- 6 days ago
Countryfile - Vale of Evesham
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00:01We have actually slowed down at the moment. Just for me? Just for your benefit.
00:06I'm sure Kevin could knock us up a gear.
00:08We're going quicker now. Here we go. There we are.
00:44This time of year is sometimes referred to as the Hungry Gap because winter crop supplies have become depleted and
00:52new season produce has yet to appear.
00:55But the beautiful Vale of Evesham is an area with a long history in producing food through these spring months.
01:02And its reputation is spearheaded by one crop in particular, the asparagus.
01:11The Vale of Evesham sits on a fertile plain in Worcestershire, sheltered by surrounding hills and watered by the River
01:18Avon.
01:19It's an area long associated with growing fruit and vegetables.
01:23And with spring well underway, the Vale's long-awaited early crops are finally here.
01:29It is hard, isn't it? It is, yeah.
01:31And you've also noticed we're slacking behind the rest of the team, Adam.
01:35That was a polite way of setting get your derriere in gear.
01:42Ah, that's great. You've got a job.
01:44That looks nice. Perfect.
01:47I'd want to eat it as well. Yeah.
01:49You're not supposed to do that, are you?
01:51We are sowing seeds on recycled fabric, growing 365 days of the year.
01:57It's incredible, isn't it?
01:59And away from the Vale, Charlotte investigates why some dairy farmers are calling it a day.
02:06I can see you're welling up.
02:10Were you expecting it to have that impact?
02:12No, not at all, actually. I thought we could deal with it.
02:14But, yeah, it's hard.
02:24In April, much of Britain is still waiting for spring crops.
02:28But here in the Vale of Evesham, the signs of something very special are already pushing through.
02:40Sheltered by the Malvern Hills and Breedenhill, this part of Worcestershire warms earlier than most.
02:46That means asparagus can be harvested here just as winter crops have run out,
02:51making it some of the earlier fresh British vegetables in the UK.
02:55John Sampson is the farm manager at Woodfield Farm,
02:58where Red Star growers are undertaking one of the Vale's first asparagus harvests of the year.
03:04John, I live just past Broadway Tower where the wind blows cold, the soils are thin and there's lots of
03:10stone.
03:11I put a jumper on this morning and I've come down to the Vale of Evesham and you're in a
03:15T-shirt.
03:16Yeah. I mean, things are very different down here, aren't they?
03:18Yeah, they really are. Yeah, it's a gorgeous day today and we've got our own microclimate here.
03:24You mentioned Breedenhill, we've got that there, we've got the Malvern Hills in the distance and they contribute to make
03:29this a warm area and an early growing season.
03:33So you're in this sort of bowl collecting the sun?
03:37Yes, that's right, absolutely.
03:38And the soil here, I mean, I've got slabs of limestone up there, but this is like a sort of
03:44pebbly, sandy soil.
03:46Yes, it's actually alluvial soil. So the River Avon is just there and many thousands of years ago, this soil
03:53would have been pushed out when the River Avon was created.
03:56And yet it's much more free draining than what you've got and much, much deeper topsoil.
04:01Sure. And perfect for asparagus?
04:03Yes, absolutely. It hates to have wet feet, so it needs free draining soil so that the water doesn't hang
04:09in the crop.
04:10And what does it mean to the people who grow it? Is it special?
04:14Absolutely, yes. I think asparagus has been a part of this area for a very long time.
04:18I think there's records going back to the 16th century of asparagus being grown here.
04:23And you have local celebrations?
04:24Yes, absolutely. There's the asparagus festival at the Fleece Inn at Brettfordton, which is a big event and a celebration
04:31of asparagus in the area.
04:32So for a grower then, is there a lot of pride or a lot of, you know, pressure to get
04:37it right?
04:38Yes, there is, because you only plant it once and it's there for 10 years plus.
04:42So the pressure to get that right at the start, to choose the right variety, to choose the right site
04:47and to get everything right in maybe a tricky spring.
04:51There's a lot of pressure there and a lot of financial pressure because you won't see the return from that
04:57for four to five years down the line.
05:00It's still early days, but within weeks this place will scale up to more than 40 workers.
05:06A sign of just how much is riding on a short asparagus season.
05:11But right now, the pioneer team has to stay ahead of every spear.
05:15And when the sun's shining, the fields will need harvesting up to twice a day.
05:22So you've got a big team working in here, all cut by hand?
05:25Yes, everything's harvested by hand.
05:27And how quickly does it start to grow then, once it comes?
05:31So this spear is almost ready to harvest. We actually measure using the knife that we're cutting with.
05:36Sure.
05:36And so this one's not ready, but by tomorrow that will be ready.
05:39Wow, so you can almost watch it growing.
05:41Yes.
05:41And then if it grows too tall and you miss it, then it'll be out of specification.
05:46This head will start to open out and it will go seedy.
05:49And it's gone.
05:50Yeah, and the taste will go.
05:52So this one is the right length.
05:54Yeah.
05:54And we just, at the soil surface, make a little cut.
05:58But bearing in mind that next to these spears, there are other ones that are coming through.
06:03So you don't want to cut into them and damage them?
06:05No, absolutely, because that's tomorrow's harvest, that's next week's harvest.
06:08Yes.
06:09So we don't want to chop those off.
06:11So there's one growing right next to the other one, yes.
06:13Yeah, that's it. So you have a go, Adam.
06:15Just don't slice this one off.
06:16No, OK.
06:18A lot of pressure.
06:19Yeah, definitely.
06:20And cutting the asparagus, you know, the first time in the season,
06:24do you find that a bit nerve-wracking?
06:26Yeah, it's a nerve-wracking time when we get going
06:29because we just don't know what the season's going to be like.
06:31We can make our predictions based on what the winter's been like,
06:34what last summer was like, but we just don't know, really,
06:38how it's going to go until we start.
06:39Because this is a high-value crop, so you've got to get it right.
06:41Yes, absolutely.
06:43It is hard, isn't it?
06:44It is, yeah.
06:45And you've also noticed we're slacking behind the rest of the team, Adam.
06:48Oh, yeah.
06:49That was a polite way of saying, get your derriere in gear.
06:53Yeah.
07:01With appetite for asparagus on the rise in the UK,
07:04John is looking ahead,
07:06planning for future crops to meet the growing demand.
07:10So we're planting asparagus here today.
07:12We've got the crowns that we've got from Holland
07:15that we're planting now that will set the stall
07:18for the next 10, 12 years of harvest.
07:21And I assume quite a big expense.
07:23Yep, so each individual crown that we'll look at is about 40p,
07:28so that adds up to over Ā£10,000 per hectare.
07:31Goodness me.
07:33John's team will be planting 10 hectares
07:35with premium asparagus stock this season.
