Parsnips and Chickens Down on the Farm

# Come join us down on the farm today

# Learn about nature along the way

# From seeds to crops and field to plants

# 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. #

Cock-a-doodle-doo!

Hello, I'm JB and welcome to Down on the Farm.

Now it's winter, it's time for farmers to make sure that all

their machinery is working perfectly for the year ahead.

So while I help out on this farm, let's find out what Storm's up to.

Cock-a-doodle-doo!

It's early in the morning,

and I've been asked to meet Farmer Kevin here in this field.

But what could he be doing at this time of day?

Here comes Farmer Kevin now.

Morning, Storm.

-Would you like to help me pick some parsnips today?

-Picking parsnips?

Yes, please! Parsnips are a root vegetable.

They're grown, harvested and mainly eaten in winter.

Because they grow underground they get lots of goodness from the soil.

This means they're very healthy to eat and full of vitamins and iron.

Now, Kevin, why are you up so early harvesting parsnips?

Winter's our busiest time. We work long hours to

make sure we get the parsnips harvested.

How will you harvest that many parsnips?

With this big parsnip harvester.

-Do you think I might be able to help?

-I'm sure you could, yeah.

This combine harvester has special machinery fitted to it which

harvests the parsnips.

A rotary blade digs the parsnips out of the ground.

The mud is shaken off and then the parsnips are collected and

sorted on top of the combine harvester.

So this is what all the hard work was for.

Look at all the parsnips we've collected!

So what part of the parsnip is it that we eat?

The whole root, from top to bottom. In the winter

they're sweeter because the starch is turned to sugar.

-They're tastiest in the winter?

-Yes, a lot tastier.

Now we've collected all these parsnips, where do they go?

They go back to the factory to be washed and packed.

Well, let's go take a look.

The parsnips are off-loaded into the factory where they are washed.

'The workers separate the different sizes and shapes.'

-You have to be pretty fast, don't you?

-Yes.

They are then wrapped in plastic,

ready to go to the markets and shops.

A parsnip that has been harvested can be in the shops in as

little as five hours.

Parsnips that look misshapen, also known as "wonky parsnips",

get turned into tasty crisps, so nothing goes to waste.

It was well worth getting up early just to see how

parsnips are harvested. I can't wait to cook some,

but in the meantime, do you fancy trying some parsnip crisps?

Sounds good to me.

While we enjoy these tasty vegetable treats,

why don't you find out what else happens in winter?

Beep, beep!

For wild creatures, food is much harder to find in winter.

They have to make the most of every chance they get.

Often it is us, their human neighbours,

who provide those chances.

Birds need to eat a lot to stay warm at this time of year,

and many of them rely on food we give them.

Larger birds like greenfinches and nuthatches

will jealously guard such a valuable supply.

In the countryside,

these gulls and red kites have worked out that following

a farmer's plough is the best way to get a good meal in winter.

To prepare for planting, ploughs turn over the soil.

This unearths lots of worms which birds can't dig up on their

own when the ground is frozen.

They swoop in, and help themselves again and again.

When we are not looking,

sneaky foxes take the chance to rake through our bins for food scraps,

while others find that it pays to be bold.

This squirrel just pops into his local barber shop and demands

some nuts.

When he has had enough to eat,

he even stashes some away in a pot plant for later.

Being around humans can help creatures in other ways, too.

During long, dark winter nights small birds are in danger

from hungry owls, so to feel safe,

these pied wagtails have chosen to roost beside Heathrow Airport,

which gives off light and heat all night long.

In the spring, summer and autumn months, the weather is much

warmer, so we can grow a lot of fruit and veg outside.

But in the winter it's too cold, so we need something very

special to keep the fruit and vegetables nice and warm.

We need a...

ALL: Polytunnel!

Yes, we need a polytunnel like this one in Birmingham.

The children at this school grow lots of plants and herbs. Hi guys!

ALL: Hello, Storm!

So, what does a polytunnel protect fruit and vegetables from?

-Frost.

-Birds.

-Wind.

Absolutely.

And it also traps the air inside, and it keeps it nice and warm.

-Does it feel warmer in here?

-ALL: Yeah.

Yeah, it feels nice and warm, doesn't it?

Now, what sorts of things are you growing in your polytunnel?

-ALL: Peppers! Chillies! Basil!

-Absolutely.

Lots of things that would grow in warmer weather,

but the polytunnel acts like a greenhouse

so we can grow them when it's cold.

Does anybody want to show me how to plant some seeds?

-ALL: Me!

-Well, let's get planting!

Today we're going to plant chillies and basil.

First we need to sieve the soil.

Then we put the soil in the pots.

-So, now it's time to put some seeds in.

