Christmas Special Down on the Farm

SHEEP BLEAT

# Come join us down on the farm today

# Learn about nature along the way

# From seeds to crops and field to farm

# So much to do down on the farm

# Summer, autumn, winter, spring

# Ploughing, planting, harvesting With JB and Storm to lead the way

# Come join us down on the farm today. #

CHICKEN CLUCKS, COCKEREL CROWS

Hello. I'm JB and welcome to a very special Christmas Down On The Farm.

It may be the festive season,

but there's still plenty of work to be done.

While I feed my pigs, let's find out what's coming up today.

Storm and I visit a special family-run farm.

We learn about holly and mistletoe.

And I discover how Christmas trees are grown.

But first, Storm finds out about a popular festive vegetable.

So come and join us Down On The Farm.

I've come to this farm on a wintry day in East Lothian

to find out about a little green vegetable

that proves very popular at Christmas time.

The Brussels sprout. So, let's go and see how it is harvested.

This is Farmer Billy in one of his sprout fields.

Helping him today are his grandchildren,

Colm, Lily,

Gray and Summer. Hi, guys.

It's such a rainy day, but it's so lovely to see you here.

High five. Well done for coming out in the rain.

So, Farmer Billy, I hear you grow loads of Brussels sprouts

-on your farm.

-Yep, we grow millions every year.

-Where do you hide them?

-They're all under here, aren't they?

Look at that. There are so many Brussels sprouts there.

-How many Brussels sprouts do you think are on a plant?

-62.

-53 on them.

-So, Farmer Billy, did they get it right?

-50 to 60 sprouts is a close average on every plant.

-Well done, guys.

I hear you can make a noise with the sprouts.

SPROUTS SQUEAK

The leaves have a waxy coating to protect them

from a rainy day like today.

It's the wax that makes the sprouts squeak.

How long does it take the Brussels sprouts to grow?

-Approximately four months.

-Four months, that's a long time.

-Shall see how they're harvested?

-Yes.

This is a sprout harvesting machine,

which first cuts the plants, strips off the sprouts

and sucks them into a container called a hopper.

The stalks and leaves are chopped up

and dropped on the ground to feed the soil.

The sprouts are then tipped into a crate on a lorry ready

to go to the pack house.

The sprouts go on to a conveyor belt

and are shaken to get rid of any leaves.

They are sorted by size and checked for any damaged sprouts.

They are then weighed and packaged up.

It's our turn to help.

We've dried off, washed our hands and put protective hairnets

and jackets on.

So the sprouts are now ready for the shops.

So tell me, what are we feeding the cows?

Sprouts that have been damaged while they have been harvested.

So the sprouts that can't be sold in the shops are used to feed the cows.

-It really looks like they're enjoying them, doesn't it?

-Yes.

Thanks for telling me about Brussels sprouts

and I'll be thinking of you while I'm tucking into Christmas dinner.

-Have you enjoyed today?

-CHILDREN: Yes.

Now it's time to find out what else happens during this festive time.

Here, December is the darkest month of the year with just

eight hours of daylight a month.

So we brighten up our lives with millions of twinkling lights

shining through the dark.

These lights can attract small birds.

The bright glow makes the birds feel safer

during the long, dark nights.

In the weeks before Christmas, many farmers are extra busy

harvesting food for millions of Christmas dinners.

While some of us go to the shops to buy what we need,

for lots of animals food is hard to find,

especially when it's covered in snow.

Clever squirrels feed on the nuts they have stored up in the autumn.

Sheep need extra food like hay delivered by farmers.

Garden feeders are used all over the country for hungry birds.

These sheep seem to be enjoying the snow.

Nearly as much as we do.

The festive season might be the busiest, but for some animals

like this tiny dormouse, they simply sleep through the whole thing.

Hello, we are here today at a very special family farm in Oxfordshire.

We're going to use our senses to discover

some of the activities you can do here.

And we'll be getting to know some of the animals too.

Let's meet the family that created this fantastic farm.

This is Nick and his family, who own this amazing farm.

Our inspiration was my daughter Olivia, who has cerebral palsy.

We found there weren't many places

we could visit with the whole family,

cos most people who have disabled children

also have children who aren't disabled.

We wanted to create a place the whole family can enjoy together.

-Smell this and now smell your hands.

-Hi, guys.

You look like you're having lots of fun. What are you doing?

We are smelling the flowers.

-Smelling the flowers. What do they smell like?