07:39So, with over Ā£100,000 at stake,
07:41it's important that every crown goes safely into the ground.
07:47So, there's a yellow point on the belt.
07:49Yes.
07:50And one crown needs to go in each place.
07:54Right, yes.
07:55So, the key is don't put them on too early
07:57because they'll just slide off the back.
07:59OK, so as they get in here.
08:00But don't put them on too late because they're going there.
08:03So, just put them on at exactly the right time.
08:05OK, so that's there.
08:06Yeah, that's it. So, that one's in there.
08:07Yeah.
08:07That one's there.
08:08Your next one's going to be there.
08:09OK.
08:10And then these, these are sorted,
08:12so you're looking for an individual...
08:14Crown, yeah.
08:15An individual crown, like that.
08:16Nice, OK.
08:17They're all lined up in front of you.
08:18Good.
08:19It's only so slow we can go,
08:20so you're just going to have to keep up.
08:23OK.
08:24All right.
08:24If I scream, Kevin, you'll just have to stop.
08:33You've got to concentrate, haven't you?
08:35Yeah, as soon as you miss one...
08:36You're in trouble.
08:38Then you're panicking.
08:39Then you're flapping.
08:42And how long before these start to produce spears?
08:46We'll plant them now.
08:47Spears will come up within a few weeks,
08:50but we won't harvest those
08:51just so that they can have a chance to recharge the battery
08:55and these crowns will get much bigger
08:58and then next year is when we'll actually be doing the harvest.
09:02OK.
09:02And then when are they sort of producing a good amount of spear?
09:06That takes, really, four to five years
09:09before they get into their peak.
09:11OK.
09:11Goodness me.
09:12Yeah, it can take a long time to see a return
09:14on this investment that we're making.
09:17So is that a baby asparagus coming there?
09:19Yeah, that's it.
09:20Oh, great.
09:20Yeah, don't miss it.
09:22Yeah, so this one here will grow into a spear.
09:26So that just shows that basically these are a ticking time clock.
09:30We have to get them planted
09:31because they're going to grow regardless
09:33of whether they're in the ground or not.
09:35We have actually slowed down at the moment.
09:38Just for me?
09:38Just for your benefit.
09:40I'm sure Kevin could knock us up a gear just to see how you get on.
09:44Just a mess.
09:45It's too expensive to get it wrong.
09:47Oh, we're going quicker now.
09:48Here we go.
09:48There we are.
09:49Getting this right and the cost and expense is, you know,
09:53is quite a big deal, isn't it?
09:55It's a huge deal, yeah,
09:56because we only get one chance to do this planting
09:59and then we're stuck with the results for hopefully 10 to 12 years.
10:03Yeah.
10:04OK, John, speed it up.
10:05I'm on to this now.
10:06I'm all over it.
10:08Come on, let's go.
10:13Although I'm a farmer and I do understand growing crops,
10:17this is the first time for me planting asparagus
10:20and finding out more about this extraordinary crop
10:24and it makes me appreciate it
10:25and have a better understanding
10:27of where this delicious vegetable comes from.
10:31And I only ever buy British asparagus
10:34and I have to say, I love it.
10:53The Vale of Evesham isn't only famous for its asparagus.
10:57For generations, it was also known for its orchards,
11:00where dozens of fruit varieties help stretch the harvest season across much of the year.
11:06Today, the majority of fruit is grown on commercial farms,
11:10but the few traditional orchards that remain are valuable,
11:13not only for their produce, but at this time of year,
11:17they fill the hungry gap for wildlife too.
11:20I'm in Tidsley Wood to meet Orchard Biodiversity Officer Steve Orem
11:25from the People's Trust for Endangered Species.
11:28So what makes it a traditional orchard?
11:32Traditional orchards are managed in a totally different way
11:36from like a modern orchard, which is sprayed with chemicals and things.
11:40They're planted in a wider spacing and they're allowed to reach an older age.
11:45So they reach veteran stages of their life.
11:49And because of that, we get lots of wildlife living in them.
11:53And it's a much more beneficial way of working with nature rather than against it.
11:58It's critical to hold on to these habitats.
12:02They're becoming more and more fragmented over time.
12:05So the ones that we've got left, we need to hold on to them for as long as we can
12:09and plant more around them.
12:12We've now lost around 90% of the UK's traditional orchards,
12:17making places like this rare.
12:20And Steve's work more crucial than ever.
12:24In this orchard, we've got a plum called the yellow egg,
12:29which is a very well-known plum.
12:31It's been used for cooking and for rootstocks over the years.
12:35What does it taste like? What kind of plum is it?
12:38It tastes horrible.
12:39Oh, no!
12:42It's a cooking plum.
12:44OK.
12:44It makes a very good jam.
12:46OK, so it tastes nice, but you've got to do the right things with it.
12:48You've got to cook it, yeah.
12:52The yellow egg plum is one of 20 different varieties that grow here.
12:58Having lots of different varieties means that you're going to get blossom
13:02for a longer time, which is good for wildlife,
13:05and then you're going to get fruit for a longer time, which is good for us.
13:08This has been an orchard for probably a few hundred years
13:11and, you know, fantastically biodiverse.
13:14And there's lots of trees which have hollows and veteran features in them.
13:18So what makes it a veteran tree?
13:20Veteranisation happens in plum trees as early as about 40 years old.
13:24OK.
13:25In apples and pears, maybe a little bit later.
13:28When they start to develop rotholes where branches have fallen,
13:32and as that heartwood decays, that leaves a cavity in the tree,
13:36which is a massively important environmental habitat.
13:43Allowed to live far longer than those in commercial orchards,
13:47these older trees provide habitat for many species.
13:52Gary Farmer, from the Vale Landscape Heritage Trust,
13:56works to restore traditional orchards by protecting veteran trees
14:01and retaining deadwood to support wildlife.
14:05We're looking for various invertebrates.
14:07OK.
14:07A tree like this, which has decayed quite naturally
14:10because of how it's managed,
14:12and so the decay will have all sorts of invertebrates,
14:14from your wood lice to various beetles and hoverflies inside.
14:18So is there something that you're hoping to find?
14:20There's one special beetle that lives in these old orchards,
14:23called a Noble Chafer,
14:24and it spends most of its life as a larvae
14:26that feeds on the dead and decaying timber.
14:28And then in June, a really, really beautiful beetle comes out,
14:32bright green, shiny beetle,
14:34and it goes out and feeds on various plants on the pollen and nectar.
14:38But its larvae leave a sign inside that we search for,
14:42which is called frass.
14:43OK.
14:43And it's basically beetle poo.
14:48Classified as vulnerable priority species,
14:51the Noble Chafer is now found in just a handful of UK counties.
