0:00:02 > 0:00:04In Britain's beautiful landscapes,
0:00:04 > 0:00:07traditional farming is battling to survive.
0:00:09 > 0:00:12Making a living here has its challenges,
0:00:12 > 0:00:15but those challenges are being met head-on with invention,
0:00:15 > 0:00:17energy and passion.
0:00:18 > 0:00:21A new breed of trailblazing entrepreneurs
0:00:21 > 0:00:23are turning back to the land,
0:00:23 > 0:00:28to reinvent old trades and set up modern rural businesses.
0:00:28 > 0:00:32Latest figures show that as many as 100,000 people are leaving
0:00:32 > 0:00:35our cities and moving to the countryside every year.
0:00:38 > 0:00:40I've seen first-hand,
0:00:40 > 0:00:43having started my own rural business in Monmouthshire,
0:00:43 > 0:00:47the grit and determination needed to take that leap.
0:00:47 > 0:00:50And joining me is award-winning organic restaurateur
0:00:50 > 0:00:51Geetie Singh Watson,
0:00:51 > 0:00:55who will bring her knowledge and passion.
0:00:55 > 0:00:57I am really, really impressed.
0:01:00 > 0:01:01We're going to be meeting
0:01:01 > 0:01:04some of the modern-day countryside pioneers...
0:01:04 > 0:01:05Come on.
0:01:05 > 0:01:08..whose love, skill and tenacity
0:01:08 > 0:01:11are at the heart of this rural revolution.
0:01:11 > 0:01:13- Ha!- This is a passion.
0:01:13 > 0:01:15I'm doing it cos I believe in the product.
0:01:16 > 0:01:20Every area and every season present new challenges.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23We're in South Devon.
0:01:23 > 0:01:27Following six innovative businesses through spring...
0:01:27 > 0:01:28Welcome to Devon!
0:01:28 > 0:01:31..summer and autumn, as they take on big investments...
0:01:31 > 0:01:35This is our future. In seven years' time, hopefully, my friends!
0:01:35 > 0:01:37..and break new ground...
0:01:37 > 0:01:39This is the best smelling room
0:01:39 > 0:01:41you'll ever walk into in your entire life!
0:01:41 > 0:01:43Wow, that smell is incredible.
0:01:43 > 0:01:47'..doing their bit to reinvigorate our great British countryside.'
0:01:47 > 0:01:51I never know what the next phone call is going to be.
0:01:51 > 0:01:52I have the best job in the world!
0:02:16 > 0:02:21South Devon's rolling hills and rich food heritage pull in millions of
0:02:21 > 0:02:26tourists every year and many then come back for good.
0:02:26 > 0:02:30It's become one of the most popular places in Britain to move to.
0:02:30 > 0:02:34And with all those new people come new ideas and new businesses.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55It's a very soggy Devon spring,
0:02:55 > 0:02:59and the apple blossom is only just out in May.
0:02:59 > 0:03:04It was once a common sight across this traditional cider county.
0:03:04 > 0:03:09But Devon lost nearly 90% of its native orchards in just 50 years
0:03:09 > 0:03:12as apples became more intensively farmed.
0:03:15 > 0:03:17I've come to Hazelwood near Kingsbridge
0:03:17 > 0:03:21to meet a farmer's daughter determined to reverse that trend
0:03:21 > 0:03:26and capitalise on our growing thirst for craft cider.
0:03:28 > 0:03:30Goodness me, Tash!
0:03:30 > 0:03:33Welcome to Devon! You've picked a sunny day!
0:03:33 > 0:03:35It's lovely to meet you.
0:03:35 > 0:03:37- Hello.- You're quite soggy!
0:03:37 > 0:03:40I can't believe you're actually working out here on a day like this.
0:03:40 > 0:03:42I'm actually very excitable about this new orchard,
0:03:42 > 0:03:45which has been ravaged by hares and everything else.
0:03:45 > 0:03:47So I'm now here putting some guards on.
0:03:47 > 0:03:48Clearly it is a brand-new orchard.
0:03:48 > 0:03:52Have we, sort of, got you right at the start of this venture?
0:03:52 > 0:03:55Absolutely. So we literally planted these this year.
0:03:55 > 0:03:58- Right.- And the plan is really to try and make this a lovely
0:03:58 > 0:04:01productive orchard with nature in mind.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04But mainly, we've just got to secure our future.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13Natasha, along with husband, Barney,
0:04:13 > 0:04:18came back to the land to take on her dad's then tiny cider side-line.
0:04:21 > 0:04:23She's since grown the business
0:04:23 > 0:04:26by diversifying into soft drinks and cider vinegar.
0:04:31 > 0:04:36Now a 15-strong workforce produces 300,000 bottles a year,
0:04:36 > 0:04:40using Devon apples bought in from local growers.
0:04:42 > 0:04:43- Oh, it's a bit drier in here!- It is!
0:04:43 > 0:04:45Look at this!
0:04:45 > 0:04:47- Here we go.- This is where it all happens.- It is.
0:04:47 > 0:04:51In here, we have about 88,000 pints of cider bubbling away quietly.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54- Wow.- So we have about 27 or 28 different orchards here
0:04:54 > 0:04:57so there's lots of different varieties.
0:04:57 > 0:04:59Unlike more rapid commercial production,
0:04:59 > 0:05:04this cider has been fermenting naturally since last autumn,
0:05:04 > 0:05:07and each local variety is different.
0:05:11 > 0:05:15- Oh-ha!- So this is from a very, very bland, mostly sweet orchard.
0:05:15 > 0:05:16- OK.- It's not fully fermented.
0:05:16 > 0:05:20That is unchallenging, quite pale in colour, not wildly exciting.
0:05:20 > 0:05:23The sort of stuff that you might drink behind the bike sheds at 16.
0:05:23 > 0:05:25Bingo! I did that too, don't worry.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28If you have a little try this one, a bitter, totally different flavour.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31Totally different flavour. You taste it in a slightly different,
0:05:31 > 0:05:33- sort of more on the roof of your mouth.- Exactly.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36- But it's a more complex flavour. - Exactly.
0:05:36 > 0:05:41So every year, the cider that you produce will surprise you?
0:05:41 > 0:05:44You're not just making a kind of standard product?
0:05:44 > 0:05:46Not at all. And it can change at any point.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51You're making it sound lovely.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53You know, is it just sort of simple as?
0:05:53 > 0:05:56It's been a horrific journey!
0:05:56 > 0:05:58I think the first seven years were...
0:05:58 > 0:06:01I made every mistake that it was possible to make.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04We had someone who unintentionally left the lid off a tank,
0:06:04 > 0:06:06a 10,000-litre tank.
0:06:06 > 0:06:08So a 10,000-litre tank of fermenting apple juice?
0:06:08 > 0:06:11Fermented cider and cider don't mix.
0:06:11 > 0:06:13And if they do mix, they turn into vinegar.
0:06:13 > 0:06:15So we tucked it away at the back of a barn,
0:06:15 > 0:06:18- it bubbled away and bubbled away. - And you were thinking,
0:06:18 > 0:06:20"There's my disappearing bank balance right there."
0:06:20 > 0:06:24I don't think I slept between December and Easter of that year.
0:06:24 > 0:06:25And then incredibly,
0:06:25 > 0:06:29I had a phone call from someone asking if I had any cider vinegar.
0:06:29 > 0:06:30Well, I do, actually.
0:06:30 > 0:06:32I went and tried it and it's the most delicious thing.
0:06:32 > 0:06:34- It's good.- I know. Really good.
0:06:34 > 0:06:36So your third year mistake...
0:06:36 > 0:06:40Has now become my 12th year revelation!
0:06:42 > 0:06:46'Incredibly, it's now their fastest-growing product.
0:06:49 > 0:06:51'But for this diverse business to keep growing,
0:06:51 > 0:06:55'what Tash really needs is more volume.
0:06:55 > 0:07:00'And her new orchard of 2,000 trees represents a six-figure investment.'
0:07:02 > 0:07:07There's something just so exciting about planting a tree, isn't there?
0:07:07 > 0:07:09It just, it feels like a legacy.
0:07:09 > 0:07:11- Yeah.- It is, isn't it?
0:07:11 > 0:07:14It's our future. In seven years' time, hopefully, my friends,
0:07:14 > 0:07:16it's going to make me some cider!
0:07:16 > 0:07:18You do have to be patient, don't you?
0:07:18 > 0:07:20'But that's not the biggest gamble here.
0:07:20 > 0:07:24'Tash is securing a £450,000 bank loan
0:07:24 > 0:07:27'to fund a brand-new production facility.'
0:07:27 > 0:07:30Is this going to be your sort of headquarters?
0:07:30 > 0:07:32This is it. I'm very excited. I'm generally quite excited,
0:07:32 > 0:07:35but I'm very excited about this because this is our future
0:07:35 > 0:07:38and we've been working quite tirelessly towards this.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41And whilst currently it looks a bit like a kind of enormous quarry,
0:07:41 > 0:07:44the new site will also give us space,
0:07:44 > 0:07:47an environment that's easy to work in, good production equipment,
0:07:47 > 0:07:50all those things that will make our business sustainable and grow.
0:07:50 > 0:07:54What's so lovely is that your excitement is absolutely palpable.
