0:00:29 > 0:00:34The Blackdown Hills - a tranquil and beautiful landscape
0:00:34 > 0:00:37straddling the border between Devon and Somerset.
0:00:37 > 0:00:41Rolling hills, river valleys and high plateau
0:00:41 > 0:00:44make this the secret jewel in the West Country's crown.
0:00:46 > 0:00:49There's no end to the things you can turn into a competition
0:00:49 > 0:00:52in the countryside, and that includes hedge laying,
0:00:52 > 0:00:55but round here, it's got to be done the Devon way, right, George?
0:00:55 > 0:00:57Yeah, none of that old Yorkshire rubbish down here.
0:00:57 > 0:00:59You want it done properly.
0:01:00 > 0:01:02While Matt's hedging his bets,
0:01:02 > 0:01:06I'll be meeting local entrepreneurs who are turning fleeces into cash,
0:01:06 > 0:01:08but what will multimillionaire
0:01:08 > 0:01:12and fearsome dragon Deborah Meaden make of their ideas?
0:01:14 > 0:01:18So far, sounds good, but they'll have to do a lot more to convince me
0:01:18 > 0:01:20there's a real business opportunity.
0:01:20 > 0:01:22Meanwhile, John's looking into a rural business
0:01:22 > 0:01:25that's starting to struggle.
0:01:25 > 0:01:29I'm investigating the dramatic fall in sales of organic food in the UK.
0:01:29 > 0:01:33What's behind this decline? Maybe the results of our Countryfile survey
0:01:33 > 0:01:35into what you look for when you're out shopping
0:01:35 > 0:01:37may provide some of the answers.
0:01:37 > 0:01:42And down on the farm, Adam's learning to think like a sheep.
0:01:42 > 0:01:46They're not known for having the sharpest minds on the farm,
0:01:46 > 0:01:49but sheep behave the way they do for a good reason.
0:01:49 > 0:01:51I'll be finding out more.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05The Blackdown Hills on the Somerset and Devon border.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08A little-known area of outstanding natural beauty
0:02:08 > 0:02:11stretching for 143 square miles
0:02:11 > 0:02:15from Wellington in the north to Honiton in the south.
0:02:19 > 0:02:23This landscape is unique because there isn't a single city or town
0:02:23 > 0:02:27within its boundaries. The Blackdown Hills is scattered with
0:02:27 > 0:02:30small villages and mostly dairy farms
0:02:30 > 0:02:33all surrounded by miles and miles of hedges.
0:02:34 > 0:02:38There's around 33,000 miles of hedgerow in Devon,
0:02:38 > 0:02:41and winter is the ideal time to manage them.
0:02:41 > 0:02:43For decades, it's been the job for a traditional heritage layer.
0:02:44 > 0:02:49So I'm meeting a man who's known simply as The Hedge.
0:02:49 > 0:02:53Martin, how are you doing? Why are you called The Hedge?
0:02:53 > 0:02:55Well, I've been called lots of things over the years,
0:02:55 > 0:02:57but it probably comes from
0:02:57 > 0:03:00the fact that I've been hedge laying since I was nine.
0:03:00 > 0:03:04Currently, I'm chairman of the Blackdown Hills Hedge Association,
0:03:04 > 0:03:08- and for my sins, I'm currently the Devon National Champion.- Good lad!
0:03:08 > 0:03:12We're passionate about it, we want to keep this traditional skill alive.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15- Is it people coming from all walks of life?- All walks of life.
0:03:15 > 0:03:17It's important to pass the skill on to young people.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20Apart from it being a beautiful art form and a very practical skill,
0:03:20 > 0:03:22there's that competition element.
0:03:22 > 0:03:26I understand there's going to be a little competition today.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29We could spend hours talking about hedge laying, but quite honestly
0:03:29 > 0:03:32the best way for you to learn is to have a go, and we'll set up
0:03:32 > 0:03:34a bit of a competition this morning.
0:03:34 > 0:03:36- I'm happy to do that.- Good.
0:03:38 > 0:03:40Well, I'm not one to shy away from a challenge,
0:03:40 > 0:03:43but this is serious business.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46Joining Martin on the judging panel are previous hedge laying champions
0:03:46 > 0:03:49Roger Parris and Colin Ridson.
0:03:49 > 0:03:50I'm being partnered by George Pidgeon.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54He's been laying hedges for 50 years and knows his stuff.
0:03:54 > 0:03:59We're competing against Tom Aplin and Tessa Stone.
0:03:59 > 0:04:01- How experienced are you two? - We've done a little bit,
0:04:01 > 0:04:04but we'd like to keep the tradition alive.
0:04:04 > 0:04:05Very good.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08Seems like a level playing field. Let's get started.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11Unlike other hedges across the country,
0:04:11 > 0:04:13the ones in Devon sit on an earth bank.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16Hedge laying is all about restoring them so farm animals can't escape.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19Overgrown branches are used to plug the gaps.
0:04:19 > 0:04:23You have to cut them at the base and lay them down without severing them,
0:04:23 > 0:04:27so the branches can regrow. It's an art called pleaching.
0:04:30 > 0:04:32You're like me when I started,
0:04:32 > 0:04:33you're worrying about cutting it off.
0:04:33 > 0:04:36You don't want to be too frightened of it.
0:04:36 > 0:04:38- It's still holding. - Is that all right?
0:04:38 > 0:04:41- No, I think you've been and messed it up.- I told you!
0:04:41 > 0:04:44He was saying, "More, more, more!" I was like, "No!"
0:04:44 > 0:04:49I suppose that was probably down to inexperience, losing that pleacher.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52Who was the expert that told me to chop it?!
0:04:52 > 0:04:53That's true, yeah.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58'The next job is to hammer in a crook,
0:04:58 > 0:05:00'to keep the hedge in position.'
0:05:00 > 0:05:05- Go a bit more, if you can. - Oh, he's down!
