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 > 0:00:17# Summer, Autumn, Winter, Spring
0:00:17 > 0:00:19# Ploughing, planting, harvesting
0:00:19 > 0:00:24# With JB and Storm to lead the way
0:00:24 > 0:00:30# 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 > 0:00:38In summer, farmers have lots to do looking after their animals and
0:00:38 > 0:00:40the crops in their fields.
0:00:40 > 0:00:45So, while I look after this farm, let's find out what Storm is up to.
0:00:50 > 0:00:55Today, I've come to a pretty farm in Devon where they grow flowers
0:00:55 > 0:00:59that aren't only beautiful, but also safe to eat.
0:01:08 > 0:01:09Hi, Farmer Jan.
0:01:09 > 0:01:13- Hi, Storm.- This is absolutely beautiful.
0:01:13 > 0:01:16- Thank you.- Now, I know it's not normally safe to eat flowers and
0:01:16 > 0:01:20plants in your garden, so what makes it safe to eat these?
0:01:20 > 0:01:24You're quite right, you shouldn't normally eat flowers from
0:01:24 > 0:01:28your garden, but these are special flowers that are safe to eat.
0:01:28 > 0:01:30They're called edible flowers.
0:01:30 > 0:01:34- Would you like to make some flowery treats?- I certainly would.
0:01:34 > 0:01:38And today, we've got Rory, Elsie, Max and Louis to help us pick.
0:01:38 > 0:01:40Go on, pick that one, that's lovely.
0:01:40 > 0:01:45We all listen to farmer Jan as she knows exactly which flowers are OK
0:01:45 > 0:01:46to collect.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49Time to head outside and pick some more.
0:01:49 > 0:01:51So what's your favourite colour?
0:01:51 > 0:01:52- Pink.- Pink!
0:01:52 > 0:01:55So shall we pick some of the pink ones?
0:01:59 > 0:02:00That's a good one.
0:02:07 > 0:02:10Now we've collected all the flowers we need,
0:02:10 > 0:02:13it's time to make some tasty treats.
0:02:16 > 0:02:20So, now we've collected all of these special, edible flowers,
0:02:20 > 0:02:22what can we make with them?
0:02:22 > 0:02:25Well, I think we should make a lovely nasturtium pesto to
0:02:25 > 0:02:27dress our salad leaves.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30First, we put in the nasturtiums,
0:02:30 > 0:02:34then some pine nuts, a bit of cheese
0:02:34 > 0:02:36and some oil.
0:02:36 > 0:02:38Fantastic.
0:02:38 > 0:02:40Then, we whizz it up.
0:02:45 > 0:02:48And now it's ready to go on the salad.
0:02:48 > 0:02:52So what are we going to do with the cornflowers that we've picked?
0:02:52 > 0:02:56We're going to crystallise them and then pop them on the cake.
0:02:56 > 0:02:58To crystallise the cornflowers,
0:02:58 > 0:03:02we brush them with egg white to get them all sticky.
0:03:02 > 0:03:04Then we sprinkle sugar on them.
0:03:04 > 0:03:08Right, so we're going to leave these to dry now,
0:03:08 > 0:03:13but here's some dry ones that we can use to decorate the cake.
0:03:15 > 0:03:19This could be the prettiest cake I've ever seen.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22Well, now all our tasty treats are prepared,
0:03:22 > 0:03:26the only thing left to do is to try them, so tuck in.
0:03:32 > 0:03:36While we enjoy these flowers that have been grown right here,
0:03:36 > 0:03:40why don't we find out what else is grown in summer?
0:03:43 > 0:03:47Lots of young birds and animals spend their first summer growing
0:03:47 > 0:03:52fast and learning how to take care of themselves.
0:03:52 > 0:03:54Fox cubs stay close to their mum
0:03:54 > 0:03:57at first as she shows them how to hunt or find food.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02By autumn, they will have to do this on their own.
0:04:02 > 0:04:07Young stoats spend the summer with their family, too.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10Play fighting with brothers and sisters
0:04:10 > 0:04:13is the first step in learning to hunt.
0:04:13 > 0:04:18Soon, they will have the strength and skills to attack real prey.
0:04:18 > 0:04:22This little owl is only a few weeks old,
0:04:22 > 0:04:25but is already living on its own.
0:04:25 > 0:04:27In time, with lots of practice,
0:04:27 > 0:04:30it will be able to hunt fast-moving voles.
0:04:30 > 0:04:34But for now, juicy worms are much easier to catch.
0:04:35 > 0:04:39Young rabbits have to learn how to escape danger.
0:04:39 > 0:04:41Sensing a threat,
0:04:41 > 0:04:45they dart off as quickly as they can into the safety of a burrow.
0:04:51 > 0:04:55I've come to a busy community farm in Wiltshire where adults and
0:04:55 > 0:04:59children learn how to work together and care for the animals.
