Cows and Picking Strawberries Down on the Farm

# Come join us down on the farm today

# Learn about nature along the way

# From seeds to crops and fields to barn

# 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. #

COCKEREL CROWS

Hello, I'm JB, and welcome to summer on Down On The Farm.

Today, we're learning about cows and also a clever use

of my favourite fruit. But can you guess what the fruit is?

It's ruby red in colour, and also makes a very popular ice cream.

That's right, it's strawberries.

Coming up, Storm and some young friends

visit the Royal Highland Show.

We meet Zar and Rory, who harvest seaweed.

I find out what Farmer Charlie makes with his strawberries.

But first, Storm learns how cows are milked.

So come join us, down on the farm.

PIGS OINK

COCKEREL CROWS

Can you guess what all of these have in common?

Cheese, butter and yoghurt.

Well, they're all made from milk. Today I'm here to meet a farmer

and his cows who help make these dairy products.

This is Farmer Robert. He owns a dairy farm in Stirlingshire.

He is feeding his calves.

Hello, Farmer Robert.

You look rather busy. I thought I'd give you a hand.

-How cute are they? How old are they?

-Eight weeks old.

-What happens when they get older?

-When they're two,

they join the milking herd

and then they produce the milk that you put in the bottles.

-And have for breakfast?

-Yes.

-At just two years old they can do that?

-Yes.

What were you like as a boy? When did you start on the farm?

I was about 10 years old.

I used to feed the calves before I went to school.

Then I used to deliver milk to the houses as well, as a milk boy.

SHE LAUGHS They're so hungry!

-Shall we go see the bigger cows in the field?

-Yes, we'll do that now.

Let's go, I think these are almost fed.

There are different kinds of milking cows. Farmer Robert has Jersey cows.

They originally come from the Channel Islands.

They may be smaller than most milking cows, but they produce lots of milk.

Does milk from Jersey cows taste different from other kinds of milk?

Yes, it is much creamier and luxurious.

It's great for your morning porridge.

-Is it about time for milking?

-It is about time now, yes.

Come on! Out to the milking parlour!

The older ones will be at the back and the younger ones at the front.

The cows are milked in a room called a milking parlour.

They feed while a machine is attached to their udders,

which is where the cows store their milk.

And the farm manager is showing me how it's done.

The machine pumps the milk

into a big container ready to be taken to the dairy.

At the dairy, the milk is heated and then cooled by huge machines.

Another machine takes plastic bottles and fills them with milk.

There's a machine that puts labels on the bottles too.

Now the bottles are ready to go to the shops.

That is absolutely delicious, Farmer Robert.

Thank you for showing me the cows and how they're milked.

I've had a wonderful day.

And while we finish our milk, let's find out what's harvested in summer.

For us, the warm days of summer are the perfect time to enjoy

the great outdoors and trips to the seaside.

While some creatures find time to relax in the sun,

for most, summer is a time of action.

Young creatures, born in the spring, are growing up fast.

BIRDS CHIRP

Some still rely on their mums or dads for food or protection.

But many others have left home and are learning how to feed

and look after themselves.

Because it is summer, there is lots of food to be found.

Plants, which started life as tiny seeds, have burst out of the ground

and are stretching towards the sun, ready to be harvested.

With every mouthful, these rabbits are growing bigger and stronger.

And in summer, there's time for fun too.

Lots of young animals build up their strength

and learn new skills by playing and having fun.

SHEEP BLEAT

I've come to the Royal Highland Show in Scotland.

It happens every summer, although it's not very sunny today.

The show celebrates everything great about farms.

There are competitions to find the best-looking animals

and lots of fun things to explore.

I'm joining a school group as we discover more.

-Who do you think lives here? ALL:

-Bees!

Bees. And look at the flowers. Do you think the bees like them?

-ALL:

-Yes!

-Shall we go over this way?

-ALL:

-Yes!

-Who knows what a Queen bee looks like?

-Me, me!

It's bigger than the others.

Bigger than other bees and bees surround her.

Yes, a bit bigger. And she'll have a white dot on her back.

-Do you think you can point her out to me? ALL:

-Yes, she's there!

You found her super fast! Why are bees important to farmers?

They pollinate, without them we wouldn't be alive.

At the show, farmers can buy new tractors and machinery.

You can see small ponies and big, heavy horses.

There's loads of horse competitions at the show.

-This is where the horses get ready. Aren't they beautiful?

-Yes!

In the olden days, why would a farmer use a horse?

-Ploughing the fields!

-Ploughing the fields.

-Transport.

-Absolutely.

-Anything else?

-Pulling a tree out of the forest.

-Dragging trees, yes.

ALL: Wahey!