0:07:54 > 0:07:58We're standing here in, it has to be said,
0:07:58 > 0:08:01possibly the most filthy afternoon of the spring.
0:08:01 > 0:08:03What's the sort of timeframe, do you think?
0:08:03 > 0:08:05Well, I'm thinking October.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08- OK.- That's when the Bramley apples are coming in and...
0:08:08 > 0:08:10I'm hopeful. Who knows,
0:08:10 > 0:08:13the main thing is it's happening and I think with anything,
0:08:13 > 0:08:16I think the farming and anything involving the land,
0:08:16 > 0:08:18you have to have patience.
0:08:18 > 0:08:23Seasonal business is hugely volatile but with so much at stake this year,
0:08:23 > 0:08:28let's hope the wild Devon weather helps Tash out a bit.
0:08:28 > 0:08:30I hate to say it, Monmouthshire, where I'm from,
0:08:30 > 0:08:32also a very good cider area,
0:08:32 > 0:08:34the apples seem to have been out for ages.
0:08:34 > 0:08:36And I'm really surprised, I thought down here in Devon
0:08:36 > 0:08:38you would be streets ahead of us.
0:08:38 > 0:08:40Everything's coming at once and everything's late.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43So hopefully, if this weather eases off,
0:08:43 > 0:08:46the bees will fly and we'll get a really good pollination
0:08:46 > 0:08:48because there's so much blossom around.
0:08:48 > 0:08:50However, if it's terrible weather and it continues,
0:08:50 > 0:08:53and we lose all our blossom, then we'll have a terrible crop.
0:08:53 > 0:08:57So it is a really nail-biting couple of weeks, really, for us.
0:09:04 > 0:09:06I haven't quite got the measure of Tash.
0:09:06 > 0:09:10On the face of it, she seems to be a happy-go-lucky,
0:09:10 > 0:09:12roll-with-the-punches kind of girl.
0:09:12 > 0:09:16But I have a suspicion she may be more steely than that.
0:09:16 > 0:09:20I kind of hope so. I expect her bank does too.
0:09:20 > 0:09:22Because that new orchard alone
0:09:22 > 0:09:26represents an enormous investment and then,
0:09:26 > 0:09:30there's the whole proposed new processing site.
0:09:30 > 0:09:33And there's a lot riding on that site, clearly.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36I mean, they really want it finished by the autumn.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39But whoever heard of a building project that goes without a hitch
0:09:39 > 0:09:42and finishes on time?
0:09:42 > 0:09:44And it won't be until we're back later in the year
0:09:44 > 0:09:47that we'll find out if the grand expansion plans
0:09:47 > 0:09:49have made any progress at all.
0:09:58 > 0:10:02It's a time for new beginnings across the county...
0:10:02 > 0:10:07especially for the 4,500 new businesses in Devon this year.
0:10:10 > 0:10:15Geetie started her pioneering organic pub 18 years ago.
0:10:17 > 0:10:20Now she's heading to meet two new business partners
0:10:20 > 0:10:24making a radical leap themselves,
0:10:24 > 0:10:27to take up a very different slice of life on the land,
0:10:27 > 0:10:29near Clyst St Mary.
0:10:31 > 0:10:33Devon is now my home county
0:10:33 > 0:10:36and one of the things I love about living here
0:10:36 > 0:10:38is the incredible food that is produced.
0:10:38 > 0:10:42Today, I'm going to be meeting with two guys who are working with pigs
0:10:42 > 0:10:45and doing really amazing things with the meat.
0:10:50 > 0:10:51'Three years ago,
0:10:51 > 0:10:55'Steve and Pete left their jobs in recruitment and sailing,
0:10:55 > 0:10:59'bought a sausage machine and set up a meat curing business
0:10:59 > 0:11:01'in two tiny Portakabins.
0:11:01 > 0:11:06'They now produce a range of cured delicacies.
0:11:06 > 0:11:09'They source all their meat from within a 15-mile radius
0:11:09 > 0:11:12'and keep their pigs on a local farm.'
0:11:12 > 0:11:14Oh, you're so gorgeous! What kind of pigs are they?
0:11:14 > 0:11:16A lot of people call that a Large Black,
0:11:16 > 0:11:19but they also call it a Devon Black or a Cornish Black.
0:11:19 > 0:11:22We use all of these to make our charcuterie, so we cure meat.
0:11:22 > 0:11:27- Fantastic.- This is a very closely linked pig to the Pata Negra,
0:11:27 > 0:11:29so you know the Iberico hams?
0:11:29 > 0:11:31- Yeah.- They use Pata Negra, which is another Blackfoot pig.
0:11:31 > 0:11:35So we're, you know, we're trying to do what they're doing with Iberico
0:11:35 > 0:11:38but with our Devon version of a pig.
0:11:38 > 0:11:41How did you end up in Devon doing this?
0:11:41 > 0:11:44We became friends about ten years ago when we did a charity car rally
0:11:44 > 0:11:47from Calais to Casablanca in a £100 car!
0:11:47 > 0:11:50But then driving through France, driving through Andorra,
0:11:50 > 0:11:53driving through Spain, we ate in some great cafes and restaurants
0:11:53 > 0:11:55where you still have all your hams
0:11:55 > 0:11:58and all your salamis and chorizos hanging up above the bars.
0:11:58 > 0:12:00And it just got us talking.
0:12:00 > 0:12:02And the rest, as they say, is kind of history.
0:12:02 > 0:12:04So charcuterie and...
0:12:04 > 0:12:06Ow! Stop it!
0:12:06 > 0:12:09Some of them are getting blue noses from my jumper!
0:12:12 > 0:12:18Now they butcher around 50 pigs, 100 deer and 2,000 rabbits a year...
0:12:19 > 0:12:22..adapting their products to whatever is available locally
0:12:22 > 0:12:24during the seasons.
0:12:25 > 0:12:29They sell their chorizos and salamis at festivals and food fairs
0:12:29 > 0:12:33and now at their recently opened deli and restaurant.
0:12:33 > 0:12:36But with just a few mainly part-time staff,
0:12:36 > 0:12:39they've tried to maintain the low risk,
0:12:39 > 0:12:41DIY approach they started out with.
0:12:41 > 0:12:44Most people starting up a business like this would be budgeting
0:12:44 > 0:12:47to spend tens of thousands, wouldn't they?
0:12:47 > 0:12:49So are you prepared to tell me how much you've spent?
0:12:49 > 0:12:52We can tell you what the initial investment was in Good Game.
0:12:52 > 0:12:54- £125 each.- £125 each!
0:12:54 > 0:12:57- Brilliant!- We bought a sausage filler and a mincer.
0:12:57 > 0:12:59We had a handwritten sign.
0:12:59 > 0:13:03And we worked out of my garage, so, you know, that was day one.
0:13:03 > 0:13:07'But the boys are latching on to a potentially lucrative market.
0:13:07 > 0:13:10'And producing their home-grown charcuterie
0:13:10 > 0:13:12'is still satisfyingly low-tech.'
0:13:12 > 0:13:16This is quite possibly the best smelling room you'll never walk into
0:13:16 > 0:13:17in your entire life.
0:13:17 > 0:13:19Do I get to go in first, then?
0:13:19 > 0:13:21- Yeah.- Oh, wow.
0:13:21 > 0:13:22That smell is incredible.
0:13:24 > 0:13:25It's really mushroomy.
0:13:25 > 0:13:27It's a culture that's doing a lot of that work,
0:13:27 > 0:13:30the whiteness that you can see on the salamis,
0:13:30 > 0:13:32it's very similar to beer making, cheesemaking,
0:13:32 > 0:13:34the same kind of processes.
0:13:34 > 0:13:37- Beautiful.- There's a little bit of wood in here which is essential to
0:13:37 > 0:13:39give the bacteria somewhere to live.
0:13:39 > 0:13:43So the wood and the bacteria, is that new thinking?
0:13:43 > 0:13:46Not at all. It's the old thinking.
0:13:46 > 0:13:48If you go back hundreds of years, people making sausages,
0:13:48 > 0:13:51it would have been in a barn, in a shack, in a shed,
0:13:51 > 0:13:54and kept very rustic. Because that's all they had at the time.
0:13:54 > 0:13:57So how long are these racks hanging for?
0:13:57 > 0:14:01Some 7-10 days, some 18 months, 2 years.
0:14:01 > 0:14:04But it's gauged on water loss and weight loss.
0:14:04 > 0:14:06We come in here twice a day,
0:14:06 > 0:14:09- everything gets looked at, talked at.- A bit of a stroke!- Yeah.
0:14:09 > 0:14:11I can tell you really enjoy this!
0:14:11 > 0:14:12It's brilliant.
0:14:16 > 0:14:20Passion and patience rather than big investment
0:14:20 > 0:14:23have been the driving force for Steve and Pete.
0:14:24 > 0:14:28It's an ongoing learning process, butchery, really.
0:14:28 > 0:14:32I would frequently be sat watching videos of pig butchery,
0:14:32 > 0:14:34just learning what I needed to learn.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37And are you managing to pay yourself a salary?
0:14:37 > 0:14:40No, I've got about another year before I've run out of money
0:14:40 > 0:14:41- and have to.- OK.
0:14:41 > 0:14:44But Pete and I take money as we need it.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47And you talk about selling locally in Devon,
0:14:47 > 0:14:49how are you marketing that?
