0:00:02 > 0:00:03Across the country,
0:00:03 > 0:00:07thousands of farming families work tirelessly around the clock.
0:00:07 > 0:00:10Bring them up, Isabel. Well done.
0:00:10 > 0:00:12Here they come!
0:00:12 > 0:00:13Shake it, baby. Shake it.
0:00:13 > 0:00:15But there's one day each year...
0:00:15 > 0:00:17Come on, girl. Up you go.
0:00:17 > 0:00:20..when they get to leave the daily routine behind.
0:00:20 > 0:00:22Woohoo!
0:00:22 > 0:00:23These are show days...
0:00:23 > 0:00:26Welcome to the Pembrokeshire County Show.
0:00:26 > 0:00:29..and they come together as a community...
0:00:29 > 0:00:30Salute!
0:00:30 > 0:00:33..to showcase the fruits of their labour...
0:00:33 > 0:00:36Had a quick look at the competition. I'm in with a chance.
0:00:36 > 0:00:40..and try to win prizes for their breed champions...
0:00:40 > 0:00:42Well done. Wahey!
0:00:42 > 0:00:43It's show business, folks.
0:00:43 > 0:00:45..and award-winning produce.
0:00:45 > 0:00:47Got first!
0:00:48 > 0:00:50Had the last two jars.
0:00:50 > 0:00:51There will be highs...
0:00:54 > 0:00:55..and lows...
0:00:55 > 0:00:57No, no, no, no.
0:00:57 > 0:01:02..for the farmers who give everything to walk away a champion.
0:01:03 > 0:01:04No way!
0:01:14 > 0:01:16In the agricultural social calendar,
0:01:16 > 0:01:20there is one night of the year that celebrates farmers' ingenuity.
0:01:22 > 0:01:23Come on, little spotty.
0:01:23 > 0:01:26The Diversification Farmer of the Year Award
0:01:26 > 0:01:29has three outstanding finalists.
0:01:30 > 0:01:34These are forward-thinking farmers who have turned the fortunes
0:01:34 > 0:01:37of their farms around by bravely branching out...
0:01:38 > 0:01:41This is Victor, of the famous wonky teeth.
0:01:41 > 0:01:46..embracing enterprise outside of traditional agriculture.
0:01:46 > 0:01:48Are you ready for this again?
0:01:48 > 0:01:51This year's three finalists are...
0:01:52 > 0:01:55..Simon and Jackie McCreery from East Lothian...
0:01:55 > 0:01:57Come on. Up you get.
0:01:58 > 0:02:00..shortlisted for the second year running,
0:02:00 > 0:02:03the Nicholson family from South Yorkshire...
0:02:03 > 0:02:05- Oh, that one loves you.- Hello.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08..and Johnny and Dulcie Crickmore from Suffolk.
0:02:08 > 0:02:11Shall Daddy lift you up, so you can get the milk out?
0:02:11 > 0:02:15This award will be recognition for all their hard work,
0:02:15 > 0:02:18tenacity and passion.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21Only one of them will walk away with the title at the sparkling London
0:02:21 > 0:02:25ceremony, taking place in just a few days' time.
0:02:37 > 0:02:39The rural heart of eastern Scotland
0:02:39 > 0:02:42is home to the first set of finalists,
0:02:44 > 0:02:48Northern Irish-born husband and wife team, Simon and Jackie McCreery.
0:02:53 > 0:02:57The McCreery family live on Yester Mains Farm in East Lothian...
0:02:58 > 0:03:01It's getting quite busy in here as well.
0:03:01 > 0:03:03..where they all work together
0:03:03 > 0:03:07to make a living with their 400-strong dairy herd.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10Come on. Up you get.
0:03:10 > 0:03:12Up, up. Just a bit unsteady yet.
0:03:12 > 0:03:14It's only a couple of hours old.
0:03:14 > 0:03:19My family moved here in 1992 and it was my mum and dad and my brother
0:03:19 > 0:03:23and myself. And in 2000, Jackie moved across.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30We first met, I would say, when you were...
0:03:32 > 0:03:34I was 10, you were 12, I think.
0:03:34 > 0:03:3711. There's a year between us. It's a very touchy subject.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43And we got married in 2001.
0:03:52 > 0:03:54After four years away studying,
0:03:54 > 0:03:59Simon returned home to join the family farming business in 1997.
0:03:59 > 0:04:01- All right?- Yeah. - Everything going OK?
0:04:04 > 0:04:06But with the dairy industry in crisis,
0:04:06 > 0:04:09they were struggling to make ends meet.
0:04:10 > 0:04:14In the early 2000s, milk prices were really, really low and
0:04:14 > 0:04:18we had no control over what price we were getting for the milk,
0:04:18 > 0:04:20so I thought there would be an opening in the market.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26Simon made a bold decision
0:04:26 > 0:04:29to try to sell their milk direct from the farm.
0:04:30 > 0:04:32But it was easier said than done.
0:04:33 > 0:04:34I'm not a natural salesman.
0:04:34 > 0:04:39I'm a farmer. It's quite difficult going out in the big wide world
0:04:39 > 0:04:42trying to promote your product and tell them to buy locally.
0:04:42 > 0:04:48It didn't come naturally to me, but over time, you teach yourself,
0:04:48 > 0:04:51you know, the importance of doing it for your business.
0:04:51 > 0:04:53That was quite tough for you.
0:04:53 > 0:04:55It wasn't your comfort zone at all, to be out selling,
0:04:55 > 0:04:57but it seems to have worked, I think.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05By 2007, Simon and Jackie found themselves
0:05:05 > 0:05:09with not only a flourishing fledgling business,
0:05:09 > 0:05:11but also a growing family.
0:05:12 > 0:05:17Our first child arrived just about the time the milk processing plant
0:05:17 > 0:05:20was being commissioned, so that was a really busy time.
0:05:20 > 0:05:22Looking back now, there was a lot going on.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29Simon and Jackie live on the farm with their two young children.
