of competition.
05:251,600, 1,600.
05:28Hopefully, everyone else here is here to buy milk cows
05:30and in milk cows and not dry cows,
05:33and then we'll be fine.
05:35Dry cow in now, thank you very much.
05:37That looks a lovely ordered young cow, doesn't it?
05:4070 mid then, 1,700.
05:41Down here, 70 mid, 50.
05:4270, 50, 80, 50.
05:44They've set themselves a budget
05:46averaging 2,500 pounds per cow.
05:49Wait, what missed you?
05:50Pushes away this time at 2,250.
05:53The Johnson family, thank you very much.
05:55We've got our first cow.
05:58Very excited.
05:59Adam is also excited,
06:00but you can't retail by his ways.
06:021,900, 1,900.
06:031,900, 1,900.
06:041,900, 1,900.
06:051,900, 1,900.
06:051,900, 1,900.
06:071,900.
06:08Treat the same.
06:091,150.
06:10Wrap me aside, 18, 2,180.
06:11Tighten you up for me.
06:122,200.
06:132,200.
06:15Johnson, 2,200.
06:18Two cows bought,
06:19both well within budget.
06:22Did you just want to grab us eight bits of fresh air?
06:25Did you?
06:28It was a little bit nerve-wracking to make sure
06:30we buy enough to justify transport
06:33all the way up to Scotland,
06:35and so that's the next challenge.
06:38Ideally, we'd buy 35.40 minimum to get on a lorry.
06:44At the moment, I think we bought three,
06:46so another 37 to go.
06:54Can I get a Rocky Road as well, please?
06:56Thank you so much.
06:57I'm going to go deliver cakes and a sausage roll
06:59and hope that keeps them going for a little bit longer.
07:02Lot number 103 is next.
07:03There's a dry cow who's got two and a half.
07:05Probably 2,080.
07:06About 1,800, 1,850, 1,850, 1,850, 1,850, 1,850, 1,850, 1,850, 1,850, 1
07:14,850.
07:18Thank you again.
07:20Well into the afternoon, they've only bought eight cows.
07:242,6, 1,950, 2,657, 2,750, 2,8, 2,008.
07:29It's a lovely young cow here.
07:30But the prices are going up.
07:322,650, 2,657, 2,750.
07:35So 2,750, then she's away this time at 2,750.
07:39Johnson, as before, 2,750.
07:41And with just nine cows at their target budget average,
07:46they decide to call it quits.
07:49Cows are getting a wee bit younger now,
07:50so your prices are starting to creep up.
07:52It's starting to flow 2,000s,
07:54and now we're up to sort of low 3,000s price points.
07:56We knew they were going to be dear enough,
07:58but I don't think we can afford to put a herd together at 3,000 ahead.
08:027,27, don't lose her.
08:03Crazy man.
08:05For now, they have to get back to Scotland,
08:08so they'll bid on day two of the sale remotely.
08:12But we've got the heifers tomorrow,
08:13so hopefully they can make up a lorry load.
08:18Consumer demand, seasonality, and the weather
08:23can all affect livestock prices.
08:30200 miles northwest,
08:33on Scotland's remote and rugged Kintyre Peninsula...
08:37We're going through the metal fields.
08:39Ah, yeah.
08:40Andrew Glenn and Dad Terence
08:43are gathering in their ewes with single lambs.
08:47Are you wanting to come up with me in the field or not?
08:50Aye, I'll go up with you and help you up there.
08:54Also on the team is agricultural student Natalie.
09:00So, you're down there, Natalie.
09:02Just stop me from going down the lane.
09:05And me and Dad will be bringing it out of this field.
09:09Dad.
09:10What?
09:10Me and you are both going up.
09:12Yep.
09:12So we all know where we're going?
09:14Yep.
09:15Darling.
09:17So you know where you're going.
09:18I do know where I'm going.
09:19You don't know where I'm going.
09:29Today, they're weaning and weighing lambs.
09:33Welcome.
09:34The results will reveal how well this year's stock is growing.
09:39Welcome.
09:40Here we go.
09:42Go on, go on.
09:47I'm going to re-zero it.
09:48That's it now.
09:51It's not just the lambs that are on Weight Watch.
09:55Don't you laugh at it.
09:5868.
09:59Very nice.
09:5990.
10:02I usually run about 87.
10:06You're wearing steel-toed cap wheelies.
10:12There they go.
10:13There they go.
10:20Orange.
10:23Come on.
10:24The lambs are colour-coded according to weight.
10:29Long keep stores, which is 33, 36 kilograms.
10:35Blue.
10:37Short keep stores, 36 to 40.
10:40And then hopefully everything above 40 is fat.
10:45Yellow.
10:47They want high numbers of fat lambs, nearly ready to be sold.
10:52Jeez-o.
10:53Yep.
10:54Especially as they need to buy in more breeding stock after losing 60 sheep in winter storms.
11:02We lost so many with a flood, we're going to have to buy ones in.
11:06But the price of lambs this year is insane.
11:10It might come down, but we're not sure yet.
11:15Yellow.
11:15Yellow.
11:17This year we seem to have so much grass, and we're still in the time of the year where the
11:22grass has got good protein in it, so they're growing.
