0:00:02 > 0:00:06# Come join us down on the farm today
0:00:06 > 0:00:10# Learn about nature along the way
0:00:10 > 0:00:13# From seeds to crops and field to barn
0:00:13 > 0:00:15# So much to do down on the farm
0:00:15 > 0:00:19# Summer, autumn, winter, spring, ploughing, planting, harvesting
0:00:19 > 0:00:24# With JB and Storm to lead the way
0:00:24 > 0:00:27# Come join us down on the farm today. #
0:00:30 > 0:00:34Hello. I'm JB and welcome to Down On The Farm.
0:00:34 > 0:00:37After the long winter months, spring is finally here
0:00:37 > 0:00:40and there's lots happening and plenty to see.
0:00:41 > 0:00:43Here, on my farm, it's a very busy time
0:00:43 > 0:00:47and I love being outside with the animals enjoying the sunshine.
0:00:47 > 0:00:50So while I get on with feeding the pigs,
0:00:50 > 0:00:52let's find out what Storm is up to.
0:01:04 > 0:01:08Spring is the season for new beginnings down on the farm.
0:01:08 > 0:01:10The plants are growing,
0:01:10 > 0:01:12the birds are singing,
0:01:12 > 0:01:15and the days are getting brighter.
0:01:15 > 0:01:19But if there's one animal that says spring more than any other,
0:01:19 > 0:01:21it has to be
0:01:21 > 0:01:22the lovely, little lambs.
0:01:28 > 0:01:30- Hi, guys.- Hi, Storm.
0:01:30 > 0:01:34- Are you looking forward to a day down on the farm?- Yes.
0:01:34 > 0:01:37And what kind of baby animals do think we're going to see?
0:01:37 > 0:01:40- Baby sheeps.- Baby sheeps. What are they called?
0:01:40 > 0:01:43- Lambs.- Lambs, yeah.
0:01:43 > 0:01:45And what do lambs look like?
0:01:45 > 0:01:46Cute.
0:01:46 > 0:01:50- Cute?- Soft.- And soft?
0:01:50 > 0:01:54And more importantly, what noise do little lambs make?
0:01:54 > 0:01:56- ALL:- Baaaaa!
0:01:56 > 0:01:58That's absolutely right.
0:01:58 > 0:02:01- Hi, Dan.- Hi, Storm. Hi, kids.- Hi.
0:02:01 > 0:02:04So the lambs out in the field, are they brand-new baby lambs?
0:02:04 > 0:02:08They are brand-new baby lambs. They were born two days ago in our barn.
0:02:08 > 0:02:12OK, we have lots of other mummy sheep in the shed, who are going to
0:02:12 > 0:02:14have their babies today.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17Shall we go and see if we can see one being born?
0:02:17 > 0:02:19- ALL:- Yeah. - Come on, then.
0:02:23 > 0:02:27Dan and the farmers bring all the sheep into the barn to keep them
0:02:27 > 0:02:31safe and warm before they're ready to give birth.
0:02:31 > 0:02:33These are all the mummy sheep
0:02:33 > 0:02:36that are expecting new baby lambs very soon.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41Lambing season is the busiest time for sheep farmers.
0:02:41 > 0:02:43Lambs can be born at any time.
0:02:43 > 0:02:46The farmers sometimes have to get up
0:02:46 > 0:02:49in the middle of the night to help the sheep.
0:02:49 > 0:02:53It's a very busy job and the farmer needs lots of helpers.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57It wasn't long before one sheep needed some help.
0:02:57 > 0:02:59A baby lamb was on its way.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02Are you ready? See the wee feet?
0:03:03 > 0:03:05Look at that.
0:03:05 > 0:03:07That's a big lamb.
0:03:07 > 0:03:11Look at the big lamb, Max. Look.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14The mummy sheep will lick the baby lamb clean.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17Oh, look at this, look at his nose.
0:03:17 > 0:03:21Oh, look at its little nose. It's got some straw stuck to its nose.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24And she is quickly up on her feet.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29This little lamb will stay with its mum in the shed
0:03:29 > 0:03:30until they are ready.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35Some little lambs have too many brothers and sisters
0:03:35 > 0:03:39competing for their mother's milk and so they need help with feeding.
0:03:40 > 0:03:43That's where we come in.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46Right, then, Max. Here's one for you. OK, you've got it.
0:03:46 > 0:03:48OK, give him the bottle.
0:03:49 > 0:03:54- You've got it.- There we go.- Oh, and there's this hungry one here.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57- Amelia, what's it like feeding a lamb?- Good.
0:03:57 > 0:04:01I definitely think my lamb's very hungry. It loves the milk.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06So, have you guys all had a good time meeting the lambs
0:04:06 > 0:04:09- down at the farm? - ALL:- Yeah.
0:04:09 > 0:04:13Whilst we carry on feeding these spring lambs, why don't you find
0:04:13 > 0:04:15out about the changing seasons?
0:04:18 > 0:04:23Here, in the UK, winter is our coldest season.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26A time when we wake up to frosty mornings
0:04:26 > 0:04:27and sometimes to snow.