0:14:49 > 0:14:52The marketing we do at the moment is all through social media
0:14:52 > 0:14:53and relatively inexpensive.
0:14:53 > 0:14:55We don't have a big budget for that.
0:14:55 > 0:14:59I want to be absolutely certain that you're getting that message across
0:14:59 > 0:15:02because in a year's time, you've got to be making some serious money
0:15:02 > 0:15:04to pay for yourself and pay for this business.
0:15:04 > 0:15:05I don't have that expensive a lifestyle!
0:15:05 > 0:15:08I think it'll be all right!
0:15:08 > 0:15:10Do you want to have a cut?
0:15:10 > 0:15:11No, I don't!
0:15:11 > 0:15:14- LAUGHING:- No? Are you sure?
0:15:14 > 0:15:15Tell me what I'm doing.
0:15:15 > 0:15:19'Even the simplest chorizo takes around four weeks to produce,
0:15:19 > 0:15:21'so like most self-starters,
0:15:21 > 0:15:24'Steve and Pete's biggest investment is time.
0:15:24 > 0:15:28'It's certainly a far cry from banking recruitment.'
0:15:28 > 0:15:33OK, compared to your previous job, what's it like for you now?
0:15:33 > 0:15:35It's tough. I mean, Pete and I work seven days a week.
0:15:35 > 0:15:39It's hard graft. But I think it's exhausting sat in an office,
0:15:39 > 0:15:40staring as a computer,
0:15:40 > 0:15:42- doing something that you're not that passionate about.- Yeah.
0:15:51 > 0:15:54Finally, we're getting to eat some of this!
0:15:54 > 0:15:56I'm so excited.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59'Three years in, they're selling everything they make and the new
0:15:59 > 0:16:01'restaurant has started well.
0:16:01 > 0:16:06'But they can't afford to sit back, as the selling season approaches.'
0:16:06 > 0:16:07So, what are you going to try now?
0:16:07 > 0:16:11And I'm going to chop this while you're talking because I want more.
0:16:11 > 0:16:14We've got a really busy event calendar, you know.
0:16:14 > 0:16:18Every small town now has a food festival or fair or music festival
0:16:18 > 0:16:22and it's a chance for us to get out all over Devon and really promote
0:16:22 > 0:16:25what we do and just get our really good food out to as many people as
0:16:25 > 0:16:28- possible.- I'm going to have that lovely fatty bit.
0:16:28 > 0:16:33- Look at that!- Perfect. - It's beautiful!- Cheers!
0:16:33 > 0:16:35'There aren't many business partnerships
0:16:35 > 0:16:37'that can withstand a start-up,'
0:16:37 > 0:16:39but Pete and Steve have done incredibly well
0:16:39 > 0:16:42and I think it's partly to do with their laid-back approach.
0:16:42 > 0:16:46They've turned this experiment into a wonderful business and I'll be
0:16:46 > 0:16:49really intrigued to see how this selling season goes.
0:16:55 > 0:16:57With such a wet spring,
0:16:57 > 0:17:01farmers will be looking ahead a little nervously
0:17:01 > 0:17:03to the year's growing season.
0:17:07 > 0:17:09Because here in Devon,
0:17:09 > 0:17:13food production and agriculture are a big part of the regional economy.
0:17:14 > 0:17:16But with falling margins,
0:17:16 > 0:17:19for many traditional small-scale producers here,
0:17:19 > 0:17:22the only answer is to diversify.
0:17:25 > 0:17:27Near the coast in Upton,
0:17:27 > 0:17:30John Bell is hoping the answer to his family's farming struggles
0:17:30 > 0:17:34are to be found in a very recognisable crop.
0:17:36 > 0:17:41This is oilseed rape, it's a crop grown for the oils it produces.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44Now, rapeseed oil has had something of an image boost in the last few
0:17:44 > 0:17:50years and that's resulted in sales increasing by a staggering 30%.
0:17:55 > 0:17:57Farmer's son John decided to start
0:17:57 > 0:18:01cold pressing his dad's rapeseed crop five years ago.
0:18:04 > 0:18:07Hitting on the trend for healthier cooking oils,
0:18:07 > 0:18:13this side-line produces 18,000 litres of the stuff every year.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16Oh, I feel like I ought to be walking into the theme of
0:18:16 > 0:18:18Little House On The Prairie or something!
0:18:18 > 0:18:19- Good morning.- Morning, Kate.
0:18:19 > 0:18:22- Lovely to see you. - I'm John. Pleasure to meet you.
0:18:22 > 0:18:24So it's May, it's raining.
0:18:24 > 0:18:26Yes. What more would you expect?
0:18:26 > 0:18:28Summer on the way, and rain.
0:18:28 > 0:18:30- Yeah.- But how's the crop looking?
0:18:30 > 0:18:33Are you feeling kind of generally optimistic that you're going to get
0:18:33 > 0:18:36- a good yield of this year? - Always have to feel optimistic,
0:18:36 > 0:18:39but you're never sure until, of course, you get the combine in,
0:18:39 > 0:18:41you get the crop off and you know how much you've got.
0:18:41 > 0:18:45This, to me, is a mustard plant. Is it related to mustard?
0:18:45 > 0:18:47You're absolutely right. It is a member of the Brassica family.
0:18:47 > 0:18:50- Yeah.- And it is incredibly closely related to mustard.
0:18:50 > 0:18:53The only difference being the seeds, instead of being a sort of brown,
0:18:53 > 0:18:54they're almost jet black in colour.
0:18:54 > 0:18:57So you're standing here in a very kind of farmery pose
0:18:57 > 0:19:01with your wellies on. But you are not a farmer?
0:19:01 > 0:19:03We're a farming family.
0:19:03 > 0:19:06Dad has been an arable beef farmer all of his life.
0:19:06 > 0:19:11And about five years ago I sat down with Dad and I said, you know,
0:19:11 > 0:19:15"We've got to diversify, we've got to find some way
0:19:15 > 0:19:17"of adding value to some of our produce."
0:19:21 > 0:19:25For 40 years, their oilseed rape was grown and shipped off
0:19:25 > 0:19:29to be made into commercial vegetable oil.
0:19:32 > 0:19:34But then John persuaded his dad
0:19:34 > 0:19:37to let him experiment with cold pressing.
0:19:37 > 0:19:39A less efficient process,
0:19:39 > 0:19:43but one which retains more of the oil's natural qualities.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46Little did we know that using cold pressing,
0:19:46 > 0:19:49we could produce something with so much flavour that can compete with
0:19:49 > 0:19:52- olive oils. - This is still quite new, then?
0:19:52 > 0:19:55Yeah, it's a small business, so it's a case of still growing,
0:19:55 > 0:19:56still growing.
0:19:59 > 0:20:03But it's taken a huge investment just to get to this stage.
0:20:03 > 0:20:06John and his wife, Rachel, had to raise £100,000
0:20:06 > 0:20:09to build an on-site pressing facility...
0:20:12 > 0:20:15..and then grow the brand alongside day jobs
0:20:15 > 0:20:18in teaching and chartered surveying.
0:20:18 > 0:20:21Initially, we used to do this at weekends and when taking holidays.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24I've now dropped a day or two so I can concentrate further on this.
0:20:24 > 0:20:27Because you just look ahead and you think, "It's that next jump,
0:20:27 > 0:20:29- "it's that next jump." - Shall we try some?
0:20:29 > 0:20:32- Absolutely.- What it reflects so beautifully, actually,
0:20:32 > 0:20:34is the colour of the flowers.
0:20:34 > 0:20:36Yeah, the colour can vary from a dark yellow
0:20:36 > 0:20:37to an even brighter yellow than this.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39And I think we grow in the same way
0:20:39 > 0:20:41with the same variety, so I can only put that down to
0:20:41 > 0:20:44seasonal changes in the weather, really.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47And hopefully, what you should do is pick up a mild, nutty taste.
0:20:47 > 0:20:49OK.
0:20:49 > 0:20:51Oh, it's really quite... It really is nutty.
0:20:51 > 0:20:53- Mmm.- Looking ahead,
0:20:53 > 0:20:57do you see that it could become something viable that supports
0:20:57 > 0:21:00your family and continues to support the farm?
0:21:00 > 0:21:02Look, that's why we started this and we've gone to all this effort.
0:21:02 > 0:21:06So it's something that I'm going to plough on regardless, if you like,
0:21:06 > 0:21:08until we achieve it.
0:21:09 > 0:21:13It's certainly a brave venture, as everything depends on
0:21:13 > 0:21:18a relatively small and weather-dependent 50-acre crop.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21Being pessimistic, or perhaps realistic for a moment,
0:21:21 > 0:21:24if the sun doesn't shine, would the business survive it?
0:21:24 > 0:21:30If we got no crop, that would be pretty serious.
0:21:30 > 0:21:32As far as I'm concerned, if our rape crop fails,
0:21:32 > 0:21:37that really is it because that's our oil from our crop on our farm.
0:21:38 > 0:21:41It's going to be a nervous wait until August
0:21:41 > 0:21:44when I'll be joining John for that crucial harvest.
0:21:57 > 0:21:59With summer around the corner,
0:21:59 > 0:22:03the sun finally does start to make an appearance in South Devon.