11:24They're growing well, actually.
11:28Right, done.
11:30Perfect.
11:32The results are in.
11:3423 big ones.
11:36That's very good.
11:39A welcome boost to their depleted flock.
11:45They're nice to be lambs.
11:47They are.
11:52Autumn is a busy season in the farming calendar, with harvesting, livestock sales, and the start
12:00of breeding cycles.
12:0550 miles northeast in Glasgow, Adams had to make time in his demanding schedule for a long-awaited
12:13prosthetic leg fitting.
12:15Have a wee wee, and I'll let him know you're here, OK?
12:17Magic.
12:17Cheers, then.
12:18Thanks, Adam.
12:20Although antibiotics have helped with the recent infection, he needs a replacement leg.
12:26I've had this leg now for about two years, so your stump changes over time, so it's just
12:31become time for a new one, basically.
12:33It'll fit a wee bit better, stop me getting some sores and whatnot, and just make it a wee
12:37bit easier going forward.
12:38I think I've got some new feet to try as well, so, yeah, that should be pretty good.
12:45At Old Newton, Lucy is preparing for day two of the cow auction.
12:50In you go.
12:52But this time, she'll be bidding online.
12:54You can sit there.
12:56So, I'm on my own doing bidding.
13:00I just don't know how I actually do it, is the problem.
13:05She needs to pick cows due to calf at the right time.
13:09October 5th.
13:11To coincide with the parlour being finished.
13:14As soon as a cow calves, she'll have a lot of milk to her, and just the way dairy cows
13:21are nowadays, they have a lot more milk than a calf can drink, so it would cause her a fair
13:27amount of health issues if we didn't get that milk off of her.
13:30So, we've just got to be really careful that when they're calving in, that we're going to
13:33have somewhere to milk them.
13:36All right, so this is the first one.
13:3917, thank you, much obliged.
13:4017,000, 17,000, 17,000, 17,000, 17,000, 18,000, 18,000, 18,000, 18,000, 18,000,
13:4418,000.
13:44Lucy is bidding against ringside buyers.
13:4624,50, at 24,50, make 80, 24,80, tidy the point, 5,25, another 50, at 25,50, 25
13:54,50,
13:55at 25,50, 25,50, shakes his head ringside, then she's away online at 25,50.
14:00Lucy Johnson, 25,50.
14:03Yay, I got one.
14:06And it was the one I wanted, so.
14:09I'm petrified.
14:10Poor Doug's probably bounced to the ceiling, because I sat there bouncing him.
14:14The joys of parenting and trying to farm.
14:18And you're going to have a little sleep.
14:25And other cows up that fits their timeline.
14:28At 2,900, I'll sell her away on the internet.
14:30At 2,900, Johnson, at 2,900.
14:32How's it going, 2,900?
14:33I'll set the one in.
14:35I know, buddy.
14:36Three, two and a half, got to be.
14:38And by the time Adam checks in...
14:40It's like Tinder for cows, is it?
14:42Yeah, and I'm loving it.
14:43Four.
14:44She's bought four.
14:4524,50, five, two, five, at 2,500, Johnson, two, five.
14:52Yay, go, mum.
14:53Go, mum.
14:54At 2,900, 2,900, 50, 29,50, at 2,900, fill up those 3,000, bid online at 3
15:00,000.
15:01That was basically the way this time at 3,000.
15:03Johnson makes it with a spot at 3,000.
15:06Can you get some good biscuits?
15:08Just being the boss over here, doing the bidding.
15:11Being cast to Terry, look, it's September.
15:13It's gone to my head.
15:14There we are then.
15:16Oh, it's like an online gambling game, I think, yeah.
15:18Well, I've just been in there and Lucy spent 10 grand in about three minutes.
15:22It's an expensive week.
15:24I had to buy a new feeder wagon, new shed, new cows.
15:29It's a big week.
15:29It's time at 2,800, Johnson, two, eight.
15:34So, heifers Lucy's bidding on at the minutes are first-time mums, basically, so they've
15:38never milked before.
15:39Generally, in the first year, they don't produce quite as much milk as, like, a second and third
15:44lactation cow.
15:45But you've also got that cow for more years, so for us, we'd much rather buy a younger
15:50herd that we're going to have for the next 10 years, hopefully, than buy older cows and
15:55then have to replace them sooner.
15:58So, that's how we've done it before and it worked really well.
16:002004, then hammers up, which is away at 2-4.
16:03Johnson, 2-4.
16:05Done.
16:06Woo-hoo!
16:07Yeah.
16:07Nine, ten, eleven, twelve.
16:10And there's how you spend 30 grand in about 20 minutes.
16:15Are you not happy with that?
16:16That's good.
16:17Twelve.
16:18Yeah.
16:18So, we bought 21 total.
16:20Yeah.
16:20So, we got nine yesterday.
16:21That's all right, then.
16:22Good.
16:22More cows on the farm.
16:24More cows on the farm.
16:24We're, like, getting closer and closer to being a proper dairy farm.
16:28Yeah.
16:28Yeah.
16:29It's exciting.
16:32The cows will be delivered in a fortnight.
