0:00:02 > 0:00:03Across the country,
0:00:03 > 0:00:07thousands of farming families work tirelessly around the clock.
0:00:09 > 0:00:12Stop arguing, girls. Give over.
0:00:12 > 0:00:14SHRILL WHISTLE
0:00:14 > 0:00:17But there's one day each year
0:00:17 > 0:00:20where they get to leave the daily routine behind.
0:00:20 > 0:00:21Right, here we come, Dorset.
0:00:23 > 0:00:24These are show days...
0:00:27 > 0:00:31..when they come together as a community
0:00:31 > 0:00:33to showcase the fruits of their labour...
0:00:33 > 0:00:35I just love showing my girls off.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40..and try to win prizes for their breed champions...
0:00:40 > 0:00:42Smashed it.
0:00:42 > 0:00:43..and award-winning produce.
0:00:43 > 0:00:45That's really nice cheese, that.
0:00:47 > 0:00:49It was very good, darling.
0:00:49 > 0:00:51There will be highs...
0:00:51 > 0:00:54That's what we want to see - red. Red is the best.
0:00:54 > 0:00:57- ..and lows... - She's not happy enough to go.
0:00:57 > 0:01:02..for the dedicated farmers who give everything to walk away a champion.
0:01:02 > 0:01:05Fingers crossed.
0:01:11 > 0:01:14In the agricultural social calendar,
0:01:14 > 0:01:19there is one night of the year that celebrates farmers' ingenuity -
0:01:19 > 0:01:21the Farmers Weekly Awards.
0:01:23 > 0:01:26This year's category for Diversification Farmer of the Year
0:01:26 > 0:01:29has three outstanding shortlisted finalists,
0:01:29 > 0:01:32who have all given their farms a new lease of life.
0:01:35 > 0:01:38They've been hand-picked by the judges for successfully finding
0:01:38 > 0:01:41alternative ways to bring money into their farm
0:01:41 > 0:01:43outside of traditional methods.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51The Mays are from North Devon,
0:01:51 > 0:01:53the Richards are from Cornwall,
0:01:53 > 0:01:56and the Nicholson family are from South Yorkshire.
0:01:57 > 0:02:01This award is to acknowledge their hard work, adaptability,
0:02:01 > 0:02:06planning, and determination.
0:02:06 > 0:02:07And in a few days' time,
0:02:07 > 0:02:11one of them will be taking it home from a glittering black-tie event
0:02:11 > 0:02:12in the heart of London.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27In the lush, green valleys of South Yorkshire,
0:02:27 > 0:02:29the 180 acres that is Cannon Hall Farm
0:02:29 > 0:02:31are home to our first finalists
0:02:31 > 0:02:36for this year's diversification award - the Nicholson family.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41Father Roger's farming story began when he was a teenager.
0:02:43 > 0:02:46When I got to 15 years old,
0:02:46 > 0:02:51the land we had was taken away by compulsory purchase, so we had to
0:02:51 > 0:02:56move to another farm and my father bought this at an auction.
0:02:56 > 0:03:00My father only lived a year after buying the farm,
0:03:00 > 0:03:04so I had to leave school, although I was quite glad to do so,
0:03:04 > 0:03:07and take over the running of the farm.
0:03:10 > 0:03:14Happily, his early farming years brought rewards as well, in the
0:03:14 > 0:03:18shape of his wife, Cynthia, who was also from a farming background.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22I was in the Halifax Young Farmers Club,
0:03:22 > 0:03:25and that's how I met Rog.
0:03:25 > 0:03:33He came to a party on the 2nd of January 1962.
0:03:33 > 0:03:35For the next three decades,
0:03:35 > 0:03:39the couple would try their hand at farming everything and anything to
0:03:39 > 0:03:44turn a profit, including pigs, sheep, cattle, and even vegetables.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49The one thing I can remember doing that I don't think I'll ever
0:03:49 > 0:03:53do again was chopping turnips
0:03:53 > 0:03:57on a very wet November day and I thought, "No way,
0:03:57 > 0:03:59"I'm not doing that any more."
0:04:01 > 0:04:05After years of struggling to make ends meet and with three young boys
0:04:05 > 0:04:08to support, the Nicholsons decided to sell some of the buildings
0:04:08 > 0:04:12on the land to raise some much-needed capital.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15The farm buildings and the farmhouse were listed,
0:04:15 > 0:04:23so we sold three houses and developed three more for ourselves.
0:04:23 > 0:04:27This hard-won cash meant that they could start to have some big dreams
0:04:27 > 0:04:29for the future.
0:04:29 > 0:04:34The first one I had was a golf course, really, because I'm quite
0:04:34 > 0:04:39a sporty person, but it would have taken quite a lot of land.
0:04:39 > 0:04:40Instead of a golf course,
0:04:40 > 0:04:44the couple decided to open their first small catering venture.
0:04:44 > 0:04:46We had actually opened a tearoom.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50- 1981.- 1981.
0:04:51 > 0:04:55The tearoom turned a tidy profit, and even the couple's young sons
0:04:55 > 0:04:57managed to make a penny or two.
0:04:57 > 0:05:01We used to get some chickens and just walk up to strangers
0:05:01 > 0:05:04- and say, "Do you want..."- He used to tell me to walk up to strangers.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07"Do you want to stroke a chicken for 1p?"
0:05:07 > 0:05:11And that was our first foray into farm tourism.
0:05:11 > 0:05:16He set me up and sent me to... And then he kept the money! So...
0:05:19 > 0:05:21From the Nicholsons' early endeavours,
0:05:21 > 0:05:25the idea of farm tourism for families began to take shape.
