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 > 0:00:12# From seeds to crops, and field to barn
0:00:12 > 0:00:15# So much to do down on the farm
0:00:15 > 0:00:17# Summer autumn winter spring
0:00:17 > 0:00:19# Ploughing planting harvesting
0:00:19 > 0:00:23# With JB and Storm to lead the way
0:00:23 > 0:00:28# Come join us down on the farm today. #
0:00:31 > 0:00:34Hello. I'm JB, and welcome to Down On The Farm.
0:00:34 > 0:00:35Winter is here.
0:00:35 > 0:00:37It's the coldest time of year,
0:00:37 > 0:00:40but there's still lots to do on the farm.
0:00:40 > 0:00:42The animals need to be fed and kept warm
0:00:42 > 0:00:45and there are still crops to look after.
0:00:45 > 0:00:50So, while I help out on this farm, let's find out what Storm's up to.
0:00:58 > 0:01:01I've come to Essex to meet farmer Jenny
0:01:01 > 0:01:05who looks after a beautiful herd of cows here on her farm.
0:01:05 > 0:01:07Now, in spring, summer and autumn,
0:01:07 > 0:01:10many animals, just like Jenny's cows,
0:01:10 > 0:01:13would be grazing in a field just like this one.
0:01:13 > 0:01:16But come winter, they get a comfortable and warm new home.
0:01:16 > 0:01:20In the winter, the cows are moved into barns like this one
0:01:20 > 0:01:23that shelter them from the rain and snow.
0:01:23 > 0:01:25Moving the cows inside keeps them warm
0:01:25 > 0:01:28but also gives the fields a rest.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31By springtime, new grass will be growing in the fields.
0:01:31 > 0:01:35- Hi, Jenny. - Hi, Storm.- So, what are you doing?
0:01:35 > 0:01:37We're getting ready to clean and tidy the barn.
0:01:37 > 0:01:40And how often do you have to do that?
0:01:40 > 0:01:42- We do it every day.- Every day?
0:01:42 > 0:01:45The cows poo on the straw and they lie down and flatten it,
0:01:45 > 0:01:49so we have to put a fresh layer of straw on every single day.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52It sounds much better than having to be outside
0:01:52 > 0:01:54- in the cold, hard winter fields. - It is.
0:01:54 > 0:01:57It's nice and soft for them to lie on.
0:01:57 > 0:01:59You've got lots of food and water for them too.
0:01:59 > 0:02:02Yes, we feed them and water them every day,
0:02:02 > 0:02:06- with the help of my father, Farmer Humph.- Hi, Farmer Humph.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09- Hi there.- Sounds like an awful lot of work for just two people.
0:02:09 > 0:02:10It's a lot of work,
0:02:10 > 0:02:14but today we've got little helpers to give us a hand.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17Here come Martha, Tommy, Ollie, Emma and William.
0:02:17 > 0:02:19All in their wellies and ready to help out.
0:02:19 > 0:02:24So, what Farmer Humph and Jenny are doing is they are bringing all the
0:02:24 > 0:02:28cows out of the barn into here so we can get into the barn to clean it.
0:02:28 > 0:02:32- Does that sound fun?- Yeah. It sounds yucky fun!
0:02:33 > 0:02:35Which one's your favourite cow?
0:02:35 > 0:02:39That one over there? Do you think you would want a cow as a pet?
0:02:39 > 0:02:44- No.- No? Why not? - It would poo all over my carpet.
0:02:44 > 0:02:47It would poo all over your carpet.
0:02:49 > 0:02:53- Thank you very much.- There you go. - That's a big gate.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56Wow, this is a huge barn, isn't it, guys?
0:02:56 > 0:02:59- Yeah!- It's huge!
0:02:59 > 0:03:03So, we've got the barn completely cleared, all the cows are out,
0:03:03 > 0:03:05what are we going to do next?
0:03:05 > 0:03:08Roll the straw around the barn and cover up all the cowpats.
0:03:08 > 0:03:12- That sounds like fun, doesn't it, guys?- Yeah!
0:03:19 > 0:03:21Look at all the cowpats over here.