0:05:05 > 0:05:08He's down! Steward's enquiry!
0:05:08 > 0:05:10Oh, dear, he obviously hasn't got his Devon legs on yet.
0:05:10 > 0:05:12'Right, stand by, everyone.
0:05:12 > 0:05:16'George is about to attempt the pleach of all pleaches.'
0:05:16 > 0:05:19- Have we gone too far, George? - No, we haven't.
0:05:19 > 0:05:21(Yes, we haven't gone too far!)
0:05:21 > 0:05:25So good. Oh, George, here it comes!
0:05:25 > 0:05:27Right, let it go.
0:05:29 > 0:05:32Oh, that's absolutely unbelievable!
0:05:32 > 0:05:35'Time to see how Tom and Tessa's work would compare.'
0:05:35 > 0:05:38- You've done a good job there. - Not bad.- Nice pleaching.
0:05:38 > 0:05:40- Listen to me, judging!- Yes.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43'The thing is, they haven't been entirely honest
0:05:43 > 0:05:45'about their credentials.'
0:05:45 > 0:05:50- Well, I'm National Young Farmer's Champion 2008.- Get in!
0:05:50 > 0:05:53Congratulations! Good lad!
0:05:53 > 0:05:57And I've currently got the Ladies' Cup
0:05:57 > 0:06:00- for the Blackdown Hills Hedge Association.- Thought so!
0:06:00 > 0:06:03It's lovely. Very, very nice.
0:06:03 > 0:06:05'Ringers, the pair of them!'
0:06:08 > 0:06:11- How about yourself? - Shall I tell you, or not?- Go on!
0:06:11 > 0:06:16- I've never actually won a competition.- Yes!
0:06:16 > 0:06:19- This is going to be the first! - Yeah, yeah!
0:06:19 > 0:06:23Time's up! Competition's over. Come join the judges for the decision.
0:06:23 > 0:06:27- Well, here we go.- Well done. - This is it, George.- Good job.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30- Better than them. - Let's go and get the verdict.
0:06:30 > 0:06:34And it's a very close decision, because you've both done
0:06:34 > 0:06:38a really, really good job with the material you've got available.
0:06:38 > 0:06:43We, basically, judged it on the quality of the cutting.
0:06:43 > 0:06:45We have to say,
0:06:45 > 0:06:48the result of the 2012 Countryfile
0:06:48 > 0:06:51Blackdown Hills Hedge Laying Competition is...
0:06:54 > 0:06:57- Matt and George.- Yes! We did it!
0:06:57 > 0:07:00That's amazing! I'm really sorry.
0:07:00 > 0:07:04I am. You can tell it by my voice!
0:07:06 > 0:07:09- Seriously? Is that serious?- George has won his first competition!
0:07:09 > 0:07:12- Look at that, man. That's tremendous!- You said I would!
0:07:15 > 0:07:20Well, I think I'm just going to sit here, and admire this winning hedge.
0:07:20 > 0:07:22Absolutely delighted!
0:07:22 > 0:07:25Now, for this week's Countryfile, we commissioned a special survey
0:07:25 > 0:07:29to find out what's most important to you when buying your food,
0:07:29 > 0:07:33but will this explain the drop in popularity of organic products?
0:07:33 > 0:07:35John has been to investigate.
0:07:44 > 0:07:47Today's supermarkets stock an incredible range of foods,
0:07:47 > 0:07:52designed to meet our increasingly sophisticated tastes.
0:07:52 > 0:07:56Among the items on the shelves are new types of familiar products,
0:07:56 > 0:07:58aimed at a new type of consumer.
0:07:59 > 0:08:05Now, this one says, "Fully Rainforest Alliance Certified Tea."
0:08:05 > 0:08:08To the fish counter.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11"From Responsibly Fished Sources."
0:08:11 > 0:08:15And it's pork chop for dinner tonight, I think. There we are.
0:08:15 > 0:08:17Ethical chops! Not so long ago,
0:08:17 > 0:08:20doing your grocery shopping was basically about two things,
0:08:20 > 0:08:24what it's going to taste like and how much it's going to cost.
0:08:24 > 0:08:26Not any more.
0:08:26 > 0:08:30Sales are booming in what's known as ethical produce,
0:08:30 > 0:08:34developed to please not only your stomach, but your conscience too.
0:08:34 > 0:08:38The Co-op carried out a wide study of ethical buying habits across the UK,
0:08:38 > 0:08:42and the man behind it is talking me through the latest trends.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45What we've seen in the ethical consumerism market
0:08:45 > 0:08:48is that that is now worth approaching £50 billion per annum,
0:08:48 > 0:08:51and it grew last year at almost 10% per annum.
0:08:51 > 0:08:55Consumers remain very loyal and very concerned about things like
0:08:55 > 0:08:59animal welfare, labour standards, like environmental impact,
0:08:59 > 0:09:03and want to consume responsibly, even at a time like this.
0:09:03 > 0:09:07'Yet while ethical food is gaining popularity,
0:09:07 > 0:09:11'the opposite is happening to the movement which started it all off.
0:09:11 > 0:09:16'Sales in organic food have fallen by nearly a quarter since 2008.'
0:09:16 > 0:09:18I think organics is interesting.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21I think it's helpful to actually look at the long-term
0:09:21 > 0:09:22performance of organics.
0:09:22 > 0:09:26What we have is a market which has gone from a very small market
0:09:26 > 0:09:28to a one and a half billion pound market in ten years.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31The success of organics is phenomenal. You could argue
0:09:31 > 0:09:34that the organic movement has done too good a job. In many ways,
0:09:34 > 0:09:37it's raised awareness of food production issues,
0:09:37 > 0:09:40it's raised consumer concern about these issues,
0:09:40 > 0:09:43and it's seen a response from many other producers, so, overall,
0:09:43 > 0:09:46we are shopping and buying more ethically,
0:09:46 > 0:09:48and within that, you've got the organics
0:09:48 > 0:09:51but you've got other standards consumers buy into.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54'It's all very different from when I joined Countryfile
0:09:54 > 0:09:56'20-odd years ago.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59'My first ever report was about the organic movement.'