0:05:26 > 0:05:30In 1989, eight years after the tearoom started,
0:05:30 > 0:05:33Cannon Hall Farm officially opened to the public.
0:05:38 > 0:05:42We had a few goats and a few of this and a few of that,
0:05:42 > 0:05:45nothing very special, but people seemed to like it.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50From 24 customers in the tearoom,
0:05:50 > 0:05:55Cannon Hall Farm now sees over half a million visitors every year,
0:05:55 > 0:05:58enjoying a range of animal attractions from reindeer
0:05:58 > 0:06:01and alpacas to meerkats and sheep racing.
0:06:05 > 0:06:07- COMMENTATOR: - ..as Sherbaa takes the win.
0:06:09 > 0:06:11But it's been a long road to get here.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16I remember thinking one bank holiday when Roger and I were cleaning the
0:06:16 > 0:06:19toilets, we thought "Oh, we've really arrived now, you know,
0:06:19 > 0:06:21"we've got the best job in the place!"
0:06:21 > 0:06:25With the farm on the up and up and plenty of paid work to do,
0:06:25 > 0:06:28Cynthia and Roger employed their own sons to do it.
0:06:30 > 0:06:32I will say, though, I only wanted the three jobs,
0:06:32 > 0:06:35not the other 197 that we've got now.
0:06:37 > 0:06:38But that's only me!
0:06:40 > 0:06:44But Cannon Hall is still very much a working farm,
0:06:44 > 0:06:47and youngest son David is in charge of its day-to-day running.
0:06:50 > 0:06:52Just do a lot of hours, really.
0:06:53 > 0:06:57A lot of stock work with the animals, a lot of tractor work,
0:06:57 > 0:06:59JCB work.
0:07:01 > 0:07:03You know, get up very early and go in very late,
0:07:03 > 0:07:06I think I'm taking after me dad with that.
0:07:08 > 0:07:13Me dad, he was quite shrewd, he put me on a YTS scheme for himself,
0:07:13 > 0:07:17so as a 16-year-old I came to work for the farm,
0:07:17 > 0:07:21and the government paid half my wage, if you like,
0:07:21 > 0:07:24and then he paid the other half, begrudgingly.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27Came home to very little money.
0:07:27 > 0:07:31I'd rather be working for me family than working for anybody else.
0:07:36 > 0:07:39We've got over 400 ewes now.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43We've got over 100 cattle.
0:07:45 > 0:07:47And everything we produce goes through the farm shop.
0:07:49 > 0:07:53The responsibility for all this lies with eldest son Robert.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00I've always had a lifelong interest in butchery, even before we had
0:08:00 > 0:08:02the farm shop, you know.
0:08:05 > 0:08:07So it just seemed like a natural progression, really,
0:08:07 > 0:08:09and something I felt was needed.
0:08:11 > 0:08:15Whilst third brother Richard's skills are more artistic
0:08:15 > 0:08:17than those of his brothers.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23Well, when everybody else was going to agricultural college,
0:08:23 > 0:08:25I decided to take a different route and go to art college,
0:08:25 > 0:08:29so I did a graphic design degree,
0:08:29 > 0:08:31specialising in photography, really.
0:08:34 > 0:08:38I'm just trying to tell the story of what we do and how we do it, really,
0:08:38 > 0:08:40through social media.
0:08:40 > 0:08:42LAMBS BLEAT
0:08:42 > 0:08:45Videos, more and more, seem to be
0:08:45 > 0:08:49the thing that people want to see, actually.
0:08:50 > 0:08:53And you certainly get more views of a video,
0:08:53 > 0:08:56so we get the farm hands out in the farmyard to...
0:08:56 > 0:08:59If they see something interesting, if, say,
0:08:59 > 0:09:02the animals have been turned out in the fields and they go for a mad
0:09:02 > 0:09:06run-around like our Shetlands did this time this spring,
0:09:06 > 0:09:09that video got seen by half a million people.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21Even though his sons have taken much of the day-to-day graft away,
0:09:21 > 0:09:25Roger can't help but carry on.
0:09:25 > 0:09:27This is the male alpaca.
0:09:29 > 0:09:31And we've got three ladies.
0:09:31 > 0:09:33Come here, little girl.
0:09:35 > 0:09:37Full of beans and full of life, lovely coat.
0:09:40 > 0:09:45That's the other mum. She actually started her life in Peru, that one.
0:09:45 > 0:09:47She's quite an elderly alpaca.
0:09:49 > 0:09:53Right, well, Darryl's just going to clean her feet out now.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58She has it done every day.
0:09:58 > 0:09:59Come on, girl, lift.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04ROGER CHUCKLES
0:10:08 > 0:10:10Good girl.
0:10:10 > 0:10:13Good girl. That's better.
0:10:13 > 0:10:19This stops a big build-up of soil and muck inside the horse's hoof.
0:10:19 > 0:10:21Keeps it nice and healthy.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25Whoa, you.
0:10:25 > 0:10:27- That'll do.- Good girl.
0:10:32 > 0:10:35Where should we start? Have you got...? You're on H, right.
0:10:35 > 0:10:37Let's move down to J.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40Mum, Cynthia, also keeps her hand in doing payroll
0:10:40 > 0:10:43alongside her daughter-in-law, Julie.
0:10:43 > 0:10:47I got married to Robert, we got married on the Saturday,
0:10:47 > 0:10:49and we opened the farm on the next Friday.
0:10:49 > 0:10:52We've got some new starters as well this week.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56But it's not all number crunching for these two farm hands.
