Winter Pigs The Farmers' Country Showdown

Across the country,

thousands of farming families work tirelessly around the clock.

SHE GRUNTS

Stop arguing, girls, give over.

HE WHISTLES LOUDLY

But there's one day each year...

Ay!

..where they get to leave the daily routine behind.

Right, here we come, Dorset.

These are show days...

A very, very warm welcome to Melplash Show.

..when they come together as a community...

APPLAUSE

..to showcase the fruits of their labour...

I just love showing my girls off.

..and try to win prizes for their breed champions...

Smashed it.

..and award-winning produce.

That's really nice cheese, that.

It was very good, darling.

There will be highs...

That's what we want to see, red.

Red is the best.

..and lows...

She's not happy enough to go.

..for the dedicated farmers who give everything

to walk away a champion.

Fingers crossed!

There are 11 native pig breeds in this country.

Their future survival is dependent

on the farmers who keep these rare blood lines going.

Love a good rub, don't you?

Eh?

Nick and Guy Kiddy

and David Fieldhouse both farm pedigree large whites.

In a few days, they will be showing them at one of livestock's most

important events - the English Winter Fair.

Lovely!

These farmers want to promote the breed,

but more importantly,

it could help them build a stronger future for their farms.

Just outside of Leeds city centre

live David and Lindsay and their son, Bo.

Theirs is not the usual farm set-up.

As well as farming, 32-year-old David has another demanding job.

He's a full-time builder.

It started in 2007 with the building side of things -

plastering and tiling, mainly.

Since then, it's just grown.

Building brings in a much-needed salary

while he establishes his herd of pigs,

but juggling two jobs like this can be exhausting.

To carry on going the way I am, I'd burn myself out, you know.

It's going to have to be one or the other, so hopefully,

in the next few years, we can say that we're actually pig farmers.

Until it starts earning the same as what the building side does,

then we'll transfer across.

His interest in farming, as is the case with so many,

comes from his own family roots.

As far as I know, it's my great-grandad who kept pigs,

but he always kept them as more a hobby.

The same with my grandfather, and my dad then took over from there,

and he then started showing.

And I always had an inkling that I wanted to do it,

but at a young age, there was everything else going on.

You know, you're going out with your friends and stuff like that.

It's only in the last ten years, really, isn't it?

-Yes.

-That I've actually been like, "Right,

"this is summat that I want to do."

If you'd have said I was going to marry a pig farmer

and fall in love with pigs, I would've...

I wouldn't have agreed, put it that way!

It's David's childhood memories of his grandad's farm

that fuels his passion to create the same for his family.

Every weekend, like summer holidays, I was just there.

You know, whether we was off going to shows,

it was just the environment that you wanted to grow up in.

There were woodlands, there were fields to go out and camp in.

Obviously, the livestock was there as well. So, yeah,

best part of my life spent down there.

It did wind down when his grandfather died, they kind of...

You stopped doing anything then, didn't you, for a while?

So you restarted back up with your dad.

Yeah, we literally wound it all the way back to just three pigs,

just so my dad could keep an interest in it.

It isn't just any pigs that David's interested in.

A lot of people don't realise

that large white pigs is on the decline and

it's more rare now than a Gloucester old spot,

which everybody knows about, but not about the large whites.

Also, we could try saving some of the rare blood lines that are just,

they're almost wiped out, really.

It's almost like a heritage, really.

You know, my grandfather's done it, my dad's done it.

I didn't really want to see it end.

Without his own farm, David had to rent land outside the city.

Travelling there and back twice a day to look after his pigs

while also building takes its toll.

It's tiring at best.

If I looked at the hours I did, it'd scare me.

There's days when you're thinking to yourself,

"Why am I doing this to myself?"

But you just, you've just got to...

You're just working towards summat.

So I just have to get on and get it done, really,

otherwise it won't get done.

David is one of the hardest working people that I've ever met,

and his dedication to the pigs is unwavering.

Then two years ago, along with the arrival of baby Bo,

things got even more difficult.

We were renting some land, but unfortunately that came to an end.

At that point, Dave was talking about kind of giving up the farming.

Hope arrived in an unlikely form.

David was a pig farmer with no land and he was about to meet a landowner

with more pigs than he could handle.

He just happened to be the local butcher.

I ended up actually working for the butcher's,

just part-time for a little bit of pocket money,

so that's when I entered into a conversation

with Anthony, the owner, about the fact

we'd lost the land and we were scaling back

and Dave was considering giving it up.