0:09:59 > 0:10:03Today, we're investigating the upsurge in organic farming.
0:10:03 > 0:10:06One prediction is that by the year 2000,
0:10:06 > 0:10:1020% percent of British agriculture will be grown organically.
0:10:10 > 0:10:13'It's a prediction which never came true.
0:10:13 > 0:10:17'The proportion of UK farmland certified as organic
0:10:17 > 0:10:20'peaked at just over 4%, and it's now falling.'
0:10:21 > 0:10:25Farming organically means not using any of the chemicals
0:10:25 > 0:10:28that are commonplace in conventional agriculture.
0:10:28 > 0:10:33Livestock are given organic feed and a minimum of veterinary drugs.
0:10:33 > 0:10:37The criteria are strict and the costs can be high.
0:10:37 > 0:10:39'For some, too high.'
0:10:39 > 0:10:43'Richard Park converted his dairy farm to organic back in 2000,
0:10:43 > 0:10:47'but ten years later, he had to rethink.'
0:10:47 > 0:10:49What went wrong?
0:10:49 > 0:10:51I was worried at how the market was going.
0:10:51 > 0:10:53Organic does cost more to produce.
0:10:53 > 0:10:57I'd learnt a lot from organic, taken a lot of what I've learnt
0:10:57 > 0:11:00and taken that into the way I'm farming now.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03But I didn't feel the market was able to pay the prices
0:11:03 > 0:11:06I needed in order to make a living from it.
0:11:06 > 0:11:10- Purely a financial decision? - That was the main reason, yes,
0:11:10 > 0:11:11the undermining reason.
0:11:11 > 0:11:15If the market picks up again, would you consider going back to organics?
0:11:15 > 0:11:18Probably unlikely, to be honest.
0:11:20 > 0:11:24'Richard's venture into organics fell victim to the recession.
0:11:24 > 0:11:28'With less money in their pockets and rising living costs,
0:11:28 > 0:11:32'for many shoppers, organic has become unaffordable. Here's why.'
0:11:32 > 0:11:36- So how much is that? - That's £13.08, please.
0:11:38 > 0:11:43Right, that's the conventional food. Let's do another basket,
0:11:43 > 0:11:46almost identical, but with organics,
0:11:46 > 0:11:49and see what the price difference is.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56- How much is that, then? - £18.28.- Wow!
0:11:57 > 0:12:02'That's 40% higher, enough to put many shoppers off.
0:12:02 > 0:12:06'But is there more to the slump in organics than just price?
0:12:06 > 0:12:09'After all, sales of other premium ethical products
0:12:09 > 0:12:11'are rising, despite the recession.
0:12:11 > 0:12:15'And in Europe, organics aren't suffering the same decline.
0:12:15 > 0:12:19'To understand what's behind it, Countryfile has commissioned
0:12:19 > 0:12:21'an exclusive survey.'
0:12:21 > 0:12:24How important is each of the following when buying food?
0:12:24 > 0:12:27'We asked 1,000 people which things were important to them,
0:12:27 > 0:12:30'when buying food.
0:12:41 > 0:12:44'It seems animal welfare is now almost as much a concern
0:12:44 > 0:12:47'to consumers as price.
0:12:47 > 0:12:51'But whether the food is organic matters far less.
0:12:51 > 0:12:54'So what will the organisation which represents organic farmers
0:12:54 > 0:12:56'make of our findings?'
0:12:56 > 0:12:59We haven't, clearly, got the benefits of organic farming
0:12:59 > 0:13:01across to the public well enough,
0:13:01 > 0:13:03because 90% of your respondents
0:13:03 > 0:13:06said they really care about animal welfare, and yet organic
0:13:06 > 0:13:10is probably the best scheme, giving animals a natural, humane life.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13Surely what's happened is that they can look
0:13:13 > 0:13:15for other labels now, that guarantee
0:13:15 > 0:13:17that animals will be well looked after?
0:13:17 > 0:13:20There are other labels, which is great,
0:13:20 > 0:13:22because I think it's important that you have stepping stones
0:13:22 > 0:13:25from really industrial agriculture to organic,
0:13:25 > 0:13:26but they are stepping stones.
0:13:26 > 0:13:30Whilst there are single issue labels which do help give guarantees
0:13:30 > 0:13:33of, for instance, animal welfare, with organic,
0:13:33 > 0:13:37it's a system which is trying to get it all right, not just one thing.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40'If there's to be a recovery, however,
0:13:40 > 0:13:43'we all need to be convinced, when we go shopping,
0:13:43 > 0:13:46'that organic does bring real benefits.'
0:13:46 > 0:13:50What are those supposed benefits, and how do they stack up?
0:13:50 > 0:13:54That's what I'll be asking when I continue in a few minutes' time.
0:13:56 > 0:14:00The tops of the Blackdown Hills, ideal for farming sheep.
0:14:00 > 0:14:04As well as meat, sheep farmers earn extra income by selling wool.
0:14:04 > 0:14:09But it's an erratic market - prices unpredictable.
0:14:09 > 0:14:10So how do farmers today
0:14:10 > 0:14:14still make money from this most basic commodity?
0:14:14 > 0:14:17'I'll be meeting two local businesses with fresh approaches
0:14:17 > 0:14:19'to the textile industry.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22'Later, local tycoon and multi-millionaire star
0:14:22 > 0:14:24'of Dragons' Den, Deborah Meaden,
0:14:24 > 0:14:29'will cast a critical eye and offer her expert advice.'
0:14:29 > 0:14:30It's a very interesting industry,
0:14:30 > 0:14:34because we don't really have a sheep herd that produces wool any more.
