0:00:02 > 0:00:03Across the country,
0:00:03 > 0:00:07thousands of farming families work tirelessly around the clock.
0:00:08 > 0:00:09Bring them up, Isobel. Well done.
0:00:10 > 0:00:14- Here they come. - Shake it, baby, shake it.
0:00:14 > 0:00:17- But there's one day each year... - Come on, girl. Up you go.
0:00:17 > 0:00:21..where they get to leave the daily routine behind.
0:00:21 > 0:00:22Yahoo!
0:00:22 > 0:00:23These are show days.
0:00:23 > 0:00:26Welcome to the Pembrokeshire County Show.
0:00:26 > 0:00:28They 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 > 0:00:35Had 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. Wa-hey!
0:00:42 > 0:00:43It's show business, folks.
0:00:43 > 0:00:45..and award-winning produce.
0:00:45 > 0:00:48I got first!
0:00:48 > 0:00:50You can have the last two jars.
0:00:50 > 0:00:51There'll be highs...
0:00:54 > 0:00:57- ..and lows...- No! No! No!
0:00:57 > 0:01:02..for the dedicated farmers who give everything to walk away a champion.
0:01:02 > 0:01:04No way!
0:01:14 > 0:01:18In the agricultural calendar, there is one event that showcases the
0:01:18 > 0:01:20drive and determination of Britain's farmers.
0:01:22 > 0:01:24The British Farming Awards.
0:01:24 > 0:01:27This thing can put 20,000 eggs over it in an hour.
0:01:27 > 0:01:32The Against The Odds category has five outstanding farms short-listed
0:01:32 > 0:01:36- as finalists.- Milking our 370 cross-bred cows -
0:01:36 > 0:01:38they look after us, so we're looking after them.
0:01:38 > 0:01:42All earning their place on that short list, they share a strength
0:01:42 > 0:01:45and resilience which has caught the attention of the judges...
0:01:45 > 0:01:50A lot of people probably look at us and think we're mad, really.
0:01:50 > 0:01:53..but they're facing tough challenges with little or no support...
0:01:53 > 0:01:55Here you go.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58..or entering agriculture for the first time.
0:01:58 > 0:02:00It's not that bad, really, when you get views like this.
0:02:00 > 0:02:01It's quite incredible.
0:02:02 > 0:02:07Each of the five are striving to carve out a slice of farming life.
0:02:07 > 0:02:10Single greatest talent you need to be in farming
0:02:10 > 0:02:12is to be multi-talented.
0:02:13 > 0:02:18Winning here will validate years of hard work, tenacity and passion.
0:02:31 > 0:02:35Nestled in Cumbria's Lake District are our first nominees -
0:02:35 > 0:02:3930-somethings David and Rebecca Corrie-Close.
0:02:42 > 0:02:46This ambitious young couple has built a specialist beef company on
0:02:46 > 0:02:50wild tracts of land not normally used to run cattle.
0:02:51 > 0:02:55We're very new to farming, we've only been doing this for two years.
0:02:55 > 0:02:56We're not from A farming background,
0:02:56 > 0:03:00we haven't got any formal farming qualifications,
0:03:00 > 0:03:02so this is our way into farming.
0:03:05 > 0:03:09Pursuing a farming life was definitely a joint decision.
0:03:09 > 0:03:13It didn't take a lot of convincing when I said that I want to be a
0:03:13 > 0:03:17- farmer and, what do you think?- I said "yes" straight away, I think.
0:03:17 > 0:03:22When we first started, we put in tenders for pieces of land
0:03:22 > 0:03:25and farms and we weren't successful.
0:03:25 > 0:03:27But I think in hindsight, we're probably glad that we didn't get a
0:03:27 > 0:03:30- lot of those options.- We've had a lot of noes.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35Forced to think outside the box, they tried a new approach.
0:03:36 > 0:03:40Without any land or infrastructure, they decided they would try
0:03:40 > 0:03:44conversation grazing, which involves using cattle to
0:03:44 > 0:03:49manage protected sites and safeguard wildlife.
0:03:49 > 0:03:50We call it farming with nature,
0:03:50 > 0:03:53because we think that better describes what it is that we do.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56We've got some cattle over in the distance here
0:03:56 > 0:03:59and they need to be moved into this new bit of grazing.
0:04:01 > 0:04:05I mean, you can see this kind of land is not your normal kind of farmland.
0:04:06 > 0:04:07It's quite diverse.
0:04:07 > 0:04:11A few months ago this would've been covered in wild flowers.
0:04:11 > 0:04:13Hey, lads. Good boy.
0:04:13 > 0:04:14So this is Hotpot.
0:04:14 > 0:04:17He was the first one to be born on our holding and so we decided it
0:04:17 > 0:04:20would be a good idea to try and name him something
0:04:20 > 0:04:21that he'll end up being.
0:04:23 > 0:04:27The reason we got into farming is because we wanted to better
0:04:27 > 0:04:30understand land management.
0:04:30 > 0:04:36Farmed landscape in the UK is 70% of the land area or something like that.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39So our actions as farmers can change the landscape for the better.
0:04:41 > 0:04:43Good boy.
0:04:43 > 0:04:48David and Rebecca now manage 1,000 acres across 15 sites owned by
0:04:48 > 0:04:50different landlords.
0:04:50 > 0:04:52Come on.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55So we've got about 80 head of cattle now.
0:04:55 > 0:04:57Come on, lads.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00They're all native hardy breeds - so Highland, Shetland,
0:05:00 > 0:05:05Long horn - and they thrive in these kind of conditions.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09As a qualified zoologist, Rebecca knows about animal welfare.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12Come on. Good boys. Come on.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17But their unusual farming methods have attracted scepticism.
0:05:19 > 0:05:23We're putting cattle up on the fells during the winter,
0:05:23 > 0:05:25which is... People saying, "What?!"
0:05:25 > 0:05:26Some people think we're mad.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29But then they see them come off the fells after winter and looking at
0:05:29 > 0:05:33- them and they realise...- Maybe we're not so mad.