0:22:05 > 0:22:08Good news for seasonal producers like Tash,
0:22:08 > 0:22:11for whom this is the beginning of peak selling season.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14- Can I help you at all?- She's got the family helping out today at their
0:22:14 > 0:22:17hometown festival in Kingsbridge,
0:22:17 > 0:22:20one of five food fairs they'll be at this year.
0:22:20 > 0:22:23As a small producer, we don't have big marketing budgets.
0:22:23 > 0:22:28So actually, without these small independent shows and events and
0:22:28 > 0:22:30festivals, where I have direct contact with my customers,
0:22:30 > 0:22:34it's very, very hard to break through.
0:22:34 > 0:22:36- So where have you come from them? - Bristol.
0:22:36 > 0:22:40It's a cider challenge! The challenge of Somerset versus Devon!
0:22:42 > 0:22:46This year, I suspect they'll be needing every penny of profit,
0:22:46 > 0:22:49given the scale of investment back at the farm.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52We've just got to keep the pressure on,
0:22:52 > 0:22:55all of the activity we do now will actually be used to fund this
0:22:55 > 0:22:58amazing new build, actually, which will transform our lives.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01'I keep on being really optimistic that we're going to be in, you know,
0:23:01 > 0:23:03at the end of the summer, but
0:23:03 > 0:23:06I think we're heading there, crossed fingers!
0:23:06 > 0:23:09Thanks ever so much. That's lovely, cheers, thank you.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12There we are, there's your pint. Can I help anyone?
0:23:25 > 0:23:27Summer has arrived.
0:23:27 > 0:23:31A time for rural businesses to reap the rewards from the hard work
0:23:31 > 0:23:33in winter and spring.
0:23:33 > 0:23:36The fertile land begins to bear fruit
0:23:36 > 0:23:40as Devon's 5.5 million annual visitors start to arrive.
0:23:42 > 0:23:47Many of the region's young start-ups rely on this buzzing tourist scene.
0:23:50 > 0:23:54But few would consider making a living from the ancient land
0:23:54 > 0:23:56and native livestock of Dartmoor.
0:24:02 > 0:24:08A young university graduate is basing his entire business on just
0:24:08 > 0:24:13a few acres of rented land and a flock of native Devon sheep.
0:24:17 > 0:24:19'I'm in the foothills of Dartmoor near Chudley
0:24:19 > 0:24:22'to meet someone committed to this land,
0:24:22 > 0:24:25'with a foot firmly in the past...'
0:24:25 > 0:24:26Here you go.
0:24:26 > 0:24:29'..but a very forward-facing business.'
0:24:29 > 0:24:30Lewis, hello.
0:24:30 > 0:24:33- Hello.- I'm Kate. Lovely to meet you. - Nice to meet you.
0:24:33 > 0:24:35- What a beautiful day!- Yeah.
0:24:40 > 0:24:4421-year-old Lewis has created an emerging business
0:24:44 > 0:24:47from his 200-strong flock of Dartmoor sheep.
0:24:49 > 0:24:50Along with mum Paula,
0:24:50 > 0:24:54he produces a range of handcrafted wool products
0:24:54 > 0:24:58and has now started a side-line in sheepskins and meat boxes.
0:25:00 > 0:25:05And it all stems from pestering his parents for three sheep
0:25:05 > 0:25:07after passing his GCSEs.
0:25:07 > 0:25:11What made you think, at 16,
0:25:11 > 0:25:14that this was then going to build into a business?
0:25:14 > 0:25:16I didn't think that at the time!
0:25:16 > 0:25:19It was just going to be three and keeping it as a hobby.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22And I started to see that what I love and I adore,
0:25:22 > 0:25:24farming and looking after this landscape
0:25:24 > 0:25:26and keeping this local breed
0:25:26 > 0:25:29which, to me, makes sense. This has been here thousands of years,
0:25:29 > 0:25:30so have these sheep. They fit.
0:25:30 > 0:25:34- Right.- To do that, I could see that there was a way of doing this
0:25:34 > 0:25:37and making a living from it. So that's when I started to think,
0:25:37 > 0:25:40"Oh, hang on a minute, you know, maybe this'll work."
0:25:40 > 0:25:42Now, you're going to have to tell me about these sheep
0:25:42 > 0:25:47because I don't know anything about your type of local sheep.
0:25:47 > 0:25:48I only keep local breeds,
0:25:48 > 0:25:50white-faced Dartmoor and grey-faced Dartmoor.
0:25:50 > 0:25:52And finally, I keep the Devon and Cornwall longwools.
0:25:52 > 0:25:54OK. It's an amazing fleece.
0:25:54 > 0:25:58It's quite coarse, it actually looks softer.
0:25:58 > 0:26:00Yeah, they're all very heavily fleeced breeds.
0:26:00 > 0:26:02All more carpet wool breeds.
0:26:02 > 0:26:06You're talking as if you grew up with sheep,
0:26:06 > 0:26:08literally, kind of, around your cot.
0:26:08 > 0:26:10Not really. I don't really know where it's come from.
0:26:10 > 0:26:13- Your mum and dad are not farmers? - No.
0:26:13 > 0:26:14THEY LAUGH
0:26:14 > 0:26:17But the bug sort of caught me.
0:26:18 > 0:26:22Lewis has built his business on defying convention...
0:26:23 > 0:26:27..beginning with the unusual and more expensive decision
0:26:27 > 0:26:30to spin and dye his own wool at a local mill.
0:26:31 > 0:26:36He gave his yarn to his gran to knit and the results proved so popular
0:26:36 > 0:26:38that they started selling the products.
0:26:38 > 0:26:40Hello.
0:26:41 > 0:26:42- Paula.- Hi, Kate.
0:26:42 > 0:26:46Lovely to meet you. How are you? I've just been admiring your sheep.
0:26:46 > 0:26:48So is this the hub, is this the headquarters?
0:26:48 > 0:26:50Definitely is, definitely.
0:26:50 > 0:26:51A mother-and-son business!
0:26:51 > 0:26:53- Yeah!- That's quite a bold idea.
0:26:53 > 0:26:55Didn't you want to just get rid of him when he left school?
0:26:55 > 0:26:59Yeah, quite unique, really! And he's come back again.
0:26:59 > 0:27:00We do argue a lot, don't we?
0:27:00 > 0:27:02Hell, yeah! Yeah.
0:27:02 > 0:27:05But at the end of the day, we're all behind him.
0:27:05 > 0:27:07As a wool to use, is it a good wool?
0:27:07 > 0:27:10I mean, you're the knitter in the family!
0:27:10 > 0:27:14It's a very strong wool. Our sheep are chunky, we wanted a chunky wool.
0:27:14 > 0:27:17We're making festival blankets at the moment.
0:27:17 > 0:27:19Really lovely idea.
0:27:19 > 0:27:21And then we're going on to the winter,
0:27:21 > 0:27:26our hats are very good with our sheepskin pom-poms on the top.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29So you're, at the moment,
0:27:29 > 0:27:32trying to make a living from, did you say 200 head of sheep?
0:27:32 > 0:27:34- Yeah.- Is that working?
0:27:34 > 0:27:35Um...
0:27:35 > 0:27:38If we look on it from a business point of view,
0:27:38 > 0:27:41- farming of the sheep... - Yeah.- ..breaks us even.
0:27:41 > 0:27:43But because we're adding value to the wool...
0:27:43 > 0:27:46- Yeah.- ..the meat through our meat boxes and products...
0:27:46 > 0:27:49- Yeah.- ..and the skins to our sheepskin rugs and products...
0:27:49 > 0:27:53- Yeah.- ..each output takes us over the break-even point
0:27:53 > 0:27:55- and adds the value. - That's very clever!
0:28:01 > 0:28:04Lewis's unlikely passion for Dartmoor sheep
0:28:04 > 0:28:07isn't completely unfounded
0:28:07 > 0:28:12after a chance discovery gave the business its identity.
0:28:12 > 0:28:15My great-grandmother got this suitcase out of the spare bedroom,
0:28:15 > 0:28:17she opened it up and you could see photos,
0:28:17 > 0:28:19hundreds of photos of grey-faced Dartmoors.
0:28:19 > 0:28:22- And I was like, "Where did this come from?"- Yeah.
0:28:22 > 0:28:25And it was her grandmother.
0:28:25 > 0:28:28So your great-great-grandmother...
0:28:28 > 0:28:31Kept the breed at the turn of the century on Dartmoor,
0:28:31 > 0:28:36- which I never knew.- You never knew? - No. And that's why now
0:28:36 > 0:28:40we decided to name all we have after my great-grandmother Lily Warne.
0:28:43 > 0:28:48I love the fact that he's identified, I think...
0:28:48 > 0:28:51the key to the success of his business,
0:28:51 > 0:28:53and that is the story.
0:28:53 > 0:29:00He's realised that there are people out there that love to know
0:29:00 > 0:29:02the provenance of the thing they're buying.
0:29:02 > 0:29:08They love the backstory, and he's playing that absolutely to the hilt.
0:29:08 > 0:29:09Good luck to him.
0:29:12 > 0:29:15And I'm hoping, when we return later,
0:29:15 > 0:29:18this year on the land for Lewis will be a profitable one.
0:29:27 > 0:29:30Making any sort of living from wool today
0:29:30 > 0:29:34requires a degree of creative thinking.