0:14:38 > 0:14:44'The first of these businesses is run by Nicky, Tim and Sally.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47'They found a use for wool that would otherwise go to waste.'
0:14:47 > 0:14:51You know you order a box of meat and it's delivered to your door?
0:14:51 > 0:14:54- Yeah.- And something has to keep it cool while it's on the doorstep?
0:14:54 > 0:14:58- We do the liners that go inside and keep it cool.- How amazing!
0:14:58 > 0:15:02We bring it over here, onto this very high-tech piece of equipment,
0:15:02 > 0:15:03known as the wanger.
0:15:03 > 0:15:06It gets covered with a plastic sleeve, we seal it,
0:15:06 > 0:15:09- so we need to come here to the sealing machine.- Got it.
0:15:09 > 0:15:12The wool is from sheep in the Blackdown Hills,
0:15:12 > 0:15:16and is relatively cheap because of the coarse texture and dark fibres
0:15:16 > 0:15:21that make it hard to dye and undesirable for most textiles.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24So the team have transformed it into an array of boot liners,
0:15:24 > 0:15:27'phone covers and an intriguing creation.'
0:15:27 > 0:15:31What are these strange, fluffy things hanging from the ceiling?
0:15:31 > 0:15:34We're going to be pitching these to Deborah Meaden.
0:15:34 > 0:15:37And if I hold this up, you might get an idea of what it's for.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40Put your face really close up to it and say hello to it.
0:15:40 > 0:15:45Are you having me on? Hello. Oh! Hello.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48It's, um...what is that? It's... kind of a...muffled sound,
0:15:48 > 0:15:51- but actually, I can hear myself very loudly.- Aha!
0:15:51 > 0:15:53Ohh! Intriguing!
0:15:53 > 0:15:57'But will it catch Deborah Meaden's attention?
0:15:57 > 0:16:00'As the owner of the last wool mill in the region,
0:16:00 > 0:16:03'she knows the industry inside out.'
0:16:03 > 0:16:06And tonight, I'm going to be a Dragon too!
0:16:17 > 0:16:20Hello. We're the Woolly Shepherd - Nicky, Tim and Sally.
0:16:20 > 0:16:25We're taking wool waste to entirely new places.
0:16:25 > 0:16:29This is one of our acoustic clouds. They're used to absorb the sound
0:16:29 > 0:16:32that would normally bounce around echoey rooms, like noisy restaurants
0:16:32 > 0:16:36and those sorts of places. It's made entirely from natural materials,
0:16:36 > 0:16:40and it's the only low carbon alternative on the market.
0:16:40 > 0:16:43We also make other wool products
0:16:43 > 0:16:46like mobile phone covers, a wine wizard,
0:16:46 > 0:16:49and the other thing we do is boot liners.
0:16:49 > 0:16:52- Are you making profit yet? - Not yet, no.
0:16:52 > 0:16:56Do you know how much you need to turn over before you make a profit?
0:16:56 > 0:16:58Between 50,000 and 100,000.
0:16:58 > 0:17:00Where our most of your sales coming from?
0:17:00 > 0:17:04Most of the sales are from the acoustic clouds.
0:17:04 > 0:17:06You see, I think that's very interesting.
0:17:06 > 0:17:10We have these installed in several places already, and they work.
0:17:10 > 0:17:14For me, the rest of this range is nice,
0:17:14 > 0:17:17but that, to me, is a serious market. Get hold of that,
0:17:17 > 0:17:19get copyright protection on the name,
0:17:19 > 0:17:22you really come up with something quite funky,
0:17:22 > 0:17:25and you can do some more colours, I think your £50,000-100,000,
0:17:25 > 0:17:27if you get that right,
0:17:27 > 0:17:29you'll walk it.
0:17:29 > 0:17:32Thank you. Thank you for your help.
0:17:39 > 0:17:41So what did you think of them, Deborah?
0:17:41 > 0:17:44I think they've got the seeds of a very good idea there,
0:17:44 > 0:17:47but I think they're a little scatter-gun in product approach.
0:17:47 > 0:17:51They're trying to use the material, as opposed to thinking,
0:17:51 > 0:17:54"Actually, which market are we going to really attack?"
0:17:54 > 0:17:57'The next businessman I'm meeting has fashioned himself
0:17:57 > 0:18:02'a lucrative niche in the natural textile market.
0:18:02 > 0:18:04'But he works with a different fibre.
0:18:04 > 0:18:08'Farmer Steve Whitley produces socks from mohair,
0:18:08 > 0:18:10'the hair of the Angora goat.'
0:18:10 > 0:18:13Why is their fleece so good for these socks?
0:18:13 > 0:18:16- They're soft to the touch. - Really soft.
0:18:16 > 0:18:20It's actually very resistant to abrasion, to rubbing.
0:18:20 > 0:18:22You can't think of anywhere else better,
0:18:22 > 0:18:25where you need a strong fibre,
0:18:25 > 0:18:27- than in a pair of socks. - On your feet.
0:18:27 > 0:18:29Getting rubbed on all the time.
0:18:35 > 0:18:39When the bale is full, it'll weigh about 180 kilos,
0:18:39 > 0:18:44and we'll get maybe 1700 pairs of socks out of one bale.
0:18:44 > 0:18:48So Steve, how are you feeling about Deborah Meaden and the pitch?
0:18:48 > 0:18:50A bit worried, really, but everybody tells me
0:18:50 > 0:18:54she's really friendly and I'm really looking forward to it.
0:18:54 > 0:18:58But Steve, can a Dragon be impressed by socks?
0:19:05 > 0:19:12Hello! Have a leg! In 1988, we got our first Angora goat.
0:19:12 > 0:19:16We started using the mohair for making sweaters and shawls,
0:19:16 > 0:19:19and so we thought, "Well, why don't we make some socks?"
0:19:19 > 0:19:24The rest is history, and we now sell 25,000 pairs of socks a year.