0:05:35 > 0:05:39Today, they're moving some of their herd to a field that has just been mowed.
0:05:39 > 0:05:43This is so the cattle can graze on the bits that couldn't be reached.
0:05:46 > 0:05:48- Well done, you lot. - Come on, sweetheart.
0:05:50 > 0:05:52Pleased to be in a big open space again.
0:05:54 > 0:05:56Good boy.
0:05:56 > 0:06:00They've had fantastic diet and they've been handled gently.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03There's no stress involved at all, throughout their whole lives.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06That ultimately has an impact on the meat that you eat.
0:06:09 > 0:06:14The biggest challenge managing 80 cattle across 15 sites
0:06:14 > 0:06:16is keeping track of it all.
0:06:17 > 0:06:21All of our sites are spread throughout south Cumbria.
0:06:21 > 0:06:25We spend a lot of time in the car going between the different cattle
0:06:25 > 0:06:27and checking them.
0:06:27 > 0:06:31So we're going to Arnside Knott, a National Trust-owned property.
0:06:31 > 0:06:35It's about 40 acres of quite tricky terrain.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39With animals free roaming on such extensive land,
0:06:39 > 0:06:43David and Rebecca need help to track them down.
0:06:44 > 0:06:47Luckily, there's an app for that!
0:06:47 > 0:06:50So do you want to check on your phone where they are?
0:06:50 > 0:06:56- Yes.- They're probably sheltering in the trees last night with all that rain.
0:06:56 > 0:06:58You're right, they're at the top.
0:07:01 > 0:07:02Come on, then, dogs.
0:07:02 > 0:07:04It's quite new technology.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07There aren't that many people using it to track cattle,
0:07:07 > 0:07:08but for us, it just works.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13A shame technology isn't always what it's cracked up to be.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16So they've covered quite a bit of distance since that last reading,
0:07:16 > 0:07:18haven't they? So it's a bit of a walk.
0:07:18 > 0:07:19Come on, boys.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23In the five minutes since the app updated,
0:07:23 > 0:07:26the cattle have decided to wander off.
0:07:31 > 0:07:33So this is what it tends to be like,
0:07:33 > 0:07:35is walking round a lot trying to find them,
0:07:35 > 0:07:39but it's not that bad, really, when you get views like this.
0:07:39 > 0:07:41It's quite incredible.
0:07:41 > 0:07:44So it requires a lot of effort physically,
0:07:44 > 0:07:49using modern technology and traditional mechanical means.
0:07:49 > 0:07:53- Rebecca?!- Yeah? - They're over here.- OK.
0:07:55 > 0:07:57Found them after a bit of a search.
0:07:57 > 0:08:01But thank God we have the tracking collar on them because they're deep
0:08:01 > 0:08:04in the woods, here.
0:08:04 > 0:08:05Hi, lads.
0:08:05 > 0:08:07Keeping nice and cool in here?
0:08:07 > 0:08:11We operate on gut feeling a lot of the time and, to us, this feels right.
0:08:11 > 0:08:13This feels like the kind of farming we want to be doing.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16Most people will go, "Where's the grass, what are they eating?"
0:08:16 > 0:08:18They'll eat brambles. Leaves from trees.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21The animals are thriving in this type of habitat.
0:08:21 > 0:08:22They look fantastic.
0:08:24 > 0:08:26They've only just begun,
0:08:26 > 0:08:29but this determined young couple know where they're heading.
0:08:31 > 0:08:36We want to carry on building the success of our business.
0:08:36 > 0:08:40And the way that we farm and being able to demonstrate that farming
0:08:40 > 0:08:42with nature can work.
0:08:44 > 0:08:48The couple's passion and ingenuity has helped them overcome the
0:08:48 > 0:08:50obstacles they've faced.
0:08:51 > 0:08:55Their perseverance makes them ideal nominees
0:08:55 > 0:08:57for the Against The Odds award.
0:08:57 > 0:08:59It's fantastic to have been short-listed.
0:08:59 > 0:09:03We do feel every single day that what we're doing is against the odds.
0:09:03 > 0:09:07We're fighting, we're working really hard to make this happen.
0:09:07 > 0:09:11Hopefully other people who aren't from a farming background
0:09:11 > 0:09:14can think, if they've done it, then why can't we do it, too?
0:09:24 > 0:09:27230 miles south,
0:09:27 > 0:09:29Devonian brothers Wayne and Elliott
0:09:29 > 0:09:33are organic dairy farmers and our second finalists.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38- We get on very well, always have. - Brilliant.- Yeah.
0:09:38 > 0:09:41- Wonderful. Couldn't wish for better. - You love me, don't you?
0:09:43 > 0:09:5046-year-old Wayne and 34-year-old Elliott inherited the farming bug
0:09:50 > 0:09:51from their father.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54Farming was definitely always something from an early age,
0:09:54 > 0:09:56from five years old.
0:09:56 > 0:10:00- All we were ever going to do. - All we was ever going to do, really.
0:10:00 > 0:10:02But life didn't play out as they had hoped.
0:10:02 > 0:10:05And they weren't able to inherit their father's farm.
0:10:09 > 0:10:13Not put off by this obstacle, the brothers continued on,
0:10:13 > 0:10:18and managed to rent 320 acres of fields with nothing on them.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22Love stock work, I love working with animals.
0:10:22 > 0:10:26And we've always milked cows, so dairy and farming seemed the obvious choice.
0:10:27 > 0:10:31It was right at the time when milk had crashed, the market had crashed,
0:10:31 > 0:10:34and most people were getting out of it, not thinking about going in.
0:10:37 > 0:10:41Eventually the brothers secured a contract with an organic milk buyer.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46We weren't fully organic for basically two years,
0:10:46 > 0:10:50so in that two-year process is when each hurdle
0:10:50 > 0:10:53had to be cleared, basically.
0:10:53 > 0:10:54Come here, Rodney. Rodney.
0:10:54 > 0:10:58When you haven't got anything, everything's a challenge.
0:10:58 > 0:11:02Yeah, we're very limited on machinery and everything that goes
0:11:02 > 0:11:04with so-called normal farming, I suppose.