0:29:34 > 0:29:37Most local fleeces barely fetch a pound per kilo
0:29:37 > 0:29:41through centralised auctions.
0:29:41 > 0:29:43But Lewis isn't the only Devon business
0:29:43 > 0:29:47hoping to reinvigorate this once-flourishing local industry.
0:29:52 > 0:29:56I'm heading to one of Devon's traditional wool towns,
0:29:56 > 0:29:59Buckfastleigh, on the eastern fringes of Dartmoor.
0:30:01 > 0:30:05Its last woollen mill closed its doors in 2013.
0:30:07 > 0:30:12But now, two local innovators are hoping to kick-start a wool revival
0:30:12 > 0:30:15with their pioneering new discovery.
0:30:18 > 0:30:23Solid wool is a radical new material created by husband-and-wife team
0:30:23 > 0:30:27Justin and Hannah from low-cost upland fleeces.
0:30:29 > 0:30:31They've turned it into furniture
0:30:31 > 0:30:32they now sell online.
0:30:34 > 0:30:37- Hello, I'm Kate. - Hello, nice to meet you.
0:30:37 > 0:30:38- I'm Hannah.- Hello, Kate, I'm Justin.
0:30:38 > 0:30:40- Justin, lovely to see you both. - Nice to meet you.
0:30:40 > 0:30:42- Welcome to our home shop. - Small, but perfectly formed.
0:30:42 > 0:30:44- Yeah.- As we know,
0:30:44 > 0:30:48wool has become a resource that has been almost worthless.
0:30:48 > 0:30:51So how on earth did you come up with the idea that you could make
0:30:51 > 0:30:54- furniture out of it? - When we started playing with wool,
0:30:54 > 0:30:56we didn't really have an end goal
0:30:56 > 0:30:59and it almost gave ourselves the time to play with wool.
0:30:59 > 0:31:02Justin's designed with composite materials before,
0:31:02 > 0:31:04so fibreglass products,
0:31:04 > 0:31:07so we hit upon this idea of mixing it with,
0:31:07 > 0:31:11initially it was with a PVA glue to turn it solid.
0:31:11 > 0:31:14Justin left his job to develop the idea full-time
0:31:14 > 0:31:16and after a year of tinkering,
0:31:16 > 0:31:20proved the concept with this extraordinary chair.
0:31:21 > 0:31:23First of all, it's very comfortable,
0:31:23 > 0:31:25which is obviously an important thing for a chair.
0:31:25 > 0:31:29But when you see it from a distance, it looks very sleek and very clean.
0:31:29 > 0:31:31And then, when you get close up,
0:31:31 > 0:31:36you see that it's full of texture and, actually, you feel it.
0:31:36 > 0:31:39Well, people always want to stroke it.
0:31:39 > 0:31:41- Yeah.- And just like you were saying,
0:31:41 > 0:31:44start looking into it to see the depth, really.
0:31:44 > 0:31:47Hannah has now joined Justin full-time
0:31:47 > 0:31:51and together they recently produced their 100th chair,
0:31:51 > 0:31:54as well as some rather interesting prototypes.
0:31:54 > 0:31:57Do you literally sort of, I don't know, have a great big pot
0:31:57 > 0:31:59and mix the wool with the resin and iron it out?
0:31:59 > 0:32:02We can't say too much about how we create it because it's, you know,
0:32:02 > 0:32:06it's unique process which, yeah, we're in the middle of protecting.
0:32:06 > 0:32:09So, hang on a minute, you haven't protected this idea?
0:32:09 > 0:32:11You haven't patented it yet?
0:32:11 > 0:32:15- Not yet, no. But that's not the only way to protect yourself...- Right.
0:32:15 > 0:32:19..because if you don't tell people how you do it, then no-one knows.
0:32:19 > 0:32:23Well, that's sort of true, but you must do that.
0:32:23 > 0:32:24I'm sounding like your mum!
0:32:24 > 0:32:27"Protect it, Justin, quickly!" Yes.
0:32:28 > 0:32:31One chair contains about one-and-a-half sheep's worth
0:32:31 > 0:32:34of coarse Herdwick fleece -
0:32:34 > 0:32:38a strong, dark carpet wool which has become almost worthless.
0:32:42 > 0:32:45The potential for where you could use of composite material, you know,
0:32:45 > 0:32:47is massive, really.
0:32:47 > 0:32:50It's quite exciting when you think of the possibilities.
0:32:50 > 0:32:53I mean, it's very much one step at a time, you know,
0:32:53 > 0:32:55starting from nothing and starting a business from nothing.
0:32:55 > 0:32:59Well, both of you haven't come from cottage industry backgrounds,
0:32:59 > 0:33:01and this seems to me rather more ambitious
0:33:01 > 0:33:05than something that should stop at being a cottage industry.
0:33:05 > 0:33:08So, where do you go from one,
0:33:08 > 0:33:12it has to be said, very beautiful, slightly hairy chair,
0:33:12 > 0:33:15where do you go from here?
0:33:15 > 0:33:17What is the next stage of this business?
0:33:17 > 0:33:21For us, the intention was always to create a company which could employ
0:33:21 > 0:33:23some people in our town that will rejuvenate wool
0:33:23 > 0:33:26and bring some wool manufacturing back here.
0:33:26 > 0:33:28We're moving workshop quite soon, aren't we?
0:33:28 > 0:33:30Yeah, this has been a great, low-cost place to start for us.
0:33:30 > 0:33:33And we're just about to move into the centre of Buckfastleigh
0:33:33 > 0:33:36- into the old woollen building. - What a fantastic connection!
0:33:36 > 0:33:38Yeah, it's been empty for about four years,
0:33:38 > 0:33:41so we're the first company back in.
0:33:41 > 0:33:44And are you fairly confident that you are
0:33:44 > 0:33:47the only people in the world that are doing this?
0:33:47 > 0:33:50No-one has made it into production.
0:33:50 > 0:33:53No-one seems to have been as stupid as us!
0:33:53 > 0:33:56Or foolish as us, maybe!
0:33:56 > 0:33:58- Or brave, perhaps. - Yeah, and stubborn.- Yeah.
0:33:58 > 0:34:00You know, there's a lot of stubbornness.
0:34:00 > 0:34:02- Bravery and stubbornness.- Yeah.
0:34:02 > 0:34:04Two good things when you're starting a business.
0:34:11 > 0:34:14I love the ethos behind Justin and Hannah's business.
0:34:14 > 0:34:17The idea that they wanted to come up with a plan
0:34:17 > 0:34:20to reinvigorate their hometown.
0:34:20 > 0:34:24I really admire the fact that instead of just trying to come up
0:34:24 > 0:34:29with something kind of artisan and sweet, they said,
0:34:29 > 0:34:34"We're going to do something that no-one has ever done before."
0:34:34 > 0:34:37That's brave. That's brilliant.
0:34:48 > 0:34:52Devon was a region once famed for growing flowers,
0:34:52 > 0:34:58but now, across the UK, just 12% of the flowers we buy are home grown.
0:34:58 > 0:35:01But a blossoming food trend may be changing all that.
0:35:03 > 0:35:05Go to a restaurant these days
0:35:05 > 0:35:08and you're as likely to find flowers on your plate
0:35:08 > 0:35:10as you are decorating your table.
0:35:10 > 0:35:13Edible flowers have taken the culinary world by storm,
0:35:13 > 0:35:16and one clever market gardener has been at the forefront
0:35:16 > 0:35:18of this new food trend.
0:35:24 > 0:35:27Geetie is in Kentisbeare, near Tiverton,
0:35:27 > 0:35:29to unearth this pioneering spirit.
0:35:38 > 0:35:41Jan left her London life behind 14 years ago
0:35:41 > 0:35:43to set up as an organic grower.
0:35:46 > 0:35:49Having started out in veg and salad,
0:35:49 > 0:35:53her five-acre farm is now almost entirely devoted to
0:35:53 > 0:35:56over 70 varieties of edible flowers,
0:35:56 > 0:35:58which she ships nationwide for weddings
0:35:58 > 0:36:00and to high-end restaurants.
0:36:01 > 0:36:04- Hello, Jan. How are you? - Hi, Geetie, nice to meet you.
0:36:04 > 0:36:06You too. Great to meet you,
0:36:06 > 0:36:09and your business, tell me all about it.
0:36:09 > 0:36:10We're picking rose petals here.
0:36:10 > 0:36:12These are going to a particular customer,
0:36:12 > 0:36:15they're going to be made into organic rose water.
0:36:15 > 0:36:16Nice, that's amazing.
0:36:16 > 0:36:18- I'd love to see more.- Excellent.
0:36:18 > 0:36:21- Can we have a roam round the gardens?- Of course we can.
0:36:22 > 0:36:26Jan has over 30 varieties of roses alone,
0:36:26 > 0:36:29along with edibles from cornflowers to lavender.
0:36:31 > 0:36:32How would you eat that, then?
0:36:32 > 0:36:35It's fantastic with lamb, instead of rosemary.
0:36:35 > 0:36:37Lavender and chocolate.
0:36:37 > 0:36:38Oh! Blinding combination.
0:36:38 > 0:36:42Oh, I wish you could all smell that, it's delicious.