16:35OK.
16:36All you needed.
16:37The persuader.
16:39Happy?
16:39OK.
16:41Now, Adam and Craig need to finish building the milking parlour.
16:45Good man.
16:47Two weeks behind schedule.
16:49OK.
16:51They're working all the hours they can to get back on track.
16:56We're winning slowly.
16:57We'll get this one up.
16:58That's just halfway through the steels.
17:00Hopefully, by the end of tomorrow, we'll have all the main steels up and braced and then
17:04we'll get the timbers on and then get the gable ends filled in.
17:09There we go.
17:11Hopefully, next week, we'll get the roof on.
17:13Robot room built.
17:15Prove everyone wrong that says it can only be done.
17:19He is very good at delivering the undeliverables.
17:23But it all comes at a considerable cost.
17:27We've gone down the route of financing, which isn't ideal.
17:30It's another load of interest we've got to pay and payments coming out every month.
17:35They're having to borrow another £54,000 on top of their £1.6 million mortgage.
17:43So there is a lot on the line.
17:45I think that's probably why I'm so probably stupidly optimistic is I'm not prepared to lose this and neither is
17:54Adam.
17:56I don't know what we'll do if this doesn't work.
18:0770 miles northwest of Moffat, in the Firth of Clyde, Callum Lindsay is returning home to the Isle of Arran
18:14with his latest investment.
18:18A second-hand tractor that's cost him and Zara £12,000.
18:24I'm just interested to see it.
18:26I would maybe say excited.
18:28It was needed.
18:30I mean, here you can't get our big tractor in, so I knew we needed to spend money on something.
18:36There's your new rod.
18:39Ah, it's good.
18:40It starts, it dries.
18:42Ah.
18:42We're going places, dear.
18:43We're going places.
18:45It saves me rolling and shoveling in silage in the winter in there, so at least we've got a tractor
18:50that can at least push it into the cows.
18:52Ah, I'm happy.
18:54Good.
18:55Happy farmer, happy wife.
19:02They're also investing in a new farm building.
19:06We're putting up a shed that's going to be 20 foot wide and 60 foot long.
19:11That looks good.
19:14We've made the ground big enough that we can drive round the back of the shed and come to there,
19:19or we can bring sheep round or cattle in.
19:23It's like every shed, you know, it's a vital asset to the property.
19:26It's a big change to us.
19:28You know, it's a step in the right direction.
19:33Right.
19:34Good to go.
19:36They're saving on labour costs, but still need to buy in building supplies.
19:42We're still at the stage where any money we make gets invested straight back into the business.
19:48It looks like it's all just money going out, but, you know, in the long run it's going to be
19:53a huge amount better for us.
19:55Hopefully it's starting to expand our business as a whole.
20:00So today we're starting building that expansion and building that dream.
20:06Now we need to put all this onto the trailer.
20:10Ferry costs can push up prices.
20:13I think I've got a wee bargain, said that they'd do it a wee bit cheaper to the pallet, so
20:17hopefully that'll keep Cam happy.
20:20Right, that should stay on until we get home.
20:25All the more handy that they own a major source of materials.
20:30When we came here, the quarry was a square that was fenced out the perimeter of the farm.
20:36So we bought the quarry.
20:38It was about seven and a half thousand, plus the legals.
20:41The quarry has already more than paid for itself.
20:46The yard that we built in the spring.
20:48If we were to have bought the stone, we would have been about 35,000 in stone.
20:54Callum estimates it will save them another £10,000 on the new shed.
20:59We don't have the money, you know.
21:02With our own natural resources on the farm, it's allowed us to do what we're doing.
21:08Help!
21:12Whoa!
21:15It's still going to cost us about eight grand, but it's a massive saving.
21:20If you had somebody to, just coming at you, without the groundwork, coming to wreck the shed,
21:25you'd be about 25,000 for a timber shed.
21:28Maybe being a jack of all trades and a master of nuns, they weigh the future.
21:32My biggest fear is getting the mixture right, you know.
21:35It's a bit like baking a cake.
21:38A wee bit too much water, it's too runny. A little bit too little water, it's stodgy.
21:47Using reclaimed telegraph poles from the island is another saving.
21:53Into the hole!
21:58It needs to go that way.
22:00How much?
22:01Five inches.
22:04Lift it up!
22:05Lift it up!
22:07Whoa!
22:11I'm happy because he's doing the skippy work. He's doing the shovel work and I'm here.
22:16So, roll reversal for all of five minutes.
22:21With more shed space, Callum and Zara can increase their livestock numbers and future profits too.
22:29It's the start to a feat of engineering.
22:33Either that or a disaster, one or the other, but...
22:36Once you've got the first one in, you're committed, aren't you?
22:39It's going to look a bit daft if I've only got one pole sitting in the middle of the yard.
22:43But yes, I don't think it's going to blow away anyway.
22:49Well, you cannot shed build into your CV now.
22:53Oh no, wouldn't it go that far?
23:00Just ten miles across the water, in Kintyre...
23:05Hang on there, I'll go up in here.
23:08The lambs need supplementary feeding to help them thrive.
23:13It's rolling, so...