14:57There are still orchards all over the place,
14:59but not many like this one,
15:01like organisations like Worcestershire Wildlife Trust
15:03that manage these orchards and allow them to naturally decay.
15:07There's very few of those left in this sort of state,
15:10and so the Noble Chafer needs these places.
15:14And it's not just the Noble Chafer.
15:16I mean, so many insects that we find in here
15:18are actually the pollinators of the fruit as well.
15:21Oh, really?
15:21So it's one really nice cycle.
15:23Because of the way that especially plum rots quite early on in its life,
15:28it produces the habitat that these beetles
15:30and so many other insects and invertebrates need to live.
15:34Yeah.
15:34Even wood mice, look, will use these holes.
15:38That's a plum stone.
15:39Yeah.
15:40And the wood mice will collect the stones during the autumn
15:43and they'll pile them up into the little cracks and crevices in the trees
15:46and then they'll come back during the winter and eat the kernels out.
15:49Yeah.
15:50I mean, that's such a nice thing, isn't it?
15:51Just to think of something dead, but it's actually...
15:53Full of life.
15:54Yeah.
15:54Yeah.
15:54But if we're really lucky, we will find the signs
15:57that the Noble Chafers have been here
15:59because we'll find their frass.
16:01And these really dark bits look, slightly bigger cylindrical bits,
16:05that is actually Noble Chafer poo.
16:08Wow.
16:08If we can find that we've got the adults here,
16:10we know that we've still got a population.
16:12And this particular orchard, we know that that is the case.
16:15Yeah.
16:16So why is the Noble Chafers such a key insect?
16:20It is so key because if you've got that,
16:22you know that the ecosystem, that the orchard itself
16:25is in really good condition as far as our wildlife is concerned.
16:31But these orchards support more than just the Noble Chafers.
16:35And Gary's keen to find out what other insects might be hiding here.
16:39To help, he's brought along some very specialised equipment.
16:44So we need an entomological sweep net.
16:47OK.
16:48And then an old sawn-off broom handle.
16:50Perfect.
16:51And just tap the branch.
16:52And hopefully any insects that might be on the branch
16:55or tucked into the blossom will drop into the net.
16:58And we may find something in the bottom of the net.
17:02Most of the things that we're going to find in the blossom at this time
17:06will be really quite small, like this little beetle.
17:09This is a bark beetle.
17:10It will feed underneath dead and decaying bark.
17:14There's a little spider there.
17:15As it's feeding from the pollen and the nectar,
17:18it will be transferring that pollen around the flowers as well.
17:21So we find a home for it and it pays us back by pollinating the fruit.
17:26Yeah.
17:27So if we lost traditional orchards, it would impact the insects quite significantly.
17:32It will be a huge loss.
17:33Yeah.
17:34Not only a landscape feature, but without the insects,
17:37there will be no pollination.
17:39There will be no food for the birds, for the small mammals and things.
17:42So these old orchards really are vanishing far too quickly
17:47and they are absolutely key to wildlife conservation in this area.
18:04Now, the number of dairy farmers has been in steady decline for decades,
18:08with nearly 200 thought to have quit the industry in the last year.
18:12Yet this comes at a time when UK dairy exports and milk production have hit record levels.
18:20Charlotte investigates.
18:26In the early hours of every morning, dairy farms across the UK stir into action.
18:36Here in Oxfordshire, this family farm has been producing milk for nearly 80 years.
18:45But today, things feel a bit different.
18:48Here, they are preparing for one of their last ever milkings before they quit dairy farming altogether.
18:55I've come to find out why.
18:59Dairy farming has been Hamish Mackintosh's life.
19:02Milking his first cow at 12 and going into partnership with his father in the early 1990s.
19:09What a beautiful day.
19:11Cheers. Very lucky today. Very lucky.
19:13It is a bit of an early start, isn't it?
19:15It is ridiculous.
19:17I mean, you must love it, because you've been getting up at what time?
19:20Half past four for 30 years.
19:22You're very lucky to be involved in it, but it is hard work.
19:25Right, we're getting some complaints, aren't we, from these cows?
19:27Let's get on, eh?
19:27Let's get on, eh?
19:28OK, let's bring the girls.
19:29OK, shall I help with this gate?
19:32I'm not really helping, am I?
19:35For decades, Hamish's early mornings have remained much the same, but behind the routine, he says it's been a constant
19:43battle against rising costs, for anything from cattle feed to energy and labour, while also balancing major financial decisions about
19:51the future of the business.
19:52Yes.
19:53If you wanted to continue, would you have to invest more in this farm?
19:58Yep.
19:58To stay in this dairy industry and keep up to speed, we looked at spending about 1.5 million.
20:03And what would you be spending all of that on?
20:05I'd be putting a new shed up with better comfort cubicles and a new milking parlour, and we'd have to
20:12do it just to keep our costs down, really.
20:14So when you looked at the maths of that, did it make financial sense at all?
20:20It would have made sense, but it would have been hard work, and the milk price would have had to
20:25have stayed at a more stable level.
20:27So you'd have been betting on a high milk price?
20:29Basically, yes, you'd have been gambling on a high milk price.
20:34The milk market is dominated by around 10 major dairy processors, including farming cooperatives.
20:41They collect the milk under contract, and each sets their own price for farmers.
20:46But those prices can shift rapidly.
20:49That became clear when they fell by 20% over six months, hitting their lowest level in nearly three years
20:56in February.
21:00Hamish was getting just 29 pence a litre, well below what it costs him to produce the milk.
21:06So we had this big price drop back in February. What did that mean here on the farm?
21:13It meant that we were losing Ā£30,000 a month. Just massive, massive.
21:17So you were losing Ā£30,000 a month.
21:20And is there any way you can produce milk for 29p a litre?
21:24No, I cannot, definitely. No, my break even is around about 40p.
21:29And what did the processor say as to why?
21:32Too much milk, you have to reduce the price. Simple as.
21:37For Hamish, the price drops meant shutting down his milking parlour and the dairy side of the farm,
21:43along with the heartbreaking decision to sell off the 280 cows that made up most of his herd.
21:50Very sad. Absolutely. Yeah, I felt pretty devastated afterwards.
21:55Yeah, I can see you're welling up.
21:59Were you expecting it to have that?
22:01No, not at all, actually. I thought we could deal with it.
22:04But, yeah, it's hard. Even though it's hard work, it is quite hard.
22:08Well, it's a life's work, isn't it? It is.
22:1780 cows are all Hamish has left of his dairy herd.
22:21They're being milked for a few more days until his contract runs out,
22:25making this one of his last ever milkings.
22:30What will you miss?
22:32I enjoy the hustle and bustle and the busyness and the calves and the...
22:37The whole... When it's going, it's just... It's great.
22:41And there's a rhythm to a dairy farm, isn't there, because of the milking?