0:10:57 > 0:11:01Julie and I even built some rabbit hutches at one time.
0:11:01 > 0:11:04We're not your normal women with, you know,
0:11:04 > 0:11:06painted nails and things like that, we just get stuck in, don't we?
0:11:06 > 0:11:08Yeah, we'll hide our nails.
0:11:11 > 0:11:15Although the farm has grown so much alongside the family,
0:11:15 > 0:11:18their passion shows no signs of fading.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21We don't have an exit strategy, you know,
0:11:21 > 0:11:25we've got a continuation strategy, so that's where we are.
0:11:25 > 0:11:27For the couple who started with nothing,
0:11:27 > 0:11:31what they've built is a validation of what you can do with a dream.
0:11:33 > 0:11:38The money side of it's never been top of the list at all.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43It's doing the job properly,
0:11:43 > 0:11:46making sure that everybody that comes enjoys themselves.
0:11:48 > 0:11:53But to have a Maserati or whatever in the back,
0:11:53 > 0:11:56that's not the aim at all, no.
0:11:57 > 0:12:00Branching out into farm tourism has secured their farm
0:12:00 > 0:12:03and made them one of this year's nominees for
0:12:03 > 0:12:06the Diversification Farmer of the Year Award.
0:12:16 > 0:12:21Just over 250 miles away, resting in the hills of North Devon,
0:12:21 > 0:12:26Springfield Farm is home to our next nominees, Richard and Anna May.
0:12:28 > 0:12:33They farm sheep and cows on their 180-acre plot,
0:12:33 > 0:12:36but it hasn't been an easy road for this hard-working couple.
0:12:38 > 0:12:42Myself and Anna got married in '93, and we moved in here.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45- '92, actually.- '92, sorry!
0:12:47 > 0:12:52We're farming a mixture of sheep and cereal crops, and we had a few beef
0:12:52 > 0:12:54down here as well, so it's a mixed farm.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05By 2001, Richard and Anna were living on their farm
0:13:05 > 0:13:09with their three young children and high hopes for the future.
0:13:12 > 0:13:14We were all working really hard,
0:13:14 > 0:13:19and wanting to expand our farming enterprise. We had lots of ideas,
0:13:19 > 0:13:22but it was cut very short when foot-and-mouth came along.
0:13:24 > 0:13:27Just eight weeks after the family moved in,
0:13:27 > 0:13:31the epidemic struck, and thousands of their animals were culled.
0:13:34 > 0:13:37Yeah, the whole valley was wiped out with foot-and-mouth.
0:13:37 > 0:13:41It was very demoralising driving out, seeing all the sheep in mud.
0:13:42 > 0:13:46In the end, they made a pyre, and they were burnt on the farm.
0:13:46 > 0:13:50Nearly 3,000 animals on the farm at the time.
0:13:50 > 0:13:52- We were lambing, weren't we? - We had just finished lambing.
0:13:54 > 0:13:58With their animals destroyed and their livelihood in tatters,
0:13:58 > 0:14:00they had to start from scratch.
0:14:03 > 0:14:07But just to introduce new sheep would not be enough this time.
0:14:09 > 0:14:13And we just realised then that it was time to
0:14:13 > 0:14:17maybe think about this differently.
0:14:17 > 0:14:22So Anna had an ingenious idea for how they could save the farm -
0:14:22 > 0:14:25they decided to start a children's nursery.
0:14:30 > 0:14:32Can you see any eggs?
0:14:32 > 0:14:36They believed that exposing young minds to farming life
0:14:36 > 0:14:37could be a winner.
0:14:37 > 0:14:39How many is that?
0:14:39 > 0:14:42To start with, we just thought it would work that the children could
0:14:42 > 0:14:46see the sheep. We've got chickens, goats,
0:14:46 > 0:14:48and so it was very small scale.
0:14:48 > 0:14:50What noise does he make, Josh?
0:14:52 > 0:14:57Over 14 years, the nursery has grown from 24 children
0:14:57 > 0:14:58to more than 90 a day.
0:14:59 > 0:15:03Quite a big jump from those small beginnings, really.
0:15:03 > 0:15:05The children love watching the tractors.
0:15:05 > 0:15:07- I like yours. - Yeah, what colour's yours?
0:15:09 > 0:15:11I love yours.
0:15:11 > 0:15:15- I suppose there's not room in your house for a big one, is there?- No.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18Farmer Richard, a celebrity here,
0:15:18 > 0:15:22brings down his tractor and just parks it in the front entrance.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25Now, do you want to see the engine?
0:15:25 > 0:15:28Look, that's the engine in there.
0:15:28 > 0:15:29- Wow!- There it is, Harry.
0:15:29 > 0:15:31Yes, I love it.
0:15:31 > 0:15:33It's made his day.
0:15:34 > 0:15:35HORN BEEPS
0:15:38 > 0:15:42- Thank you very much.- All right, and you can wave bye to the tractor.
0:15:46 > 0:15:48This is our everyday life,
0:15:48 > 0:15:50and this is what we'd like the children to watch.
0:15:50 > 0:15:54It's so important nowadays for the children, I think,
0:15:54 > 0:15:57to be educated where food does come from,
0:15:57 > 0:16:01because so many think it just comes off the supermarket shelf.
0:16:01 > 0:16:03In reality, it's not.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05Even them growing their own vegetables and fruit
0:16:05 > 0:16:10in the polytunnel and then collecting it and then bringing it
0:16:10 > 0:16:13back for snack time is just an education in itself.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19We thought, yeah, outside's really important and that we should be
0:16:19 > 0:16:23outside no matter what the weather and sort of built on that, really.