And at the same time, they had just had a litter and I think

they'd realised it wasn't as easy as it looked.

The first time we bred any pigs, you know,

we soon realised that I didn't have really the time or the knowledge

to do the breeding myself, but I wanted to get the good quality,

high welfare pork for us.

So I spoke to Dave, and it seemed like a perfect partnership, really.

-How are you?

-Good. How are you doing?

-Yeah, not too bad.

-How are the pigs this week?

-Really good, yeah.

The butcher threw David a much-needed lifeline.

He had a similar kind of idea about animal welfare, good breeding,

and he was really helpful when I bought my first pigs.

Anthony the butcher has rented David 12 acres of land,

but it's 35 miles away from where they live,

and David travels there and back twice a day.

This is a farmer committed to building a future.

We're up at five o'clock in the morning to get up here.

I need to,

while feeding them, check the sows to make sure that

there's no ailments,

and then, from there, once I'm happy with everything, that's fine,

it's off to work.

And then back home on a night,

see to the livestock again and feed on a night and then get home.

-He's always an hour late for everything...

-Yeah.

..because he's busy doing the pigs

or one of the pigs needed serving, or...

-I always think I can fit everything in, but...

-You can't!

That's the one thing about moving them to Ripon.

Now it's an extra two hours' drive a day, at least.

But, you know, you've just got to accept that's part of it.

The early mornings, the late nights,

it's a brilliant lifestyle!

150 miles south in Bedfordshire is Nick and his father, Guy.

They bought their farm together just ten years ago.

I think we're quite a good team

but yeah, of course we have disagreements sometimes.

It'd be impossible to always have the same opinion, wouldn't it?

It's sometimes called progress.

The Kiddy family has an impressive agricultural lineage.

The family's been involved in farming

probably as far back as we can go.

Certainly my great-grandparents were farming, and we know we've got

relations further back than that,

and it's all sorts of farming, you know.

The family's always been mixed farmers.

They've always had arable and livestock.

It's no surprise that such a rich heritage would rub off

on 34-year-old Nick.

Any child, you know, who's brought up on a farm,

you just love being around the animals.

You know, cute little lambs or the piglets or chicks or

whatever it may be, you know?

You play farms in your bedroom and then you just can't wait to get out

there and play with the big stuff, with the proper stuff.

It's just, yeah, what lads want to do, I suppose.

Play with tractors.

But the reality and demands of farming life is not child's play.

We own ten acres and then we rent

arable land and grassland in the area.

So there's about 180 acres altogether.

We've got sheep, pigs, cattle, poultry.

And then we grow arable crops,

mainly wheat and barley,

but all the arable crops we grow is for pig food.

Unfortunately, despite all their hard work,

the farm doesn't provide enough

to support them and the rest of the family.

So they've opened up a small farm shop

to sell their veg, their eggs and, of course, their pigs.

A small farm like this, you've got to do things like this.

By selling the meat ourselves, we're cutting out the middleman.

Guy believes having the pigs in the field is nature's own advert.

You know, they drive past, they see our pigs out there and they think,

you know, "I can go and buy one of those, and I've seen it grow,

"even if it's from a distance."

It's really important that we show that we really do care

about our animals and how they're looked after,

and we try and to do the job right.

But even with the shop, times are tough.

You couldn't be here full-time,

it's not financially viable for all of us to have a living out of here.

At the end of the day, you still got to pay the bills, you know,

that sort of thing, and put food on the table.

So, yeah, the farm does a certain amount,

but... It's worth the work as well.

So Nick has to work on the farm in the neighbouring county.

My other job is I manage a beef unit, which is pedigree

Longhorn cows in Hertfordshire.

It's quite a large business - we run about 170 animals.

That's my...

I wouldn't say my nine-to-five, but that's...

Seven till five, that's my job,

and then, yeah, weekends as well.

Nick's dream of returning full-time to his own family farm is driven by

the pride in his pigs.

Hello, girl.

They now own the oldest herd of pedigree large whites

in the country.

Quite an achievement.

I think my grandfather would be amazed if he knew.

And they have the family records to prove it.

This is the herd record in this farm right back to 1944 onwards, really.

-Yeah.

-Yeah. Modern records, of course, are all on computer

-so it doesn't take so much space.

-No.

Most pedigree breeders in the '40s, '50s, '60s

showed their pigs as a way of advertising what they were doing.

As the pedigree industry's almost disappeared now -

relatively few people do it in this country...

..but those that still do it still show, you know,

to promote what you've got cos it's the only way other breeders

in this country can see your pigs.