22:44Yeah, yeah, exactly.
22:45You'll hear the machines go in the morning, the cows are fed,
22:47this whole cycle and, yeah, it's all going to be deadly silence.
22:58Currently, across England, Wales and Scotland,
23:01there are just over 7,000 dairy farms left.
23:04That's a drop of 200 in a year, which is part of a wider trend,
23:09which has seen the number half over the past 20 years.
23:14And industry analysts say that's a trend which is likely to continue.
23:19Milk prices may not be the only factor driving dairy farmers out of the industry,
23:24but they are crucial to profitability, which is often cited as a cause.
23:28While some farmers whose milk goes to supermarkets can be protected
23:33by contracts with prices linked to the cost of production,
23:36those producing milk for butter, cheese or powdered milk
23:39can be tied to global markets.
23:43Mike Houghton is a dairy farm consultant from Anderson's Midlands.
23:48Hi, Mike. How significant in all this is the global milk market?
23:52The global market is significant.
23:55Our price broadly tracks the world market price.
23:58At the moment, we've got America in full-scale production
24:02and the European Union is now producing more milk.
24:05So, world supply is quite high at the minute.
24:08So, what does all that mean for a British dairy farmer?
24:12It means that life is challenging at the moment.
24:14You work with your bank, you work out how much extra money you're going to need
24:17and working capital to get you through these really difficult times.
24:22Dairy farmers are facing these problems despite exports rising.
24:26They're now worth more than Ā£2 billion a year.
24:30So, how has this happened?
24:33Last year, we had almost the perfect storm.
24:35There was a shortage of milk in Europe.
24:37Prices were on the rise, feed prices were cheap
24:39and farmers responded almost instantly in pushing up milk.
24:43And we got to a point where we were producing nearly 8% more than the previous year.
24:47How have we got into a situation where we have fewer dairy farmers
24:50and yet, as a country, we're producing more milk?
24:52Since I started back in 1990, we've had a trend of fewer farmers with bigger herds.
24:5930, 40 years ago, there were 35,000 dairy farmers
25:01with an average herd size of around about 75 cows.
25:04There are now just 7,000 dairy farmers with an average herd size of nearly 220 cows.
25:10And over time, we've seen this gradual increase to the average yield per cow
25:14and that's come through breeding and management.
25:16Is there a way of managing this oversupply so that you don't see those massive price cuts
25:21like we had earlier in the year?
25:23It's really difficult because as an industry, there's never any collective action.
25:27We were looking with clients back in November to say, well, what do we do?
25:31How do we ease back?
25:32And if you could have eased back slightly, we're only talking about 2% or 3% of supply,
25:36which would correct the issue.
25:38But no one wants to stop.
25:40And therefore, we've really had a processor-led pricing system.
25:47While farmers have been getting less for their milk, consumers are paying more in the shops.
25:53Retail milk and cream prices have risen by around 10% in the past year.
25:59Some farmers will point out while they're being paid much less for their milk,
26:03the price in the shop has gone up by a little bit.
26:05So who's making money?
26:07Well, it's not the farmer at the moment.
26:09The difference between the Farmgate milk price and the retail price for liquid milk has never been higher.
26:15And so someone is making a margin somewhere.
26:18Dairy UK, which represents the dairy processors, told Countryfile it doesn't set those retail prices.
26:26And the British Retail Consortium, which represents retailers, said there'd been an explosion in other costs around the supply of
26:34food.
26:34And this has pushed up prices, even when the costs of the commodities themselves may not have risen.
26:41Farming organisations are calling for greater transparency on prices,
26:46and what they describe as a fairer deal on what processors pay farmers.
26:52Two years ago, new regulations known as the Fair Dealing Obligations were introduced to address some of these issues,
27:00aiming to ensure clearer contracts with dairy processors, more transparent pricing, and protection from sudden price cuts.
27:08However, some farmers say the balance of power still remains with the processors.
27:13Come on, girls.
27:14Abbey Reeder is a dairy farmer near Wenvo in the Vale of Glamorgan.
27:19Go on.
27:20She's president of NFU Cymru.
27:24Morning. Beautiful morning we've got. Come on in.
27:26Oh, thank you very much.
27:27You're just down to the last few now, yeah?
27:29This is the last of the cows coming in, just come in from the field.
27:34So, do farmers generally think that they're getting a fair deal from the processors then?
27:38I would think if you asked most farmers they'd say no.
27:41Processors are on the whole adhering to the new obligations,
27:44but there's still some loopholes that are really creating still this environment of bullying.
27:49We've seen examples where processors have attempted to change the terms of the contract.
27:55Now, under the new obligations, they're not allowed to do that without consultation with the farmer and sufficient time.
28:00So, in order to get around that, they're actually serving notice to farmers with those contracts
28:05and then saying, but actually, here's a second contract that you could have instead, or you can leave us.
28:10It's your choice, and there isn't really a lot of choice.
28:13But a farmer does have the ability, don't they, to just walk away?
28:16They do have the ability, but it's about choice. Who else will take you?
28:20And particularly, at the moment, we're in oversupply.
28:22So, where do you go? And without a contract, you have nothing.
28:26And with a dairy farm, that milk comes every single day.
28:31Farming groups also warn that the steady decline in farm numbers
28:35is adding pressure on smaller, more remote dairies that sit outside the busier milk collection routes.
28:43What's all this pressure meant for dairy farms here in Wales?
28:47We're seeing a lot of smaller dairy farms in particular exiting the industry.
28:51You get to a point where you've got to be able to justify that lorry coming down your drive to
28:55pick up your milk.
28:55And if you don't have many other farms around you, and it's only a small volume, a lorry's not going
29:01to come.
29:01Although, usually what happens is that a smaller farm will go out and be absorbed into a bigger farm.
29:06So, actually, does it really matter?
29:08Well, I think it does. We need to sustain our rural communities.
29:11Why should you be less important? Because you've only got 80 cows and somebody else has got 800.
29:18Dairy UK, representing the industry, told Countryfile dairy processors are working hard to manage the current market conditions,
29:27ensuring that milk is collected and processed despite the significant financial challenges they are also experiencing.
29:35They said that while the fair dealing obligations have an important role to play in supporting fairness and transparency,
29:43they cannot in themselves address the effects of global oversupply.
29:48They added that farmers with any concerns over their contracts should initially raise them with their dairy processors.
29:55And if they're not addressed, the fair dealing obligations mean farmers on variable contracts have the right to request a
30:02written explanation of how their price has been determined,
30:06and purchasers are legally required to respond.
30:09The agricultural supply chain adjudicator was appointed to enforce the fair dealing obligations for milk.
30:17But some critics say that neither the rules nor the adjudicator is strong enough to really do the job.