0:16:26 > 0:16:28As well as the rebirth of their business,
0:16:28 > 0:16:31what's given the family a real sense of pride
0:16:31 > 0:16:34is the return of the livestock to Springfield Farm.
0:16:36 > 0:16:40We have about 1,200 breeding ewes here at the moment,
0:16:40 > 0:16:43and we've started rearing cows this year as well,
0:16:43 > 0:16:47so we've got about 100 cattle on the farm at the moment as well.
0:16:47 > 0:16:51Eldest daughter Amy devotes all her time to the cattle.
0:16:52 > 0:16:56Amy has come home on the farm full-time now.
0:16:56 > 0:17:00She's brought Jim, her partner, down with her,
0:17:00 > 0:17:04so we've got a couple of extra hands on the farm nowadays.
0:17:06 > 0:17:08Being young growing up on a farm
0:17:08 > 0:17:12is probably the best childhood you could ask for.
0:17:12 > 0:17:16There was never a day where I couldn't go outside
0:17:16 > 0:17:19and do something that I loved.
0:17:19 > 0:17:21The cows were my idea,
0:17:21 > 0:17:24so they are my responsibility at the moment.
0:17:24 > 0:17:28So, feeding them on a daily basis is currently mine and Jim's role.
0:17:28 > 0:17:30We have nearly 100 cows now.
0:17:33 > 0:17:37The nursery's definitely grown, that's changed a lot over the years.
0:17:37 > 0:17:42I remember it as the single room when it first started.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45It's nice to see so many children experiencing the countryside.
0:17:49 > 0:17:53Over the years, the nursery's growth has allowed the farm to flourish
0:17:53 > 0:17:56and has kept their livelihood secure.
0:18:02 > 0:18:05That was a good lamb, Jim. That one's doing well.
0:18:06 > 0:18:11When foot-and-mouth hit us, and it affected us hugely,
0:18:11 > 0:18:14you could easily wallow in doom and gloom,
0:18:14 > 0:18:17but we were lucky that we've got a very supportive family, and that
0:18:17 > 0:18:21from the ashes rose, you know, an amazing nursery.
0:18:22 > 0:18:27I'm very proud of them. They've done a very good job.
0:18:27 > 0:18:30Well done. Can you have a look on this plant and see if you can find
0:18:30 > 0:18:31any caterpillars on there?
0:18:31 > 0:18:33We're very proud.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36I have never thought we could be where we are today,
0:18:36 > 0:18:39but it's a lot of hard work, a lot of stress,
0:18:39 > 0:18:41but it's well worth it.
0:18:41 > 0:18:46We love it every day, and we've got such a lovely setting here.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49You've just got to look at our view, you know why we're doing it here.
0:18:50 > 0:18:54Thinking outside the box and building a new kind of
0:18:54 > 0:18:57farming business has pushed them onto this year's shortlist for
0:18:57 > 0:19:02Diversification Farmer of the Year at the Farmers Weekly Awards.
0:19:11 > 0:19:16Head south across the rolling hills, and the next county you come to is
0:19:16 > 0:19:20Cornwall, home to our final nominees, the Richards family.
0:19:25 > 0:19:30John and his wife, Felicity, run one side of the family farm.
0:19:30 > 0:19:32This is the top end of our land.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35We actually run from here right down as far as you can see to the A30,
0:19:35 > 0:19:38which is down the bottom end of the valley.
0:19:38 > 0:19:39Come on, Star, come on.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44Ten years old. He's in good nick, isn't he?
0:19:46 > 0:19:48We've been married nearly 30 years,
0:19:48 > 0:19:52and the farm's changed a huge amount in that time.
0:19:55 > 0:19:57It was originally an arable, grass farm, really.
0:19:57 > 0:19:58My father had sheep,
0:19:58 > 0:20:02so we had sheep and beef here originally to start with,
0:20:02 > 0:20:04then we converted it to a dairy herd.
0:20:07 > 0:20:12With 700 acres spread over two sites, the workload has always
0:20:12 > 0:20:16been shared equally, with brother, Paul, and his wife, Carol.
0:20:16 > 0:20:17Born and raised on the farm,
0:20:17 > 0:20:20I've always been interested in farming, I love farming.
0:20:20 > 0:20:22Went through the normal marriage procedure
0:20:22 > 0:20:25at the Young Farmers clubs, found a wife from Leicestershire,
0:20:25 > 0:20:27married her, and brought her back to Cornwall.
0:20:27 > 0:20:30I was born into it, and Carol's married into it.
0:20:30 > 0:20:32At first, this harmonious set-up was fine for all,
0:20:32 > 0:20:35and the brothers even expanded to two herds.
0:20:39 > 0:20:43But the farm ran into serious money problems when national milk prices
0:20:43 > 0:20:48were affected by mad cow disease in the late 1990s.
0:20:48 > 0:20:50There was a lot of uncertainty at the time,
0:20:50 > 0:20:52when we had two young families.
0:20:52 > 0:20:56We knew then that farming wasn't as strong as it should be, or could be.
0:20:57 > 0:21:01We actually put the two dairy herds back into one unit, so then
0:21:01 > 0:21:04we actually had the farm buildings and the silage bits empty.
0:21:06 > 0:21:10We were looking to really, to process something in that yard.
0:21:10 > 0:21:14At the time, local councils were sending green waste to landfill,
0:21:14 > 0:21:18which gave this close-knit family an idea -
0:21:18 > 0:21:22they would recycle that waste as a business.
0:21:29 > 0:21:31That's when the green waste came in.