For both, showing their pigs is still a very serious part

of their business.

But for Nick, it brings out some primal instincts.

-Yeah, you really don't like to...

-No.

..don't like to blow your own trumpet or anything, but...

-No, no.

-No, yeah. No, we've been doing it a long time.

You know, I'm quite competitive. I like to win.

It's eyes down looking at the judge,

you're trying to get your pig to show itself off the best

so you can get that prize.

It's all worth it, though, because winning prizes

means their pigs are sought after.

We've sent them... Falkland Islands is the furthest they've gone, but

we've sent pigs to Japan, Taiwan.

Pigs really do fly.

Back in Yorkshire, David and Lindsay also have dreams they want to

realise. For them, it's all about raising free-range pigs.

We were always told, you know,

to respect the animals and the animals came first, so I'm wanting

everything to go free-range so that we can give the best for them.

They aren't with us that long -

it's only six months until they're really finished -

so if we can do the best we can for them

-and give them the best life we can...

-Yeah.

They now have a herd of 50 pigs,

and they can become very attached to them.

They're just... They're summat else. I mean,

they can be stubborn, but they can also be affectionate and...

They're like a big dog, really.

You know, they're friendly enough at times.

Come on, then.

Good girl.

I'm the patter. I go around,

keep the animals happy by giving them a pat.

Good girl. Yes, you are.

There's something about them that when you come near them,

I don't know, there's just a...

It's just an exchange you get, I suppose with any animal,

but as soon as I come, I realise how much I've missed them.

I don't know, I think it's quite rewarding

just to have contact with them, which sounds a bit...

..silly, a bit hippy, but I enjoy it for that reason.

I suppose that's just rewarding in itself, isn't it?

Love a good rub, don't you?

However, these young farmers' ambitions go beyond pet pigs.

Their future now relies on becoming successful free-range breeders.

We aim to breed all year round.

For us to just do it seasonally,

like you might do with cattle and sheep,

we still have to feed the pigs in between,

so we need the cash flow coming in all the time.

What Dave's just doing is, when he is pressing on their back,

it's seeing if she's coming into season.

But Lindsay is a bit more than a pig patter -

she's been to agricultural college and likes to lend a hand.

If one of the pigs is struggling to give birth, I'll get a phone call,

"I need your little hands,"

and sometimes I'll have to go in and help deliver,

which can be rewarding, but can also be incredibly daunting.

But it's... You can't leave them in distress, so...

And Dave's got hands like shovels!

So if I was a pig, I wouldn't want him helping me either!

David and Lindsay's free-range future begins with the piglets

getting a good start in life.

Come on, you guys, what's the matter?

What? Come on.

They just bring a smile to my face.

Hiya. What?

What?

Most farmers would be laughing at me talking to them like children,

but it's how I feel.

But I think, you know,

we've discussed at length kind of like the ethics

behind farming and things, and

nothing we do is without reverence and without a lot of consideration.

Dave's put a lot of hard work into giving them the best possible life,

so for us we are conserving the breeds,

we're giving high welfare and we're doing our best.

I say "we", I'm not doing anything.

Dave's doing his best.

And hopefully, the pigs appreciate it!

Back in Bedfordshire,

Nick's competitiveness kicks in

as he's selecting the best pigs to take to this year's show.

Good boy, go on.

-He's a fair pig, he is.

-He was the dirtiest one as well.

Yeah.

This one is going to be the one going to the show.

Just for his shape, really.

He's a good length pig.

He's got a bit on his shoulders,

perhaps a minus, depending on the judge on the day.

The other thing is he's a boar.

Some judges don't like boars,

they only like gilts in the...at the fairs,

so a bit of a risk, taking a boar, but I take the best pig.

Choosing the best pig is one skill -

being able to give him his first bath is another.

Yeah, just give him a good scrub down.

He hasn't been washed before, so we'll see how it goes.

PIG SQUEALS

-That's just hot, is it?

-It's warm, should be about right.

Yeah. Before you burn me.

I'm not worried about you, I'm more worried about the pig.

Lather them up.

All right, mate.

PIG SQUEALS

He's just missing his mates a little bit.

He'll have to be washed a few more times before he goes.

A bit dirty still.

Quite crusted in a little bit, so that will be his first bath.

We'll give him a rinse off.

Now for a bit of piggy talcum.

The other thing we put on is a thing called wood flour.

It's just basically really fine sawdust.

It helps them dry off so they don't get cold.

It also whitens them up a little bit -

not much, but it does help.