0:11:06 > 0:11:11But milking on rented land with no buildings or infrastructure was an
0:11:11 > 0:11:12almost impossible task.
0:11:14 > 0:11:19That is, until the boys came up with an idea of a mobile parlour,
0:11:19 > 0:11:21built out of an old articulated truck.
0:11:21 > 0:11:23A genius move.
0:11:24 > 0:11:26When we want to move this in the winter or whenever,
0:11:26 > 0:11:31it just folds up on the sides, we can hook the tractor into it and...
0:11:33 > 0:11:34..away we go.
0:11:37 > 0:11:40However, there were no guarantees the cows would take to it.
0:11:41 > 0:11:43We did wonder, what is this going to be like?
0:11:43 > 0:11:46Are we going to be able to get them on it?
0:11:46 > 0:11:47Surprisingly, they just went up.
0:11:47 > 0:11:51- It was all fairly stress-free, wasn't it?- Yes.
0:11:51 > 0:11:56- What we had come up with was actually working.- Yes.
0:11:59 > 0:12:01Everything has been a challenge.
0:12:01 > 0:12:05There have been times when you do think, what have we done?
0:12:07 > 0:12:10And a lot of people probably look at us and think we're
0:12:10 > 0:12:13- blooming mad, really.- Yes.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16I guess you stick your feet in and you think,
0:12:16 > 0:12:21- "No, we'll show you it can be done." - And we will make it work.- Yes.
0:12:21 > 0:12:23And we will make it work with what we've got to work with.
0:12:27 > 0:12:32They now milk 140 cows, and have ambitions to grow their herd
0:12:32 > 0:12:35through breeding their own stock.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40I think there's about 45 in this mob here.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43They're our first cows we've had on our, you know...
0:12:43 > 0:12:45- Home-grown stock.- Yes.
0:12:45 > 0:12:49It's lovely to see some nice animals walking round the field eating
0:12:49 > 0:12:52grass and all fit and healthy and watching them grow, really, isn't it?
0:12:52 > 0:12:53- Yes.- Like your kids.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00As if milking and running a dairy herd isn't enough work,
0:13:00 > 0:13:05the brothers keep pushing forward with all areas of the business.
0:13:05 > 0:13:06Elliott still goes out shearing.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09We go out fencing, as well, for other people.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12Just to keep it coming in at the minute while it's...
0:13:12 > 0:13:14While it's getting going, really.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17The only thing with this milking parlour is there's not massive
0:13:17 > 0:13:19amounts of room in it.
0:13:24 > 0:13:28Working together requires a special kind of relationship.
0:13:29 > 0:13:31Not a lot said, plenty of grunting.
0:13:31 > 0:13:34Sort of a telepathic thing between you two.
0:13:35 > 0:13:37Get home very often, Tracey will say to me,
0:13:37 > 0:13:40"What did Elliott say about this?" Or something like that.
0:13:40 > 0:13:41I said, "I didn't ask him, really."
0:13:41 > 0:13:43She said "Well, you've been with him all day."
0:13:45 > 0:13:49Working every hour and saving every penny is a shared strategy to
0:13:49 > 0:13:51achieve the family dream.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56Elliott's got two small children and another one on the way.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59It would be nice to perhaps see them, I suppose, occasionally,
0:13:59 > 0:14:00- wouldn't it?- Yeah.
0:14:04 > 0:14:07Wayne and Elliott's combined determination to carry on their
0:14:07 > 0:14:11father's legacy and pursue the dream to have their own farm
0:14:11 > 0:14:14is the reason the judges short-listed them for the
0:14:14 > 0:14:15Against The Odds award.
0:14:17 > 0:14:21Getting this job actually up and running would be one of my biggest
0:14:21 > 0:14:24achievements in my life, definitely.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27But when you get somebody showing you a bit of recognition and to be
0:14:27 > 0:14:30even put in for the British Farming Awards is,
0:14:30 > 0:14:32yeah, yeah, huge, huge.
0:14:35 > 0:14:39It's probably a good time to have a little chat about this,
0:14:39 > 0:14:41the awards night, isn't it?
0:14:41 > 0:14:44Who's going, who's not going?
0:14:44 > 0:14:47Obviously, the milking is a bit of an issue, as well, isn't it?
0:14:47 > 0:14:50There's a few things that are a bit of a problem.
0:14:50 > 0:14:54And apparently not the least of their problems is getting Elliott to
0:14:54 > 0:14:56scrub up for the night.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59You'll definitely change, I expect, wouldn't you?
0:14:59 > 0:15:02I might. Probably not a hair cut, I wouldn't have thought.
0:15:04 > 0:15:09THEY BOTH LAUGH
0:15:14 > 0:15:17580 miles north on the west coast of Scotland,
0:15:17 > 0:15:21the striking hills of the Isle of Mull are home to our third
0:15:21 > 0:15:24finalist, 44-year-old Iain MacKay.
0:15:25 > 0:15:26Here you go.
0:15:29 > 0:15:34Iain's path in life was decided in his teenage years when his family
0:15:34 > 0:15:36farm was sold off.
0:15:38 > 0:15:40I was only about 15 at the time.
0:15:40 > 0:15:44And by that time I'd made my choice that, yeah, I wanted to be a farmer.
0:15:46 > 0:15:50I wanted to own my own cattle, sheep, work for myself,
0:15:50 > 0:15:52that's what I really wanted to do.
0:15:54 > 0:15:58The biggest hurdle in farming is to find land.
0:15:58 > 0:16:02Iain has had to face this problem over and over again.
0:16:03 > 0:16:07I started up a contracting business, bought a tractor,
0:16:07 > 0:16:10had a dog, and raised money and raised capital that way.
0:16:10 > 0:16:15Then we got a wee bit of ground, about four acres, which was a start.
0:16:15 > 0:16:18You know, it was really quite a happy day, I've got something.
0:16:20 > 0:16:22But, unfortunately, I lost that.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25And I had to give up the sheep and cattle.
0:16:26 > 0:16:27Come on, Sky.