-They smell nice.

Shall we smell some of these?

-What does that smell like?

-Lemons.

-Lemons.

It does smell like lemons. Do you want to smell this one?

It smells like toothpaste.

It does.

-So we're using our senses to discover the plants.

-Yes.

-Look at them. They're great, aren't they?

-Say paca. Alpaca.

-Alpaca.

-Tyler, what do you like most about the alpacas?

I love their fluffy coats and their big eyes.

-They have really big eyes, don't they?

-Yes.

As well as discovering animals

and using your senses, there's also places to play and learn.

Guys, are you having fun?

Are you ready? Go!

-Do you like it when the water comes out the hole at the bottom?

-Yes.

We put the water up here, it tips, the water flows down

and we can use these little handles to control the flow of the water.

What happens if we close this?

Oh! What happens?

No more water coming out.

There's so much to do here

exploring all of the different places on the farm.

Have we all had fun?

ALL: Yes!

Now it's time for our festive poem.

Winter, winter, dressed in white

Winter, winter, came last night

Winter, winter, cold winds blow

Winter, winter brought us snow

Winter, winter, frosty air

Winter, winter, everywhere

Winter, winter, robin bright

Winter, winter, merry sight

Winter, winter, Christmas Day

Winter, winter, time to play

Winter, winter, snowmen stand

Winter, winter, wonderland!

From both of us here on Down On The Farm

we want to wish you a very merry Christmas.

TRACTOR TOOTS, HENS CLUCK

Look at all these beautiful Christmas trees here

on this farm in East Sussex.

There are over 20,000 Christmas trees on this farm

and lots of different kinds. I'm meeting Farmer Clive to tell me more.

-You look very busy.

-I am.

We've been labelling trees because they are ready for Christmas.

How long have these trees taken to grow this big?

-It's taken nine years to grow.

-That is a long time.

-How do these trees start life?

-Would you like me to show you?

Absolutely, let's do it.

So, Farmer Clive, are these the baby Christmas trees?

Yes, we call these saplings and one day they'll grow

to be as big as the trees we saw over in the other field.

Why are all these trees in little pots in the ground?

We grow them in pots so that when we dig them up

they still have their roots.

This means they can carry on growing and be re-used as a Christmas tree.

Not all Christmas trees are grown in pots.

Some are grown in the ground and cut down in time for Christmas.

Well, JB, these trees in pots are ready to be dug up.

All right. Let's get digging.

-You are doing well, JB.

-Thanks, Farmer Clive.

You should be able to pull it out now.

Look at all those roots.

Lots of them, aren't there?

This tree still has its roots so it can be replanted

and continue growing after Christmas. Well, that was fun.

What else do you do to get the trees ready for people to buy?

-Get in the truck and I'll show you.

-Cool.

This is where we put the tree through the netting machine,

so it's easy to take home for Christmas.

-Perfect, can I have a go?

-Of course you can. Phil is here to help.

Keep going. Just keep going until it falls out of the netter.

Keep going, keep going. There you go.

Thank you, Farmer Clive, for showing us your Christmas tree farm.

-Thank you for coming to visit me, JB.

-Next up, our festive film.

Plants and trees which stay green all year round,

never losing their leaves, are called evergreens.

People have been bringing evergreens into their homes

during winter for a long time.

Their fresh smell, colourful leaves

and bright berries remind us that spring is not so far away.

Holly is an evergreen which can grow as a bush and as a tree.

Sometimes the trees can grow very tall.

It's famous for its red berries and prickly green leaves.

But only the leaves that grow nearer the ground have sharp prickles.

This stops grazing animals, like deer and cattle, from eating them.

Another popular Christmas evergreen is mistletoe.

Its bright, white berries are

an important winter food for some birds.

Mistletoe doesn't grow out of the ground like most plants

and trees - instead, it grows on trees.

It takes water from the tree

through its roots, which grow into the tree bark.

Evergreens like these can be woven together

and then used to decorate homes over the festive season.

Storm and I have had a fantastic festive time Down On The Farm.

We hope you've enjoyed it too.

You can check out more things to see and do on the CBeebies website. Bye.

# Come join us down on the farm today

# Learn about nature along the way

# From seeds to crops and field to farm

# So much to do down on the farm

# Summer, autumn, winter, spring

# Ploughing, planting, harvesting With JB and Storm to lead the way. #

Have a very merry Christmas. Bye.