0:19:24 > 0:19:28So why would they buy your socks over other socks out there
0:19:28 > 0:19:32- on the market?- Our socks are much harder wearing than any wool socks.
0:19:32 > 0:19:36Mohair itself is known for being the diamond fibre,
0:19:36 > 0:19:40because it's hard - three times more resistant to abrasion than wool.
0:19:40 > 0:19:44- Are you making any profit yet? - Ever since we started.
0:19:44 > 0:19:48- How big can you get?- A long time ago, we outstripped our own supply.
0:19:48 > 0:19:52We decided not to increase our flock exponentially.
0:19:52 > 0:19:56So could you, theoretically, source all of your mohair
0:19:56 > 0:19:59within the UK and quadruple the size of your business?
0:19:59 > 0:20:02Yes, if we bought the mohair from British producers.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05- So that's not a limiting factor? - No.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08I've got one very warm foot here, Steve. Thank you very much.
0:20:08 > 0:20:10A pleasure. Thank you very much indeed.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19So how do you think Steve can make his business bigger?
0:20:19 > 0:20:23I think the only thing stopping Steve growing is his own targets,
0:20:23 > 0:20:26his own view of how big he can grow.
0:20:26 > 0:20:30Generally speaking, what are your hopes for the UK textile industry?
0:20:30 > 0:20:33I think there's going to be a resurgence of interest
0:20:33 > 0:20:37in our natural products and wool products, because people
0:20:37 > 0:20:40are interested in where things are made, the provenance,
0:20:40 > 0:20:43and the fact that it's well made and ethically made,
0:20:43 > 0:20:45and that's becoming more important.
0:20:45 > 0:20:47We may leave the Countryfile den!
0:20:53 > 0:20:56Now, earlier, we heard about the dramatic
0:20:56 > 0:20:58fall in the sales of organic produce in the UK.
0:20:58 > 0:21:01So is this the beginning of the end for organics?
0:21:01 > 0:21:03Here's John.
0:21:09 > 0:21:12A food cooperative in Newcastle,
0:21:12 > 0:21:15specialising in organic fruit and veg.
0:21:15 > 0:21:18The organic sector, as a whole, may be losing some of its shine,
0:21:18 > 0:21:21but away from the bright lights of the supermarkets,
0:21:21 > 0:21:24customers here are keeping the faith.
0:21:24 > 0:21:27I buy organic.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30I can be fairly secure that the surface is clean
0:21:30 > 0:21:33of chemical residues, and it tastes better.
0:21:33 > 0:21:36Why do you buy organic food?
0:21:36 > 0:21:39I think because it's probably tastier.
0:21:39 > 0:21:41But claims like this are difficult to prove,
0:21:41 > 0:21:44and these shoppers are in a minority.
0:21:44 > 0:21:47According to our Countryfile survey,
0:21:47 > 0:21:49although 97% of people
0:21:49 > 0:21:53said they had at least a little understanding of organic food,
0:21:53 > 0:21:57only a third let it influence what they're buying.
0:21:57 > 0:22:00In a bid to separate fact from fiction,
0:22:00 > 0:22:04two years ago, the Government's Food Standards Agency published a report
0:22:04 > 0:22:06about the benefits of organic food.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09If you were an organic farmer, there's one headline
0:22:09 > 0:22:12that you wouldn't want to see and this is it -
0:22:12 > 0:22:15"Organic Food Not Healthier."
0:22:15 > 0:22:19The FSA examined more than 150 scientific studies
0:22:19 > 0:22:22since the 1950s and concluded there was no evidence
0:22:22 > 0:22:25that nutritionally, organic food is any better for you.
0:22:25 > 0:22:29The organic movement accused the report of being selective
0:22:29 > 0:22:33and not telling the whole story.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36To get the latest view, I'm visiting a government funded study,
0:22:36 > 0:22:39run by the Agriculture Department of Newcastle University.
0:22:39 > 0:22:43The fields to the east of this track are managed to organic standards,
0:22:43 > 0:22:46and all the fields to the west are managed conventionally...
0:22:46 > 0:22:50'In fact, the whole of Nafferton Farm is divided in two -
0:22:50 > 0:22:53'one half's organic, the other half conventional.'
0:22:53 > 0:22:56So these are our organic cows, and our conventional cows
0:22:56 > 0:22:59are housed in a building across at the other side of the farm.
0:22:59 > 0:23:03'The idea is to compare the performance of the two systems.
0:23:03 > 0:23:07'Back in the lab, analysis of milk is yielding
0:23:07 > 0:23:12- 'some interesting results.' - Milk fat's made of fatty acids.
0:23:12 > 0:23:14Some of the fats are good for us,
0:23:14 > 0:23:18so we're measuring the concentration of these particular fats
0:23:18 > 0:23:21in milk under different management systems.
0:23:21 > 0:23:25Are there more of these good fatty acids in organic milk?
0:23:25 > 0:23:29- That's what our research has found. - What would you say, personally?
0:23:29 > 0:23:32Do you think organic food is better for us, or not?
0:23:32 > 0:23:36I think I've gathered a lot of evidence that shows, certainly,
0:23:36 > 0:23:40organic milk is better for us. We've found evidence
0:23:40 > 0:23:42that organic carrots have a different composition,
0:23:42 > 0:23:46although we don't know yet what that means in terms of health,
0:23:46 > 0:23:49and we've identified lower levels of cadmium, a heavy metal,
0:23:49 > 0:23:53in organic wheat, that would be made into bread,
0:23:53 > 0:23:55compared to conventional wheat.
0:23:55 > 0:24:00More research is needed to know for sure whether eating organic food
0:24:00 > 0:24:04is better for you, but advocates say there are other reasons to try it.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07We've heard that welfare standards are generally higher,
0:24:07 > 0:24:11and organic produce should be better for the environment.
0:24:11 > 0:24:15This research project in Cumbria is measuring agricultural pollution.