0:16:27 > 0:16:29Iain didn't lose heart.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32He started again with a dog and a tractor.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35Sky, Sky, that'll do.
0:16:35 > 0:16:37Look away, look away. Hup, hup!
0:16:38 > 0:16:42We got another bit of ground which was actually in way of payment.
0:16:42 > 0:16:46I got this ground for about three years, we tended to that piece.
0:16:46 > 0:16:48And that again allowed me to build up.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51But, unfortunately, that was lost, too.
0:16:51 > 0:16:52Steady.
0:16:53 > 0:16:55Sit! Sit!
0:16:57 > 0:17:01Tenancy contracts can be short and, unless they are renewed,
0:17:01 > 0:17:05every time the land is lost, all the animals have to be sold off.
0:17:05 > 0:17:07Pip-pip.
0:17:07 > 0:17:09You'd bred those,
0:17:09 > 0:17:11so it was all blood lines that I knew and sheep that I knew.
0:17:11 > 0:17:14So, that was, yeah, that was difficult to build up from again
0:17:14 > 0:17:17because you don't know where the next chance is coming from.
0:17:17 > 0:17:18Sit. Sit, stay there, stay there.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26After losing his land and stock for a second time,
0:17:26 > 0:17:29Iain was forced to change path.
0:17:30 > 0:17:34I came out of the industry for a wee while and took a job building a
0:17:34 > 0:17:36fish-food factory in the docks in Grangemouth,
0:17:36 > 0:17:40which probably convinced me even more that I wanted to be back in the industry.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46The single greatest talent you need, you know,
0:17:46 > 0:17:48to be in farming, is to be multi-talented.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51The range of skills you've got to have is so diverse.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54I'm lucky enough to have a host of talent that I can call upon
0:17:54 > 0:17:56when I need to.
0:17:56 > 0:18:00Finally, his break came when he was doing some fencing jobs
0:18:00 > 0:18:03on the Isle of Mull ten years ago.
0:18:03 > 0:18:07I got a chance. My uncle was giving up about 500 acres
0:18:07 > 0:18:12on just that hill, and I was given the opportunity to take that on.
0:18:12 > 0:18:14I first of all said, "No, I'm not moving to an isle."
0:18:14 > 0:18:17It was so far away, and I had contracts on the mainland.
0:18:17 > 0:18:21I went home and I thought about it and I thought, "Well, why not?"
0:18:21 > 0:18:25With just under 2,000 sheep and 150 cattle,
0:18:25 > 0:18:28with 8,000 acres of tenancy land,
0:18:28 > 0:18:30Iain has come a long way from his early days.
0:18:32 > 0:18:36There's 3,000 hectares so getting around all that isn't easy.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39We bring the sheep in off the hill six times a year.
0:18:40 > 0:18:44It can take a fortnight, three weeks, to get them all in off the hill.
0:18:44 > 0:18:46Sit down, sit down. Stay there.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49The thing I probably rely on as much as anything on the farm
0:18:49 > 0:18:51is the dogs. Away.
0:18:51 > 0:18:53That's a really, really important animal on the farm.
0:18:53 > 0:18:56Without them, we couldn't get the sheep off the hills.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01It was a real roller-coaster ride, building my business.
0:19:01 > 0:19:03I was on a treadmill that was getting faster
0:19:03 > 0:19:04and faster all the time, that's what I felt.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07And it was getting steeper and steeper all the time.
0:19:07 > 0:19:09But now I feel that I'm actually farming now.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16Iain now works together with his partner, Claire,
0:19:16 > 0:19:19who is just as passionate as he is about farming.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23- That last one was 71 kilos. - That's good.
0:19:23 > 0:19:26Claire is also up for an award.
0:19:26 > 0:19:30She's been short-listed for the Agricultural Student Category.
0:19:30 > 0:19:34I feel really lucky to have Claire here because she wants to drive this
0:19:34 > 0:19:38business forward. I mean, the whole end goal is we'd really like to try
0:19:38 > 0:19:40and own a farm eventually.
0:19:42 > 0:19:46Determined to keep building the farm, Iain has started selling
0:19:46 > 0:19:50premium-quality beef to butchers down south.
0:19:50 > 0:19:54I went to London promoting a business idea that myself and three
0:19:54 > 0:19:59others have had about trying to maximise the return you get from
0:19:59 > 0:20:03your product, taking it from the field right through to the plate.
0:20:03 > 0:20:08And now we're supplying meat down to some of the best butchers in London.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14Iain's persistence in getting to where he is today,
0:20:14 > 0:20:16despite all the obstacles,
0:20:16 > 0:20:19is why he's short-listed in the Against The Odds category.
0:20:22 > 0:20:24Too many people just complain about something,
0:20:24 > 0:20:27and they like to whinge about it, but they sit on their backside.
0:20:27 > 0:20:31And you actually took a proactive approach and you kept trying.
0:20:33 > 0:20:37To get through to the final five, it is quite something.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39I would love to win it but getting this far,
0:20:39 > 0:20:41it's really rewarding to me personally.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46- You should be proud.- Mm.
0:20:55 > 0:20:59Just over 250 miles south in North Wales,
0:20:59 > 0:21:03the Llyn Peninsula is home to our fourth finalist, Matthew Jackson.
0:21:05 > 0:21:07A city boy by birth,
0:21:07 > 0:21:1129-year-old Mancunian Matthew has been a farmer for 13 years.
0:21:13 > 0:21:17We're here this morning milking our 370 cross-bred cows.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20Yeah, looking after the girls because it's been some rough
0:21:20 > 0:21:23weather, and they look after us so we're looking after them.
0:21:23 > 0:21:25Come on, girls.
0:21:25 > 0:21:30His love for farming first started on a holiday in the Welsh countryside.
0:21:33 > 0:21:36The interest began when I was staying on the local farm about two
0:21:36 > 0:21:40miles down the road from here, and Mum and Dad bringing us camping.
0:21:43 > 0:21:44Back home in the city,
0:21:44 > 0:21:49Matthew found a part-time job in a nearby farm but his past-time didn't
0:21:49 > 0:21:51help him to fit in at school.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55I wasn't exactly popular.