23:14Right, it's still rolling, rolling, rolling.
23:21These animals are quite fat, but they just need to be kept going.
23:26This will put the weight on them.
23:27And this year, the way that prices have been, it's well worthwhile doing that.
23:3563-year-old Terence has farmed all his life.
23:40But a stroke 14 years ago, a recent prostate cancer diagnosis and angina are all cause for concern.
23:51I have had to come to him a few times this year and say, look, you need to go inside.
23:57He just slows down.
24:00He thinks I can't see when he is ill.
24:03He would try to keep it a secret and pretend like everything's fine.
24:08Because he's doing the thing he loves and the place he loves.
24:12Hoo-wee!
24:14He's not wanting any external force, like his health, stopping him from doing that.
24:23Rain on again?
24:25Yep. It's maybe not going to be too heavy, though.
24:29Terence is on monthly check-ups for his angina.
24:33There's a lot of very nice lambs in there.
24:36Yeah, hasn't he?
24:38Today, his wife Helen is meeting nurse Jackie with him.
24:42She'll be asking how you got on with your tablets.
24:45No, I actually have been taking my tablets regularly.
24:48She won't be impressed.
24:50Oh, she won't.
24:56He'll be quite lonely in the farm without Dad, but I would never tell him to stop, or even want
25:01him to stop, because it's one of them things where that's his life.
25:05That's all he's ever really knowing.
25:07Like, that's what sort of keeps him going, almost.
25:12This year, especially, I couldn't have done what I'd done without Dad.
25:17If I could just have it that he's doing as easy jobs as the ones he loves to do, that's
25:23what I'm going to aim for.
25:25Yeah. Check your blood pressure.
25:29Not too bad. Very similar to the last time.
25:33Last time. That's good.
25:34You're still having angina daily?
25:37Probably been three days, but I had one today after I had been lifting big bags of compost.
25:43And then I just relax and it goes away.
25:47I think what it was, I maybe messed a day with my pregabalin.
25:52Oh, there's a shocker.
25:54So I've been religiously taking them.
25:57Taking all your tablets?
25:58Taking all my tablets as prescribed.
26:01Gold star for tears.
26:04How's your appetite?
26:06Well, when you look at that, you know it's pretty good.
26:10You know what that means, don't you?
26:12No more sweets and no more baskets.
26:16No more baskets, no more cakes.
26:18A reduction of bread as well.
26:20A reduction of bread?
26:22Oh no. Absolutely.
26:24And just walking so that you're getting your heart rate up and keeping it up.
26:28Yeah, not just down to the yard.
26:30No.
26:31Very good, Joite. Thank you very much.
26:33We'll see you in a month's time. Nice to see you.
26:36We'll see you later.
26:37Bye.
26:38Bye.
26:42I see a lot of farmers through this job and they do, they just kind of blink it all out
26:49and think that they're okay.
26:51And no, they're not.
26:54But actually, I think deep down he knows that it does need to change his ways a wee bit.
27:01And I'd always find it's better when Helen's there because Helen is, Helen's taking it all on board and probably
27:08cracks the whip once they're home.
27:11I'm maybe not doing as much as I should be doing.
27:15I want to be here as long as possible to be with Helen and the rest of the family.
27:20At the end of the day, it's up to me to take the advice and use it.
27:26But you never think about that whenever you're working and the job needs done.
27:32But that's just life.
27:35Farming life.
27:42In Dumfries and Galloway, there's no let-up on the workload for Adam and Lucy.
27:48Today, they're taking delivery of the pregnant cows they bought from the Cheshire auction.
27:54You stand up there, Dougal. Good idea.
27:58They'll start calving in just four weeks.
28:03So we're in a bit of a sticky situation.
28:05We need the cows to be here, ready for the robot.
28:08But we also don't want them to calve too soon because we've got nowhere to milk them.
28:12One that we bought had calved a couple of days ago, so we have had to not let it on
28:16a lorry just because we've got nowhere to milk it.
28:20They could milk a few by hand if they had to, but not the whole herd.
28:27Oh, yeah.
28:28Good job, bud.
28:30We've still got no roof on our shed.
28:33We are putting a roof on currently, but there is not a whole roof on.
28:38We've got to concrete everything.
28:39We've got to put cubicles in.
28:41We've got to put the room for the robot in.
28:44We've got to install the robot.
28:46There's a lot to do still.
28:48Adam pretends like things are all fine, but everything's been pretty tense at the minute.
28:54And yeah, I think everyone's feeling it quite a lot.
29:02If we can unload just back into there, we're going to run them down.
29:05They're going to go out in the field.
29:07There's only 19, not 20.
29:11There was 19, 21, then it went to 20, and now there's 19.
29:15Yes.
29:15Because you're not fit up to milk.
29:17No.
29:18Well, it's carved.
29:19We're getting less and less by the minute.
29:22Steady.
29:26And looking at udders.
29:29Just making sure everything's right off the lorry, really.
29:33They're nice, aren't they?
29:36Oh, God.
29:38That's him, is it?
29:39Yeah.
29:39Lovely, thank you.
29:41Oh, I'm really happy with him.
29:42Good.