0:05:31 > 0:05:35And the rest of Simon's family who are never far away.
0:05:35 > 0:05:37I do love the cottage cheese. That's my favourite.
0:05:37 > 0:05:39I've never even tried it.
0:05:39 > 0:05:41- We do spend a fair bit of time together.- We do.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44I mean, a lot of people wouldn't choose to work with their
0:05:44 > 0:05:47family, but I think this family actually makes it work quite well.
0:05:47 > 0:05:49Now they have no shortage of help
0:05:49 > 0:05:52when it comes to making important decisions.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55And do you think...? Do you think Daddy should wear his kilt
0:05:55 > 0:05:58or his dinner suit for an awards ceremony?
0:05:58 > 0:06:01I don't think he should wear his suit or his kilt.
0:06:01 > 0:06:02What do you think I should wear?
0:06:02 > 0:06:04Mark's stuff.
0:06:04 > 0:06:05Mark's stuff!
0:06:05 > 0:06:09We have a lot of kids all around the same age.
0:06:09 > 0:06:11Arabella and Spencer have four kids.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14What do you think? Tuxedo or kilt, Lydia?
0:06:14 > 0:06:16More brownies?
0:06:18 > 0:06:21From having no grandchildren, David and Lynne, like buses,
0:06:21 > 0:06:23they had six in one year.
0:06:27 > 0:06:29As well as raising their two children,
0:06:29 > 0:06:34Jackie started working on the farm full-time in 2009,
0:06:34 > 0:06:38bringing with her some rather useful skills.
0:06:38 > 0:06:40I am a lawyer by trade.
0:06:40 > 0:06:44It's actually been really useful for us because it was
0:06:44 > 0:06:48working for a rural organisation, so my roots are really in farming
0:06:48 > 0:06:52and rural life, so it's worked out quite well.
0:06:52 > 0:06:56Jackie always says that I'm the bigger picture person and she's
0:06:56 > 0:07:00- the finer detail person, so, yeah, I think it's a good team.- Yeah.
0:07:05 > 0:07:09The success of their milk business and Simon's new-found salesmanship
0:07:09 > 0:07:14inspired the family to branch out and they set about making
0:07:14 > 0:07:16their very own artisan cheese.
0:07:23 > 0:07:25We've got our three cheese vats here.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28The big one here, that's where we make our soft cheese and our cottage
0:07:28 > 0:07:32cheese. The two vats with the mechanical stirrers are our two big
0:07:32 > 0:07:35mozzarella vats. And at the back,
0:07:35 > 0:07:38we have our three fermentation tanks where we make our cultured
0:07:38 > 0:07:40creams there. The yoghurts, creme fraiche sets there.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43We are really proud of our little cheese room.
0:07:43 > 0:07:44Small, but perfectly formed.
0:07:52 > 0:07:57Simon and Jackie now provide over a dozen varieties of milk, yoghurt,
0:07:57 > 0:08:00creams and cheeses to outlets around the UK,
0:08:01 > 0:08:05all made from milk direct from their cows.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08They go to hotels and restaurants, to wholesalers,
0:08:08 > 0:08:11there's some of our yoghurt here, some of our luxury soft cheese,
0:08:11 > 0:08:13some creme fraiche here as well.
0:08:13 > 0:08:17We literally pipe the milk straight from the pasteurisation plant
0:08:17 > 0:08:20into here, so it's within a few hours of the cows being milked,
0:08:20 > 0:08:21it's in the vat.
0:08:21 > 0:08:23I look after our cows.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26I know how they are fed, with regards to their nutrition,
0:08:26 > 0:08:29so I know the types of milk they are producing.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32We know that we can make a really good quality cheese.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37- Are you ready for this again? - Again! Again!
0:08:39 > 0:08:42Amongst all their lovingly handmade cheeses,
0:08:42 > 0:08:45there has been one surprise success.
0:08:50 > 0:08:54Our mozzarella actually has ended up being a much bigger part of our
0:08:54 > 0:08:58overall mix of sales than we really intended or envisaged.
0:08:58 > 0:09:02In fact, we have replaced one of the soft cheese vats with a second
0:09:02 > 0:09:06mozzarella vat to accommodate that demand.
0:09:06 > 0:09:11With exchange rates making imports of Italian mozzarella expensive
0:09:11 > 0:09:14and the rising demand for home-grown products,
0:09:14 > 0:09:17Jackie and Simon seem to have hit on a niche.
0:09:17 > 0:09:21Restaurants in Edinburgh here have only had the option of importing
0:09:21 > 0:09:23mozzarella before we started doing this,
0:09:23 > 0:09:27but now they have the option of a Scottish-made mozzarella.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30It's really actually quite exciting for us that our mozzarella is in
0:09:30 > 0:09:33pizza restaurants all over the UK now, which is great.
0:09:41 > 0:09:45With no real history of cheesemaking in their corner of the Scottish
0:09:45 > 0:09:50countryside, Simon and Jackie are taking it upon themselves to train
0:09:50 > 0:09:52up their staff from scratch.
0:09:52 > 0:09:56All right? Is this going out with our label on? Great.
0:09:56 > 0:10:00Because we are in an area that's not well known for food
0:10:00 > 0:10:04manufacturing, we are tending to bring people in now and train them
0:10:04 > 0:10:07up. People can see that when they join that there's somewhere to go,
0:10:07 > 0:10:11so you can come in and start as a cheese packer and then train up
0:10:11 > 0:10:12to be a cheesemaker.
0:10:15 > 0:10:19The steadfast determination of the McCreery family has seen
0:10:19 > 0:10:24the business blossom, now proudly employing over 30 people.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27Nearly finished, Shirley? Last couple of blocks?
0:10:29 > 0:10:31We are not a massive employer, but for this area,
0:10:31 > 0:10:34we are employing quite a few people now and that's important to us.