0:21:55 > 0:21:59Stinking of silage, into a class of 35, 40 kids,
0:21:59 > 0:22:01it's quite embarrassing going back to that
0:22:01 > 0:22:03because none of them understood it.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06They were probably thinking I was wasting my time, you know.
0:22:06 > 0:22:07I don't know, I don't know.
0:22:07 > 0:22:10Come on, girlies. Come on, girls, out you go.
0:22:10 > 0:22:15By the age of 14, Matthew had made up his mind about his future.
0:22:15 > 0:22:17I was hopeless at getting up for school,
0:22:17 > 0:22:19but good for getting up for the farm, you know?
0:22:19 > 0:22:22As soon as I was 15, I said to Mum and Dad I wanted to leave school
0:22:22 > 0:22:24a year early and not take my GCSEs or anything.
0:22:24 > 0:22:26And they weren't too pleased about that.
0:22:26 > 0:22:27Come on, girls, come on.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31From then on, nothing could stop him.
0:22:31 > 0:22:35I came here and followed that path that I wanted to.
0:22:37 > 0:22:40As soon as I got a taste of working for somebody that actually
0:22:40 > 0:22:42appreciated you and paid you fairly,
0:22:42 > 0:22:46that actually spurred me on to think this could really be somewhere,
0:22:46 > 0:22:49to get into this industry and I could actually really progress.
0:22:50 > 0:22:53I just enjoyed what I was doing. You know, I loved what I was doing.
0:22:53 > 0:22:56From 16, I could literally do whatever I wanted.
0:22:56 > 0:23:00You know, nobody was there telling me what I could and couldn't do, really.
0:23:00 > 0:23:03Well, nobody except one person.
0:23:04 > 0:23:09I used to work at the local pub and he used to come in, and, yeah,
0:23:09 > 0:23:11we just hit it off, I think.
0:23:11 > 0:23:15We hit it off because Mari used to come outside to me and check if
0:23:15 > 0:23:19there was vodka in my drink, when I was 16, you see.
0:23:19 > 0:23:21- And look at us now, eh?- Yeah, I used to take him out of the pub.
0:23:21 > 0:23:24Now I'm checking if there's vodka in Mari's drink!
0:23:24 > 0:23:29Matthew and Mari have been together for 13 years and they have three
0:23:29 > 0:23:33children who they believe also benefit from the farming life.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37It's nice for the kids to grow up in such a lovely environment.
0:23:42 > 0:23:44We're really lucky, the situation we're in.
0:23:45 > 0:23:49I get to see the kids before they go to school, and when they're in
0:23:49 > 0:23:51nursery and stuff I'll see them through the day maybe
0:23:51 > 0:23:54three or four times. I'm in and out of the house, popping in and out.
0:23:54 > 0:23:56And that's even before bed, as well.
0:23:56 > 0:23:58They'll come to the milking parlour to see us.
0:23:58 > 0:23:59See you later.
0:24:01 > 0:24:02Ta.
0:24:05 > 0:24:07Mari's very family-orientated.
0:24:07 > 0:24:09She's been behind me all the way.
0:24:09 > 0:24:11She can remember when we started, living in a caravan
0:24:11 > 0:24:15and then a shack, and then getting our first house.
0:24:15 > 0:24:19I am absolutely driven by the business and by constant challenge.
0:24:22 > 0:24:26Against the odds, this city boy has built a business up from nothing.
0:24:26 > 0:24:29I started to buy my own heifer calves.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32So, I bought 20, sold them the following year and that was all
0:24:32 > 0:24:36from my wages and doing this between my hours in work.
0:24:36 > 0:24:39I bought the 20, sold them the following year, and so forth,
0:24:39 > 0:24:41and by year four, I was up to 220 head.
0:24:44 > 0:24:50Today, he's got 375 milking cows, and 240 young calves,
0:24:50 > 0:24:55on a shared farm of 240 acres that belongs to his former boss.
0:24:56 > 0:25:00He owns the land and the infrastructure on the farm,
0:25:00 > 0:25:02and I own the stock on the farm.
0:25:03 > 0:25:05Share farming is built on trust,
0:25:05 > 0:25:07and we've both got respect for each other,
0:25:07 > 0:25:09and we both have a very good relationship,
0:25:09 > 0:25:11and that's the most important part of it.
0:25:13 > 0:25:18There are 21 fields on the farm that are regularly checked so that cows
0:25:18 > 0:25:20can get the freshest pasture.
0:25:20 > 0:25:22They're cross-bred cows.
0:25:22 > 0:25:24They give high milk solids.
0:25:24 > 0:25:27The milk we send typically goes into cheese,
0:25:27 > 0:25:29so high protein and high fat.
0:25:31 > 0:25:35What gives the milk its high-protein value is Matthew's impressive
0:25:35 > 0:25:37attitude to grass management.
0:25:39 > 0:25:44Every week, Matthew diligently measures the grass quality of each field.
0:25:46 > 0:25:49Weighing samples is key to the all-important decision
0:25:49 > 0:25:52of whether it's ready to be consumed or not.
0:25:58 > 0:26:03It's Matthew's incredible journey from city boy to successful farmer
0:26:03 > 0:26:05that has made him one of this year's finalists.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10It's the New Entrants award that I've been nominated for,
0:26:10 > 0:26:11and it's Against The Odds.
0:26:14 > 0:26:16Really, though, we're all against the odds, you know?
0:26:16 > 0:26:19I'm no different to anybody else because all I've done is gone out,
0:26:19 > 0:26:21worked hard and built this.
0:26:22 > 0:26:28To win something like this would be fantastic, as in, to build my profile.
0:26:28 > 0:26:32I'm trying to be recognised by young people that want to progress into
0:26:32 > 0:26:35the industry from non-farming or farming backgrounds.