29:48Nice to have milking cows back.
29:50It does make it feel like it's coming together a wee bit.
29:56Next step is just getting the shed finished.
29:58Cows in there milking, isn't it?
30:00Do you want me to help you build it when we get...
30:02Yeah, if you get your screwdriver out and just screw it all together, that'd be great.
30:06Probably, yeah.
30:06How long do you reckon it'll take?
30:0830 minutes.
30:1030 minutes?
30:11Done deal.
30:11How long are you going to cast?
30:12Oh, I'm sorted.
30:24In Aran, preparations are underway for lamb sales in six weeks.
30:29You see that track there, Coley?
30:31Take a straight line along that face.
30:33Oh, OK.
30:34Right, that's fine.
30:35Friend Coley is helping Callum gather the sheep off the hill, before they drive them down to Zara on the
30:41farm.
30:43They'll be stuffed further down towards the burn as we go along, but they'll try and come up the way.
30:48Right, OK.
30:52The flock roams freely, over 4,500 acres.
30:58There was about 650 ewes, plus their lambs went back to the hill.
31:03Hopefully we get everything in.
31:09Do you see the gate, Coley?
31:11No, not yet. I'm just coming round that now.
31:18Our lambs that are coming off the hill are a main part of our income for the year, but we're
31:23only selling two or three times a year.
31:25So that's only two or three times a year that there's money coming in.
31:31Livestock is our only income, so it's either sink or swim, and Scottish lamb is world-renowned.
31:39If we can't make a sustainable living putting food on the public table, why are we doing it?
31:50Coley just heads within by a fence.
31:52OK, no bother.
31:55I'm just waiting on Coley catching up on the other side of Glenespie here, so we're heading in the right
32:01direction, we're almost at the back.
32:07The forecast was to be light showers. It's pretty miserable.
32:21On you go.
32:21Are we? Are we?
32:24Right, you walk up that way and I'll go round to the front of us.
32:28Howdy girls, hop, hop, hop.
32:30Shhh, hop.
32:32The lambs are old enough to be separated from their mums.
32:36We'll get these ones drawn off and give the yowes a rest.
32:40And these guys will duddle off home to hillside to grow and then we'll start to think about marketing lambs
32:48once they've got a wee bit of bigger.
32:51Oh, wee toots.
32:54Howdy girls, come on!
32:58The lamb crop's looking pretty good.
33:01Oh, there's a big step forward from where we were this time last year.
33:05If we'd had sustained a lambing like last year, you know, it just wouldn't have been financially viable to keep
33:12pushing at it.
33:13But we can start to work away and make a future now.
33:19It was also such a bad year last year. It's not just going to take one year to recover.
33:25No.
33:27This year is all about getting the farm into profit after last year's losses to bad weather and bird predation.
33:35We really want to know how good a year it's been when they're actually sold.
33:39You know, you can look at a lamb and think to us they look good lambs, but it's what the
33:44buyers actually want.
33:46That's what really determines how good a year you've had.
34:04It's almost dawn at Old Newton Farm. And after six weeks of long working days and hard graft, the milking
34:13parlour is still not finished.
34:16Pay your cup up! Pay your cup up!
34:21Bless them, the guys are working until one o'clock last night. And then we're all out at four o
34:26'clock this morning, so...
34:29Phew!
34:31The deadline for Lucy and Adam's first milk delivery is now only 24 hours away.
34:38Er, I'll spin that way if that's right.
34:41The mattresses are going in at the moment for the cask.
34:43Yeah, I'll go down under it.
34:46Does it feel comfy for a friend? Lie on it.
34:51Building a dairy from scratch was a risky decision.
34:55We are trying to achieve something pretty out there.
34:59And the timescales are pretty tricky.
35:02But...
35:04With Craig and Adam, anything's possible.
35:07I don't think the gravity of the situation is lost on anyone, which is why I think we have had
35:12so many kind people
35:13come together and help us and put in ridiculous hours to get this sorted.
35:19There's a huge financial pressure and it doesn't feel like quite a relief yet
35:22because we're currently sitting in a shed that is still not suitable for cows.
35:29And even if they hit their deadline, fluctuating milk prices offer no guarantee of a large paycheck.
35:36All these fixings I've put in, I don't think I've done them up quite tight enough.
35:41OK, yeah, I can do that.
35:42They could just do with like a nip up.
35:46You let me nip that.
35:51On top of final shed fittings, there's another big hurdle to get over.
35:58Testing the milking robot.
36:01We're going with our cows first.
36:03And a couple of the cows that calved in from the sale that we bought in Cheshire.
36:09First they need to separate the test cows from their calves.
36:14You're quite ready to rock and roll, aren't you?
36:16Just don't let these big calves come if we can help it.
36:22Good girl.
36:23Right, do you just want to go out and open the gates at the same time?
36:26Steady.
36:27Good girl.
36:29Good girl.
36:32You need to be fair, that went really well.
36:34The calves shed off really well, but they've never been off their calves, so this is their next test now,
36:38just to go through the crush, get their IDs on and see if we can milk cows.
36:44So she is 2523485.
36:50If it's all working correctly, the robot totally automates the milking process.