0:10:34 > 0:10:38I think we have a responsibility to the people that work for us.
0:10:39 > 0:10:43Now this hard-working couple are looking forward to a well-deserved
0:10:43 > 0:10:45grown-up night out.
0:10:45 > 0:10:48Yeah, it was really exciting for everybody on the farm.
0:10:48 > 0:10:50Exciting about what?
0:10:50 > 0:10:52- The award.- Let me come.
0:10:54 > 0:10:56- Adults only.- No, adults only.
0:10:56 > 0:11:02After years of tireless endeavour and no small amount of bravery,
0:11:02 > 0:11:06there's no sign of slowing down for this truly enterprising family.
0:11:06 > 0:11:08Yeah, I think there's about 160
0:11:08 > 0:11:10to calve in the next two or three months.
0:11:11 > 0:11:16We work hard, we enjoy our work, and that has come from my parents
0:11:16 > 0:11:19and my father has always led by example
0:11:19 > 0:11:22and I've always looked up to him for his work ethic
0:11:22 > 0:11:27- and how he goes about his work. - Well, I'm very proud of him
0:11:27 > 0:11:30and I support him to the best of my ability.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36So, are there any...? Is there any yoghurt in the tanks at the moment?
0:11:36 > 0:11:39Nothing at the moment, no. Just making mozzarella.
0:11:39 > 0:11:41We want the dairy to be here for a long time.
0:11:41 > 0:11:45That's why we need to keep moving the business or businesses forward.
0:11:45 > 0:11:47We wouldn't like to say we are successful yet,
0:11:47 > 0:11:50but we're hopefully heading in the right direction.
0:11:50 > 0:11:52- We're not resting on our laurels. - No.
0:11:55 > 0:11:59Their passion and perseverance has not only secured the long-term
0:11:59 > 0:12:03future of the dairy farm, but also earned them a place
0:12:03 > 0:12:04on this year's shortlist
0:12:04 > 0:12:08for Diversification Farmer Of The Year at the Farmers' Weekly Awards.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23Resting in the rolling countryside of South Yorkshire,
0:12:23 > 0:12:25we find Cannon Hall Farm...
0:12:27 > 0:12:29..set over 180 acres...
0:12:30 > 0:12:32..and home to the Nicholson family...
0:12:33 > 0:12:37..who are returning for a second year running to fight it out
0:12:37 > 0:12:40for the coveted Diversification Farmer Of The Year award.
0:12:41 > 0:12:46We are like Rocky. You know, we got there, we lost,
0:12:46 > 0:12:48and we are going back for another go.
0:12:57 > 0:12:59Come on, little spotty.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03Father, Roger, has been tending this land since he was a boy.
0:13:06 > 0:13:10We lost the farm that we used to be at.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13The council took the land, compulsory purchase,
0:13:13 > 0:13:17so this farm came up for sale.
0:13:17 > 0:13:22When we came to look at it, it was just a bit like heaven, really.
0:13:29 > 0:13:35Just here a year, we'd moved in here, Father, he had a heart attack
0:13:35 > 0:13:41and died, so I was only 16 at that time and had to take the farm on
0:13:41 > 0:13:45and I think, at 16, most people make mistakes and maybe that contributed
0:13:45 > 0:13:47to how we struggled a little bit.
0:13:51 > 0:13:55Things began to look up for Roger when he met and married his wife
0:13:55 > 0:13:57of 52 years, Cynthia.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00There we are. Going back nearly 50 years there.
0:14:03 > 0:14:06And the couple soon started their own young family.
0:14:07 > 0:14:10- That's Robert. - Being a bit mischievous.
0:14:10 > 0:14:14He was quite good at collecting bantam eggs and even selling them
0:14:14 > 0:14:15to members of the public.
0:14:15 > 0:14:18He was mini entrepreneur at the time, I think.
0:14:19 > 0:14:21Doting dad Roger rarely missed
0:14:21 > 0:14:24an opportunity to spend time with his boys.
0:14:24 > 0:14:28Dad would always take a bit of time out to play football with us.
0:14:28 > 0:14:32- Even though he had a lot to do. - Yeah. He was working all by himself,
0:14:32 > 0:14:35but he would still make time for us, which was brilliant.
0:14:36 > 0:14:37As the children grew,
0:14:37 > 0:14:41Roger and Cynthia tried just about everything to keep money coming in
0:14:41 > 0:14:43on the farm.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48Including pigs, sheep
0:14:48 > 0:14:51and cattle. They even opened a cafe.
0:14:51 > 0:14:53It just gradually grew
0:14:53 > 0:14:57and that's what you have to do in diversification,
0:14:57 > 0:15:00don't be put off by the small start.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03You've just got to keep at it and it grows.
0:15:05 > 0:15:09Encouraged by the success of their latest venture,
0:15:09 > 0:15:13the Nicholsons struck upon an idea that farm tourism might just be the
0:15:13 > 0:15:15answer they'd been looking for.
0:15:16 > 0:15:20We started off just by borrowing a few animals, didn't we?
0:15:20 > 0:15:23We borrowed a couple of goats, borrowed a shire.
0:15:23 > 0:15:25- Borrowed some angora goats.- Yeah.
0:15:29 > 0:15:34It was Easter 1989 and I think we took about £140 on the Bank Holiday
0:15:34 > 0:15:39Monday and that Monday was £1 and 75p for children, was it?
0:15:39 > 0:15:42- I think it was...- Some people still complained, to be honest.
0:15:51 > 0:15:55Now with a wide variety of their own animals,
0:15:55 > 0:15:59Cannon Hall Farm welcomes over half a million visitors every year...
0:15:59 > 0:16:02- There you go, flower. - Thank you.- Thank you.
0:16:02 > 0:16:07..experiencing a range of farming and animal attractions,
0:16:07 > 0:16:09from goats and alpacas...
0:16:11 > 0:16:14..to lizard handling and ferret racing.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22Making sure that everyone is catered for is eldest son, Robert...