0:36:43 > 0:36:47I really want to get a picture of your year and how it works
0:36:47 > 0:36:48because everything's in bloom now,
0:36:48 > 0:36:51but it must be quite different across the year.
0:36:51 > 0:36:54Yes, we start picking in earnest in, kind of,
0:36:54 > 0:36:58beginning to middle of March and go on all through the summer
0:36:58 > 0:37:01and we get more and more crops outside
0:37:01 > 0:37:03all the way through until first frost hits
0:37:03 > 0:37:06and then it's just a question of mulching
0:37:06 > 0:37:08and all that kind of thing over winter,
0:37:08 > 0:37:13so it's as busy in winter as it is in summer.
0:37:13 > 0:37:14It's just different work.
0:37:17 > 0:37:21Last year, Jan shipped more than 200 kilos of flowers,
0:37:21 > 0:37:25turning over £45,000.
0:37:25 > 0:37:29But growing a fragile crop organically is precarious.
0:37:29 > 0:37:33In fact, the number of producers growing food in this way has fallen
0:37:33 > 0:37:36by 20% in the past six years.
0:37:38 > 0:37:42Given how onerous the cost is of being an organic business,
0:37:42 > 0:37:45why did you decide to do it in the first place?
0:37:45 > 0:37:50Well, I started out wanting to do it because I'm a perfectionist,
0:37:50 > 0:37:53and when you're seeking to do something,
0:37:53 > 0:37:55you want it to be the very best it's possible to be.
0:37:55 > 0:37:58- Absolutely.- You look back on it and you think,
0:37:58 > 0:37:59"What the bloody hell was I thinking?"
0:37:59 > 0:38:02- I can only laugh at that. - I cried all the time.
0:38:02 > 0:38:06I cried every time we got an infestation of caterpillars,
0:38:06 > 0:38:09I cried when bindweed... I just cried all the time.
0:38:09 > 0:38:13- And are you enjoying it now? - I love it. I seriously do.
0:38:13 > 0:38:16I never know what the next phone call is going to be.
0:38:16 > 0:38:18We've been sending a load of roses to a Michelin star restaurant
0:38:18 > 0:38:20for making Turkish delight.
0:38:20 > 0:38:25It could be a celebrity wedding, it could be a festival.
0:38:25 > 0:38:28October last year, we got a request from a chef
0:38:28 > 0:38:31to do 7,500 flowers at the end of October
0:38:31 > 0:38:35- for the launch of the new James Bond movie.- Excellent.
0:38:39 > 0:38:43It's really obvious that you love this business,
0:38:43 > 0:38:46and you've obviously put your whole life into it.
0:38:46 > 0:38:49But I'd like to know if it makes you any money.
0:38:49 > 0:38:51It does. It does.
0:38:51 > 0:38:52I wouldn't do it if I didn't.
0:38:52 > 0:38:56Farming on this scale, which is like less than five acres,
0:38:56 > 0:38:58then you need to specialise.
0:38:58 > 0:39:02There's more profit in flowers and that's what we started doing.
0:39:07 > 0:39:11Being located in this foodie county has been a great help.
0:39:11 > 0:39:15A fifth of her business is with local high-end restaurants.
0:39:15 > 0:39:16That's lovely. Look at that.
0:39:16 > 0:39:18Nasturtiums.
0:39:18 > 0:39:20Mustard leaves for that new dish.
0:39:20 > 0:39:23Having been the head chef here for over 25 years,
0:39:23 > 0:39:25if I say I'm serving local, seasonal food,
0:39:25 > 0:39:29it has to be local, it has to be seasonal,
0:39:29 > 0:39:32and Janet just encompasses all of that.
0:39:35 > 0:39:39But perhaps key to succeeding with such a niche product
0:39:39 > 0:39:43has been that Jan has pushed into markets beyond Devon's borders.
0:39:45 > 0:39:48Online selling and the boom in courier services
0:39:48 > 0:39:52have both been vital to Jan's farm-to-plate business.
0:39:54 > 0:39:58She can now deliver fresh flowers next day
0:39:58 > 0:40:00to the lucrative London wedding market.
0:40:00 > 0:40:02Thank you very much.
0:40:03 > 0:40:06Cake maker Bea is a regular customer.
0:40:06 > 0:40:09I order the day before and they are with me by lunchtime the next day,
0:40:09 > 0:40:12so they're super fresh. They're straight off the plant
0:40:12 > 0:40:15and they quite often arrive with little tiny insects in the box,
0:40:15 > 0:40:18which just shows you that the flowers we get are
0:40:18 > 0:40:20the freshest you can get.
0:40:20 > 0:40:21In the height of summer,
0:40:21 > 0:40:25we get through tonnes of flowers every week, probably 10, 20 boxes,
0:40:25 > 0:40:27right in the middle of summer
0:40:27 > 0:40:31when everyone is getting married in London. Yeah, I love them.
0:40:36 > 0:40:39I'm genuinely surprised that you can make a living out of
0:40:39 > 0:40:44selling edible flowers, but Jan has done this and she's making a profit.
0:40:44 > 0:40:47She's been flexible with her business and met market demand.
0:40:47 > 0:40:49I think there's a lesson for us all there.
0:40:58 > 0:41:02For the majority of south Devon's food producers,
0:41:02 > 0:41:05summer means bringing business into the county,
0:41:05 > 0:41:09and the food fairs keep coming thick and fast.
0:41:11 > 0:41:15Topsham charcuterers Steve and Pete hit around three fairs a week
0:41:15 > 0:41:19in summer, though today they're overseeing their own.
0:41:19 > 0:41:22We're here at the Topsham Beer and Bacon Festival.
0:41:22 > 0:41:24And over the whole weekend,
0:41:24 > 0:41:27a few thousand people come through to drink some good beer,
0:41:27 > 0:41:29- listen to music and... - Eat bacon.- ..eat bacon.
0:41:32 > 0:41:35There are about six or seven different food producers who come
0:41:35 > 0:41:38- and show their wares. - We use eight different breweries.
0:41:38 > 0:41:41The furthest one is situated about 20 miles away.
0:41:42 > 0:41:46They get around a third of their annual income from food fairs.
0:41:46 > 0:41:49All right, boys. We sold out pulled pork, yes?
0:41:49 > 0:41:52- Almost.- How many scotch eggs have we gone through this weekend,
0:41:52 > 0:41:56- do you reckon?- About 400.- Excellent. I'll leave you boys to it. Have fun.
0:41:56 > 0:41:58But there's a value here beyond the bottom line
0:41:58 > 0:42:01in championing their local town.
0:42:01 > 0:42:03This is something we do and it pays for itself.
0:42:03 > 0:42:06But more importantly, it's an event in our community,
0:42:06 > 0:42:08so we can all show some stuff off,
0:42:08 > 0:42:11some bands can show some stuff off and we all have a lot of fun,
0:42:11 > 0:42:15but people travel from elsewhere in the county to come to this festival.
0:42:15 > 0:42:17And they then get introduced to some of our produce
0:42:17 > 0:42:20and we hope that they leave, kind of, quite loyal to our brand,
0:42:20 > 0:42:24and they seek us out and they try and find it somewhere else.
0:42:28 > 0:42:30For more isolated rural businesses,
0:42:30 > 0:42:34getting exposure for their brand is key.
0:42:34 > 0:42:3925 miles down the road, young farmer Lewis has an opportunity
0:42:39 > 0:42:41to show his wares at the Chagford Show.
0:42:41 > 0:42:43So we've got the Lily Warne flock on here,
0:42:43 > 0:42:47so hopefully it drives some people to the website. We never know.
0:42:48 > 0:42:51This has been a fixture in south Devon's farming summer
0:42:51 > 0:42:53for over 100 years.
0:42:56 > 0:43:00Our main boy for today is Ted the ram.
0:43:00 > 0:43:02She's just going down the lines now.
0:43:02 > 0:43:07She'll be checking the conformation, the teeth, their gentleman bits.
0:43:07 > 0:43:09HE CHUCKLES
0:43:09 > 0:43:12Having the cachet of a prize-winning flock
0:43:12 > 0:43:15can raise the price of his breeding stock
0:43:15 > 0:43:19and add value to his sheepskins and meat boxes.
0:43:19 > 0:43:22- Thank you, Anne.- Thank you. - Fourth. It's not very good.
0:43:22 > 0:43:24Could have done a lot better,
0:43:24 > 0:43:27but he stayed there and didn't drag me up to the other end of the field,
0:43:27 > 0:43:29so we're doing well. We're doing well.
0:43:29 > 0:43:31For us, it's not all about the show,
0:43:31 > 0:43:33it's really important being a business
0:43:33 > 0:43:35that sells direct to consumer,
0:43:35 > 0:43:37to be at these shows where the public are here
0:43:37 > 0:43:40and you can actually connect with the consumer properly.
0:43:40 > 0:43:43It's the countryside version of networking.
0:43:52 > 0:43:54It's August now,
0:43:54 > 0:43:57and for south Devon's arable farmers, harvesting has begun.
0:44:05 > 0:44:07The next three days are the most crucial
0:44:07 > 0:44:10for the Bells' fledgling rapeseed oil business.
0:44:12 > 0:44:14Well, what a contrast.
0:44:14 > 0:44:16When I was here back in May,
0:44:16 > 0:44:19the rapeseed in this field was almost shoulder high.