0:26:35 > 0:26:41So, any publicity I can get to entice young people into agriculture,
0:26:41 > 0:26:42that's exactly what I'm trying to do,
0:26:42 > 0:26:45and give back what I've had given to me.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48Stuff that you can't buy, money can't buy, really.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01Up in north-east Scotland, the village of Clochan
0:27:01 > 0:27:05is home to our final nominees - Gordon and June Whiteford.
0:27:08 > 0:27:12Gordon's nomination is the realisation of his lifelong dream.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16As a new entrant, you can't compete with big farmers.
0:27:16 > 0:27:20So you have to find other ways of doing it and find your own niche.
0:27:22 > 0:27:26With no land to farm, and no bank who'd invest in him,
0:27:26 > 0:27:29Gordon found a low-cost route into farming.
0:27:31 > 0:27:35I started looking at hens because, hens, you don't need much ground,
0:27:35 > 0:27:36and also a good cash flow.
0:27:36 > 0:27:38As soon as you've got eggs, you've got money coming in,
0:27:38 > 0:27:40you've got a product to sell.
0:27:40 > 0:27:43Unlike starting off with beef and sheep - it's a very long period
0:27:43 > 0:27:45before you're actually generating any money.
0:27:46 > 0:27:50Gordon's wife, June, is an A&E doctor.
0:27:50 > 0:27:51Here, Sky.
0:27:52 > 0:27:56As well as looking after their 18-month-old son, Alexander,
0:27:56 > 0:28:00she finds time away from the front line to help on the farm.
0:28:01 > 0:28:05When I think back to when Gordon and I first got together in 2009,
0:28:05 > 0:28:06it was completely different.
0:28:06 > 0:28:10He just had 6,000 hens and a rented field.
0:28:13 > 0:28:16From the beginning, they knew this life would be hard.
0:28:16 > 0:28:192009, obviously, the recession came along.
0:28:19 > 0:28:22Organic egg sales really started to drop off.
0:28:22 > 0:28:27We went from having a contract where our eggs all went off in that lorry
0:28:27 > 0:28:31twice a week, to finding ourselves in a position where we were having
0:28:31 > 0:28:33to build up our own customers and pack them ourselves.
0:28:33 > 0:28:38So, every weekend, we were off at the farmers' markets trying to shift all these eggs.
0:28:42 > 0:28:47Choosing the right hens was the first step in creating a successful business.
0:28:47 > 0:28:52Gordon picked some birds for their special characteristics.
0:28:52 > 0:28:54They're slightly smaller, they eat less, they're more
0:28:54 > 0:28:58disease-resistant, and I think they're more suited to free-range.
0:28:58 > 0:29:02They went out of fashion in the UK way back in the '60s and '70s.
0:29:02 > 0:29:05And we were one of the first people to take white hens back into
0:29:05 > 0:29:09free-range. Erm... Their eggs are actually a better quality.
0:29:12 > 0:29:16The welfare of these birds is so important that Gordon has built a
0:29:16 > 0:29:17whole playground for them.
0:29:18 > 0:29:21If the hens are stressed, then we get poor-quality eggs,
0:29:21 > 0:29:22we get wrinkly eggs.
0:29:22 > 0:29:25I don't get paid for them. They're no use to me.
0:29:25 > 0:29:27So it's good to give the hens something to scratch about in.
0:29:27 > 0:29:30The more things you can give them to play with, to do,
0:29:30 > 0:29:33to keep them occupied, the better, better welfare for the hens.
0:29:35 > 0:29:40While his birds are having fun, Gordon can't afford the luxury of a rest.
0:29:40 > 0:29:43Farming is 365 days of the year.
0:29:43 > 0:29:46It doesn't matter if it's Christmas Day or you've got a wedding to go to.
0:29:46 > 0:29:49The welfare of livestock is absolutely...
0:29:49 > 0:29:50- Paramount.- ..paramount.
0:29:51 > 0:29:53It's a bit like having children.
0:29:53 > 0:29:57Not even their own child's birth warranted a break.
0:29:58 > 0:30:01Alexander was born at two o'clock in the morning.
0:30:01 > 0:30:03Gordon stayed with me for a couple of hours,
0:30:03 > 0:30:06and then it was pretty much straight back outside back to work because it
0:30:06 > 0:30:09was lambing time. So those girls couldn't wait either.
0:30:13 > 0:30:17Thanks to his hard work, today, Gordon runs one of the most
0:30:17 > 0:30:20successful independent egg farms in Scotland
0:30:20 > 0:30:23with more than 14,000 hens.
0:30:25 > 0:30:28Last year, we won the Scottish Egg Quality Awards
0:30:28 > 0:30:31with our organic eggs, and we came runner-up this year.
0:30:31 > 0:30:32We produce good-quality eggs.
0:30:34 > 0:30:36We're always trying to grow the business and expand,
0:30:36 > 0:30:38trying to add value to what we've got.
0:30:38 > 0:30:42So we've just put in new packing shed up, and a new grader.
0:30:44 > 0:30:46There's only about 13 machines of this size in the UK.
0:30:48 > 0:30:51We first started grading eggs over a small table-top grader.
0:30:51 > 0:30:53You'd put a few hundred eggs over it in an hour.
0:30:53 > 0:30:56This thing can put 20,000 eggs over it in an hour.
0:30:59 > 0:31:03I always laugh when I think back and it was all afternoon spent grading
0:31:03 > 0:31:05four stacks.
0:31:05 > 0:31:06And we thought that was us busy!
0:31:10 > 0:31:13Better spending time with the hens, not grading and packing eggs.
0:31:13 > 0:31:16You know, that's just taking away time from looking after the hens.
0:31:18 > 0:31:23But the chickens were always a stepping stone to achieve something bigger.
0:31:24 > 0:31:29In 2012, the opportunity of a ten-year tenancy came up
0:31:29 > 0:31:31and it was a game-changer.
0:31:31 > 0:31:35It's still quite a small farm, but it's, you know,
0:31:35 > 0:31:38it's enough to do something with it and keep cattle and sheep.
0:31:38 > 0:31:41We mill our own feed on the farm. So we grow a bit of that feed.
0:31:41 > 0:31:43It eventually gets fed to the hens.