0:04:29 > 0:04:33But a winter's day doesn't stay light for long.
0:04:33 > 0:04:37By mid-afternoon, the sun is setting and it's getting dark again.
0:04:38 > 0:04:42The short, cold days make it hard for many plants to grow.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45So, when snowdrops lift their pretty heads,
0:04:45 > 0:04:48we know that winter will soon be over.
0:04:49 > 0:04:53It's getting warmer and there are more hours of daylight too.
0:04:53 > 0:04:57Little by little, nature reacts to these changes.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00Our world starts to look very different.
0:05:01 > 0:05:05And fresh grass covers the ground in a thick carpet of green.
0:05:06 > 0:05:10Spring flowers pop up, making our world bright and colourful.
0:05:13 > 0:05:15More creatures start to appear too.
0:05:17 > 0:05:21This ladybird has spent the winter sheltering in a garden shed.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24Now spring is here, she has come out to search
0:05:24 > 0:05:26for her first meal in months.
0:05:36 > 0:05:38I remember when I was at school.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41I asked lots of questions in the classroom,
0:05:41 > 0:05:43I played football in the fields,
0:05:43 > 0:05:47but I don't remember growing plants in the playground.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50But at this school in East London,
0:05:50 > 0:05:53this is exactly what these children do.
0:05:53 > 0:05:57They grow their own food in their own garden at their school.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00So, what are we going to be doing today?
0:06:00 > 0:06:04- We're going to plant some seeds. - Seeds, brilliant.
0:06:04 > 0:06:08Also, we're going to be picking vegetables and eating them later.
0:06:08 > 0:06:12Lovely. Well, I can't wait to get stuck in.
0:06:19 > 0:06:23- And what are we planting? ALL:- Lettuce.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26These lettuce seedlings are being planted in springtime
0:06:26 > 0:06:29so they will be ready to be harvested in the summer.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32- First, we make the holes.- Yes.
0:06:32 > 0:06:34- And then we get them out of the pots.- Yeah.
0:06:34 > 0:06:38And then you need to put them in the holes and cover them up.
0:06:38 > 0:06:42Well, you guys are doing a brilliant job. Really, well done.
0:06:42 > 0:06:46And some of the lovely veggies are ready to be picked now.
0:06:46 > 0:06:50- So what do we have here? - Mooli radish.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53Wow. Never heard of that before. What does is it look like?
0:06:55 > 0:06:59- So what have we got here, today? - Curly kale.- Curly kale.
0:07:02 > 0:07:05- I'm looking forward to eating some of this later.- I am, too.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08- Do you like kale?- Yes.
0:07:08 > 0:07:10It's my favourite vegetable.
0:07:11 > 0:07:15Most of the vegetables and herbs go to the school kitchen,
0:07:15 > 0:07:18where adult helpers make tasty snacks with them.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21Oh, my goodness, is that enough kale?
0:07:27 > 0:07:30The snacks that are made from the crops in the garden
0:07:30 > 0:07:31are now ready to eat.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34- Who would like to try one of these? ALL:- Me.
0:07:34 > 0:07:38Pastry with kale, parsley and mint and mooli radish
0:07:38 > 0:07:40on lettuce leaves.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43- Mmmm. ALL:- Yummy.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49So while we tuck in, why don't you enjoy our spring poem?
0:07:57 > 0:07:59New little ducklings
0:07:59 > 0:08:01One-day-old
0:08:01 > 0:08:05Warm fluffy feathers to keep out the cold
0:08:07 > 0:08:10Following mum close in a huddle
0:08:12 > 0:08:14Good little ducklings
0:08:14 > 0:08:16Learning to waddle
0:08:18 > 0:08:20Brave little ducklings
0:08:20 > 0:08:22Jump up
0:08:22 > 0:08:23Tumble down
0:08:25 > 0:08:27Leap into the water
0:08:29 > 0:08:31With a splashing sound
0:08:33 > 0:08:35First day on the pond
0:08:35 > 0:08:37They were born to swim
0:08:39 > 0:08:41Sweet little ducklings
0:08:41 > 0:08:43Hatched in spring.
0:08:50 > 0:08:53Spring is when this farm springs into action.
0:08:53 > 0:08:57Jimmy's farm in Dorset is a very busy place.
0:08:57 > 0:08:59The whole family are helping out.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02And for these farmers, it can only mean one thing -
0:09:02 > 0:09:05planting these seeds for this year's oat crop.
0:09:05 > 0:09:10But they don't plant the seeds with their hands. They use this.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14Just look at this amazing tractor.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17It uses this special machine to drill holes in the soil
0:09:17 > 0:09:21to drop in the seeds and then cover them up with the soil
0:09:21 > 0:09:23so that the birds don't eat them.
0:09:23 > 0:09:25How clever is that?
0:09:25 > 0:09:27You must never play on farm machinery
0:09:27 > 0:09:32but Jimmy, the farmer, is going to let us take a closer look.
0:09:32 > 0:09:34- Hi, Jimmy.- Hi, JB. - So is this your drill?
0:09:34 > 0:09:36Yeah, this is the drill.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39It's a very important bit of kit for this time of year.