So, yeah, he looks whiter now, but it just covers the dirt up.

Both of these pig farmers are struggling against the odds

to keep their farming dreams alive.

Showing the animals will not only boost business but also give them

a much-needed day out from the endless hard work.

Who's a good girl? Who's a good girl?

David's father will be driving his pigs to the show tomorrow.

I'm proud how he's built it up.

He's doing very, very well

in that respect. He's building his numbers up

and he's very passionate about that. Very passionate.

Don't chew my feet. Don't chew my feet!

I'd like to see him expand, a little, you know, more

and get a decent living out of it,

for him and his family, and my grandson.

There is just time for a final pamper before he bids farewell.

It always makes your life easier if you can handle them.

They're not pets.

In Bedfordshire, Nick and Guy

are ready to get their clean pigs loaded.

All right, boy. Time for a ride.

Yes. It's good to have a go and see how we do against everybody else.

There we are. Look, you've got lots of straw in there. Go on. In you go.

I'm staying here to do all the work.

Yeah, and I'm going to have a good time.

It's finally time to head off to the show.

Staffordshire's English Winter Fair may be set in humble surroundings,

but it is one of the most important livestock shows in the Midlands.

Dating back to 1850, it attracts farmers from all over the country.

They come here to prove their livestock is the best.

As well as the judges,

there will also be butchers and auctioneers here today,

all looking for the finest animals.

We are encouraging improvement

in livestock through competition.

So, people want to win, and to win,

they need to breed the best.

Whilst the pigs sleep peacefully...

..it's an early start for Nick.

So, yeah, we're here, it's 6.30.

So we're just going to get the pigs weighed,

ready for the show. And then we'll get them washed, get them fed,

get it all sorted, then, 9.30...

show time.

Before Nick can take his pigs into the show ring,

they need to be weighed.

Right. 63.5 kilo, Nick, that one.

-63 and a half?

-Yep.

That one's in. Next one.

The weigh-in allows stewards

to ensure pigs are in the right classes,

with porker class being lightest, and bacon class the heavyweights.

-64.

-64?

-Yeah.

Nick's pair tip the scales in the porker class.

Being so closely matched will stand him in good stead in the ring.

You know, they're half a kilo out,

which for a pair, I'm quite happy with.

So, it means I'm doing something right.

David's father, Ron, has also arrived early.

I know what I want. Wellies.

My wellies.

He's on pig-prep duty,

whilst David does the feeding rounds back in Leeds.

Morning! Come on.

Come on. Come on.

Breakfast! Come on, wakey-wakey!

Whilst Ron and his son's pigs have their breakfast,

Nick finds time for a cup of tea

and a natter with one of the stewards, Tracy.

Right, that's the one with sugar.

-Thank you, my love.

-That's the one without.

-All right, love.

-Thank you very much.

-See you in a bit.

-OK.

You know where it is when you want another.

Drop a rum in it!

Yeah. Should have brought some. It's freezing.

-The show people all help one another out, don't we?

-Yeah.

We have a routine together...

..where we'll start in the morning.

Somebody'll muck out, somebody'll wash.

You know, it just makes it, then, a whole team effort,

rather than you doing your own pigs and you're on your own.

Yeah, everyone helps everyone out

and then, you know, we all go for breakfast

-and then all go in the ring.

-And then get serious.

Get serious in the ring.

Heads down. No mates then, it's like...

-Yeah.

-Dog eat dog.

-Yeah.

-But... Yeah.

-Then it's back to friends again.

As soon as you get out of the ring, it's time for a pint and a chat...

And, "Why did the judge do that?"

Yeah!

The sun's well and truly up

and Ron is going to have a go at pig bathing.

It seems his son has left him all the good jobs(!)

Ah, is that nice?

Eh?

PIG SQUEALS

Yes!

The farming community's spirit is a heartening one.

You can always rely on support and a friendly neighbour.

Ronald!

-Hello!

-Have you got loads of hot water?

No! I think you've used it.

I haven't used it!

I like to blame somebody.

-I fetched my own.

-Did you?

Is that nice now?

Is it nice now?

Eh?

This is the beauty prep.

Nearly there, ladies.

Nearly there.

Now, that'll dry you up, won't it?

Eh?

With the hard work done,

there's just enough time for Ron to get himself ready.

Son David and the family arrive after a two-and-a-half-hour drive.

It's been a bit of a mad dash, but looking forward...

Dave's time-keeping is always...

He walked in at ten minutes before he wanted to leave the house.