0:21:31 > 0:21:34We thought about composting, looking into green waste composting.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38Green waste includes flower cuttings, grass,
0:21:38 > 0:21:41hedge trimmings, and food waste.
0:21:43 > 0:21:46But starting off any new venture is fraught with teething troubles,
0:21:46 > 0:21:49especially if you have no previous experience.
0:21:51 > 0:21:54As we were coming from farming, we weren't into the recycling or
0:21:54 > 0:21:57waste industry, so no-one really took us very seriously.
0:21:57 > 0:22:00It was just two of us for a long time as well because we were running
0:22:00 > 0:22:03the farm, the arable side of the business, but we were also running
0:22:03 > 0:22:08the recycling, which was another real stretch for us.
0:22:08 > 0:22:12But their farming background stood them in good stead.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15Some of their existing machinery could be used for farming
0:22:15 > 0:22:19and recycling, and their appetite for hard work was insatiable.
0:22:22 > 0:22:25People were coming to us and saying "We want this service,"
0:22:25 > 0:22:29so I was going to the meetings and saying "Yes, we can do it,"
0:22:29 > 0:22:31and then John had to actually deliver.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37It's an eight-week process to turn raw green waste
0:22:37 > 0:22:39into high-quality compost.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42Well, we're actually picking out the probe to take the temperature down
0:22:42 > 0:22:44in the middle of the compost. If it gets too hot,
0:22:44 > 0:22:46it'll kill the bugs, and if it gets too cold,
0:22:46 > 0:22:47it won't compost quick enough,
0:22:47 > 0:22:50so we're looking to keep the temperature around 65 all the time.
0:22:53 > 0:22:57While John and Felicity built up the recycling business,
0:22:57 > 0:22:59his brother, Paul, took on the mantle
0:22:59 > 0:23:01of keeping the family farming legacy going.
0:23:14 > 0:23:16They drink about 80 litres of milk.
0:23:16 > 0:23:18They're on about five litres a day at the moment.
0:23:18 > 0:23:22As you can see, they're all shiny coats, bright, you know,
0:23:22 > 0:23:25we don't get any pneumonia at all, we never get pneumonia.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28If we ever get one that's ill, something a bit off-colour,
0:23:28 > 0:23:30we've got a jacket we put on them.
0:23:30 > 0:23:34Actually, we've had it for two years, haven't used it yet.
0:23:34 > 0:23:38I'm happy, and they're very happy, as you can see.
0:23:38 > 0:23:42And that's their lot. The rest of the milk will go to the next group.
0:23:54 > 0:23:57And the farm makes good use of the family compost.
0:24:00 > 0:24:02The costs are kept down on the dairy herd
0:24:02 > 0:24:06because of using compost instead of fertiliser.
0:24:06 > 0:24:09It's using natural products again, really.
0:24:09 > 0:24:13It also goes on the cattle ground to a certain extent,
0:24:13 > 0:24:15and under the leys to produce better grass.
0:24:17 > 0:24:21Over 17 years, both the recycling and farming arms of the business
0:24:21 > 0:24:24have gone from strength to strength.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27They now sell their compost across the region.
0:24:31 > 0:24:35Compost, because of its bulk density, doesn't travel a long way,
0:24:35 > 0:24:37but the National Trust have been interested
0:24:37 > 0:24:41because they have a lot of very prestigious gardens in Cornwall
0:24:41 > 0:24:43that are open to the public.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46The Eden Project is another customer.
0:24:46 > 0:24:50When they began, they were treating 25 tonnes of green waste a week.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58They now process over 600 tonnes.
0:24:58 > 0:25:02They've saved over 400,000 tonnes of waste going to landfill.
0:25:09 > 0:25:14We've dealt with this business with integrity and sustainability.
0:25:14 > 0:25:19We get it in and we make it into a product and we send it out,
0:25:19 > 0:25:24and if you fall down on any of those hurdles, you're gone tomorrow.
0:25:24 > 0:25:27It's given us a more secure future, it's given us a bigger business.
0:25:27 > 0:25:31We've actually got two businesses, if you like, so we split our risk.
0:25:31 > 0:25:33And they both work together.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39Family unity is at the heart of everything
0:25:39 > 0:25:40John and his brother, Paul, do.
0:25:43 > 0:25:45Here, Daddy!
0:25:48 > 0:25:52And their mother, Jean, has a clue as to why it's all worked.
0:25:53 > 0:25:55I think that's stemmed from the fact
0:25:55 > 0:25:58that we've always been a family socially.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04As well as business-wise, and it's just grown and grown.
0:26:04 > 0:26:07To work together, you've got to give and take.
0:26:07 > 0:26:09We do get our moments, I won't be a liar,
0:26:09 > 0:26:12but every business does and every family does, so we're only normal.
0:26:12 > 0:26:14There's two things going on here -
0:26:14 > 0:26:16there's a family, and there's a business.
0:26:16 > 0:26:18And we're having to run them together, and that's where
0:26:18 > 0:26:21communication is really important between us all.
0:26:21 > 0:26:26Many hands make light work, and alongside Paul and Carol
0:26:26 > 0:26:29their son, Charles, now runs the arable side of the business,
0:26:29 > 0:26:33While John and Felicity are helped with the recycling arm
0:26:33 > 0:26:35by their children, Caroline and James.
0:26:42 > 0:26:43The next generation of Richards
0:26:43 > 0:26:47have big plans to build on their parents' legacy.
0:26:47 > 0:26:50We get together and sort of look at different avenues and
0:26:50 > 0:26:53potential ideas, so all the time we're kind of looking at
0:26:53 > 0:26:55what we might be able to do next.