0:03:26 > 0:03:31Let's put some water in the trough so the cows have something to drink.
0:03:33 > 0:03:34In you go. Come on, girls.
0:03:34 > 0:03:40Now Jenny and Farmer Humph let the cows back into their clean barn.
0:03:40 > 0:03:43Do the cows look comfy, do you think, in their new home?
0:03:43 > 0:03:44- Yes.- Yeah.- Yeah?
0:03:44 > 0:03:47Which cow do you think is enjoying their bed the most?
0:03:47 > 0:03:50The little black and white one.
0:03:50 > 0:03:52Well, Jenny, the cows look very happy.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55Yes, they've got lots of lovely dry comfy bedding,
0:03:55 > 0:03:57and food and water.
0:03:57 > 0:03:59Well, that was a job well done, team.
0:03:59 > 0:04:01Now, while we wash our hands,
0:04:01 > 0:04:05why don't you find out what else happens in winter?
0:04:05 > 0:04:11After autumn's bright colour, winter can seem very dark and grey.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15Many trees are bare and now.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18Their branches black against the sky.
0:04:19 > 0:04:21It gets dark in the afternoon
0:04:21 > 0:04:26and can feel very cold as there is so little sunlight to warm us.
0:04:27 > 0:04:31But the coldest days of winter can be the most beautiful.
0:04:31 > 0:04:36Frost and ice form, glittering white,
0:04:36 > 0:04:41and nothing changes our world quite like a thick blanket of snow.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47For us, it can be lots of fun.
0:04:47 > 0:04:53But snow and ice can make life very tough for plants and animals.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56It is often harder to get around.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59Many wild creatures struggle to find food.
0:04:59 > 0:05:04Some dig through the snow to find buried plants or nuts.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07But this uses up precious energy.
0:05:07 > 0:05:11They will have to eat even more to keep warm.
0:05:12 > 0:05:17Winter weather isn't bad news for every creature, though.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20Under the snow, this tiny vole can scurry around
0:05:20 > 0:05:22in pockets of warm air,
0:05:22 > 0:05:26safely hidden from hungry birds, like kestrels, above.
0:05:28 > 0:05:30And beneath the ice,
0:05:30 > 0:05:34the water in this pond is not too cold for all sorts
0:05:34 > 0:05:39of weird and wonderful creatures to survive all winter long.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50Today we're in a community garden near Stirling.
0:05:50 > 0:05:55It is winter now, but there's still vegetables growing.
0:05:55 > 0:05:59We are going to help them pick them and make something tasty to eat.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02ALL: Chutney!
0:06:03 > 0:06:06Chutney is a tasty preserve that lasts for a long time.
0:06:06 > 0:06:10It's a good thing to make with the last vegetables of the year.
0:06:10 > 0:06:14Here in the garden, there are lots of vegetables ready
0:06:14 > 0:06:16to be picked and made into chutney.
0:06:16 > 0:06:19Right, everybody, we need to put our gloves on so we
0:06:19 > 0:06:21can go and do some picking.
0:06:21 > 0:06:24So, do you recognise these vegetables?
0:06:24 > 0:06:25Onions.
0:06:25 > 0:06:27- Onions.- That's right, onions.
0:06:35 > 0:06:36We found a pumpkin!
0:06:36 > 0:06:40Yeah, these pumpkins, we lifted these in autumn,
0:06:40 > 0:06:44but they will be really, really good for us to use in the chutney.
0:06:44 > 0:06:47Let's go down to the kitchen.
0:06:47 > 0:06:48Donna is in the kitchen.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51She's going to help make the chutney.
0:06:51 > 0:06:54OK, girls and boys, now that you've washed your hands,
0:06:54 > 0:06:57it is really important to wash the vegetables.
0:06:57 > 0:07:00We take all the dirt and soil off the vegetables
0:07:00 > 0:07:03so they don't spread any germs and to stop soil
0:07:03 > 0:07:06getting into the chutney.
0:07:06 > 0:07:10We're going to chop up our vegetables really small now.