0:31:43 > 0:31:47So it's keeping everything in the same loop.
0:31:47 > 0:31:51It feels like a proper farm now, having cows on it.
0:31:51 > 0:31:55Now we've got this fantastic opportunity, this farm,
0:31:55 > 0:32:00we've added extra livestock, things have come on leaps and bounds.
0:32:00 > 0:32:03And here we are, five years into our ten-year tenancy,
0:32:03 > 0:32:05and I feel we're starting to outgrow this place now!
0:32:08 > 0:32:12In total, we've got 70 ewes lambing in May.
0:32:12 > 0:32:18We've got seven beef cows which are pets as much as anything.
0:32:18 > 0:32:21And we've also got 69 dairy heifers which we bought as weaned calves and
0:32:21 > 0:32:22we're rearing them up.
0:32:25 > 0:32:29What we're trying to do is a mixed operation, and a bit of diversity.
0:32:34 > 0:32:37His sheer determination to build something out of nothing,
0:32:37 > 0:32:42despite the challenges, has made Gordon a natural nominee for this
0:32:42 > 0:32:44year's Against The Odds award.
0:32:45 > 0:32:49I think it's fair to say I'm very proud of what he's achieved.
0:32:49 > 0:32:52It was one of the things that attracted me to him, actually,
0:32:52 > 0:32:54it was just that determination that he had.
0:32:57 > 0:32:59It's recognition for the hard work.
0:32:59 > 0:33:01It gives the business more credibility,
0:33:01 > 0:33:05it shows our customers that we're doing good stuff.
0:33:05 > 0:33:07If we were to win the category, then it would be fantastic.
0:33:23 > 0:33:25All five of these finalists deserve to win.
0:33:27 > 0:33:31Their unwavering commitment to farming has encouraged them to
0:33:31 > 0:33:33overcome impossible challenges.
0:33:33 > 0:33:36And it's time to celebrate how far they have come.
0:33:36 > 0:33:38Come on.
0:33:38 > 0:33:42A prestigious award like this, winning it would be fantastic.
0:33:42 > 0:33:43Come on, lads.
0:33:43 > 0:33:45Everybody wants to win.
0:33:45 > 0:33:48- You're in it to win.- But we'll make sure we have a good night out.- Yeah.
0:33:51 > 0:33:54Looking forward to going out, it should be a good craic.
0:33:54 > 0:33:58We don't go out very often, me and Mari, we don't have great social lives.
0:33:58 > 0:34:01If we go out for a meal, it tends to be me sleeping on the table
0:34:01 > 0:34:04by nine o'clock at night and her like this.
0:34:04 > 0:34:07Sky, that'll do. Look away, look away.
0:34:07 > 0:34:09I'm trying not to think about winning the award because, yeah,
0:34:09 > 0:34:12it would mean... It would mean a huge amount.
0:34:12 > 0:34:16I mean, getting into the final five, that's a huge reward itself.
0:34:16 > 0:34:18There you go.
0:34:18 > 0:34:20Yeah, I'll be happy enough with that.
0:34:20 > 0:34:22But, of course, now that I'm here, you know,
0:34:22 > 0:34:24the stakes have gone up a wee bit.
0:34:41 > 0:34:44This year, it's Britain's second city, Birmingham,
0:34:44 > 0:34:46that is hosting the British Farming Awards.
0:34:48 > 0:34:53Over 700 farmers and industry professionals from across the UK are
0:34:53 > 0:34:56coming together to celebrate their year-long accomplishments.
0:34:59 > 0:35:03Places are filled, the stage is set.
0:35:03 > 0:35:06We just need our special guests.
0:35:06 > 0:35:09I love all the categories but I really do like
0:35:09 > 0:35:12the New Entrants award because I can really appreciate the
0:35:12 > 0:35:16struggles that these people have gone through.
0:35:16 > 0:35:19I just admire their determination to make it happen.
0:35:19 > 0:35:23That can't be underestimated. That is really something special.
0:35:27 > 0:35:30Travelling from all corners of the UK,
0:35:30 > 0:35:33our farmers are on their way to tonight's glitzy event.
0:35:35 > 0:35:40Organic chicken farmers Gordon and June have swapped their farm scrubs
0:35:40 > 0:35:41for more formal attire.
0:35:43 > 0:35:45And even Alexander has made an effort.
0:35:47 > 0:35:50Two or three days a year we get a chance to put the kilt on, so,
0:35:50 > 0:35:53a bit of a change to get dressed up but I always feel comfortable in a
0:35:53 > 0:35:56boiler suit, knee-height in muck.
0:35:57 > 0:36:01More of a concern tonight might be staying up past bedtime.
0:36:09 > 0:36:12All the way from the quiet and tranquillity of the Isle of Mull,
0:36:12 > 0:36:15Iain has brought his partner Claire along,
0:36:15 > 0:36:18but it's been more of a journey than predicted.
0:36:18 > 0:36:20Not used to such a volume of traffic.
0:36:20 > 0:36:22Traffic, three or four lines of traffic,
0:36:22 > 0:36:25it's not that common in Mull, you know.
0:36:25 > 0:36:27Any sort of traffic jam is usually caused by my cattle.
0:36:30 > 0:36:34Dairy farmer Matthew Jackson and Mari are getting a much-deserved
0:36:34 > 0:36:36night off from the farm.
0:36:37 > 0:36:40Well, he's changed in the last few days so I think he's
0:36:40 > 0:36:43starting to feel a bit anxious and nervous now about it, aren't you?
0:36:43 > 0:36:46A little bit. Yeah. I'm a little bit nervous.
0:36:46 > 0:36:49But that's normal, isn't it? It's a big deal, it's a big award.
0:36:49 > 0:36:51For brothers Wayne and Elliott,
0:36:51 > 0:36:54it's not only the farm they have left behind tonight.
0:36:56 > 0:37:00My partner Suranna has had to go into hospital today to have our
0:37:00 > 0:37:03third child, potentially. Definitely by tomorrow.
0:37:03 > 0:37:07So I have to race back in the morning to see how that's going.