0:26:55 > 0:26:58From my point of view, agriculture is what I...
0:26:58 > 0:27:00I'm committed long-term.
0:27:00 > 0:27:03I think if you're going to do something, whatever you do,
0:27:03 > 0:27:05you've got to be 100% dedicated, committed.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08It's like Charles said - you want to focus on one thing,
0:27:08 > 0:27:10and make sure you get that right, that is the day job,
0:27:10 > 0:27:13you make sure that's nailed before starting the next thing.
0:27:15 > 0:27:18Everybody's involved and we can all work together
0:27:18 > 0:27:21and it's a fantastic feeling.
0:27:21 > 0:27:25This family's resourcefulness and inspiration has made them
0:27:25 > 0:27:27one of this year's finalists
0:27:27 > 0:27:31for the Diversification Farmer of the Year award.
0:27:31 > 0:27:35How to explain it other than say I'm so proud and happy
0:27:35 > 0:27:36that it's successful.
0:27:37 > 0:27:42All you want for your children, whether they're 2, or 20, or 40,
0:27:42 > 0:27:44is success, isn't it?
0:27:44 > 0:27:47And they worked hard and they've been rewarded.
0:27:54 > 0:27:56These three families have shown
0:27:56 > 0:27:59their ability to think beyond their field.
0:27:59 > 0:28:03Their ingenuity has enabled them to survive in the face of adversity.
0:28:05 > 0:28:08And tomorrow night, at the Farmers Weekly Awards,
0:28:08 > 0:28:10one of them will take away this year's trophy
0:28:10 > 0:28:13for Diversification Farmer of the Year.
0:28:16 > 0:28:19Everyone says the Farmers Weekly Awards are amazing evenings,
0:28:19 > 0:28:21so we're really looking forward to it, yeah.
0:28:21 > 0:28:23We do know how to party already!
0:28:24 > 0:28:27And a good excuse to dress up smartly,
0:28:27 > 0:28:30rather than in our work clothes.
0:28:30 > 0:28:33Diversity is the thing that started it all off,
0:28:33 > 0:28:37so if we could win that award, it would be great, really,
0:28:37 > 0:28:40and a reward for what we did.
0:28:40 > 0:28:43It's a huge privilege to be a finalist
0:28:43 > 0:28:45when you look at the other finalists
0:28:45 > 0:28:48and the calibre of people that are in that group.
0:29:08 > 0:29:11Tonight, it's the annual Farmers Weekly Awards,
0:29:11 > 0:29:13which are being held in the heart of London's Mayfair.
0:29:16 > 0:29:19This esteemed event is in its 12th year,
0:29:19 > 0:29:23and will host over 1,200 farmers, all here to celebrate
0:29:23 > 0:29:27the outstanding achievements in their industry.
0:29:27 > 0:29:30Final preparations for the glittering event are underway.
0:29:32 > 0:29:35The scene is being set for a night of celebration.
0:29:38 > 0:29:40This really is the big night for the farming industry.
0:29:44 > 0:29:47If you're shortlisted for an award, then you're pretty nervous coming
0:29:47 > 0:29:49into the room tonight,
0:29:49 > 0:29:51and no-one really knows the winner,
0:29:51 > 0:29:54we keep it really tightly close to our chest.
0:29:54 > 0:29:57It was a very, very tough category, so whoever wins,
0:29:57 > 0:29:59they should be really proud of themselves,
0:29:59 > 0:30:00they've had tough competition.
0:30:03 > 0:30:05I thought I'd be helping you and you're helping me -
0:30:05 > 0:30:07that's the trouble.
0:30:07 > 0:30:09It's an hour before the event kicks off.
0:30:09 > 0:30:13Time for the Nicholson men to change their boots for bow ties.
0:30:15 > 0:30:19It's a night to forget the toil of their family attraction farm
0:30:19 > 0:30:21and embrace the glamour.
0:30:21 > 0:30:24Was it not fastened before?
0:30:24 > 0:30:25No, I never had it on.
0:30:27 > 0:30:29- I think it's... - Well, I were about 13.
0:30:29 > 0:30:3113 years since...
0:30:31 > 0:30:35The four of us went to Whitby, or Scarborough, I think it was.
0:30:35 > 0:30:39- No, it's about 35 years since.- Yeah.
0:30:39 > 0:30:41I were 13 at the time.
0:30:41 > 0:30:43- That long.- We went sea fishing.
0:30:43 > 0:30:45Win or lose, we'll...
0:30:45 > 0:30:47Have a booze!
0:30:59 > 0:31:01They do look very lovely today!
0:31:01 > 0:31:04Farm nursery owners, Richard and Anna May,
0:31:04 > 0:31:08are kicking off the night with a party in their hotel room.
0:31:08 > 0:31:10- There's another one.- Doing well!
0:31:12 > 0:31:15We've come up today with our family.
0:31:16 > 0:31:18Two of our daughters are up here with us.
0:31:18 > 0:31:20We've left the others at home.
0:31:20 > 0:31:23So we're quite lucky that we're well supported
0:31:23 > 0:31:26with friends and family tonight.
0:31:26 > 0:31:27To actually come away,
0:31:27 > 0:31:30miss all the preparation beforehand, and then when you get here,
0:31:30 > 0:31:33it's like phew!
0:31:33 > 0:31:34So we got here!
0:31:34 > 0:31:36Cheers!
0:31:38 > 0:31:42Recycling innovators John and Felicity Richards are having
0:31:42 > 0:31:44a more relaxed start to the big night...