0:07:10 > 0:07:14Next, the children carefully chop up the vegetables
0:07:14 > 0:07:16into lots of small pieces.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21Now the veg has been chopped, Donna can make the chutney.
0:07:21 > 0:07:25She fries all the vegetables from the garden in a big pot.
0:07:25 > 0:07:29Once she has added the vegetables, some sugar and vinegar,
0:07:29 > 0:07:31it's left to cook for a long time.
0:07:31 > 0:07:35Whilst it cooks, it's going to turn really mushy,
0:07:35 > 0:07:39and the final mixture is what we call chutney.
0:07:39 > 0:07:41Whilst the chutney is bubbling away,
0:07:41 > 0:07:45we're going to decorate a clean jar for your chutney.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51The chutney that Donna and her helpers have made
0:07:51 > 0:07:53needs a long time to cool down,
0:07:53 > 0:07:57so Donna has brought along another pot that she made earlier.
0:07:59 > 0:08:03What a clever way to enjoy winter vegetables all year round.
0:08:03 > 0:08:05Delicious.
0:08:10 > 0:08:14In the winter white, a breast so red,
0:08:14 > 0:08:17beneath a brown and bobbing head.
0:08:17 > 0:08:21Two black eyes, shiny and round,
0:08:21 > 0:08:25are quick to spy any food to be found.
0:08:25 > 0:08:29He swoops and lands on two brown feet,
0:08:29 > 0:08:32a juicy pink worm will be good to eat.
0:08:32 > 0:08:37But one beak full won't fill this fluffy grey tummy,
0:08:37 > 0:08:42for in winter, red robin is ever so hungry.
0:08:48 > 0:08:50I love tomatoes.
0:08:50 > 0:08:55I like them on pizza, on pasta, and even in soup.
0:08:55 > 0:08:59Now it's hard to grow tomatoes in this country unless you have a
0:08:59 > 0:09:01greenhouse to keep them warm.
0:09:01 > 0:09:05It's even harder to grow enough tomatoes for everyone who loves them
0:09:05 > 0:09:07unless you have one of these.
0:09:07 > 0:09:09A massive greenhouse!
0:09:09 > 0:09:14This enormous greenhouse in Kent is growing four varieties of tomato.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17It is as big as 16 football pitches.
0:09:17 > 0:09:21That's a lot of juicy tomatoes under one roof.
0:09:21 > 0:09:23The greenhouse is really warm.
0:09:23 > 0:09:28In fact it's heated all year round to seem like a warm spring day.
0:09:28 > 0:09:32I am meeting Gert who is an expert at growing tomatoes.
0:09:32 > 0:09:36But first, let's get a better view of the farm.
0:09:42 > 0:09:44This place is massive.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47How do you grow so many tomatoes in here?
0:09:47 > 0:09:51- Well, we use a process called hydroponics.- Hydroponics?- Yes.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54We use this spongy wall for the plants to grow in.
0:09:54 > 0:09:58We use water, sunlight and plant food, and air of course,
0:09:58 > 0:10:00for the plans to grow the best.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03Ah, and the sunlight comes through the glass.
0:10:03 > 0:10:06It does, but when the sun doesn't shine, like today,
0:10:06 > 0:10:09- we use the grow lights. - Gert, what is in these boxes?
0:10:09 > 0:10:13We keep bumblebees in those boxes. There's about 150 in each box,
0:10:13 > 0:10:17and there's 60,000 bumblebees in total in this greenhouse.
0:10:17 > 0:10:18What do the bumblebees do?
0:10:18 > 0:10:21They fly around and help the tomato plants grow.
0:10:21 > 0:10:25They're really friendly. They don't even bother the pickers.
0:10:25 > 0:10:29- And speaking of picking, can I have a go?- Sure, of course you can.
0:10:29 > 0:10:31'The tomatoes are picked by hand.
0:10:31 > 0:10:35'They are then packed and delivered to lots of shops across the country.
0:10:35 > 0:10:39'Because it's like a sunny spring day all the time,
0:10:39 > 0:10:41'the pickers like working in their shorts.'
0:10:41 > 0:10:43This is amazing and so colourful.
0:10:43 > 0:10:47Gert, how do you know when the tomatoes are ready to be picked?