0:24:15 > 0:24:19With food production, with using nitrogen and phosphorus fertilisers,
0:24:19 > 0:24:22we really have to watch rivers and lake and water quality.
0:24:22 > 0:24:26- It's a problem the world over. - And pesticides, insecticides,
0:24:26 > 0:24:29- all washing in as well?- Yeah. These are all normal problems.
0:24:29 > 0:24:33We're trying to work with farmers to try and help them make a living,
0:24:33 > 0:24:37produce food, but at the same time minimise effects on water quality.
0:24:37 > 0:24:42The water here falls below the European target of "good"
0:24:42 > 0:24:45because of pollution from fertilisers used in conventional farming.
0:24:45 > 0:24:49- So, is organic the answer? - Certainly, it's good
0:24:49 > 0:24:53that organic farms manage nutrient inputs, nitrogen and phosphorus,
0:24:53 > 0:24:57and that's got to be good. They keep a really watchful eye on it.
0:24:57 > 0:25:01Conventional farmers ought to be doing that as part of good practice.
0:25:01 > 0:25:04And let's remember, also, that all types of farming,
0:25:04 > 0:25:08organic farming included, does have to deal with manure and slurry,
0:25:08 > 0:25:11and manure and slurry is vulnerable, and does leak to the environment.
0:25:11 > 0:25:15In other words, organic is not perfect.
0:25:15 > 0:25:19But in general, it does have a more limited impact on nature.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22Organic farming can have some environmental benefits
0:25:22 > 0:25:26and some organic produce can be more nutritious,
0:25:26 > 0:25:29but is that enough to make it all worthwhile?
0:25:29 > 0:25:31If our survey's anything to go by,
0:25:31 > 0:25:35most consumers still don't think so, so what now?
0:25:35 > 0:25:3820-odd years ago, when I first started on this programme,
0:25:38 > 0:25:43there was a big debate going on about whether organics had a future.
0:25:43 > 0:25:44Has it?
0:25:44 > 0:25:48Well, 20 years ago, under £100 million worth of organic food
0:25:48 > 0:25:53was being sold in the UK a year - it's now at least £1.7 billion.
0:25:53 > 0:25:57So over that period of time, things have moved on hugely.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00In the longer term, there is no alternative.
0:26:00 > 0:26:03We have to be farming in a more organic way, because it's more
0:26:03 > 0:26:06resource efficient, it looks after our biodiversity, it looks after
0:26:06 > 0:26:10the health of our planet as well as the health of us, and so it's
0:26:10 > 0:26:12the common-sense way into the future
0:26:12 > 0:26:14as resources become more constrained.
0:26:14 > 0:26:18It might not all be certified organic - those methods
0:26:18 > 0:26:21and that wisdom that we've been husbanding over the last 50-80 years
0:26:21 > 0:26:26is going to be incredibly important for the future prosperity
0:26:26 > 0:26:32of humanity and the planet, without sounding too bold about it!
0:26:34 > 0:26:38But making that case to cash-strapped consumers is a big challenge.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41It's not being helped by those new kids on the block,
0:26:41 > 0:26:44those ethically, but conventionally-produced foods.
0:26:44 > 0:26:48Will they continue to thrive at the expense of organics?
0:26:48 > 0:26:51That promised revolution still has a long way to go.
0:26:53 > 0:26:57Traditional hedge-laying involves a lot of chopping away of branches
0:26:57 > 0:26:59and twigs to create this animal-proof barrier,
0:26:59 > 0:27:02and in times gone by, villagers would have used
0:27:02 > 0:27:04these bits of wood for their fires and ovens.
0:27:04 > 0:27:07But they'd have had to gather them up quickly, because there would be
0:27:07 > 0:27:10lots of master craftsmen keen to get their hands on them.
0:27:12 > 0:27:16Ivor Hancock is a traditional basket-weaver and craftsman.
0:27:16 > 0:27:19He has a much better use for these off-cuts
0:27:19 > 0:27:20than letting them go for firewood.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23How long have you been making chairs like this, Ivor?
0:27:23 > 0:27:27Since I was a boy - an old man showed me years ago,
0:27:27 > 0:27:29when I was about 14 years of age.
0:27:29 > 0:27:34I'm 77 now, and this old man showed me, like, and I've been doing them...
0:27:34 > 0:27:36You've been doing them ever since.
0:27:36 > 0:27:38Ever since. Next thing we need,
0:27:38 > 0:27:40- we're going to put a back across here.- OK.
0:27:40 > 0:27:43- We'll go over there and get one.- OK.
0:27:43 > 0:27:48You select the right back for that and I'll get the drill ready.
0:27:48 > 0:27:51OK, well - while I get on with this,
0:27:52 > 0:27:56here's what else is coming up on this week's Countryfile.
0:27:56 > 0:28:00Adam will be finding out how sheep think - if he can grab one!
0:28:00 > 0:28:01HE LAUGHS
0:28:01 > 0:28:03I'll never be able to catch one like that!
0:28:03 > 0:28:07Ellie's plans for a winter picnic get off to a shaky start.
0:28:07 > 0:28:09Hang on - look at my knot!
0:28:09 > 0:28:11I was a Guide, as well - that's embarrassing!
0:28:11 > 0:28:12Sorry!
0:28:12 > 0:28:15And if you're brave enough to try some alfresco dining,
0:28:15 > 0:28:19you'll need the Countryfile five-day forecast.
0:28:26 > 0:28:28But first, back to the DIY.
0:28:31 > 0:28:34And there we have a chair made out of bits of wood
0:28:34 > 0:28:36discarded from a hedge.
0:28:36 > 0:28:39It's incredible, Ivor. It's a beautiful design,
0:28:39 > 0:28:41- is it all right on sit on?- Oh, yes, quite all right to sit in it.
0:28:41 > 0:28:43- It'll take my weight, yes?- Yep.