-Yeah!

-Yeah!

You're doing a great job. Well done.

'Then we cover the seeds with some more soil, and of course,

'we need to give the seeds some water.

'Now, off to the polytunnel.'

It's nice and warm in here, isn't it?

'These plants need to grow for a few months before they are

'ready to be picked,

'but there are some plants here that are ready to be picked now...'

Let's get picking, guys!

'..like these lettuce, garlic chives, peppers, and pak choi.'

Thank you very much.

I've had a fantastic day learning about polytunnels and

planting seeds, and I learned that even when it's cold outside

we can still grow things inside.

So while we continue picking,

why don't you take a listen to our chilly poem? Brrr!

When it's cold, the air tickles my nose

and freezes my toes.

I stamp to keep warm.

The crisp, crunching sound of my boots on the ground

makes me stomp even more.

I'm an ice dragon now,

ferocious and loud.

I let out a roar! Roaaar!

ALL: Roaaar!

And my breath billows white.

I scream with delight at the magical sight.

Moo!

Living in the countryside, I often get woken by the sound of

"cock-a-doodle-doo!" which is made by one of my favourite animals.

Do you know what it is? That's right.

I'm here to find out more about chickens.

-Hi, Kirsty.

-Hi, JB. Welcome to our farm.

-Thanks.

You've got some lovely-looking chickens here,

-but some do look different to others.

-They do, yes.

This is a male. He's called a cockerel, and he has a large comb.

We also have hens. They're the females. They lay the eggs.

They all look happy and healthy.

How do they get on in the winter?

Fine. Their feathers keep them warm.

They have plenty of shelter in their coops.

-Do they still lay eggs in winter?

-They do, but not as many.

The lights in their coops make them think

it's summer. That helps them lay more.

-Can I help to pick some?

-Of course.

I've got two little pickers to help you, and they're in there.

Ivy and Poppy look after their own chickens on the farm,

and they also help to collect their eggs.

Hi, Poppy. Hi, Ivy. BOTH: Hi, JB!

Let's collect some eggs.

Poppy, do you want to open that side, and I'll open this side?

There we go. Let's get picking.

Oh, Poppy, you've got three. I can see one there.

Ivy's got one.

Perfect. Well, girls, we've found lots of eggs.

-Shall we go up to the barn and weigh them.

-Yeah!

-Come on, then.

Let's get weighing, girls.

'All the eggs we've collected are put on this conveyor belt.

'At the end of the conveyor belt, each egg is weighed.

'Then the machine sorts the eggs based on their size and weight.'

Wow, look at that.

'Now we know what size and weight the eggs are,

'we have to put them into egg boxes.

'The eggs are put in groups of six, which some people call

'"half a dozen".

'Then the eggs are stamped with the farm name,

'so we know where they're from.

'Finally, each box gets a label,

'and they are ready to go to the farm shop to be sold.'

Finished!

Thanks for coming, JB, and here's some eggs for you.

Thank you. I love fresh farm eggs, and I can't wait to taste them.

While I decide how to have my eggs, lets find out how fishermen

harvest a different type of food in the winter.

Toot, toot!

This is Cameron and his crew.

We're visiting him on a farm on a Scottish island called Mull.

This farm is a bit different. There are no tractors.

Instead, he uses a boat, because the farm is on water,

and what grows here lives under the sea,

mussels.

A mussel is a type of shellfish that we can eat.

It has two oval-shaped shells to protect its body.

Although the water is extremely cold in winter,

mussels grow all the year round.

They eat tiny creatures in the water called plankton.

Wild mussels like the ones Cameron is harvesting find

things in the water to attach themselves to,

like the ropes that hang from these buoys.

Once in place, the mussels can start to eat all the good things in

the water, and they grow bigger.

The buoys help the fishermen to find the mussels.

These mussels have been growing on the rope here for about

three years. When they're the size of your thumb, roughly,

they're ready to be picked and eaten.

This is the mussel's beard. This is what helps hold it onto the rope.

That's us back at the pier now.

We're going to clean the mussels,

'remove the beards and seaweed.

'That's not what we want to eat.'

They then pack the mussels into boxes,

which are taken to shops and restaurants to be sold and eaten.

The best way to eat mussels is when they are fresh from the sea.

Once they're cooked, the mussels open their shells to show

their beautiful bright colour.

So the fishermen are enjoying a lovely hot meal after a hard day.

Storm, Rory and I had a brilliant time today,

and we hope you enjoyed it, too.

You can find even more from Down on the Farm on the CBeebies website.

See you next time. Bye!

# Come join us down on the farm today

# Learn about nature along the way

# From seeds to crops and field 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. #