0:44:19 > 0:44:23The rain was coming down in stair rods,
0:44:23 > 0:44:27but this was a great sea of green and yellow flowers,
0:44:27 > 0:44:29and now look at it.
0:44:29 > 0:44:30We're here at harvest time.
0:44:30 > 0:44:33It's been harvested right in front of my very eyes,
0:44:33 > 0:44:36and just down the road, John is starting to press,
0:44:36 > 0:44:38so I'm going to go and join him.
0:44:41 > 0:44:42John's dad, Geoff,
0:44:42 > 0:44:46is bringing in the harvest just as he's done for the past 40 years.
0:44:47 > 0:44:50But rather than shipping the seed off to a wholesaler,
0:44:50 > 0:44:54it will be pressed into cooking oil right here on the farm,
0:44:54 > 0:44:55cutting out the middleman
0:44:55 > 0:44:58in the hope of reaping the profits themselves.
0:45:01 > 0:45:06John's spent tens of thousands to set up this facility,
0:45:06 > 0:45:08so it's vital they get a return.
0:45:09 > 0:45:11Are you there, John? Thank you.
0:45:11 > 0:45:13Oh, my goodness! The smell is the amazing thing.
0:45:13 > 0:45:16- I know, it's overwhelming, isn't it? - It's wonderful.
0:45:16 > 0:45:18- You get that sort of mustardy type of smell.- Yes.
0:45:18 > 0:45:24He had hoped they might get a yield of up to two tonnes per acre.
0:45:24 > 0:45:26How has this year's harvest been?
0:45:26 > 0:45:29Fraught. It's been down.
0:45:29 > 0:45:31Down to we reckon about a tonne and a quarter.
0:45:31 > 0:45:35When I last saw you, you had sort of plans to expand.
0:45:35 > 0:45:39- Yes.- But because the yield is down for this year,
0:45:39 > 0:45:42how does that affect your expansion plans?
0:45:42 > 0:45:45We do a rough forecast, a budget if you like,
0:45:45 > 0:45:49and luckily we still have enough for our own use
0:45:49 > 0:45:52and will probably still have a bit of excess.
0:45:52 > 0:45:54So this year, yeah, all right.
0:45:54 > 0:45:56- Fingers crossed everything's all right.- Breathe a sigh of relief.
0:45:56 > 0:46:00So talk me through this lovely... It feels like a Dr Seuss machine.
0:46:00 > 0:46:02Ah, yes, yes, the magic press.
0:46:02 > 0:46:04Incredibly simple process, really.
0:46:04 > 0:46:07- Now, the press itself is a very long screw.- OK.
0:46:07 > 0:46:10- And it just rotates round and round and round.- Squashing the seed.
0:46:10 > 0:46:13Squashing the seed. If I open this up, you'll be able to see...
0:46:13 > 0:46:16- Oh, look at that!- ..the oil will drip down through there.
0:46:16 > 0:46:17So it is literally...
0:46:17 > 0:46:20It's like getting one of those little rapeseeds and squashing it.
0:46:20 > 0:46:22Squashing it through your fingers, absolutely.
0:46:22 > 0:46:24Yeah, and doing that millions of times.
0:46:24 > 0:46:29Cold pressing like this extracts about three quarters of the oil
0:46:29 > 0:46:31achieved by commercial methods.
0:46:31 > 0:46:34But John and his family hope that by doing it themselves
0:46:34 > 0:46:37they will add more value to their crop.
0:46:38 > 0:46:41Your whole mission has been about supporting the farm,
0:46:41 > 0:46:42- the family farm.- Yeah.
0:46:42 > 0:46:45Do you feel optimistic that you're on the right track?
0:46:45 > 0:46:47That the family farm can keep viable
0:46:47 > 0:46:51- because of what you've done with Bell and Loxton?- I think it's...
0:46:51 > 0:46:52It's only going to help,
0:46:52 > 0:46:54but who knows what the future can bring?
0:46:54 > 0:46:58We're a tiny, tiny, tiny, little farm in a very big world
0:46:58 > 0:47:00and all I know is if I can help...
0:47:00 > 0:47:03Bell and Loxton itself can help secure the farm, which it's doing,
0:47:03 > 0:47:05year by year, it's growing,
0:47:05 > 0:47:07then that takes away a bit of that uncertainty.
0:47:10 > 0:47:12So the Bells live to fight on in south Devon
0:47:12 > 0:47:14for another year at least.
0:47:29 > 0:47:32Autumn is the time our rural businesses take stock
0:47:32 > 0:47:36and discover if all the hard work has paid off.
0:47:39 > 0:47:41Up on the Dartmoor Hills,
0:47:41 > 0:47:46young entrepreneur Lewis is shearing his flock of native sheep,
0:47:46 > 0:47:49supplying more wool for his knitted product lines.
0:47:51 > 0:47:56Once the last sheep is shorn, Lewis prepares for the seasonal migration.
0:47:58 > 0:48:02This is a very critical stage for us in the year.
0:48:02 > 0:48:05We're loading up our Devon and Cornwall longwool flock.
0:48:05 > 0:48:08Every year, we take all of our longwools down to the coast.
0:48:08 > 0:48:10It's quite a traditional way of farming.
0:48:10 > 0:48:14It obviously means that they are going down to that milder climate.
0:48:14 > 0:48:15Better grass.
0:48:15 > 0:48:19It should mean more ovulation of the ewes which, fingers crossed,
0:48:19 > 0:48:22in the spring will turn out to be more lambs being born.
0:48:22 > 0:48:26Lewis is doing everything he can now to increase the birth rate
0:48:26 > 0:48:28in order to grow his business.
0:48:28 > 0:48:32Ross the ram is going to have some paint put on his chest,
0:48:32 > 0:48:35so that when he's hopefully doing his job successfully,
0:48:35 > 0:48:38I'll be able to tell which ewes he's been serving,
0:48:38 > 0:48:39which means I'll be able to know
0:48:39 > 0:48:41when they're going to lamb in the spring.
0:48:41 > 0:48:44And every 17 days, we'll change that to a different colour.
0:48:44 > 0:48:46And that means we can tell at lambing
0:48:46 > 0:48:48which ewes are going to lamb first,
0:48:48 > 0:48:49which ewes are going to lamb second
0:48:49 > 0:48:52and which ewes will lamb a little bit later in the third cycle,
0:48:52 > 0:48:55according to the colour he's left on their behinds.
0:48:55 > 0:48:57Ross was £350.
0:48:57 > 0:48:59For me, a very expensive ram,
0:48:59 > 0:49:01so I'm hoping he's going to do his job.
0:49:01 > 0:49:05Everything about him points to him being a successful ram,
0:49:05 > 0:49:07but come spring, we'll see.
0:49:09 > 0:49:12This year, Lewis sold around 100 meat boxes,
0:49:12 > 0:49:14processed around a tonne of wool
0:49:14 > 0:49:18and sold 1,000 hand-knitted products online.
0:49:18 > 0:49:21But more lambs will mean he can meet growing demand
0:49:21 > 0:49:24for his meat boxes and sheep skins.
0:49:24 > 0:49:27It's a risk. We're paying more money to be on this land.
0:49:27 > 0:49:29We're putting in expensive rams.
0:49:29 > 0:49:32We don't know whether it will work or whether it won't work.
0:49:32 > 0:49:35This is the start of next year's business.
0:49:35 > 0:49:37This is the start of next year's finances.
0:49:39 > 0:49:42So, fingers crossed, the weather will be kind to us
0:49:42 > 0:49:45and next year we might even have more grass, a little bit more rain
0:49:45 > 0:49:47and everything will go along even better.
0:49:57 > 0:50:00For charcutiers Steve and Pete,
0:50:00 > 0:50:03Autumn is when they'll source much of their meat
0:50:03 > 0:50:05for the coming season themselves.
0:50:09 > 0:50:12Wild game makes up around a fifth of their product range
0:50:12 > 0:50:15and knowing its provenance is key to their business.
0:50:18 > 0:50:21He really does look like he's stalking over there, doesn't he?
0:50:21 > 0:50:23He does take it very seriously.
0:50:23 > 0:50:25- Is he a good shot though? - He is a good shot, yeah.
0:50:25 > 0:50:27He's a very good shot.
0:50:28 > 0:50:30Steve is fully trained and licensed.
0:50:30 > 0:50:34He has agreements with local farmers to shoot deer and rabbit
0:50:34 > 0:50:36on their land at this time of year.
0:50:38 > 0:50:41I think, for me, I want to be involved in every single aspect
0:50:41 > 0:50:43of the business and what we do.
0:50:43 > 0:50:46You know, the front end of getting the animals and butchery
0:50:46 > 0:50:49and production, as well as the business side of it, as well.
0:50:49 > 0:50:51I didn't find anything, unfortunately.
0:50:51 > 0:50:53- Do you like doing this? - I do, actually.
0:50:53 > 0:50:58And it's kind of one of the reasons why I wanted to do this business,
0:50:58 > 0:51:01so it's important that I still get a chance to do it.
0:51:01 > 0:51:04And then back to the restaurant to wash dishes.
0:51:07 > 0:51:10Anything shot for public consumption needs to be certified
0:51:10 > 0:51:13and skinned by a game dealer.
0:51:13 > 0:51:17But beyond that, the only major cost to the business is their time.