0:04:59 > 0:05:02I wonder what kind of animals I'll meet today.
0:05:02 > 0:05:03ROOSTER CROWS
0:05:03 > 0:05:07Hi, farmer Wendy. Now, these are some cool-looking chickens.
0:05:07 > 0:05:11Hi, Storm. Yes, we have lots of different animals here and lots of
0:05:11 > 0:05:15- teams that work with them. Would you like to meet some?- I would.
0:05:15 > 0:05:19That's good because when all the work is done, there's a surprise.
0:05:19 > 0:05:23Now, that sounds exciting, I'd better get to work.
0:05:24 > 0:05:27The first team are looking after the donkeys.
0:05:27 > 0:05:30Hi, guys. So, who do we have here?
0:05:30 > 0:05:33We have Petal and Maddy.
0:05:33 > 0:05:34And what do we need to do?
0:05:34 > 0:05:36BOTH: We have to groom them.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41So, Kingsley, what do you use the donkeys for?
0:05:41 > 0:05:46We're going to train them to pull a cart so people can have a ride.
0:05:46 > 0:05:50We use a special harness with long reins so that the donkeys can get
0:05:50 > 0:05:54used to pulling something and having something behind them.
0:05:54 > 0:05:57- Come round, Maddy. Good girl. - Come round this way.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59Good girl, Maddy.
0:05:59 > 0:06:03The donkey team have done a great job, but there's more work
0:06:03 > 0:06:06to be done before I earn that special treat.
0:06:08 > 0:06:10So, what do we have to do in the stables?
0:06:10 > 0:06:14We have to take out the poo and all that straw.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17That is the biggest shovel of hay I have ever seen.
0:06:24 > 0:06:28Now we need to put clean straw in the stable.
0:06:28 > 0:06:32Do you think the horses are going to like this?
0:06:33 > 0:06:35Well, that's a good job done.
0:06:35 > 0:06:39Yes, everyone has worked well together, that's all
0:06:39 > 0:06:42- the jobs finished now.- Does that mean what I think it means?
0:06:42 > 0:06:46Yes, it's time for that special surprise.
0:06:46 > 0:06:48The treat at the end of the day is
0:06:48 > 0:06:52a ride with the farm's beautiful horses.
0:06:54 > 0:06:58Come and ride on the cart with us.
0:06:58 > 0:07:00Thanks very much, guys.
0:07:00 > 0:07:02This is fantastic.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09While we enjoy the rest of our ride,
0:07:09 > 0:07:12let's find out what else happens in summer.
0:07:15 > 0:07:19Summer fields, no longer bare
0:07:19 > 0:07:21Golden crops are growing there
0:07:23 > 0:07:26Nestled in the summer leaves
0:07:26 > 0:07:28Sweet fruit is growing on the trees
0:07:31 > 0:07:35Lawnmowers buzz on summer grass
0:07:35 > 0:07:38It's cut, but grows back just as fast
0:07:41 > 0:07:45Summer hedgerows grow thick and green
0:07:45 > 0:07:48A place to feed or hide unseen
0:07:51 > 0:07:54On dappled streams and glinting ponds
0:07:54 > 0:07:57Are signets growing into swans
0:08:00 > 0:08:03Summer calves and piglets, too
0:08:03 > 0:08:06They're growing fast and so are you.
0:08:10 > 0:08:15I have come to a farm in Shropshire to find out about this stuff.
0:08:15 > 0:08:17It looks a bit like rice or couscous.
0:08:17 > 0:08:19Do you know what it is?
0:08:22 > 0:08:25- Hi, farmer Stephen.- Hi, JB. - Can you tell me what this is?
0:08:25 > 0:08:29These are the seeds of a plant called quinoa and it's cooked and
0:08:29 > 0:08:31eaten in a similar way to rice.
0:08:31 > 0:08:33Can you show me how it grows?
0:08:33 > 0:08:37It's growing in the field right now, why don't we go and have a look?
0:08:37 > 0:08:39- Yes, please.- Let's go.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47So, this is a field of quinoa.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50It's very green and luscious but it doesn't look like this.
0:08:50 > 0:08:54- You're right.- Actually, the seed grows within the flower throughout
0:08:54 > 0:08:58the summer and is ready for harvest in the autumn.
0:08:58 > 0:09:00The quinoa isn't ready to harvest yet,
0:09:00 > 0:09:03but there are still plenty of jobs to do in the summer
0:09:03 > 0:09:07and Emily and Austin are here to help. So what's first?
0:09:07 > 0:09:10We've got to count how many plants are in the field.
0:09:10 > 0:09:12That'll take a really long time.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15It would! We only have to count the plants in a small area
0:09:15 > 0:09:18to work out how many plants are in the entire field.