30:25Glastonbury and Somerton MP Sarah Dyke is the Liberal Democrats' spokesperson for Rural Affairs.
30:32She's introduced a private members' bill to Parliament to highlight what she sees as the need for additional regulations.
30:40We've got new rules, we've got an adjudicator. How do you think that system's working?
30:44Well, we've got the fair dealing obligation. That's relatively new, so we need to see how that pans out.
30:50But of course we need to ensure that there's more teeth given to the adjudicator.
30:55So it has those enforcement powers to ensure that there is protection and fairness in the supply chain.
31:02Because at the moment farmers are quite often seen as the lowest common denominator in that.
31:08I've put forward a bill in Parliament, the farming and dairy products bill, which is all about giving fairness in
31:15the supply chain.
31:16So on a practical level, what would that change?
31:18Price is absolutely crucial because at the moment many farmers are producing their milk under the cost of production.
31:26But also it's to protect them from unfair contracts.
31:32DEFRA, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, told Countryfile that in addition to overseeing the agricultural supply chain
31:40adjudicator,
31:41they will now be taking over responsibility for a second adjudicator covering the grocery sector,
31:47which they said would provide a more joined up approach to the food supply chain and better support farmers and
31:53food producers.
31:54They added that this government is backing our hard working dairy farmers by creating a level playing field right across
32:02the supply chain to ensure productive and profitable businesses can flourish.
32:07And they urged any farmers who feel their dairy contracts aren't compliant with the new regulations to contact the adjudicator.
32:15Milk prices aren't expected to rise significantly in the short term, with production now reaching its seasonal peak, leaving many
32:23dairy farmers under continued pressure.
32:26Meanwhile in Oxfordshire, Hamish plans to carry on with beef and arable farming.
32:31But his life in dairy is now over.
32:36I did enjoy it. I did enjoy that buzz of excitement and, you know, but we'll miss it. It'll be
32:41sad. It is a sad day, simple as.
32:59While much of British farming is still waiting for warmer weather to arrive,
33:03here in the Vale, some growers are already moving well beyond the seasons.
33:09In these glass houses, food is being grown, harvested and sold all year round,
33:14raising a big question about what the future of farming might look like.
33:23Peter Taylor runs one of the largest indoor growing sites in the Vale of Evesham,
33:27producing everything from rocket and wasabi leaves to edible allium, marigold and nasturtium flowers,
33:35all sold to restaurants and caterers across the country.
33:40Peter, this is quite extraordinary. Can you just talk me through what's going on here?
33:44So in here we have a number of tables that we grow microgreens on.
33:50So we are sowing seeds on recycled fabric, watering them, heating them, lighting if necessary,
33:56growing 365 days of the year.
33:58And so this hungry gap people talk about, you know, when growers are waiting for the weather to warm up,
34:04you don't suffer from that?
34:05We don't suffer from the hungry gap, but we're growing microgreens.
34:08We're growing specialty produce, so we can learn an awful lot about growing plants out of season
34:14and we create plants that give everybody the opportunity to eat specialty produce all year round.
34:20And as far as the growing medium then, I know about hydroponics and vertical growing
34:25and using lights and all that of it, but you're more simple?
34:30Yes, very much more simple than that.
34:31So our growing medium is a recycled fabric that we roll out fresh for every crop
34:37and sow a new seed on every time.
34:39We don't stack things up because Mother Nature gives us lots of light for free,
34:43lots of energy for free, and so to block that out and then replicate it to us doesn't make sense.
34:53To keep production going year round, everything here is designed to be as efficient and controlled as possible.
35:02So here we are, a new dry mat rolled out on the bench, ready to be watered up and then
35:07sown.
35:08So this is the equivalent of your soil? Everything grows on this?
35:11Yes. All the different crops that we grow, grow on the same fabric in this glasshouse.
35:16So from here, we'll just press a button and this bench will roll on through into the watering cabinet.
35:22Every single seed bed gets exactly the same amount of water, so it's never too dry to sow,
35:28it's never too wet to sow, which some farmers outside would get that.
35:31They wouldn't be able to go drilling because it's too wet or too dry.
35:36So there we are, there's the seed bed getting its first water.
35:41And we'll do that in a couple of bursts to make sure it goes right the way through all the
35:44fabric.
35:47Now the system is ready to sow the bench, so we're going underneath the sower at a set speed
35:52to make sure we get precisely the right amount of seed sown onto each bench.
35:57Different speed for different types of crop?
35:59Yes. If we want to be more dense, we'd go slower.
36:01If we want to be less dense and a thinner crop, we would speed it up a bit.
36:05And what are you sowing here?
36:06So this is salad rocket being sown on here.
36:09OK.
36:09And then once the bench clears the sensor, it will stop sowing so that we don't waste any seed.
36:14It's incredible, isn't it?
36:15Yeah.
36:17So here's our sown bench.
36:18So all the little seeds are on that moist material, ready to go.
36:22On that moist material.
36:23Now, as long as we keep that moist, that will grow like the clappers.
36:27Incredible.
36:28And then from here?
36:29Into the glasshouse.
36:34Once they enter the glasshouse, each bed is fed individually by the site's vast irrigation network.
36:41And depending on the variety, they will spend anywhere from a few days to a few weeks in here.
36:46These are the kind of dependable growing conditions farmers outside can only hope for in early spring.
36:55So here we are, Adam.
36:56This is a bench of sunflower shoots ready for harvest.
37:01So we'll connect the bench up to the harvester and then we'll make sure that the mat is offered up
37:06precisely to the bandsaw to then cut all of these sunflower shoots off the bench in a minute.
37:12And these sunflower shoots then, from planting to harvest, how long?
37:16Just over two weeks.
37:18Everything does seem very automated, but there's a few people involved in this bit.
37:22Yeah, we've got Odetta and Ella here, they're the harvest team today.
37:25And they're harvesting probably 20 different crops on a hundred different benches to make sure that we harvest all our
37:31requirements for today.
37:32Incredible, isn't it?
37:33Here we go.
37:36So that bandsaw is cutting them all those shoots off.
37:39So they're all being cut off at the bottom and the produce is falling onto the conveyor belt and then
37:43over to the boxes.
37:45Come over this way.
37:48You can help me here, Adam.
37:52There we are, look.
37:54Very good.
37:55I like to help.
37:58Good.
38:05Is that enough?
38:06Yes.
38:06They're finished.
38:07See, in time that could be the tallest sunflower in the village, but at the moment we're cutting them all
38:12off to make these lovely shoots that will go into the restaurants for the weekend.
38:16And then the cut bed, what happens to that?
38:19That bench that's been harvested goes on through the system, will then remove the grow medium, clean the bench and
38:25then sew another crop onto it.