0:28:43 > 0:28:45Here we go, let's try it out.
0:28:45 > 0:28:48That is lovely, Ivor. Absolutely delightful.
0:28:48 > 0:28:52A very pleasurable chair. Now, from one country craft to another.
0:28:52 > 0:28:55Helen has been back to her home county to find out more
0:28:55 > 0:28:57about a family business that's raking it in.
0:29:08 > 0:29:09Dufton.
0:29:09 > 0:29:12It may just look like a sleepy village in the heart of Cumbria,
0:29:12 > 0:29:16but it's also the centre of the universe when it comes to
0:29:16 > 0:29:21making something that most of us have used somewhere down the line - rakes.
0:29:21 > 0:29:23Yes, the humble rake.
0:29:23 > 0:29:26Don't get me wrong, I'm not here just to clear the lawns,
0:29:26 > 0:29:30I've come to find out why this particular rake is so special.
0:29:32 > 0:29:35This chap has got something to do with it.
0:29:35 > 0:29:37John Rudd and his son Graeme
0:29:37 > 0:29:41have almost 100 years of rake-making experience between them,
0:29:41 > 0:29:44and I have the honour of being their apprentice for the day.
0:29:46 > 0:29:47So where do you want me?
0:29:47 > 0:29:49If you can sit on that cushion there, Helen,
0:29:49 > 0:29:51- we will make a few rake heads.- OK.
0:29:53 > 0:29:57- You just pop them into here. - OK. Right.
0:29:57 > 0:30:02- These are the teeth for the rake, are they?- You've 16 per rake, per head.
0:30:04 > 0:30:06It's like a living museum in here, isn't it?
0:30:06 > 0:30:08It's a productive little factory, isn't it?
0:30:08 > 0:30:12It's a pretty old room - it's 1632, so it...
0:30:12 > 0:30:14There've not been many workshops that old for you!
0:30:14 > 0:30:16And how long have you been working in here?
0:30:16 > 0:30:21Not since then, quite, but um...about 65 years.
0:30:21 > 0:30:23- 65 years?- Yeah, yeah.
0:30:23 > 0:30:27So how old were you when you started making rakes?
0:30:27 > 0:30:29About eight, I should think. Eight or nine year old.
0:30:29 > 0:30:31So did you start with your dad, then?
0:30:31 > 0:30:35Me grandfather started the business and then my dad took over.
0:30:35 > 0:30:37The design of the rake hasn't changed any,
0:30:37 > 0:30:40it's exactly what my grandfather made - we've just added
0:30:40 > 0:30:43a little bit of machinery to make life a little bit easier.
0:30:44 > 0:30:47And you managed to get your son involved.
0:30:47 > 0:30:49Yeah, there's only the two of us work now.
0:30:49 > 0:30:54We used to be maybe three, but it's only me and my son now.
0:30:54 > 0:30:56He can't hear us over the machines, so be honest -
0:30:56 > 0:31:00what's it like working in such close proximity?
0:31:00 > 0:31:03We get on quite well, we just work, so we don't do any...
0:31:03 > 0:31:05We never fall out.
0:31:06 > 0:31:09- Just get on with it. - We've all got our own jobs,
0:31:09 > 0:31:12we know what we're doing and we just get on with it.
0:31:12 > 0:31:15Now it's Graeme's turn to look after the rookie.
0:31:15 > 0:31:19This is a bit different to the steam rooms I'm used to!
0:31:19 > 0:31:21What happens in here, then?
0:31:21 > 0:31:25- This is where we bend the bows for the rakes.- These are the bows?
0:31:25 > 0:31:28- That's right. - What sort of wood's this?- Ash.
0:31:28 > 0:31:33So, if I take one of these out, what are we doing with it?
0:31:33 > 0:31:35Take it out and if you set the end in there...
0:31:35 > 0:31:40- Right.- ..and pull this lever round.
0:31:40 > 0:31:41Oh! That is easy to bend, isn't it?
0:31:41 > 0:31:45- Yep.- So how long has this been cooking for?
0:31:45 > 0:31:48About ten minutes. And then set it in there.
0:31:48 > 0:31:50Right.
0:31:50 > 0:31:53So it's this rack that's actually setting it?
0:31:53 > 0:31:57Yes, a day on there and it'll be pretty much set.
0:31:58 > 0:31:59Oh, I like this process.
0:31:59 > 0:32:04It's a bit like pasta, you boil the wood, making it soft.
0:32:04 > 0:32:07So how old were you when you started working with your dad?
0:32:07 > 0:32:11I used to come in in school holidays
0:32:11 > 0:32:16so I've probably been working with him for...30 years, probably.
0:32:16 > 0:32:21My dad's 73 and he hasn't retired yet, so...
0:32:21 > 0:32:23I don't intend to work until I'm 73!
0:32:25 > 0:32:28But John just can't seem to get enough.
0:32:28 > 0:32:31Now for the final part of my apprenticeship.
0:32:33 > 0:32:35Right, John, I've bent bows.
0:32:35 > 0:32:37Is there anything else I can do to be useful?
0:32:37 > 0:32:40Would you like to have a go at putting a bow into a rake?
0:32:40 > 0:32:43- Why not? - Just pop that into the vice.- OK.
0:32:43 > 0:32:45Upright, like that?
0:32:46 > 0:32:47Um... Grab that.
0:32:47 > 0:32:49Put that head down.
0:32:49 > 0:32:53'John and Graeme make 10,000 rakes a year and it takes about 15 minutes
0:32:53 > 0:32:57'to finish one, but with me in tow, it's taking a little longer.'
0:32:57 > 0:33:01- Not on the end? - Try and fit that one in.
0:33:01 > 0:33:04Now we'll check to see if it's square.
0:33:04 > 0:33:07- Pop it in that hole there.- Right.
0:33:07 > 0:33:10Now just spin this end... Get hold of it. Spin it round.