0:16:23 > 0:16:26A blue one. Absolutely.
0:16:26 > 0:16:29..who looks after the farm's various attractions,
0:16:29 > 0:16:32shops and restaurants.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35I think it works really well, as long as these two accept that...
0:16:35 > 0:16:40- Do as we're told!- And as long as that happens, there's no problem.
0:16:47 > 0:16:49Still very much a working farm,
0:16:49 > 0:16:53youngest son David is responsible for looking after the animals.
0:16:55 > 0:16:57As well as anything else that needs doing.
0:16:58 > 0:17:02Every day's different. Some days you're working the animals.
0:17:02 > 0:17:06Other days you're more with the public, tractor rides, that kind
0:17:06 > 0:17:09of thing. If there's a job needs doing, you know,
0:17:09 > 0:17:12you've just got to get stuck in and get it done, really.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16You wore an animatronic dinosaur suit, didn't you?
0:17:16 > 0:17:18They were short staffed, so I had to step in.
0:17:18 > 0:17:20I'm going to put it on my CV.
0:17:25 > 0:17:26That'll do.
0:17:30 > 0:17:34Although his sons have taken on much of the day-to-day graft on the farm...
0:17:36 > 0:17:38..Roger finds he just can't stay away.
0:17:40 > 0:17:44My job is to sort of oversee the health and everything of the
0:17:44 > 0:17:50animals, so... And I'll muck in if the sheep need vaccinating,
0:17:50 > 0:17:51and things like that.
0:17:51 > 0:17:55We're still sort of working in a fairly old-fashioned way
0:17:55 > 0:17:58with the animals, really.
0:18:00 > 0:18:04Almost 30 years after Cannon Hall first opened its gates, Roger's
0:18:04 > 0:18:08dream of continuing the family business is very much alive...
0:18:08 > 0:18:10That goes into there. How's it been going?
0:18:10 > 0:18:12- All right, actually.- Yeah?- Yeah.
0:18:12 > 0:18:16..in the form of 24-year-old granddaughter Katie.
0:18:17 > 0:18:22It is really important that the next generation, to my mind anyway,
0:18:22 > 0:18:24that they carry on and hopefully see
0:18:24 > 0:18:28the business through to another generation.
0:18:28 > 0:18:31It's nice to be so close with my family,
0:18:31 > 0:18:35keep in touch all the time with my uncles, my dad, my grandparents,
0:18:35 > 0:18:37- my mum. - And who's your favourite uncle?
0:18:37 > 0:18:39Well, that's not fair!
0:18:44 > 0:18:47Having come so far together,
0:18:47 > 0:18:48this close knit family
0:18:48 > 0:18:51are no strangers to the Farmers' Weekly Awards.
0:18:52 > 0:18:56As finalists in last year's diversification category,
0:18:56 > 0:18:59the Nicholsons were pipped at the post.
0:18:59 > 0:19:02The Richards family.
0:19:02 > 0:19:04We congratulate the winners
0:19:04 > 0:19:07and the story runs on and we go again next year.
0:19:09 > 0:19:14Over the past 12 months, the Nicholson family have forged on.
0:19:14 > 0:19:15And middle son, Richard,
0:19:15 > 0:19:20is passionate about sharing their farming story with the public.
0:19:20 > 0:19:22In the past,
0:19:22 > 0:19:25people were much more engaged with the countryside.
0:19:25 > 0:19:28Now less and less people are engaged in working on the land,
0:19:28 > 0:19:31so it's so important that we know where our food comes from.
0:19:34 > 0:19:38The family have embraced modern technology and are broadcasting the
0:19:38 > 0:19:43family's love for farm life beyond the gates and out into the world...
0:19:46 > 0:19:49..through streaming their experiences live on the internet,
0:19:49 > 0:19:52via social media.
0:19:52 > 0:19:56This is Victor, of the famous wonky teeth.
0:19:56 > 0:20:02Going live on social media has been one of the most sort of remarkable
0:20:02 > 0:20:04aspects of this latest year.
0:20:05 > 0:20:07- Oh, that one loves you.- Hello.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10Really simple, even an idiot like me can work it.
0:20:10 > 0:20:16You just press the button and start rambling on and people seem to...
0:20:16 > 0:20:17- You do ramble very well.- Yeah.
0:20:17 > 0:20:21Lauren Walker says, "Hi, Lottie."
0:20:21 > 0:20:24Julie Renfree says, "Good afternoon, Farmer Robert, kiss."
0:20:24 > 0:20:25That's very nice, thank you.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28We've had some incredible sort of statistics come through.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31We've had one week, we had 2.5 million people.
0:20:35 > 0:20:39Roger and his sons now have fans across the globe.
0:20:39 > 0:20:42And have become sought after celebrities on their own farm.
0:20:42 > 0:20:47They want a photograph taken and that sort of thing.
0:20:47 > 0:20:49A selfie, as they call them these days.
0:20:49 > 0:20:51Oh, I can't understand it, really.
0:20:55 > 0:20:56Whoa, girl.
0:20:56 > 0:21:01And people have seen him for what he is, a hard-working, humble,
0:21:01 > 0:21:03good person.
0:21:05 > 0:21:07We get all these comments coming in.
0:21:07 > 0:21:11- "Ain't your dad lovely?"- Robert starts to bully him a little bit too much.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14He gets a real telling off. Yeah.
0:21:19 > 0:21:21For the family who started with nothing,
0:21:21 > 0:21:23what they've built is a tribute
0:21:23 > 0:21:26to their unfailing passion and determination.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30My father bought it with that
0:21:30 > 0:21:33intention that we carried on as a farm.
0:21:33 > 0:21:35And I wouldn't have sort of given up.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38But it was getting quite difficult.
0:21:38 > 0:21:43So I'm well pleased that it's worked out as well as it has, really.