0:10:47 > 0:10:51When the vine is fully red, we know it's ready to be picked.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54These tomatoes here are still growing, they are green.
0:10:54 > 0:10:56Let's do it.
0:11:00 > 0:11:02These ones don't look ready yet.
0:11:02 > 0:11:04Look at these ones. They're orange!
0:11:04 > 0:11:08'They are not green any more. So they're ready to pick too.'
0:11:11 > 0:11:15Gert, we've picked quite a few different tomatoes, haven't we?
0:11:15 > 0:11:17- We have. - Now, they all look delicious.
0:11:17 > 0:11:21- Can I taste one?- Of course you can. Here you go.
0:11:23 > 0:11:25Really sweet.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28So, while we finish tasting these delicious tomatoes,
0:11:28 > 0:11:31why don't you find out what else happens in winter?
0:11:35 > 0:11:37Today we've come to County Armagh
0:11:37 > 0:11:41to learn all about something warm that fills up your tummy
0:11:41 > 0:11:44in the cold winter months. Can you guess what it might be?
0:11:44 > 0:11:48Well, it's made from oats, sown all the way back in springtime,
0:11:48 > 0:11:51which are then harvested in the autumn,
0:11:51 > 0:11:54ready to be made into a big yummy bowl of porridge.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57Every day, a delivery of oats comes to this factory,
0:11:57 > 0:12:00but there's lots for James and his friends to do
0:12:00 > 0:12:03before they can be made into porridge.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06So, come and follow me to find out what we need to do.
0:12:06 > 0:12:10The very first thing we have to do when the oats are delivered to the
0:12:10 > 0:12:13factory is to make sure they're all nice and clean.
0:12:13 > 0:12:17We check there is no dirt or stones in amongst the oats,
0:12:17 > 0:12:20and to do this we have a special machine that sieves out
0:12:20 > 0:12:24all the best oats, ready for us to make the tastiest porridge possible.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27Once we have all the good oats separated out,
0:12:27 > 0:12:31we put them into a special drum which spins them around and around.
0:12:31 > 0:12:33This process is called hulling.
0:12:33 > 0:12:37We do this to separate the oat kernels, called groats,
0:12:37 > 0:12:39from the outer shell called husks.
0:12:39 > 0:12:42When they spin around, the groats jump out of the husks
0:12:42 > 0:12:45and these groats are the most important part
0:12:45 > 0:12:46of the oat that we eat.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49After hulling the oats, we have to dry them out.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52To do this we send them to a very hot oven called the kiln.
0:12:52 > 0:12:54Once they come out of the kiln,
0:12:54 > 0:12:58we give them one last extra dry to remove any moisture
0:12:58 > 0:13:01by blowing hot air underneath them. A bit like a big hairdryer.
0:13:01 > 0:13:06Can you see how they're dancing in the air? Very happy oats.
0:13:06 > 0:13:11They're ready to be packed and sent to shops all over the country.
0:13:11 > 0:13:15We have very special machines to make sure they are sealed safely
0:13:15 > 0:13:17so that no tasty oats can escape.
0:13:17 > 0:13:19James and his friends at the factory
0:13:19 > 0:13:23love to enjoy a hearty bowl of porridge every day.
0:13:23 > 0:13:24Delicious.
0:13:28 > 0:13:32Storm and I have had a fantastic time on the farm today.
0:13:32 > 0:13:33Did you enjoy it too?
0:13:33 > 0:13:36Remember, there's even more from Down On The Farm
0:13:36 > 0:13:39on the CBeebies website. See you next time.
0:13:39 > 0:13:43# Come join us down on the farm today
0:13:43 > 0:13:47# Learn about nature along the way
0:13:47 > 0:13:49# From seeds to crops, and fields to barns
0:13:49 > 0:13:52# So much to do down on the farm
0:13:52 > 0:13:54# Summer autumn winter spring
0:13:54 > 0:13:56# Ploughing planting harvesting
0:13:56 > 0:14:00# With JB and Storm to lead the way
0:14:00 > 0:14:06# Come join us down on the farm today. #