36:56But they don't know yet if their cows will take to it.
37:01The cows now have their ID transponder put on their collar, so when they go into the robot, the robot
37:07picks it up, knows exactly what the cow is, everything about her lactation, how many days she's been in milk,
37:12her weight, everything, everything's on that ID.
37:14So we're just linking that now to each cow individually, and then they'll go forward onto the robot.
37:22They've just got to basically learn, that's where they get fed, that's where they go to be milked, and then
37:26once they get into a routine of knowing that's where they go, they'll soon pick it up.
37:32And then once they get used to the robot signs and everything, they should just go in there as their
37:36free will, and they're a lot happier for it, so.
37:39But hopefully they'll learn quick.
37:42And here we go.
37:45Yeah, she's about in.
37:47She's in.
37:52Family favourite Maisie is the first to try it out.
37:57Good last, lovey.
38:00Lasers have to locate the teats, so the suction cups can attach.
38:06Where she's been stuck by a car, it's not totally even, and so her back seat are more prominent than
38:14her front seat, so it keeps mistaking them, so it's just got to figure it out.
38:22The robot latches on.
38:25The robot latches on.
38:26And Maisie delivers.
38:29Congratulations, you're milked in the first cow to milk at Old Newton.
38:37It's pretty symbolic having the first cow to milk at Old Newton.
38:42The tears are coming from pure exhaustion.
38:46But it's very good.
38:47Just another 27 to go.
38:53Perfect.
39:00In Kintyre, there are also changes afoot.
39:06This year's calves are going to market.
39:09OK, Andrew.
39:13Well done.
39:14All part of Andrew's plan to downsize on cattle.
39:18Super job.
39:20To lighten his dad's workload.
39:23I would love to be producing more cattle and so on, but I know myself that I couldn't do it,
39:29and I know that Andrew, Andrew enjoys the sheep more.
39:34So I wouldn't mind sticking at what we have got, somewhere around the 20-cow mark, but the cattle is
39:41a dangerous commodity.
39:42You need to be in your game, because all it takes is for you to be in the wrong place
39:47at the wrong time, and you could be seriously hurt.
39:50And I'm definitely not as fast as I was at getting out of the way, so you have to be
39:57really, really careful.
40:01Sheep, to me, probably could bore me before they would kill me.
40:08So are we thinking for them?
40:10I usually always tell the auctioneer a lot more than what I'm thinking.
40:14If I could average 1,600 for the lot of them, I would be more than happy with that, and
40:19so would our overdraft.
40:22Yes.
40:23I might even smile.
40:25Well, that would be even better.
40:27Maybe get me a day off?
40:29No.
40:30No?
40:31Your day off's going to the market.
40:33That's very nice of you.
40:38We're looking forward to getting a bit of money in the bank.
40:42Apart from our climate site, this is the first decent whack of cash we've had since spring.
40:48This will be a much needed boost to the funds.
40:52With fewer cows on the farm, Andrew is expanding the sheep business.
40:58Forget money from these cows.
41:00Yep.
41:01And then we've got fat lambs as well.
41:03That should give me enough to buy 100 lambs.
41:08That would be right.
41:12I really enjoy getting to the market.
41:15Andrew doesn't, he's never been a great one for the market.
41:19I suppose he reckons it's my thing, so he leaves it up to me.
41:25I've been doing it for years now, so it just lets me get on with it.
41:34The calves are being sold as store calves.
41:37They'll be going on to somebody to bring them on the next bit.
41:41Anything from 10 to 12 months is the sweet period for us, for selling our store animals, because that's when
41:50we'll make the most money out of them.
41:55You're always at these markets, you know how good ones.
41:58Who have you ever gone to?
42:01You know good animals when you feed them, you see.
42:04See you later, boy.
42:07Hi there, the light's going on.
42:15Andrew and Terence are hoping their eight calves make a total of around £12,800.
42:35At £2,040 each, it's a strong start for the two bullocks.
42:50The first heifers do well too.
42:58And the rest are sold in less than a minute.
43:02Thank you. Cheers.
43:08How did you get on?
43:10We've done really, really well.
43:11The two bullocks mid-2040, the heifers went £1,840, £1,850 and £1,600 for the wee last one.
43:25I'm happy with that.
43:26Very good.
43:28Speak to you later. Bye.
43:34That makes all the difference when you come out of your market smiling.
43:40The final tally of almost £15,000 is welcome news for Andrew and Gail.
43:47Are you hungry?
43:48You are always hungry.
43:51You coming out?
43:54Last year was tough because I thought we were losing all them sheep and the other storm damage too.
43:59But this year just seems to be a completely different year than last year.
44:03That's the best prices we've ever had.
44:06There is light at the end of the tunnel finally and I feel like for next year it's definitely more
44:12positive.
44:13And then we can maybe think about expanding.
44:18Their plant nursery and glamping site are doing well too.
44:22This year was the first starting block of the agritourism side of the business but I think it's went well.
44:34The pods are now bringing in 50% of the farm's income and Andrew's already drawn up plans for the
44:40next phase.
44:42So we're thinking about one exact same as the one I just built.
44:46It shouldn't take half as long as next time.