38:26Because it all goes round and round and round.
38:28Keeps going round.
38:29That's right.
38:34But producing fresh crops year round comes at a cost.
38:38This high-tech system depends heavily on energy and water to keep it running.
38:45Looks beautiful, Peter.
38:47Plenty of colour, isn't there?
38:48Lovely, yeah.
38:49So this is edible flower production at scale, really.
38:53It's an amazing setup, isn't it?
38:55But got to be energy hungry.
38:57We are energy hungry for certain times of the year.
39:00So we by no means have an energy requirement for 52 weeks of the year.
39:04We have a winter time and there will be shoulders to that winter time when we have a moderate energy
39:09requirement.
39:10And there's a small window around December and January when we have a high energy requirement.
39:14But we have to offset that with the alternative to that energy production here in the UK would be to
39:21air freight the products that we're growing.
39:23Because it's warm in here today, but we have got some sunshine.
39:27And not much sunshine today, but you're right.
39:29It is warm in here.
39:30So Mother Nature has heated this glass house up for us for free.
39:34And then the water.
39:35Yeah, water again is all part of our drive to be more sustainable.
39:39So the glass house roofs, perfect for harvesting rainwater.
39:42Most of the year we get quite a lot of rainfall here in the UK.
39:45And we can harvest that, store it, and we can then recycle that water, re-filter it, re-clean it,
39:52blend it with some more fresh water, add some fertilizer and use again.
39:55It's a very clever system, isn't it? Are there other farmers that could be doing this?
40:00I think the principle of protected growing, recycling water, being very energy efficient, all those things are very much scalable
40:08in the UK.
40:09And there are other sources of energy that would be more sustainable, more efficient than the CHP systems that we
40:15use.
40:16But there are opportunities for scalable protected growing here in the UK, definitely.
40:21At the moment, there's lorry loads of veg coming over from Spain and on planes from Africa.
40:28Veg, salad, all those sort of things are coming into the UK from all around the world, really.
40:33And I think there is an onus on us as an industry and perhaps as a wider nation, maybe even
40:38government, to look at that and say,
40:40what are the opportunities to be more self-sufficient here in the UK?
40:56The Vale of Evesham is right on my doorstep and I've always known that it's a great place for fruit
41:00and veg and salad.
41:02But to come to a place like this, where you're growing food in such a controlled environment, is quite extraordinary.
41:09I've really never seen anything like it.
41:23Well, the weather today is perfect for asparagus picking, but let's find out what the weather has in store for
41:29us for the week ahead.
41:30Here is your Countryfowl forecast.
41:39Hello there. A couple of weeks ago, I was talking to a farmer where I live and he said we
41:44need some rain.
41:45Well, there hasn't been any. This part of eastern England has been very dry, not even a millimetre of rain
41:51this month.
41:51It's not a record, but it follows a dry March.
41:55This is in stark contrast to what's been going on in the northwest earlier this month, where there's been over
42:01a month's worth of rain.
42:02That pretty much all fell within the first 10 days and then it was dry.
42:06We have recently seen one or two showers and showers will be around in Scotland overnight tonight, particularly across northern
42:13areas.
42:13But elsewhere, it's generally going to be dry overnight.
42:16There's going to be quite a lot of cloud around, so minimum temperatures are going to be around seven or
42:21eight degrees.
42:22Over the last week, we have had some cold and frosty mornings, but over the week ahead, it's going to
42:28be milder overnight.
42:30And during the day, it'll be quite warm at times.
42:32There'll be some sunshine as well, but there is the chance of some rain at the beginning of the week
42:36and at the end of the week.
42:38And we've got those showers in Scotland, some of which will turn quite heavy.
42:42There'll be the odd shower across Northern Ireland on Monday for a while.
42:46We're also going to find these showers moving southwards into northern England, heading to the Midlands.
42:51South of that, across southern England and into Wales, it's going to be dry.
42:54There'll be some sunshine.
42:56It's still going to be quite warm here.
42:57Temperatures reaching 20 or 21 Celsius.
43:00But that rain that's developing in northern England could turn quite heavy.
43:03It'll push its way into the Midlands and we could even see a bit of rain for East Anglia in
43:09the southeast.
43:09I don't think it's going to last, though, because this high pressure is building back in again across the UK.
43:15We're going to start off quite cloudy, though, for England and Wales on Tuesday.
43:19A little drizzle coming from that cloud.
43:21But we will see sunshine returning to eastern England, then into the Midlands.
43:25A stronger east and northeasterly wind picking up here.
43:28Lighter winds, though, for Scotland and Northern Ireland, where it should be dry on Tuesday.
43:32And it's likely to be a bit warmer in the sunshine as well.
43:35But a cooler day for England and Wales, especially with those stronger winds in the south.
43:40We're seeing the high pressure building back in again on Tuesday and into Wednesday.
43:44But it's centered to the north, hence those east to northeasterly winds picking up once again.
43:49And particularly windy through the English Channel into Wednesday.
43:53But blowing in a lot of sunshine for many areas.
43:56We've got a misty low cloud across eastern Scotland, northeast England in the center of the high where the winds
44:01are much lighter.
44:02So it's warmer for western parts of Scotland and into Northern Ireland and temperatures picking up for England and Wales.
44:09Now, the center of the high is going to start to migrate into continental Europe.
44:13That means the winds will pick up further north as well.
44:16And there's even the chance of the odd shower cropping up towards the far southwest once again.
44:20But otherwise it's dry.
44:22It looks like it's going to be sunny, quite breezy.
44:24But that low cloud will have moved away from eastern Scotland and northeast England.
44:28So it's going to be a warmer day here.
44:30And temperatures are continuing to rise on Thursday up to around 20 or 21 Celsius once again.
44:36But by the end of the week, with that high pressure starting to move away, pressure is dropping.
44:40And those showers that are threatening the southwest on Thursday could be affecting the southwest of England on Friday.
44:46Perhaps into Wales, moving through Northern Ireland and into Scotland.
44:50But there's a lot of uncertainty about the position of these showers by the end of the week.
44:54But ahead of them, through the Midlands and into eastern parts of England, we've got some sunshine.
44:59It's going to be a warm end of the week.
45:01Temperatures up to 21 or 22 Celsius.
45:04Not sure that will last, though, into the holiday weekend.
45:18Back here in the Vale of Evesham, growers have been helping Britain through the Hungry Gap for generations.
45:24But before the Vale became known for its large scale agriculture and glass house production, it earned another title.
45:31The fruit and veg basket of England.
45:34But it wasn't big farms that built that reputation.
45:37It was thousands of market gardens just like this one.
45:41And although they're much rarer today, they give us a glimpse of what the Vale once looked like.
45:47Here you still find that mixed planting that would have been the backbone of food production in this part of
45:52the world.