0:09:18 > 0:09:20Let's start counting.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23One, two, three,
0:09:23 > 0:09:24four, five.
0:09:26 > 0:09:30Counting plants means farmer Stephen knows how many he will have
0:09:30 > 0:09:34- to harvest in the autumn. - JB, you missed one.- Oh, 15!
0:09:36 > 0:09:38That's another 20.
0:09:38 > 0:09:39Thanks, Austin.
0:09:44 > 0:09:48We've just counted 120 plants in this area,
0:09:48 > 0:09:51so how many does that mean are in the whole field?
0:09:51 > 0:09:54It means we're going to have around 50 million plants
0:09:54 > 0:09:56in the whole field.
0:09:56 > 0:09:58- Wow.- That's a lot of plants.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01That's an massive number, isn't it? So what's our next job?
0:10:01 > 0:10:04The next job for us to do is dig up a few plants
0:10:04 > 0:10:08- and look at how healthy the roots are.- Let's get digging.- Go for it.
0:10:09 > 0:10:11Quinoa is very good for us.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15It contains lots of things our bodies need to grow
0:10:15 > 0:10:17and stay healthy.
0:10:17 > 0:10:20It's so good for us, it's called a super food.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23What does a healthy root look like?
0:10:23 > 0:10:26We're looking for a root that's long, white and straight.
0:10:26 > 0:10:28Can you see the root yet?
0:10:28 > 0:10:29There we go.
0:10:29 > 0:10:31Well done.
0:10:31 > 0:10:35- Now, what do you think of that root? - That looks nice and healthy.
0:10:35 > 0:10:38They are white and long and straight.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41Looks like farmer Stephen's got a good crop of quinoa plants.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46I've learned so much about quinoa today,
0:10:46 > 0:10:49I'd love to come back in autumn and see it harvested.
0:10:49 > 0:10:50You'd be very welcome.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53- Do you think that'd be a good idea, guys?- Yeah.- YES!
0:10:53 > 0:10:56While we keep checking these plants,
0:10:56 > 0:10:59here's a top tip for when you're out and about this summer.
0:11:02 > 0:11:06In summer, it's fun to go on walks in the countryside.
0:11:06 > 0:11:10In farms and fields, there might be lots of animals around.
0:11:12 > 0:11:15The field have gates and stiles to keep the animals safe.
0:11:17 > 0:11:19Use the stiles and gates properly...
0:11:20 > 0:11:25..climbing gates near the hinges, as it's safer and stronger.
0:11:25 > 0:11:27Enjoy being out and about!
0:11:31 > 0:11:36In spring we saw lots of vegetables being planted, like potatoes.
0:11:36 > 0:11:40Now it's summer, we have come back to find out what farmer Kerr does
0:11:40 > 0:11:42to look after the potatoes.
0:11:42 > 0:11:46In the summertime, the potato fields look a lot different
0:11:46 > 0:11:47to springtime.
0:11:47 > 0:11:51There's now lots of green plants growing at the top of the ridges.
0:11:51 > 0:11:54The plants grow straight from the seed potatoes
0:11:54 > 0:11:57so I know the potatoes are growing in the ground.
0:11:57 > 0:12:00Kerr checks all the plants in the field
0:12:00 > 0:12:02to see how the potatoes are growing.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05This plant has nice big green leaves.
0:12:05 > 0:12:07This means the plant is healthy,
0:12:07 > 0:12:09and so are the potatoes under the ground.
0:12:12 > 0:12:16Because the potatoes won't grow properly if they get a disease,
0:12:16 > 0:12:19Kerr and his team protect them by spraying the plants.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25This is our special spraying machine.
0:12:25 > 0:12:27It works a bit like a shower.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29It sprays something called fungicide.
0:12:29 > 0:12:33It's a liquid that stops disease growing on the potatoes.
0:12:33 > 0:12:36Today I need to check the machine is working properly
0:12:36 > 0:12:39so I've put some water in the tank to spray on the crops.
0:12:48 > 0:12:52The tractor pulls the plant sprayer through the fields.
0:12:52 > 0:12:56The water is pumped along the long arms of the spraying machine,
0:12:56 > 0:12:58and shoots out over the plants.
0:13:03 > 0:13:06It takes Kerr two days to spray the plants with fungicide.
0:13:06 > 0:13:10He does this every week in summer to protect the plants
0:13:10 > 0:13:13so the potatoes are ready for harvesting in the autumn.
0:13:13 > 0:13:17Hopefully we'll be back then to see the fully grown potatoes.
0:13:26 > 0:13:30Storm and I have had a brilliant time on the farm today.
0:13:30 > 0:13:34Did you enjoy it, too? If you want to have fun with your own farm,
0:13:34 > 0:13:37go to the CBeebies website to play the Down On The Farm game.
0:13:37 > 0:13:39See you next time. Bye!