0:37:09 > 0:37:13Nature farmers David and Rebecca are also expecting this evening.
0:37:13 > 0:37:17We're having to drive home tonight, we've got a cow that's about to calve.
0:37:17 > 0:37:19We've not got anybody helping at home.
0:37:19 > 0:37:22We've got to come down here, do this, get back up there again.
0:37:27 > 0:37:31Ladies and gentlemen, it's time to take your seat.
0:37:31 > 0:37:33- Cheers, everybody!- Cheers.
0:37:33 > 0:37:36Cheers. Have a good night. Behave!
0:37:38 > 0:37:40As for our five entrants,
0:37:40 > 0:37:44they've all faced an uphill struggle to get to where they are now,
0:37:44 > 0:37:46making it a very difficult category to judge.
0:37:48 > 0:37:51The New Entrant award is specifically titled
0:37:51 > 0:37:55Against The Odds because we believe that new entrants coming
0:37:55 > 0:37:59into agriculture face a huge raft of challenges, not just about sourcing
0:37:59 > 0:38:03land and sourcing funding, but dealing with red tape,
0:38:03 > 0:38:08with paperwork, kind of everyday issues that happen in farming.
0:38:08 > 0:38:13We had to really work hard at narrowing the entries down to
0:38:13 > 0:38:17eventually find the calibre and quality that each of the five
0:38:17 > 0:38:20finalists offer this year.
0:38:21 > 0:38:27Good evening, and welcome to the British Farming Awards 2017!
0:38:27 > 0:38:31With dinner eaten, it's time for the main event.
0:38:31 > 0:38:33Now it's the bit you've all be waiting for.
0:38:33 > 0:38:39There are 14 highly competitive and prestigious awards to be given out tonight.
0:38:45 > 0:38:47Plus prizes for runners-up.
0:38:49 > 0:38:51With so many awards to give out,
0:38:51 > 0:38:55our farmers can only wait for their category with anticipation.
0:38:57 > 0:39:00I didn't think I would feel nervous, but I do.
0:39:02 > 0:39:04But we'll just wait and see how we go, really.
0:39:04 > 0:39:05What will be, will be.
0:39:05 > 0:39:09- It's getting close now, we're getting a bit excited, aren't we?- Yeah.
0:39:09 > 0:39:10I've got everything crossed.
0:39:16 > 0:39:18And finally, the big moment.
0:39:18 > 0:39:23Our next award is the New Entrants award, Against The Odds.
0:39:23 > 0:39:26Given the tough thing that it is to get into this industry,
0:39:26 > 0:39:30we should give all of these entrants a really big round of applause to start with.
0:39:35 > 0:39:37And here goes, the shortlist.
0:39:37 > 0:39:39David and Rebecca Corrie-Close, The Horned Beef Company.
0:39:39 > 0:39:41APPLAUSE
0:39:43 > 0:39:45Matthew Jackson, Penllech Bach.
0:39:45 > 0:39:47APPLAUSE
0:39:48 > 0:39:50Iain MacKay, Torloisk Farm.
0:39:50 > 0:39:52APPLAUSE
0:39:52 > 0:39:56Wayne Sanders and Elliott Prettejohn, WE Organic Dairies.
0:39:57 > 0:40:00And Gordon and June Whiteford, Highland Eggs Scotland.
0:40:07 > 0:40:08And the winner is...
0:40:12 > 0:40:14..Matthew Jackson.
0:40:14 > 0:40:16CHEERING
0:40:32 > 0:40:33Well done.
0:40:46 > 0:40:49Absolutely never in a million years thought I was going to get it
0:40:49 > 0:40:52because I was up against some fantastic competition.
0:40:52 > 0:40:55And, yeah, I suppose this will boost my self-confidence.
0:40:57 > 0:41:00None of our farmers will be going home empty-handed.
0:41:01 > 0:41:05And for Wayne and Elliott, it's the runners-up prize.
0:41:05 > 0:41:09We've come a very nice silver place, didn't we?
0:41:09 > 0:41:12Tomorrow he's going to have another baby.
0:41:12 > 0:41:14And I'm going to have to milk the cows.
0:41:14 > 0:41:16I'm on two weeks' paternity so you...
0:41:16 > 0:41:18You don't get that.
0:41:18 > 0:41:21You don't get paternity leave with this deal we've got going!
0:41:21 > 0:41:22Why not?
0:41:24 > 0:41:25It's been an amazing night.
0:41:25 > 0:41:28We're disappointed not to have won but we're going away feeling
0:41:28 > 0:41:31positive about the future of our business and the future
0:41:31 > 0:41:33of farming in the UK.
0:41:34 > 0:41:40I'm going to go home absolutely enthused, energised and, yeah,
0:41:40 > 0:41:42maybe I'll think of another category and compete again!
0:41:45 > 0:41:48It's been a fantastic night tonight, with the creme de la creme of the farming industry here.
0:41:48 > 0:41:51So you can't not learn something.
0:41:51 > 0:41:53It's quite inspiring speaking to some of these people.
0:41:53 > 0:41:56Alexander's kilt has certainly been catching a few of the ladies' eyes,
0:41:56 > 0:41:59- it's fair to say.- I think he's... - Had a few compliments.
0:41:59 > 0:42:01He gets the prize for the best dressed today, tonight.
0:42:01 > 0:42:04Although maybe not now that he's wearing some of the chocolate
0:42:04 > 0:42:08dessert we had tonight which was very lovely.
0:42:08 > 0:42:11It's the end of the evening for some of our farmers.
0:42:11 > 0:42:15But, for the others, the night is still young.
0:42:18 > 0:42:22This award will follow me to one of the schools in Manchester where I'll
0:42:22 > 0:42:27show them just what can be done and what you can achieve from, you know,
0:42:27 > 0:42:28from humble beginnings.
0:42:31 > 0:42:33Super-proud, I couldn't be prouder.
0:42:33 > 0:42:36It's nice that all this hard work now has been recognised,
0:42:36 > 0:42:40and he thoroughly deserves this award. So, yeah, brilliant.