And, then, was going, "Come on, we need to go!"

I was, like, "You don't say?"

Typical.

Everyone's here just in time, as the judging's about to begin.

What's important about this show is that, unlike some others,

it's about judging the animal from field to fork.

It's been a show that has been going on for...

..a long, long time.

It's got a huge heritage, huge following.

We are really catering for the farming and butchery industries,

so there's not a lot of general public here.

We've got classes for sheep, pigs, and most especially cattle.

We've also got classes for carcasses.

At the end of the day, you can see what the finished animal looks like.

With all the farmers having prepped

their live and not-quite-so-live stock,

the competition is finally ready to kick off.

First into the ring is builder David and his father, Ron.

They have their heaviest pair in the bacon class.

-Do you want a board?

-Yes!

These pigs weigh in between 11 to 14 stone.

It's taken a huge amount of effort to get ready for the show,

and impressing today's judge is paramount.

I'm from a background of farming and from the meat industry.

Don't know anything else. Only just done this job all my life.

I will be looking out for good pigs,

with good loins, good hams, good shape.

You know, full of meat. Just a little touch, cover of fat.

Exactly what the butcher wants.

This will be the show, approaching Christmas,

that they would all very much like to win.

So, yeah, very competitive out there.

If we can just have these... Just squeeze, just so, just to...

Wrangling a pair of pigs is a real skill.

David and his dad are doing the best they can.

Let the judge see them. Let the judge see 'em.

A win would really help David's small pig farm.

Baby Bo is giving as much encouragement as he can.

In the chaos of the ring, they need to catch the judge's eye.

Take them back over there, if we can.

Hold them there.

Finally, the judge seems to be paying them some attention.

Ron is anxious for his son to do well.

It's a blue rosette for David.

Thank you.

-Cheers.

-A very respectable second place against tough competition.

That was good. Yeah.

I'm happy with that. Stiff opposition,

but came out with second.

They showed theirselves really well.

It's hectic, but we got through it.

Even Bo wants to be part of this first triumph.

He is, after all, the reason David is working so hard

for their future.

Across the massive shed, judging is in full swing.

With almost everyone here a professional,

the pressure is really on.

Over in the pig section, the spotlight is now on Nick.

His dad is looking after the farm,

so he's bringing in an extra pair of hands to help.

I'm here on my own, so, yeah,

Grace has kindly offered to help me today.

Grace is well versed in all things pigs.

Her mother and show steward Tracy has encouraged her love

of these animals since she was three.

She's what we call a pig expert.

So, pig whisperer.

-Hopefully.

-Don't say that,

cos they probably won't do what I want them to now.

Go on. Wakey-wakey.

Nick's got some clever tricks up his sleeve

to keep his pair focused.

So, yeah. We haven't fed these this morning.

So, hopefully, in the ring, we can bribe them with a bit of food to go

-where we want them to go.

-Hopefully.

Touch wood.

-We'll see.

-Fingers crossed, Nick's plan to keep them peckish pays off.

It seems the pigs have other plans.

Nick and Grace need to get them under control

to stand up to the competition and show them at their best.

HE LAUGHS

Getting them side-by-side and standing still

is not as easy as everyone else is making it look.

Finally, Nick and Grace get them to calm down.

That's it. That's it.

Right. OK.

Yep.

Lovely. Thank you.

Yeah. He's had his look. We'll see what he does in a minute.

If I can just wander, just have another little...

Just wander around.

It seems Nick's lively pigs have brought the judge back

for another look.

There we go. Congratulations.

Thank you very much.

It's first prize to Nick -

a success straight off the mark.

Thank you very much.

-All right.

-Thank you.

His desire to win and the hard work he puts into it has paid off.

That's great. Not what I expected when I came,

so I'm really happy with that.

Makes the early starts worthwhile. So...

-Yeah, no, well done, Grace. She's a pro.

-Did you win?

-Yeah. And the reserve.

-Won the pair.

-Ooh! Get you!

The British Pig Association was established in 1884.

Their secretary, Sanders Spencer,

saw the need to keep a record of bloodlines.

There were three founding breeds registered.

Amongst them was a large white called Hollywell Jimmy...

..and Miss Emily, a middle white,

and a Tamworth.

Sanders Spencer shipped them around the world for breeding.

All the purebred pedigree pigs at the show today

can trace their ancestry

back through the herd books established over 130 years ago.

Today, the large white in the UK is on the decline,

which is why our farmers are keen to promote the breed.

There's only 350 large whites and 300 large blacks.