0:21:44 > 0:21:47Our dad is, he's a bit of a hero to us.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50He saved the farm with his idea.
0:21:50 > 0:21:54And we all owe our livings to him, really.
0:21:56 > 0:22:00To look back and see what we've sort of moved from,
0:22:00 > 0:22:03yeah, you can't help but be proud, really.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09Embracing new ideas has saved the farm.
0:22:10 > 0:22:14And their dedication to sharing their farming experience with the
0:22:14 > 0:22:16public has seen them nominated once
0:22:16 > 0:22:19again for the Diversification Farmer Of The Year Award.
0:22:34 > 0:22:39Nestling in the Waveney River valley in Suffolk is Fen Farm,
0:22:39 > 0:22:41home to our final contenders
0:22:41 > 0:22:44for the Diversification Farmer Of The Year Award...
0:22:46 > 0:22:48..Johnny and Dulcie Crickmore.
0:22:49 > 0:22:51Like the McCreery family,
0:22:51 > 0:22:56they too have trod the long and risky path from milk production
0:22:56 > 0:22:59- to cheese making. - Let's go down this way.
0:22:59 > 0:23:01Do you want to be the leader?
0:23:01 > 0:23:05Johnny's family have been dairy farmers for three generations.
0:23:07 > 0:23:09I've been a farmer all my life.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12My father got me in the milking parlour when I was five,
0:23:12 > 0:23:18letting the cows in, and I learnt to count via cows' brand numbers.
0:23:18 > 0:23:22This one here, do you think she's looking for some hay to eat? Yeah?
0:23:22 > 0:23:24I'm not at all from a farming background,
0:23:24 > 0:23:26although I did grow up in the countryside,
0:23:26 > 0:23:28so it wasn't completely alien to me.
0:23:30 > 0:23:32So, we met in... Where did we meet, actually?
0:23:32 > 0:23:36- We met in the Green Dragon.- We met in the Green Dragon in Bungay.
0:23:36 > 0:23:38In the pub. It's glamorous, isn't it?
0:23:42 > 0:23:44Johnny, along with his parents,
0:23:44 > 0:23:50looks after a herd of 280 cows across almost 1,000 acres.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59Life on a dairy farm is a dawn to dusk affair.
0:24:00 > 0:24:04It's the break of day and we're halfway through milking.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07We milk our cows two times a day.
0:24:07 > 0:24:11Early morning and kind of mid to late afternoon.
0:24:14 > 0:24:15Those ones want doing tonight.
0:24:15 > 0:24:18196 and 2651.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21The farm business is all-consuming, isn't it?
0:24:21 > 0:24:23It needs a lot of attention.
0:24:23 > 0:24:25It took a bit of acclimatisation to start with.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28Getting used to farming life.
0:24:28 > 0:24:31We pass like ships in the night sometimes, don't we?
0:24:31 > 0:24:33Well, most times.
0:24:36 > 0:24:39- I've put milk in your Earl Grey. - That's fine. I like milk.
0:24:39 > 0:24:44It takes the support of the whole family to keep
0:24:44 > 0:24:46- everything going.- Thank you.
0:24:46 > 0:24:50He does really work hard and Dulcie and my husband too.
0:24:50 > 0:24:53- Mustn't forget Dad. - Mustn't forget my lovely husband.
0:24:53 > 0:24:54He's a bit camera shy, isn't he?
0:24:54 > 0:24:57Well, he's really got a lot to do today as well.
0:24:57 > 0:24:59I mean, he's so dedicated to the farm.
0:25:03 > 0:25:07Like hundreds of other dairy farmers across the country,
0:25:07 > 0:25:12the pressure of falling milk prices put Johnny and Dulcie's livelihoods
0:25:12 > 0:25:13under threat.
0:25:13 > 0:25:15It's a tough industry to be in at the moment.
0:25:15 > 0:25:16It has been for a long time.
0:25:16 > 0:25:21It's, you know, liquid milk is a commodity product, which means
0:25:21 > 0:25:24that as a dairy farmer you're at the mercy of the current milk price.
0:25:24 > 0:25:26Come on, girls.
0:25:26 > 0:25:28Come on, ladies. Out you go.
0:25:28 > 0:25:32Johnny and Dulcie needed to find another source of income.
0:25:36 > 0:25:41With all that milk, an obvious solution was to make cheese.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45Committed to making it work, their meticulous research began.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50One of the most important things with making good quality cheese is
0:25:50 > 0:25:55you have to have the right kind of cows to produce the right sort of
0:25:55 > 0:25:59milk to make that cheese. With some advice from a French cheesemaker,
0:26:00 > 0:26:04we found ourselves searching for these cheesemaking cows
0:26:04 > 0:26:06in the Swiss-French border.
0:26:09 > 0:26:12We bought in a small herd of Montbeliard cows from France and
0:26:12 > 0:26:14from that point onwards,
0:26:14 > 0:26:17we've been breeding everything from Montbeliard.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26The second largest dairy breed in the whole of France,
0:26:26 > 0:26:29this famously fromage-friendly cow
0:26:29 > 0:26:34has been providing milk to cheesemakers for over 200 years.
0:26:34 > 0:26:38We wanted to have a cow which was better grazing than a Holstein
0:26:38 > 0:26:40and the cow is fantastic,
0:26:40 > 0:26:43her milk quality is fantastic for cheesemaking.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49These grass-loving cows thrive on pasture.
0:26:50 > 0:26:53And luckily on this farm, there's plenty to go round.
0:26:55 > 0:26:58Now Johnny has to make sure it's top-notch.
0:27:01 > 0:27:04Once a week, I walk over all the pastures,
0:27:04 > 0:27:09so I cover about six miles of walking and this little contraption
0:27:09 > 0:27:12measures what the cow's going to eat in the course of the day.
0:27:12 > 0:27:16Probably something which I've done for so many years that I kind of
0:27:16 > 0:27:20know when a cow likes grass and when she doesn't like grass.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23It's hard to describe it, but it's just, it looks tasty.