0:31:44 > 0:31:46- Very nice.- Thank you.
0:31:46 > 0:31:50As are brother, Paul, and wife, Carol.
0:31:50 > 0:31:53- It's OK.- If we win or not, it will still be a fantastic evening,
0:31:53 > 0:31:56so, yeah, we're really looking forward to having a really good
0:31:56 > 0:31:58party with family and friends. Yeah.
0:32:02 > 0:32:06It's fantastic. Because of this award, we've come up as a family,
0:32:06 > 0:32:09and to me, that is the best thing, that there's 20 of us here tonight
0:32:09 > 0:32:11and we're going to have a great night.
0:32:11 > 0:32:14And when you work together and you go through
0:32:14 > 0:32:17the problems and the strains of the business together,
0:32:17 > 0:32:19to have a night like tonight is very special.
0:32:24 > 0:32:27We're thrilled to be in the top three, and winning it would be
0:32:27 > 0:32:30the icing on the cake, so fingers crossed.
0:32:30 > 0:32:31See how we get on tonight.
0:32:31 > 0:32:34These awards are judged by 45 professionals
0:32:34 > 0:32:36from across the farming industry.
0:32:38 > 0:32:41Over 30 farms entered the diversification category,
0:32:41 > 0:32:45and the judges had to come down to the best three.
0:32:48 > 0:32:51The Nicholsons - undoubtedly that business
0:32:51 > 0:32:54would have failed
0:32:54 > 0:32:57if they hadn't gone down a diversification route.
0:32:58 > 0:33:01But, yeah, a big punt 25 years ago
0:33:01 > 0:33:06when open farms were almost unheard of.
0:33:06 > 0:33:09Richard and Anna at Springfield Nursery,
0:33:09 > 0:33:11that was a fascinating business.
0:33:11 > 0:33:13They have a real passion for children,
0:33:13 > 0:33:15they have a large family themselves.
0:33:15 > 0:33:18What really impressed us, or certainly me,
0:33:18 > 0:33:21was how they were able to build
0:33:21 > 0:33:24their nursery business.
0:33:24 > 0:33:26And I think, at that stage, they probably recognised
0:33:26 > 0:33:30that the risk to the business of just being sheep farmers
0:33:30 > 0:33:32was too great.
0:33:32 > 0:33:35The Richards family in Cornwall,
0:33:35 > 0:33:39you haven't got many opportunities when you're surrounded by sea,
0:33:39 > 0:33:42if you don't get involved in the public,
0:33:42 > 0:33:45and what really impressed us about that
0:33:45 > 0:33:50is they had seen the opportunity to put in and develop
0:33:50 > 0:33:54a very comprehensive green waste recycling enterprise.
0:33:55 > 0:34:00Clearly a really well thought-out strategy for that business.
0:34:08 > 0:34:10Dinner is served,
0:34:10 > 0:34:15and our farmers get their chance to be waited on hand and foot.
0:34:15 > 0:34:19It's a rare occasion for them to indulge in a bit of posh cooking...
0:34:22 > 0:34:23..share some fine wine...
0:34:26 > 0:34:27..and, of course, enjoy the company.
0:34:29 > 0:34:32It's not often so many passionately driven farmers
0:34:32 > 0:34:33get together like this.
0:34:42 > 0:34:44Good evening,
0:34:44 > 0:34:49and welcome, all of you, to the 2016 Farmers Weekly Awards.
0:34:55 > 0:34:59Now, please welcome one of the BBC's most high profile presenters,
0:34:59 > 0:35:01anchor of the BBC News At Ten, ladies and gentlemen,
0:35:01 > 0:35:03it's Fiona Bruce.
0:35:11 > 0:35:15Welcome to all of you this evening. It's my huge pleasure to be here.
0:35:15 > 0:35:2018 awards will be given out tonight, ranging from Farmer of the Year,
0:35:20 > 0:35:22to Farm Worker of the Year.
0:35:23 > 0:35:25..ladies and gentlemen, on the farming community in Mull,
0:35:25 > 0:35:28and she's working on ambitious expansion plans
0:35:28 > 0:35:31for the sheep business she runs with her partner.
0:35:34 > 0:35:36Did you notice the firework go off on the table?
0:35:36 > 0:35:38That was quite something, wasn't it?
0:35:38 > 0:35:40That's going to be happening every time at a winner's table.
0:35:40 > 0:35:44Next up, we have Contractor of the Year.
0:35:45 > 0:35:47And the winner is, Scott Lawrie.
0:35:51 > 0:35:54As huge celebrations take place on the tables next door,
0:35:54 > 0:35:57our farmers are nervously waiting for their category.
0:35:59 > 0:36:02Finally, their moment arrives.
0:36:05 > 0:36:10The next award goes to the Diversification Farmer of the Year.
0:36:11 > 0:36:13Four Extra Hands is the sponsor here.
0:36:13 > 0:36:15We welcome co-owner, Nigel Merion.
0:36:23 > 0:36:27Let's take a look, shall we, at the diversification shortlist.
0:36:27 > 0:36:31And from Springfield Nursery, North Devon, Anna and Richard May.
0:36:34 > 0:36:37This couple have fought back from complete devastation
0:36:37 > 0:36:40to rejuvenate their farm and run a thriving children's nursery.
0:36:44 > 0:36:49When foot-and-mouth hit us, and it affected us hugely,
0:36:49 > 0:36:51you could easily wallow in doom and gloom,
0:36:51 > 0:36:54but we were lucky that we've got a very supportive family
0:36:54 > 0:36:58and that, from the ashes, rose an amazing nursery.