That gives you an idea

of the sort of scale of the rarity.

The only reason those pigs survive

is if people keep them for a business.

They have to have a place

in farming, they have to have some sort of marketplace,

and these winter shows, that's what it's about.

It's about pigs that people are going to eat,

it's about interacting with butchers,

and so that's why it's a very important part of our tradition.

As the day continues, the fair is busier than ever...

..with everyone trying to push their best animals forward.

It's a chance for David and Lindsay to take a break...

I'd say down there.

..and find out how their carcass entry has done in the competition.

We've got placement. You can see from here how many carcasses are in.

So to get even a placement at fourth, I mean,

it's not what you want,

but it's still a placement and we're happy with that.

Coming fourth against dozens of other entries

from around the country is a great achievement

for this full-time builder.

A chance to see so much competition gives David great insight.

The future of their business relies on his ability to produce free-range

pork that the butchers will want to buy.

I was saying to Lindsay where we can improve for the coming years.

We know what we've seen with the carcasses that we need to improve

a little bit on the eye muscle and stuff on the carcasses, so...

It's all positive, really.

Outside, the winter sun is beginning to set.

But inside the show ring, the competition is heating up.

Nick's already chalked up a champion and first rosette.

Now it's the final chance to add to his tally.

We're going to move on to the singles shortly,

so I've got that one single in there

and then we'll be taking one of those champion pair out, too.

Which, to be honest with you, is probably the one that behaved

the best cos the other one was a bit mad.

-Are you ready?

-Once again,

he calls on the highly skilled pig handler Grace.

-Look out.

-They each take one of Nick's pigs in the ring,

meaning he doubles his chances of a win.

Mind out, please.

Grace looks at home as usual, keeping her pig focused on food,

whereas Nick seems to be part of a merry dance.

A pig tango, to be precise.

A judge inspects Grace and her calm pig...

..and casts a long eye over everyone and their animals.

It's a busy ring full of potential prize-winning pigs.

This is a very tough call.

It is, isn't it? Very.

-Right. OK?

-Yeah.

The judge has made his final decision.

Second.

-Here we go, all right?

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

Ever-professional Grace wins second place.

There are two more rosettes to be awarded.

Nick could scoop a double if he lands a place.

There's one more coming this way now.

-There we go.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

Fourth place. Not a bad result for someone who spent half their time

dancing around the ring.

Yeah, really pleased with that.

Every pig we've taken out has been placed,

so, yeah, really happy.

The English Winter Fair has been a successful day for both farmers.

Yes, I'm happy, very happy.

We've done well, it's been a very successful day for us.

It proves that we're doing something right

and we're heading the right way with our pigs.

If you said at the beginning of the day I'd have a first, a second,

a fourth and a reserve champion, I'd have bitten your hand off, so, yeah,

really happy with that.

-Cheers.

-They have won rosettes

and the esteem of the judging professionals.

It's very inspiring for me to see the effort that these guys

put into looking after their pigs.

I have to say that I...

I said before that I get a lot of satisfaction

and pleasure out of it,

but, of course, I don't have to get up at six o'clock in the morning

and feed pigs and then make sure I get home before it goes dark.

It's the people who actually look after the pigs, those are the people

that really are inspiring.

For farmers across the country, the showing season is coming to an end.

We'll keep pushing forward, keep breeding the pigs, keep, you know,

trying to find that perfect pig and, you know,

we'll keep coming out and see what we do, but, yeah, we won't stop.

It's addictive, so we just carry on.

It's been a full-on year of a 24/7 workload.

It can be a lonely old job, farming, sometimes -

you can be out on your own for hours, days, weeks on your own, so,

you know, it's good to get out, see people, catch up, have a good chat.

We're like a load of old ladies, really,

we like a good old chat, any gossip and...

You know, just have a few beers tonight and...

summarise the day, I should think.

The hard work and commitment is all worthwhile

when the farmers see their farms heading in the right direction.

We want the idyllic life where you're in the countryside.

Love a good rub, don't you?

Eh?

And seeing Bo grow up, having the time rather than doing two jobs,

and I think that's part of the drive as well,

is to get that so I don't miss out on him growing up.

I'm very proud, very proud of him.

He's...

You know, he's done very, very well.

Yeah, I wouldn't say we'll be cracking open the champagne, but...

No, he said he's going to go home and plaster the bedroom.

That's what he said.

So, you know, that's a celebration for me.

Yeah. Maybe not so much for me...

Romance is a little bit dead, but...

You know, when the extension's done, life will resume.