45:53And early in the year, you'd have found things like hardy salad, chard, spring onions and brassicas like this one.
46:03In the late 19th and early 20th century, the Vale of Evesham was one of Britain's most important market gardening
46:10landscapes.
46:11Families worked modest plots, often just a few acres, growing fruit and vegetables that would feed the nation.
46:20Few traces of this way of life remain, but one of the clearest is the market gardeners' hovel.
46:26To understand how growers once lived and worked, I'm meeting Gina Carr from the Cleve Prior Heritage Trust,
46:34home to one of the best preserved hovels in the Vale.
46:38So here we are, the inside of the hovel.
46:41My word!
46:42It's extraordinary, isn't it, that little time capsule?
46:45Absolutely.
46:46And I have to say, I don't know anything about hovels.
46:49I mean, what were they?
46:51Well, they were ostensibly for keeping your seeds.
46:56I suppose you might have done some potting up in here as well.
46:58We can see some pots.
46:59But they were also used as sort of social centres.
47:02The other market gardeners would march down the road or come on their bicycles from the next village.
47:07And they'd have their hair cut and they'd drink cider and tell stories.
47:12You know, things like that really.
47:14And these sorts of sheds, market gardens, would have been sort of throughout the whole region?
47:19Yes, there were. I think there were originally about 1500.
47:23Only about one in ten still existing.
47:26And I think this is the only one, which is a time capsule, which is why it's so precious.
47:30Yeah.
47:31And who did this one belong to?
47:32This belonged to a chap called Edgar Wheeler, who was quite a character.
47:36We found it exactly as Edgar left it.
47:39I mean, his wash bowl, his shaving brush, his hat.
47:44He obviously liked marrow-fat peas.
47:46And there was a stove there.
47:48You can see his kettle there.
47:50Yeah.
47:50He would have cooked his dinners in here.
47:52It's an amazing thing to preserve, isn't it?
47:53Yeah.
47:54Well, when you see things like this basket, it's still got the tickets in.
47:57Of all the different places that the produce was sent to his Birmingham, Covent Garden, Liverpool.
48:02It just went all over the country.
48:04So really feeding the nation from the Vale of Eveshore.
48:07Absolutely.
48:08And why did he leave everything as it was?
48:10Did he pass away?
48:11He's a very complex character because he was quite an eccentric.
48:13And apparently he brought his staircase from home to use instead of, you've seen the apple tree ladder outside.
48:21On the roof.
48:22On the roof.
48:22And he decided his staircase was better.
48:25And he fell out of the tree, broke his leg, and that was it.
48:29End of the market gardening for him.
48:31He never came back.
48:33Goodness me.
48:34But market gardens like Edgar's were just a small part of a patchwork industry, which together created a vast network
48:42that supported the whole nation, particularly in harsh times.
48:46So this is where the original market garden plots were.
48:51And, in fact, these plots were sold by the manor to the county council after the war for returning soldiers
49:00to come back so that they had plots.
49:02What sort of size were they?
49:04These particular ones were one and a half acres each.
49:08And Edgar had two, and his brother Frank had the middle plot.
49:13So between them, they had three acres.
49:16So it was more than just an allotment, wasn't it?
49:18Oh, definitely.
49:19An allotment is for domestic use.
49:21A market garden is to sell to market.
49:24So they've grown hard fruits like the apples and pears.
49:27Apples and pears.
49:28Soft fruits and veg.
49:29These were planted up on the Evesham system, which is where the trees were wider spaced.
49:35And then in between, they'd have gooseberries or white currants, black currants.
49:39And narcissi and wallflower were also crops that they grew.
49:44And the Vale of Evesham really is well renowned for providing a huge amount of food now.
49:49But back then, it was vitally important.
49:52Oh, yes, absolutely.
49:53The main crops would have been things like asparagus and spring onions.
49:58Yes, it was essential.
49:59So for the market gardens, when was their heyday?
50:02Well, I think probably about the 1950s.
50:04By which time, you know, it was just post-war.
50:07There was a great demand for food.
50:08And it was pre the time when imports were coming in, pre-supermarkets.
50:13So people were buying more locally.
50:16What was the decline? Why?
50:19There was a lot more mechanisation, bigger plots of land used to grow,
50:23changing transport, opening up, importing cheaper goods.
50:27And, of course, in the 1960s, the sort of introduction of bigger supermarkets.
50:32We've got larger purchasing power,
50:34don't want to deal with local market gardeners and local markets,
50:38a sort of more global activity.
50:39And the world has continued on that journey, hasn't it?
50:43Mechanisation, scale, large retailers, imported food.
50:48Absolutely.
50:49You know, it's just gone further and further away from this glorious way of producing food.
50:57You can just imagine the growers all squeezed in here after a hard day out in the fields,
51:03drinking cider, telling stories, putting the world to rights.
51:06And this hovel may be tiny, but it tells some pretty big stories about the Vale's past.
51:31With asparagus pushing through the soil and the blossom on the trees,
51:35the Vale is responding to spring.
51:38And that's great news for local chefs,
51:40who are one step ahead of the rest of the country.
51:43Mark and Sue Stinchcombe run Eckenton Manor Restaurant
51:46and moved to the Vale of Evesham to cook as close as possible
51:50to some of England's finest produce.
51:53What do you first notice happening in the garden when, you know,
51:56winter's ending and spring's beginning?
51:58One of our indicators is when, like, the wild garlic starts coming through.
52:01And that's just great for chefs,
52:03because you just know that all the other stuff's going to come through the ground,
52:06especially the asparagus.
52:07So why is it that you chose to live and work in the Vale of Evesham?
52:10I actually grew up around here and just really lucky,
52:13because, especially for a chef, it's, you know,
52:15it's a delight to have everything on your doorstep.
52:17I think within the restaurant community,
52:20like, trying to be as close to, like, the produce as possible,
52:23it's always such an amazing thing.
52:24And we're really lucky within the Vale of Evesham, aren't we?
52:27With the asparagus, all the tenders and broccoli coming through
52:30and the pepper sprouting,
52:31especially in these kind of interim months,
52:34that it's kind of a great larder for us to use.
52:38How important is it to use, like, your local produce?
52:41For us, like, supporting, you know, the growers as well,
52:44and, obviously, it's a massive farming community around here.
52:47We work really closely with them,
52:48so we, you know, we ring up and ask what's good,
52:50what's coming through,
52:51because, obviously, it's all weather-dependent,
52:53so if it's been colder
52:54and you're just waiting for crops to come through.
52:57What we're trying to do is use what's in season right now
53:00up in the local area.
53:01So is there anything you're able to use, like, throughout the winter?
53:04Yeah, I mean, we have the carrots
53:05and, obviously, the stored potatoes,
53:08swedes, parsnips, celeriacs.