0:27:23 > 0:27:27You know, if I was a cow, I'd be liking this right now.
0:27:32 > 0:27:36With a brand-new herd of crossbred cheesemaking cows on the farm,
0:27:36 > 0:27:38and acres of perfect grass...
0:27:41 > 0:27:44..Johnny and Dulcie have now built a thriving cheese dairy...
0:27:46 > 0:27:49..with five dedicated staff
0:27:49 > 0:27:53producing over 35 tonnes of cheese a year.
0:27:53 > 0:27:55All right, guys?
0:27:55 > 0:27:57- Cheese going all right? - Yeah, yeah, all good.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02But not a couple to take the easy road,
0:28:02 > 0:28:06they've chosen to make one of the most difficult cheeses to produce,
0:28:06 > 0:28:09a raw milk brie.
0:28:09 > 0:28:13The reason we made that cheese is because nobody in the UK was making
0:28:13 > 0:28:18a raw milk brie and it seemed like too good an opportunity to miss.
0:28:18 > 0:28:21We did find out quite quickly why nobody else was making this cheese.
0:28:21 > 0:28:25- It's really difficult to make. - It's quite a challenging cheese.
0:28:25 > 0:28:26It's been a long few years.
0:28:31 > 0:28:36It's so sensitive to even the slightest change in conditions
0:28:36 > 0:28:39that it's taken Johnny five years to perfect this cheese.
0:28:40 > 0:28:42Very easy to get it wrong.
0:28:42 > 0:28:46But gradually, over the last few years, we've been
0:28:46 > 0:28:49gradually getting it more consistent.
0:28:49 > 0:28:54With Johnny finally making progress, change was afoot at the farmyard.
0:28:54 > 0:28:59This was where the two bulls' pens were and they had to make way
0:28:59 > 0:29:02for Mark and Dom. Equally, two, you know...
0:29:02 > 0:29:04Handsome bulls.
0:29:07 > 0:29:10The family's persistence in mastering this cheese
0:29:10 > 0:29:13is now beginning to pay off.
0:29:13 > 0:29:17Probably never imagined four years ago quite the growth of our cheese
0:29:17 > 0:29:19sales were going to become.
0:29:19 > 0:29:22We really are at a maximum of what we can make in here now.
0:29:24 > 0:29:27Because they fought on where others failed,
0:29:27 > 0:29:31their cheese has found its way into high-end outlets across the country...
0:29:32 > 0:29:35..retailing for up to £75.
0:29:37 > 0:29:41It's going into many outlets in London, Harrods food hall,
0:29:41 > 0:29:43events like Wimbledon, Royal Ascot.
0:29:43 > 0:29:45It's been a bit of a manic year, really,
0:29:45 > 0:29:49but really exciting as well to see it spread out across the country and
0:29:49 > 0:29:53we've even started selling to Paris this year as well, which is the
0:29:53 > 0:29:58- final frontier.- When I go to bed at night, I read a book on cheese.
0:29:58 > 0:30:00When I wake up in the morning,
0:30:00 > 0:30:03I eat cheese and then I go to work and look at cheese.
0:30:06 > 0:30:08Bottle. Yeah.
0:30:08 > 0:30:11On top of their incredible success with their cheeses...
0:30:14 > 0:30:18..the family has also pioneered a new way to diversify that doesn't cost
0:30:18 > 0:30:20a fortune to set up.
0:30:22 > 0:30:25Selling raw, unpasteurised milk
0:30:25 > 0:30:28from a vending machine direct to the public.
0:30:28 > 0:30:32We were the first people to have a raw milk vending machine
0:30:32 > 0:30:33on a farm in the UK.
0:30:34 > 0:30:36Come on.
0:30:36 > 0:30:41Its success motivated them to help other farmers trying to break away
0:30:41 > 0:30:42and diversify.
0:30:42 > 0:30:47We then started importing vending machines from Italy
0:30:47 > 0:30:49and selling them to other dairy farmers,
0:30:49 > 0:30:53kind of giving some of our knowledge and experience to fellow dairy
0:30:53 > 0:30:58farmers. They have now set up their own machines, selling their milk.
0:31:02 > 0:31:07Johnny and Dulcie's innovative spirit pulled their farm through
0:31:07 > 0:31:10hard times and they are dedicated
0:31:10 > 0:31:13to helping other struggling farmers do the same.
0:31:13 > 0:31:14That's a real passion for me now,
0:31:14 > 0:31:19is that we could potentially make a change in a bigger way by hopefully
0:31:19 > 0:31:21other people seeing what we do and getting
0:31:21 > 0:31:25some confidence and encouragement to do the same themselves.
0:31:25 > 0:31:28You know, to feel like we're part of a movement, really.
0:31:28 > 0:31:30Hopefully, shaking things up a little bit.
0:31:30 > 0:31:33Trying to give other farmers a helping hand
0:31:33 > 0:31:35just to do the same thing, really.
0:31:35 > 0:31:39Putting moving and shaking briefly on hold,
0:31:39 > 0:31:42Dulcie turns her mind to the big night ahead.
0:31:42 > 0:31:45It's not very often that we get to dress up, is it?
0:31:45 > 0:31:48You do have one suit. I'm sure we can dust it off.
0:31:48 > 0:31:51- Yes, we're going to look silly, aren't we, on the night?- Aw!
0:31:53 > 0:31:57For this hard-working and revolutionary couple,
0:31:57 > 0:32:01spreading the word has secured them their place on this year's shortlist
0:32:01 > 0:32:05for the Diversification Farmer Of The Year Award.
0:32:15 > 0:32:17These three farming families
0:32:17 > 0:32:20have fully embraced the spirit of innovation.
0:32:21 > 0:32:26Their passion and ingenuity has ensured the survival of their farms
0:32:26 > 0:32:27through extremely challenging times.