0:51:19 > 0:51:20Which bit has worked best?
0:51:20 > 0:51:23Which has been the most successful part?
0:51:23 > 0:51:25I'd say the restaurant is the biggest surprise.
0:51:25 > 0:51:27The restaurant's doing well now.
0:51:27 > 0:51:29It's covering its costs, it's making a small profit
0:51:29 > 0:51:31and it's using a lot of our produce.
0:51:31 > 0:51:33There are between 60 and 100 people every day
0:51:33 > 0:51:36- coming into the restaurant. - Fantastic.
0:51:36 > 0:51:39So that is, you know, a big percentage of our business now.
0:51:39 > 0:51:41What percentage would you say?
0:51:41 > 0:51:43I'd say probably about 30%, 40% of our business now.
0:51:43 > 0:51:46- Of your turnover?- Yeah. - That's really fantastic.
0:51:46 > 0:51:49We're really happy that we're a year and three weeks in
0:51:49 > 0:51:51and we're still open.
0:51:51 > 0:51:53Let alone making some money.
0:51:53 > 0:51:54Exactly, yeah, yeah.
0:51:54 > 0:51:58In fact, this year will be the first they'll be able to take
0:51:58 > 0:52:00a modest dividend from the business
0:52:00 > 0:52:03and they've begun to look for bigger premises.
0:52:03 > 0:52:06Four years in, is this the business that you were hoping
0:52:06 > 0:52:08it was going to be?
0:52:08 > 0:52:11I'd say it's definitely not the business we were hoping
0:52:11 > 0:52:15it was going to be, but it is now the business we want.
0:52:15 > 0:52:18We've gone off in all sorts of directions
0:52:18 > 0:52:19to get where we are, but we...
0:52:19 > 0:52:22Well, I really like where we are and I'm pretty sure Pete does too.
0:52:22 > 0:52:25I think we are in a... Yeah, we are in a great place right now.
0:52:25 > 0:52:28I can see you thinking about going off to open more.
0:52:28 > 0:52:29Is that something you think about?
0:52:29 > 0:52:31- What? More restaurants?- Yeah.
0:52:31 > 0:52:32- No. Never.- Oh, good.- Maybe.
0:52:32 > 0:52:35All right, go on, then, I'll do it.
0:52:35 > 0:52:37But no more than five. Or ten.
0:52:37 > 0:52:38- Yeah.- Fantastic.
0:52:38 > 0:52:42I have no idea what you'll find, but we'll be having fun, anyway.
0:52:45 > 0:52:47When I met Steve and Pete earlier in the year,
0:52:47 > 0:52:49the restaurant was just beginning.
0:52:49 > 0:52:51Steve was mastering butchery.
0:52:51 > 0:52:53They've come such a long way
0:52:53 > 0:52:56and they're actually making an income from this business now.
0:52:56 > 0:52:59I think they've got a true entrepreneurial spirit,
0:52:59 > 0:53:01and if I came back in a year's time,
0:53:01 > 0:53:04I'm quite sure they will have developed much further
0:53:04 > 0:53:07and this business is going to keep growing.
0:53:14 > 0:53:18Cider producer Tash relies on a single autumn harvest
0:53:18 > 0:53:20to keep her production on track,
0:53:20 > 0:53:24and every year it's a risky business to run.
0:53:25 > 0:53:28Unfortunately, I think we're going to contend with a really bad year.
0:53:28 > 0:53:30And the joys of nature,
0:53:30 > 0:53:32everything conspired to have a very late blossom.
0:53:32 > 0:53:35No apples around, very few bees.
0:53:35 > 0:53:37Blossoms weren't actually fertilised
0:53:37 > 0:53:41and now the consequence is we've got very few apples.
0:53:41 > 0:53:44And I think we're going to be about 70% down on last year,
0:53:44 > 0:53:48in terms of crop, which is, you know, quite significant, really,
0:53:48 > 0:53:51in terms of how we manage everything going forward.
0:53:52 > 0:53:57And a bad harvest could mean the end to any plans for expansion.
0:54:03 > 0:54:05There was a very difficult point,
0:54:05 > 0:54:07which I think we've been at probably for two years
0:54:07 > 0:54:11where you are ready struggling with enormous pressure in terms of
0:54:11 > 0:54:14the quantity of product people want, enormous frustration in the fact
0:54:14 > 0:54:17that you can't really grow your business
0:54:17 > 0:54:19because you cannot reach the capacity that you need to do that
0:54:19 > 0:54:23and also the financial pressure of what gives.
0:54:27 > 0:54:31It's clear the business needs bigger volumes to survive, long term.
0:54:34 > 0:54:35I'm anxious to find out
0:54:35 > 0:54:40how Tash's ambitious and expensive expansion project is coming on.
0:54:42 > 0:54:44- Hello, you.- Hello.
0:54:44 > 0:54:46I can't believe you organised the weather again.
0:54:46 > 0:54:49- Well, it's always raining. How are you?- Good to see you.
0:54:50 > 0:54:52Looking out over the whole thing,
0:54:52 > 0:54:55- it's really beginning to feel like an orchard.- I know.
0:54:55 > 0:54:58It's actually amazing, the amount of growth we've had this year.
0:54:58 > 0:55:03Sadly, there's been no such progress with the new production facility.
0:55:03 > 0:55:07Tash had gambled on having it up and running for this year's harvest,
0:55:07 > 0:55:11but work hasn't even started after a long delay over
0:55:11 > 0:55:13the conditions for their bank loan.
0:55:13 > 0:55:16It just taken forever and the whole process.
0:55:16 > 0:55:18It's meant basically that we now
0:55:18 > 0:55:21have had to shelve any plans of growth for a year,
0:55:21 > 0:55:23which is really frustrating.
0:55:23 > 0:55:27And presumably you need to pay back banks and things?
0:55:27 > 0:55:30Well, for us, the financial burden is really daunting
0:55:30 > 0:55:33when you're dealing with a product with very little margin.
0:55:33 > 0:55:35And, you know, it's great being entrepreneurial
0:55:35 > 0:55:37and having fire in your belly and doing things,
0:55:37 > 0:55:40but let's not kid ourselves that our business is on the line,
0:55:40 > 0:55:42our home's on the line.
0:55:42 > 0:55:44This is my family home, where I've lived.
0:55:44 > 0:55:47I would hate to lose this as a place that I can live and work.
0:55:47 > 0:55:49There's no safety net, really.
0:55:49 > 0:55:51But fortune smiles on the bold.
0:55:51 > 0:55:55I just have to go with my instincts on it, and I think it will be good.
0:55:57 > 0:55:58Whoa!
0:55:58 > 0:56:02So they're doing their best to make the most of what they've got.
0:56:02 > 0:56:04These are Bramleys and Katy, actually,
0:56:04 > 0:56:07and this will help make our sharper juices.
0:56:07 > 0:56:12And, as before, this year's crop will be processed in the old barns.
0:56:12 > 0:56:16It is very precarious, isn't it, working on the land,
0:56:16 > 0:56:18being reliant on nature?
0:56:18 > 0:56:20Totally. And also, with apples,
0:56:20 > 0:56:23we'll have some years where we just can't get enough.
0:56:25 > 0:56:27For this year's cider production,
0:56:27 > 0:56:31they can fall back on some of last year's stored vintage.
0:56:33 > 0:56:35But juice is more short lived.
0:56:36 > 0:56:40And with output still limited by these compact facilities,
0:56:40 > 0:56:44Tash is pushing on with the higher margin products, like cider vinegar.
0:56:46 > 0:56:49I think the very nature of having your own business means
0:56:49 > 0:56:50you have to be prepared to take risks,
0:56:50 > 0:56:53and you must get excited about the risk.
0:56:53 > 0:56:56Would you say that it's that that drives you more than cash?
0:56:56 > 0:56:58Definitely.
0:57:00 > 0:57:02I think it's about the balance in life,
0:57:02 > 0:57:07and this allows me to have the excitement, the creativity,
0:57:07 > 0:57:11live in a beautiful place, but it does have to stack up.
0:57:22 > 0:57:24Devon's rolling countryside and temperate climate
0:57:24 > 0:57:27has long provided a living for its people.
0:57:27 > 0:57:30And today's generation are continuing to make a living
0:57:30 > 0:57:33from this very green, very pleasant land.
0:57:34 > 0:57:37By adding a modern twist to traditional materials,
0:57:37 > 0:57:41these local entrepreneurs are making products with national appeal,
0:57:41 > 0:57:44but with their provenance firmly rooted
0:57:44 > 0:57:46in Devon's rich and fertile soil.
0:57:56 > 0:57:57'Next time, we're in the remote,
0:57:57 > 0:58:00'wild landscape of the Lake District...'
0:58:00 > 0:58:01Do you need a hand?
0:58:01 > 0:58:03'..following five new businesses...'
0:58:03 > 0:58:05Hang on, there, Simon.
0:58:05 > 0:58:07'..as they make big life changes...'
0:58:07 > 0:58:10- So you're quitting your job. - Yeah.- Does that feel scary?
0:58:10 > 0:58:14'..determined to make a living against all the odds.'
0:58:14 > 0:58:19There are two words that I would attach to you - proud and stubborn.
0:58:19 > 0:58:21Why did I do that?
0:58:21 > 0:58:23Because you're English.