53:10So, obviously, like, the root vegetables, we get that through,
53:13and then we try and stretch that through, obviously,
53:15until the spring and everything starts coming out of the ground.
53:19It must be so exciting when you have all these new colours
53:22and foods coming in.
53:24Yeah, absolutely.
53:25Well, we've got a few things in the kitchen
53:27if you want to get your hands dirty.
53:28Absolutely, I'll be your sous chef.
53:30Fab!
53:31In the Vale of Evesham,
53:33what's growing in the fields
53:34has always shaped what appears on the plate.
53:37But I have a feeling this will look a lot fancier than most.
53:40On the menu is...
53:42carrot three ways.
53:43And, of course, asparagus.
53:46OK, our first one today is going to be our asparagus dish.
53:49OK.
53:49I'm super excited about the asparagus coming through.
53:52Nice.
53:52So, during this hungry gap,
53:53did you have to get quite imaginative with your menus?
53:56Yeah, we kind of have to think about it.
53:59You know, it's a long time with all the root vegetables.
54:02Here we do tend to pickle things, we ferment things.
54:04Obviously, the customers want to see different things
54:06and what they can do at home.
54:08Our belief is using everything food.
54:10Say that's the meat.
54:11We use all of it.
54:12For a waste perspective as well,
54:14just when we get the massive gluts of the carrots, the beetroots,
54:18it's better just to kind of being able to preserve and pickle
54:20and just to kind of utilise throughout the year.
54:22So, when it's the asparagus festival,
54:25does just asparagus go mad?
54:26Does everyone want it all the time?
54:28Yeah.
54:28It's probably like 90% of our menu that will be on the starter,
54:31probably be on a main course
54:33and then just people wanting it all the time.
54:35It doesn't really need much, to be honest with you.
54:37It just needs some butter and salt and pepper.
54:40But everyone just loves it, and rightly so.
54:42OK.
54:42Ah, that's great.
54:43You've got a job.
54:44That looks nice.
54:45I'd want to eat it as well.
54:47Yeah.
54:47You're not supposed to do that, are you?
54:52Wow.
54:52We were doing little breadcrumb over the top of the asparagus
54:57and the hollandaise just to kind of give it a bit of crunch.
54:59Yeah.
54:59A bit of saltiness with some bacon through it
55:02and a nice nutty flavour of some toasted hazelnuts.
55:05You only need to cook it, like, really, really lightly.
55:07Oh, really?
55:07So, all we're going to do is just cook it
55:09just in a little bit of butter.
55:18So, there we go.
55:19There's our asparagus dish finished for you.
55:21Gosh, doesn't that look beautiful, doesn't it?
55:23Oh, that looks amazing.
55:24Adam's going to love that.
55:25OK, so next we've got just the humble, boring carrot we have here,
55:29but we are going to elevate it.
55:31OK.
55:31So, we're going to do a couple of things with it to...
55:34Or just kind of show-pace it, really.
55:36They've got a clever chef's trick up their sleeve to make the most of the produce available during the Hungry
55:43Gap.
55:44So, this is salt-baked carrots.
55:46This is a really old-fashioned way of doing it.
55:48Salt-baked is just flour, salt and water.
55:51And what we do is we put the carrots in, we roll it around it and then we bake it.
55:55And what it does is it steams.
55:57Is there carrot in there?
56:11And it's all just a carrot, but it's just, you know, all those different ways of doing it.
56:16It just keeps it exciting, like you say, when there is just a real vegetable.
56:19Exactly.
56:21So, chicory, which is also in season at the moment, so it goes really well.
56:24It's about building layers.
56:25So, you've obviously got the wild garlic pesto with the pine nuts.
56:28Your little stars, if you want to put them on.
56:30Yeah.
56:30So, if you put five of those and just dot them around, you can't go wrong.
56:34Yeah.
56:36So, nasturtian flowers, which are just starting to come through.
56:38These are from a local supplier that we use.
56:41Wild garlic oil just to kind of go over the top of some of these leaves.
56:46So beautiful.
56:47I can't believe this is just the humble carrot.
56:49I know.
56:50And being able to do so many different things that would make it look so pretty, I think, is the
56:54main thing.
56:55It does look beautiful.
56:56Well, I'm very excited to show this to Adam.
56:57I think he'll be very impressed.
57:00Hopefully he'll enjoy the taste as well.
57:06Hello, Sammy.
57:07Hello.
57:07My word, haven't you been busy?
57:10I did get a little bit help, but just a small bit.
57:13Now, I've got a bit of a hungry gap myself, and this does look perfect to fill it.
57:18It is.
57:18It's beautiful, isn't it?
57:19Can we tuck in?
57:20Yeah, I think so.
57:21Which one first?
57:22This is the carrot done three ways.
57:24It is beautiful and all fresh, local produce.
57:27I love a carrot.
57:28Yeah.
57:30Mmm.
57:31Wow, that's so lovely.
57:32That blend of flavours.
57:34So, can I try the asparagus?
57:35Yeah, go in for the asparagus.
57:38With that delicious asparagus and then the crunch on top.
57:41It's the hazelnuts.
57:42You just wouldn't think to put hazelnut in there.
57:43I know.
57:44It's incredible.
57:45Well, unfortunately, that's all we've got time for this week.
57:47Next week, Matt and Vic will be in the Chalky Chilterns.
57:51We'll stand back.
57:52Stand back and prepare for takeoff.
57:54We're all good to go, yeah.
57:56It's like a futuristic pterodactyl.
57:58It is.
58:00You've still got that diversity of different depths as well.
58:04Yeah, you're not just really tall in comparison.
58:06Yeah, exactly.
58:07I'm still up on a hill.
58:08We're in very different places.
58:09I probably look, yeah, really giant.
58:11You're very good gardeners, you lot.
58:13Thanks.
58:13You're good as well.
58:14You seem like I have lots of experience.
58:16I've been around a bit longer than you.
58:19Grow even bigger so then loads of butterflies will lay eggs on you.
58:23Ta-da!
58:24That's next week on BBC One at 5.15.
58:27Hope to see you then.
58:28Bye-bye.
58:28Bye.
58:29Right, a bit more asparagus.
58:31It's certainly filling that gap.
58:32Lovely.
58:39Triumphs, tribulations, trouble and strife
58:42in this farmy life in rural Scotland
58:45over on BBC Two now.
58:47While on iPlayer, Interior Design Masters
58:49back for a new series with Alan Carr on the Dorset coast.
58:53Here next, owls, badgers and dormice
58:56in a Welsh secret garden.
59:02Š°Ń
, are you sure you're ready in the little room?
59:04Bye.
59:04Bye.
59:04Bye.
59:05Bye.
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