44:48No.
44:49Now you know what you're doing.
44:50Now Andrew knows what you're doing.
44:54This year has been extremely rewarding.
44:57This little dude came along, the glamping has been exceptional, the weather has been even better.
45:04We have had a brilliant year.
45:08Very proud of what Andrew and Gail have achieved.
45:11Andrew has put a heck of a lot of work into doing the pod and he's made a fantastic job.
45:18He also makes sure that he has time for his kids.
45:21Lachlan comes running up to him and says, Daddy I love you.
45:26What more do you want?
45:31Dad's worked his butt off for decades.
45:35They've put all their money into getting to where we are now so it's my turn to pay him back.
45:41I love just being able to work with him as well.
45:46It's not often you get to work all your days with your father or two.
45:51Grandma!
45:53Grandma's coming!
45:57I know there will be a time where I'll need to leave the willy boots out in the shed.
46:03But I will keep going as long as I can because I love it.
46:08I love this area too.
46:12It's absolutely out of this world.
46:22In Arran, Callum's booked on the first ferry off the island.
46:28Oh, good to go.
46:30You put the ticket for the boat?
46:32Mm-hmm.
46:33To take 60 of their lambs to market in Lanark.
46:3717.
46:38Go on.
46:41Go on.
46:41Go and get your friends.
46:42Go on.
46:44It's the first paycheck from this year's lambs and hopefully a fitting reward for all Callum and Zara's hard work.
46:53Quite a big day for us.
46:56We've been watching the trade the last few weeks. It doesn't look too bad, so fingers crossed.
47:00These sheep that are going away, we've already got bills that need paid for them, so I suppose you're kind
47:05of counting on a fairly decent price.
47:12It always helps when Callum's there. When you're with your sheep in the ring, it gives you that little bit
47:17of a boost.
47:21I'm the one that's left at home to do the real work.
47:25Callum's getting a wee day out to the market, but I don't think he'd have it any other way.
47:34Dolphins!
47:35Look! Dolphins!
47:52Are you off the boat?
47:54I've just driven off, yeah.
47:55She's just driven off.
47:57How long is it going to take you?
47:59An hour and 29 minutes.
48:02Very good.
48:04The sheep have travelled well. A nice flat, calm sailing. They're quite content.
48:10You always get a bit anxious. It's your livelihood at stake.
48:16They've worked hard to get here, so, you know, we're very pleased with them and try and do our best.
48:24Travelling from an island, Callum's last to arrive at the auction, and his lambs will be the final lots of
48:31the day.
48:32How long do I think they'll be before they're through?
48:36An hour.
48:39Which means they might not fetch the best prices.
48:42With the ferry journey, we've not been local. We have no control over boat timetables.
48:48It just reiterates the difficulty of farming and the location that we farm in.
48:54Everything we take in and comes back out all starts and ends with a ferry journey.
49:00Whether it's feeded in or lambs out, all is controlled by the boat.
49:06There you are, this time now. 90 pounds. 90 pounds. I've been down with 90 pounds.
49:1290 pounds. 2, 4, 6, 8, 100.
49:15100.2.
49:16Quite a strong sale so far. The similar lambs have been making strong money.
49:21So, yeah, hopefully it holds and people don't kill trailers too quick.
49:26Now, the plot here from Callum this time. Right up there alarm. 27 in the bar.
49:33Callum's hoping for around 90 pounds a lamb.
49:36What do you say? 100 pounds? 80 bit. 2, 4, 6, 8. 92. 4, 6, 8. 102. 102 pound on
49:45bed. 102, 102. All done. 102 pounds.
49:50At 102 pounds, the first 27 exceed expectations.
49:55There you are. 55, 8. 62. 5, 8. 72. 4, 6, 8. 82. 4, 6, 8. 90. 92. 92. 92.
50:0694. 95. 95 pounds.
50:10The second lot isn't far behind.
50:12The second lot isn't far behind.
50:1319 more there. 52, 5, 8. 62. 5, 8. 72. 72. 72. 72. 72. All done. The way they go.
50:2472 pound. All together.
50:28And that's your lot today. Thank you very much.
50:33Please. The sale went well for a plenty of people here to buy them and the average 90 pound and
50:4087 pence a head.
50:4187 pounds once you get all the charges off it, so the journey continues and we'll not be long till
50:48we're back with more.
50:52The total of over 5,000 pounds bodes well for their 320 lambs still to be sold.
50:59Good cause for celebrating.
51:03What's your one?
51:04Yummy!
51:05There's hot rain here if he really wants it.
51:08Yeah.
51:09Cheers!
51:10Cheers!
51:11Cheers, big ears.
51:15What else do you like about summer and spring?
51:17I like lamin.
51:19You like lamin.
51:20Do you like lamin?
51:21Autumn.
51:22You like autumn the best, but do you like lamin?
51:25He's helped lots at lamin and he's helped cab a cow, didn't he?
51:29Oh yeah.
51:30Remember that?
51:34I don't know a lot about you, but I sometimes think the last few years have been a bit of
51:39an uphill struggle
51:40and there's days that we think, what are we doing, but then you'll have a night like this
51:44and you'll reflect on what we have done in the last few years, where we've come.