0:09:39 > 0:09:43It allows us to put in the seeds in the ground very accurately.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46- Do you do it all by yourself? - No, fortunately not.
0:09:46 > 0:09:50No, we work in a team, so, earlier on, we had Ryan in the cultivator.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53Now, we've got Phil driving the drill.
0:09:53 > 0:09:57And we've got Murph behind in a roller, so it works well as a team.
0:09:57 > 0:10:01- Cool, can we go and take a closer look?- Yeah, sure. Let's go.
0:10:03 > 0:10:08- Look at this. So this is it?- That's right, JB. This is our drill.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11- And I'm assuming this is where the seeds go.- Yeah, spot-on.
0:10:11 > 0:10:15If you take a look in, you can see the seed inside.
0:10:15 > 0:10:20- Ah, cool. And then, do the seeds come down through these tubes?- Yeah.
0:10:20 > 0:10:22The seed is carefully measured
0:10:22 > 0:10:27and put out through the tubes, out the little outlets, into the ground.
0:10:27 > 0:10:29What do these prongs, down here, do?
0:10:29 > 0:10:34Well, these are actually... It's a big rake and it rakes the soil back
0:10:34 > 0:10:37over the seed, and then along comes the roller
0:10:37 > 0:10:39and leaves a firm, level seedbed.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42Amazing. So, Jimmy, once the seed's being planted,
0:10:42 > 0:10:44how long does it take to grow?
0:10:44 > 0:10:48We should see it come out of the ground between six and eight days,
0:10:48 > 0:10:51- and then we're ready to harvest this field in five months.- Wow.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54So, shall we let Phil get on with it, then?
0:10:54 > 0:10:57- Definitely. Would you like a ride? - Absolutely.
0:10:57 > 0:10:59Hi, Phil. I've come to help you out.
0:10:59 > 0:11:01ENGINE STARTS
0:11:02 > 0:11:05- Ready to go.- We're all ready.
0:11:13 > 0:11:15Do you do a lot of drilling this time of year?
0:11:15 > 0:11:19- Yeah, about 80 acres a day, we're doing.- Wow.- On a good day.
0:11:19 > 0:11:23- So, all day, all night. - Not all night, no.
0:11:23 > 0:11:25We draw the line somewhere.
0:11:28 > 0:11:32These seeds will be busy growing all summer long for the oat
0:11:32 > 0:11:34harvest in the autumn.
0:11:35 > 0:11:39While Phil and I finish planting the seeds on Jimmy's farm,
0:11:39 > 0:11:42why don't you take a look at what else is happening in spring?
0:11:48 > 0:11:51Do you know what this vegetable is?
0:11:51 > 0:11:53It's rhubarb.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56It sometimes grows outdoors in fields
0:11:56 > 0:11:59and you might even have seen it in a garden.
0:11:59 > 0:12:03This is farmer Lindsay with Reef and Eda.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06On their farm, they grow rhubarb.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09A rhubarb plant is also known as a rhubarb root.
0:12:09 > 0:12:15So this is the rhubarb root and this is the stem, which we eat,
0:12:15 > 0:12:18and this is the leaf that we don't eat.
0:12:20 > 0:12:24So, we leave the root in the ground for three years before we take
0:12:24 > 0:12:26it into the forcing sheds.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29In the sheds, the rhubarb grows faster and taller.
0:12:29 > 0:12:32This special way of growing is called forcing
0:12:32 > 0:12:35and the rhubarb is grown in the dark.
0:12:37 > 0:12:39Why is the candles in here?
0:12:39 > 0:12:43So that we can see when we're picking it, in the dark.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46- Can we pick some?- Of course.
0:12:50 > 0:12:54What we'll need to do is slide your finger down the stem,
0:12:54 > 0:12:56pull and twist.
0:12:58 > 0:13:02The plants need to be picked very carefully so that they don't break,
0:13:02 > 0:13:05so they need to be picked by hand.
0:13:05 > 0:13:07When the rhubarb has been picked,
0:13:07 > 0:13:10some of it sent to the shops for people to buy
0:13:10 > 0:13:14and some are sent to people to make other foods from rhubarb.
0:13:14 > 0:13:18You can make ice cream, jam and even rhubarb crumble.
0:13:18 > 0:13:20Great job, guys.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23- What are we going to make with all this rhubarb?- Jam.- Let's go.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30Storm and I have had a fantastic time down on the farm
0:13:30 > 0:13:33and we hope you've enjoyed it too.
0:13:33 > 0:13:37You can check out even more great things from Down On The farm
0:13:37 > 0:13:38on the CBeebies website.
0:13:38 > 0:13:40See you next time. Bye.
0:13:40 > 0:13:44# Come join us down on the farm today
0:13:44 > 0:13:48# Learn about nature along the way
0:13:48 > 0:13:51# From seeds to crops and field to barn
0:13:51 > 0:13:53# So much to do down on the farm
0:13:53 > 0:13:58# Summer, autumn, winter, spring, ploughing, planting, harvesting
0:13:58 > 0:14:02# With JB and Storm to lead the way
0:14:02 > 0:14:05# Come join us down on the farm today. #