We're having great fun. There are lots of different animals to see.

So, we've come inside to try and make flour by hand.

Sounds exciting, doesn't it?

-ALL:

-Yes!

-We have some whole-wheat here.

We'll put it in there. Who wants to turn the handle?

-ALL:

-Me, me!

-I was first!

-You're closest,

why don't you have a go first? Right.

There we go. And so that is going to grind the whole-wheat.

-Can you see the flour coming out? ALL:

-Yes!

There are there are lots of activities to do.

Delicious!

And something for everyone to enjoy at the show.

-We've had a fantastic day celebrating Scottish farmers. Haven't we?

-Yes!

Coming up next, we have our summer poem.

BIRDS TWEET

There are caterpillars waiting for their time to come to fly.

There are worms turning the earth over as ladybirds fly by.

Birds will visit, cats will visit,

but they always choose their time.

And I've even seen a fox visit

this wild garden of mine.

SPLASH!

Every farmer knows that it is impossible to grow

perfect-looking fruit time and time again.

Sometimes, you end up with funny-looking fruit, like these.

I'm here to meet Farmer Charlie and his nephew Hector

to find out what happens to fruits like these which

don't get sold in the shops.

This is Farmer Charlie. He's busy in his strawberry field.

Helping him is his nephew, Hector.

-Hi, Hector! Hi, Charlie.

-Hi, JB.

-Are you busy? It looks like you're picking strawberries.

-That's right.

Not the best ones. They're in the farm shop.

We're going back over, picking the small ones

and funny-shaped ones. We've got a use for them.

I wonder what that is. Shall we get picking?

Definitely! Help yourself.

-So, Hector, do you like strawberries?

-Yes.

I love strawberries and cream.

-What is your favourite way to have strawberries?

-With ice cream.

-That sounds yummy.

-Yes, it is good.

We've been busy. We've picked lots of strawberries.

-Looks like a smiley face!

-So what do we do with these?

-Turn them into fruit bars.

-Can you and Uncle Charlie show me how?

Of course.

After washing our hands, we put on white coats and hairnets

to go into the factory.

The fruit bars start with apples from Farmer Charlie's farm.

Next, he adds the strawberries we picked.

This machine chops them up into a thick mush called a puree.

Then the puree is spread out on a tray. It's all wet and soggy.

Farmer Charlie puts the tray into a huge drying machine,

where the puree hardens.

This is cut up into fruit bars for us to enjoy.

And Farmer Charlie uses other fruit to make bars too.

You've seen the factory.

Now you have to taste these fruit bars and tell me

what fruit is in each one.

OK. I'm going to try this one first.

-Apple.

-That's correct.

I think this is...

-..strawberry.

-That's right.

-Nice!

-Definitely raspberry.

-Definitely. Well done, Hector.

-Argh! I don't know.

-It's tricky.

-It's blueberry.

-Ah! You beat me, Hector.

Yes!

Farmer Charlie, that is a brilliant way to use funny-shaped fruit.

While we enjoy our fruit bars, let's look at what else happens in summer.

CHICKENS CLUCK

If you're visiting a beach this summer, you might see seaweed

on the shore or in the water. Did you know some seaweed

can be harvested, which means it can be made into food?

There are many kinds of seaweed and they all taste different.

They can be used to add flavour and goodness to things we eat.

This is Zar and Rory. They have special permission to harvest seaweed

that grows in the waters around the east coast of Scotland.

The seaweed is covered by deep water a lot of the time, so they

always collect it safely at low tide when the sea is out

and the water on the beach isn't deep.

Zar is using scissors to cut the seaweed.

It's important not to take too much, so she's cutting about halfway down.

This is Kombu.

It's probably got the most nutrients of all the seaweeds.

And the plant looks a bit like fingers, it's got a stem

and then all these amazing glades.

Seaweed can be harvested all year round. This is the busiest

harvesting time because just like many farm crops, these sea plants

grow best in summer.

This one is called sea lettuce.

This is lovely and young and tender.

And the sunlight has made it lovely and green.

This will taste really nice.

Lots and lots of different types of seaweed can be found on this beach.

This type is called Nori, and is used to make a Japanese dish called sushi.

The seaweed will be dried out and sold as tiny flakes like these.

Cooks will sprinkle the flakes in food as a tasty seasoning,

a bit like salt or pepper.

The tide is coming back in, covering the seaweed again.

So for Zar and Rory, the harvest is over for today.

COW MOOS

Storm and I have had a great day down on the farm.

We hope you've enjoyed it too.

There are more brilliant things to see and do on the website...

See you next time.

# Come, join us down on the farm today

# Learn about nature along the way

# From seeds, to crops and fields and barns

# 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. #