51:49We're getting there.
51:50Yeah, we have actually done quite a bit.
51:52You just don't feel like it until you stop and look back.
51:55Yes.
52:00It's been a tumultuous few years since they came to Aran.
52:04It's a big gamble, making the decision to move here.
52:08But the island is paying them back.
52:11You only need an evening like this.
52:15Down here watching the sunset on the beach.
52:18It's all worth it.
52:20Aran's home to us.
52:22We can see ourselves being here forever.
52:25The girls, they will end up knowing no different.
52:28This is their life as well.
52:30What a life for them to have.
52:34There's been times that even Callum smiled.
52:37So that means that you know it's been a good year.
52:54And it's been a long night getting cows on the milking machine for the first time.
53:04Did you sleep well last night?
53:07You know something's wrong when a newborn gets more sleep than you.
53:12Yeah.
53:13We finished pushing cows on at 5am this morning.
53:17So I've had a couple of hours sleep.
53:20I think we're all bruised and battered.
53:26Yeah.
53:27A cup of tea sorts out many a situation, doesn't it?
53:31To fulfil the contract, they need at least 50 litres of milk for the 10am pickup.
53:37It's a big day to have that picked up and know we're set.
53:41If we didn't meet the deadlines, there's still that chance that we built this shed and bought the cows and...
53:48Yeah.
53:50We won't be able to send milk anywhere.
53:54The long hours have been hard on Adam's leg.
53:58My leg's pretty uncomfortable just now.
54:00So I should hopefully be getting a new socket made to relieve some of the sores that I'm getting.
54:09I've not got much coordination this time of the morning.
54:12My leg doesn't quite work as it wants to.
54:16In the meantime, Craig's already hard at it.
54:21Today's plan is to get all the mattresses finished.
54:24All the beds completely done.
54:27Got a couple more...
54:28A couple more water troughs to put on.
54:30And then...
54:32Yeah, just pushing cows, really.
54:34So they'll all be left to relax and just feed...
54:37Feed whenever.
54:39And, yeah, hopefully today we'll be completely finished.
54:42It's a busy day.
54:44Keep the bacon sandwiches coming.
54:46And we'll be fine.
54:48We'll be fine.
54:52You can't go through there, love.
54:55So we've got half an hour until our first milk collection at Old Newton.
54:59It's a big thing, isn't it?
55:03Fred's made a special trip out from nursery to see our first tank to pick up, which is exciting.
55:12Do you reckon the tank is going to make it down there?
55:15Hopefully.
55:20Where is the milk coming from?
55:22Is it going to go down there?
55:24No, look.
55:25It's going to come from there.
55:27It goes through into here.
55:29How are we doing?
55:30Bye, how are you?
55:31No bad, no bad.
55:35It's been a roller coaster of a ride since they left Hampshire seven months ago.
55:40Well, I don't think many people thought we would get to this point.
55:45We always thought we could do it in usual us fashion.
55:49Just one final challenge remains, providing at least 50 litres of milk.
55:56The bet is how many litres that we have got in the tank?
56:0030 cows in tank.
56:01They average 8 to 10.
56:05I'm not giving you any tips.
56:07495.
56:08OK, I'm 580.
56:10580.
56:10495, 580.
56:13Fred, how many litres do you reckon is going to be on the tanker?
56:17How many hundreds?
56:18100.
56:20100, do you reckon?
56:22Yeah, 100.
56:23390 litres.
56:25I'll say 430.
56:28OK.
56:30You ready?
56:33230.
56:37100, 110, 105, 130.
56:40We're at the mark now.
56:42150, 160, 170.
56:44Sound like someone commentating on the races.
56:48Did I wear my race?
56:50No, you didn't wear.
56:52The lorry driver's going to be the closest.
56:55329.
56:56329.
56:57So we've definitely got more than a minimum, so it means our milk contract is safe.
57:02Yay!
57:05Lots of many.
57:08Their future on the farm is safe too.
57:13You're welcome.
57:14That's your very first milk pick-up.
57:16Ramon Newton, all your new herds.
57:19I think that needs framing, put it on the wall.
57:21Yeah!
57:23Woo-hoo!
57:27It's a massive achievement for us all, really.
57:29Like, everyone involved, it's been a lot of hard work to get to this day.
57:32It's what we've been aiming for, so...
57:34Yeah, I suppose as daft as it is, that little bit of paper there is...
57:38It's huge, really.
57:47This year, Lucy and Adam risked everything to move to their dream farm in Scotland.
57:53Hopefully we're through the worst of it and it'll start getting a bit easier now.
57:57We're looking forward to sleep.
58:00That's probably what I'm looking forward to most just now.
58:02Sitting down for an hour.
58:06We made it.
58:09We make a really good team and his resilience and he's never willing to give up and...
58:16Yeah, I couldn't think of anyone else I'd rather do it with.
58:20Do you agree?
58:20Bye!
58:22Bye!
58:23Bye!
58:28Bye!
58:29Bye!
58:31Bye!
58:41Bye!
58:44Bye!
58:46Bye!
58:48Bye!
58:50Bye!
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