0:32:29 > 0:32:32And tomorrow night at the Farmers Weekly Awards,
0:32:32 > 0:32:33one of them will walk away
0:32:33 > 0:32:36with the title of Diversification Farmer Of The Year.
0:32:36 > 0:32:40You've always looked at the Farmers' Weekly Awards as the sort of
0:32:40 > 0:32:42thing, you know, the Oscars of the farming industry.
0:32:42 > 0:32:46To think that we would ever be nominated, never mind be a finalist,
0:32:46 > 0:32:50it's a real surprise for us to be up there with them.
0:32:50 > 0:32:54I wouldn't want to live in London, but I do enjoy going to London.
0:32:54 > 0:32:58And it's a bit special, and that's what I'm looking forward to.
0:32:58 > 0:33:03Well, I think your quote last year was, "Win or lose, have a booze."
0:33:03 > 0:33:04I don't know.
0:33:07 > 0:33:10If we won, I think it would obviously make us feel very good.
0:33:10 > 0:33:14You'd probably let everybody know, wouldn't you?
0:33:14 > 0:33:17- You'd do a little skip. - I might do a skip, yeah.
0:33:35 > 0:33:39The 13th annual Farmers' Weekly Awards are being held in the heart
0:33:39 > 0:33:41of London's Mayfair.
0:33:44 > 0:33:48Tonight, this illustrious event will host over 500 farmers
0:33:48 > 0:33:51and their families from all over the British Isles.
0:33:52 > 0:33:54Coming together to celebrate
0:33:54 > 0:33:57the exceptional endeavours within their industry.
0:33:58 > 0:34:02Finishing touches for a magnificent evening are being made,
0:34:02 > 0:34:06setting the scene for a night of well-deserved celebration.
0:34:06 > 0:34:11The awards themselves are by a long way the biggest awards in the industry.
0:34:11 > 0:34:14It means a huge amount to the farmers to win these awards,
0:34:14 > 0:34:17partly because it's recognition of their peers that they are the best
0:34:17 > 0:34:18of the best.
0:34:18 > 0:34:22Our judges have spent 10,000 miles visiting and inspecting all of our
0:34:22 > 0:34:25finalists. It's a very, very thorough process, so to win
0:34:25 > 0:34:28here really means you are right at the top of the farming tree.
0:34:35 > 0:34:38Right, we are nearly ready now.
0:34:38 > 0:34:40As the ceremony approaches,
0:34:40 > 0:34:43the Nicholson boys spruce themselves up for the occasion.
0:34:43 > 0:34:47So, in your absence, who's looking after the farm?
0:34:47 > 0:34:50- I don't know.- Who's looking after the farm?
0:34:52 > 0:34:54It's a rare opportunity to forget
0:34:54 > 0:34:58the day-to-day graft on their busy open farm.
0:34:59 > 0:35:01And let their hair down.
0:35:01 > 0:35:06- Was that last year?- It's a boys' night out and we're going to have
0:35:06 > 0:35:09a good time. We can work hard and then party hard as well.
0:35:09 > 0:35:12Well, not as hard as we used to.
0:35:16 > 0:35:20Having travelled the 400 miles from East Lothian in Scotland,
0:35:20 > 0:35:24dairy owners and artisan cheese makers Simon and Jackie get ready
0:35:24 > 0:35:26for a night out to remember...
0:35:28 > 0:35:30- OK.- All done.
0:35:30 > 0:35:35..swapping their boots for bow ties and hair nets for heels.
0:35:35 > 0:35:38When you're dressed up for an occasion,
0:35:38 > 0:35:40it really gets you up for the occasion.
0:35:40 > 0:35:43You enjoy it more, so yeah, we're both really,
0:35:43 > 0:35:45- really looking forward to it. - Very exciting.
0:35:45 > 0:35:49Feels a bit like Christmas Eve mixed with the Oscars or something.
0:35:49 > 0:35:51- Are you ready?- Yes. Let's do it.- OK.
0:35:55 > 0:35:57Oh, my shoes are so high!
0:36:00 > 0:36:04As the light fades and the other finalists head to the bar,
0:36:04 > 0:36:08luxury cheese making farmers Johnny and Dulcie are cutting it fine.
0:36:09 > 0:36:13I'd have been much more happy coming in my rubber boots.
0:36:13 > 0:36:17They are more comfy than these nasty black shoes.
0:36:17 > 0:36:20I'm not sure they'd let you in in your rubber boots.
0:36:20 > 0:36:22- Bit smelly.- Oh, I don't know.
0:36:25 > 0:36:28And there's not a welly boot in sight,
0:36:28 > 0:36:30as the farmers begin to arrive.
0:36:30 > 0:36:34Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Drinks are served in the Rink Bar.
0:36:37 > 0:36:41These hotly contested awards are judged by experts from across
0:36:41 > 0:36:43the farming industry.
0:36:44 > 0:36:47Thank you very much. Cheers.
0:36:49 > 0:36:52The judges had the daunting task of shortlisting just three
0:36:52 > 0:36:57from the 30 entrants in the diversification category.
0:36:57 > 0:36:59- Dad.- I'm in, yes.
0:37:01 > 0:37:03The Nicholsons at Cannon Hall,
0:37:03 > 0:37:06the things they're doing on Facebook live is stuff that farmers across
0:37:06 > 0:37:08the country should be doing.
0:37:08 > 0:37:10And this is Dad with two glasses.
0:37:10 > 0:37:14- He's always got... - He's Two Glasses Roger.
0:37:14 > 0:37:15They are doing an amazing thing.
0:37:15 > 0:37:18They've got a farm shop, they've got a visitor attraction.
0:37:18 > 0:37:22They're getting the public out on to the farm and they're educating them.
0:37:23 > 0:37:25You scrub up well.
0:37:27 > 0:37:29The McCreerys at Yester Farm Dairy up in Scotland,
0:37:29 > 0:37:33we were really interested and excited to see how a family could
0:37:33 > 0:37:37really approach the food sector and champion farmers doing it directly
0:37:37 > 0:37:39to the food businesses.