0:36:58 > 0:37:01I never thought we could be where we are today,
0:37:01 > 0:37:07but it's a lot of hard work, a lot of stress, but it's well worth it.
0:37:07 > 0:37:11We love it every day, and we've got such a lovely setting here.
0:37:11 > 0:37:17You've just got to look at our view, you know why we're doing it here.
0:37:17 > 0:37:19APPLAUSE
0:37:21 > 0:37:25From Cannon Hall Farm, South Yorkshire, the Nicholson family.
0:37:25 > 0:37:26From humble beginnings,
0:37:26 > 0:37:31the family has worked over 30 years to build a farm tourism attraction,
0:37:31 > 0:37:33and a flourishing farm.
0:37:36 > 0:37:37We don't have an exit strategy.
0:37:37 > 0:37:43You know, we've got a continuation strategy, so that's where we are.
0:37:43 > 0:37:48The money side of it's never been top of the list at all.
0:37:50 > 0:37:52It's doing the job properly,
0:37:52 > 0:37:57making sure that everybody that comes enjoys themselves.
0:37:58 > 0:38:03But to have a Maserati, or whatever in the back,
0:38:03 > 0:38:06that's not the aim at all. No.
0:38:09 > 0:38:13APPLAUSE
0:38:13 > 0:38:16And for The Green Waste Company, Cornwall, the Richards family.
0:38:18 > 0:38:20This close-knit family have
0:38:20 > 0:38:23successfully married recycling with farming.
0:38:23 > 0:38:25On a planet drowning in waste,
0:38:25 > 0:38:28they are leading the way against the struggle.
0:38:30 > 0:38:34Everybody's involved and we can all work together,
0:38:34 > 0:38:36and it's a fantastic feeling.
0:38:40 > 0:38:41It's given us a bigger business.
0:38:41 > 0:38:43We've actually got two businesses, if you like.
0:38:43 > 0:38:47So we split our risk, and they both work together.
0:38:47 > 0:38:52All you want for your children, whether they're 2, or 20, or 40,
0:38:52 > 0:38:53is success, isn't it?
0:38:54 > 0:38:57And they worked hard and they've been rewarded.
0:39:00 > 0:39:04The sheer hard work that it's taken to get here is testimony to
0:39:04 > 0:39:07the determination of all our farmers,
0:39:07 > 0:39:10but now it's the moment of truth.
0:39:10 > 0:39:14Which of those is Diversification Farmer of the Year? Fiona?
0:39:14 > 0:39:16Could you tell us who has won this year's trophy?
0:39:20 > 0:39:22The winners are...
0:39:28 > 0:39:29..the Richards family.
0:39:55 > 0:39:58We've had a really good night, both of us, haven't we?
0:39:58 > 0:40:00It's been a fantastic experience.
0:40:00 > 0:40:04We are so lucky to be here and to even be nominated was fantastic,
0:40:04 > 0:40:08so we feel like we're winners in our eyes and that's all that matters,
0:40:08 > 0:40:10and we wish the winners the best of luck.
0:40:14 > 0:40:17Being in the final three is recognition for
0:40:17 > 0:40:19what we've achieved so far, coming forward
0:40:19 > 0:40:21from foot-and-mouth, to now where we are today,
0:40:21 > 0:40:26so I think just to see us on the big screen was great.
0:40:29 > 0:40:32I'm incredibly proud of my parents tonight. They've done a great job.
0:40:32 > 0:40:35I've enjoyed watching them develop the nursery
0:40:35 > 0:40:39and carry on with the farming, and they've done a very good job.
0:40:46 > 0:40:48- A little bit disappointed. - A little flat.
0:40:50 > 0:40:54I think we're feeling disappointed, but to be here is a thrill,
0:40:54 > 0:40:58we congratulate the winners and the story runs on,
0:40:58 > 0:41:02and we go again next year. And that's, really, all we can do.
0:41:04 > 0:41:07- The eve is not finished.- Yeah. - Yeah.- The night is young.
0:41:10 > 0:41:12Not like they're feeling...
0:41:18 > 0:41:21Ladies and gentlemen, our winners!
0:41:27 > 0:41:30I think, when you just think the night can't get any better,
0:41:30 > 0:41:34it just does, and it just did for us, and we're thrilled about it,
0:41:34 > 0:41:35so, amazing night.
0:41:35 > 0:41:38I thought the icing on the cake would be it,
0:41:38 > 0:41:40but, to be honest, it's more than that,
0:41:40 > 0:41:42and it's more than the icing on the cake,
0:41:42 > 0:41:44it's like the candle on top as well.
0:41:45 > 0:41:47- Not just us that won it.- Yeah.
0:41:47 > 0:41:50It's our staff, the consultants we use as well.
0:41:50 > 0:41:52Yeah, we've got a whole team of people that work for us
0:41:52 > 0:41:54that are really valued.
0:41:54 > 0:41:57- We're just part of the team. - Fantastic. Yeah.
0:41:57 > 0:41:58We couldn't do it without them.
0:42:02 > 0:42:05- My wife is my...my stalwart.- Aw!
0:42:08 > 0:42:10We've been married for 36 years.
0:42:10 > 0:42:13- Have we?- 36, yes. - Oh, 36. I thought he said 46.
0:42:13 > 0:42:14A long time, yeah!
0:42:21 > 0:42:24And I can't believe how many people have messaged us, saying
0:42:24 > 0:42:29"Good luck tonight". And now... this result is just fabulous.
0:42:29 > 0:42:30- Yeah.- Ah!