0:37:41 > 0:37:43Meanwhile, in the London gridlock...
0:37:43 > 0:37:45We don't get traffic like this.
0:37:45 > 0:37:49No, I can get to work in two minutes and 48 seconds normally.
0:37:50 > 0:37:54Johnny and Dulcie Crickmore at Fen Farm Dairy are a great example
0:37:54 > 0:37:58of how a small family farm can not only create those amazing products with their cheese
0:37:58 > 0:38:03and butter, but actually lead a bit of a revolution in selling raw milk
0:38:03 > 0:38:06and helping other people in the process as well.
0:38:06 > 0:38:09If all else fails, we can always get an Indian, can't we?
0:38:09 > 0:38:12If we can't make it.
0:38:12 > 0:38:13Let's hope the traffic clears...
0:38:17 > 0:38:19..because the spectacle has already begun.
0:38:28 > 0:38:31Thankfully, they arrive just in the nick of time.
0:38:31 > 0:38:34So, we made it by the skin of our teeth.
0:38:34 > 0:38:37We are here. It's pretty exciting.
0:38:37 > 0:38:40Pretty amazing in here. A huge amount of people here tonight.
0:38:40 > 0:38:44Lots of wine. So yes, hopefully it will be a good night.
0:38:48 > 0:38:50Time for these hard-working folk to be pampered,
0:38:50 > 0:38:55wined and dined in style.
0:38:57 > 0:38:59Thank you.
0:38:59 > 0:39:04Ladies and gentlemen, would you please welcome your host for the evening, Gyles Brandreth!
0:39:08 > 0:39:10Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.
0:39:10 > 0:39:13You are by a wide margin the biggest,
0:39:13 > 0:39:17most important contributors to the UK economy.
0:39:17 > 0:39:20You people! Feel good!
0:39:20 > 0:39:24Stirring stuff, but when you get a group of British farmers together
0:39:24 > 0:39:28under one roof, all they really want to do is talk shop.
0:39:28 > 0:39:32Yes, we finished combining. Like, we are mostly dairy.
0:39:32 > 0:39:36I don't know where you draw the line with "young farmer".
0:39:36 > 0:39:39If you are a dairy farmer, then if you're in your 50s, you are young.
0:39:42 > 0:39:47And the winner of the Young Farmer Of The Year is...
0:39:47 > 0:39:48..James Farley.
0:39:50 > 0:39:54Over the course of the evening, 18 awards will be presented,
0:39:54 > 0:39:59in categories ranging from Young Farmer Of The Year...
0:39:59 > 0:40:00Lord Curry of Kirkharle.
0:40:00 > 0:40:03..to Lifetime Achievement.
0:40:04 > 0:40:06Sean Watson.
0:40:07 > 0:40:11With people all around them picking up plaques for their achievements,
0:40:11 > 0:40:16it's a nail-biting time for our farmers, as they await their fate.
0:40:16 > 0:40:17We're having a wonderful night.
0:40:17 > 0:40:22We feel quite nervous, but I'm really excited.
0:40:22 > 0:40:27- Good, excited.- Yes, a couple of glasses of wine really help settle the nerves.
0:40:27 > 0:40:30No hope. No hope at all.
0:40:31 > 0:40:35Hiya, folks. I hope you can hear me. Our award is the next one.
0:40:37 > 0:40:39Finally, the moment arrives.
0:40:40 > 0:40:43And ladies and gentlemen, here is the diversification shortlist.
0:40:45 > 0:40:50From Fen Farm Dairy in Suffolk, Johnny and Dulcie Crickmore.
0:40:51 > 0:40:55From Yester Farm Dairies in East Lothian, Scotland,
0:40:55 > 0:40:57Simon and Jackie McCreery.
0:41:01 > 0:41:04And from Cannon Hall Farm near Barnsley in South Yorkshire,
0:41:04 > 0:41:06the Nicholson family.
0:41:08 > 0:41:13To get here, all our farmers have proved themselves exceptional,
0:41:13 > 0:41:16through their hard work, determination and ingenuity.
0:41:18 > 0:41:22But tonight, only one will come out on top.
0:41:25 > 0:41:27And the winner is...
0:41:31 > 0:41:33- ..Jonathan and Dulcie Crickmore. - APPLAUSE
0:41:55 > 0:41:56Well done, you two. Brilliant.
0:42:08 > 0:42:13- Not to be, I'm afraid, guys. - I'm a little bit disappointed,
0:42:13 > 0:42:16but I'll be better in about ten minutes' time.
0:42:16 > 0:42:20We didn't quite get there. Rocky did bring four films out,
0:42:20 > 0:42:23so who knows, we might give it another year.
0:42:26 > 0:42:30- We said all along we didn't expect to win, but we did hope to win. - There's a wee split-second when
0:42:30 > 0:42:34you're up there on the screen and you thought, "Oh, maybe we will win,"
0:42:34 > 0:42:38but it's like nothing we've ever been to before, so it's been really amazing.
0:42:38 > 0:42:42The highlight of my evening was seeing my wife looking so well.
0:42:42 > 0:42:45Oh, yeah, well done. I paid him to say that.
0:42:49 > 0:42:52A bit surprised. I really wasn't expecting to win at all.
0:42:52 > 0:42:56I've read Farmers' Weekly magazine ever since I was a little boy,
0:42:56 > 0:42:59looking at cows and tractors, so,
0:42:59 > 0:43:03yes, I don't think it'll probably sink in for a few days.
0:43:03 > 0:43:09I think winning tonight will help us push on to trying things out which
0:43:09 > 0:43:12are even more daring, but equally,
0:43:12 > 0:43:15I think this also goes out to all of the people back at the farm.
0:43:16 > 0:43:19I was just thinking, where are we going to put it tomorrow?