0:33:10 > 0:33:13You see that's come to there - now spin this end...
0:33:13 > 0:33:16See, that's not square, so you have to put it back into the vice.
0:33:16 > 0:33:22- A good few inches off, isn't it?- And just hit it a little bit on there.
0:33:24 > 0:33:27Does anybody else make rakes in this way?
0:33:27 > 0:33:30I don't think so. We don't really know of anybody else,
0:33:30 > 0:33:31so we hopefully...
0:33:33 > 0:33:35There.
0:33:36 > 0:33:40Hmm, I think that's... I would have been tempted to say that was perfect!
0:33:40 > 0:33:45- Good!- Yeah, that's all right, isn't it? Yes!- That's good enough. Good.
0:33:45 > 0:33:47That'll pass the quality control.
0:33:47 > 0:33:49Graeme!
0:33:49 > 0:33:53- (Don't nail it!)- Don't nail it? Why? Is it not good enough?
0:33:53 > 0:33:56You're chucking it in the fire, aren't you?!
0:33:56 > 0:33:58He is! Right! I'll show them.
0:34:08 > 0:34:11- Wow, that's about perfect! Spot-on!- Yes!
0:34:11 > 0:34:13- That's all right!- Yeah, success.
0:34:15 > 0:34:19And with a few nails, and a bit of cleaning up, it's all done.
0:34:22 > 0:34:24John, I'm happy with that - I think that's...
0:34:24 > 0:34:28- Yeah, that's pretty good, Helen. - Neat enough, isn't it? There we go.
0:34:28 > 0:34:32- One finished rake.- Now, would you like to keep it?- Is that all right?
0:34:32 > 0:34:34Since you made it and finished it off.
0:34:34 > 0:34:37Thank you very much. I genuinely really appreciate that.
0:34:37 > 0:34:38Good, thanks. Good.
0:34:38 > 0:34:41From log to rake, heading straight to my garden!
0:34:41 > 0:34:44DOOR CREAKS
0:34:44 > 0:34:48You know, whatever the object, if it's hand-crafted using skills that
0:34:48 > 0:34:53have been perfected over decades, you have a huge appreciation for it.
0:34:54 > 0:35:00And John's determined that this is one tradition that will live on.
0:35:01 > 0:35:03- See you tomorrow, Father. - OK, Graeme. Ta-ra.
0:35:06 > 0:35:08I'm getting older now, but I'm still fit,
0:35:08 > 0:35:10so another five or six years, I reckon.
0:35:10 > 0:35:12Dad carried on till he was I think about 84,
0:35:12 > 0:35:14so I might try and match him.
0:35:16 > 0:35:18I didn't maybe know anything else when I was young,
0:35:18 > 0:35:22but making rakes, and it's just quiet country life,
0:35:22 > 0:35:26there's no pressure, you don't have to dash about so much.
0:35:26 > 0:35:29It's an ancient craft and there's not many craftsmen left -
0:35:29 > 0:35:34definitely not many making rakes left, so we'll keep it going.
0:35:37 > 0:35:38DOOR CREAKS
0:35:44 > 0:35:46This week, down on the farm,
0:35:46 > 0:35:49Adam is meeting up with an animal behaviourist
0:35:49 > 0:35:51to learn how to think like a sheep.
0:35:54 > 0:35:57- By!- But before that, he has some pregnant females to tend to.
0:36:01 > 0:36:03SHEEP BLEAT
0:36:05 > 0:36:07As springtime approaches,
0:36:07 > 0:36:10it signifies a really busy time on the farm.
0:36:10 > 0:36:11In about a month,
0:36:11 > 0:36:14the farm will be buzzing with new life as the lambing starts.
0:36:14 > 0:36:17The pregnant ewes out in the field have been keeping us busy.
0:36:17 > 0:36:20A lot of preparation goes on before lambing gets under way,
0:36:20 > 0:36:23so I need to get these girls into the handling pens.
0:36:23 > 0:36:27Moving sheep around is always easier said than done.
0:36:27 > 0:36:31They'll quite often go where you don't want them to
0:36:31 > 0:36:34and when you get sheep into a corner like this... Away, Pal - away!
0:36:34 > 0:36:36..That's the last place they want to be,
0:36:36 > 0:36:39cos they feel like they're going to get caught and trapped.
0:36:39 > 0:36:43Which is what we're intending to do, to get them into these pens.
0:36:51 > 0:36:53These handling systems are essential
0:36:53 > 0:36:57when it comes to sorting out animals, particularly sheep, and they're
0:36:57 > 0:37:01designed so the sheep will run down the race here - a narrow corridor -
0:37:01 > 0:37:05and Mike's at the other end and he'll separate the ewes out that we want,
0:37:05 > 0:37:08so bring them into this collecting pen that's curved
0:37:08 > 0:37:11and then they'll start running down the race here.
0:37:11 > 0:37:14All these ewes are heavily pregnant.
0:37:14 > 0:37:17We're sorting out the ones that are going to lamb in the first few weeks
0:37:17 > 0:37:20from the ones who are lambing a bit later
0:37:20 > 0:37:23so you have to be careful with them, because they're carrying lambs
0:37:23 > 0:37:25inside them, so we don't want to bash them around or rush them too much.
0:37:27 > 0:37:29Go on, missus!
0:37:33 > 0:37:34They follow each other like that
0:37:34 > 0:37:37so I was learning to stand to the side and they'll run past you.
0:37:37 > 0:37:40Even though they're frightened of me, they're really keen
0:37:40 > 0:37:43to follow each other and you can see they're running past me now.
0:37:43 > 0:37:46Come on then, girls. Green... Don't know what that is.
0:37:46 > 0:37:48Green, ooh. Red, red!
0:37:51 > 0:37:54We're just letting these sheep out slowly, cos Mike's counting them
0:37:54 > 0:37:56so we know how many there are in the group,
0:37:56 > 0:37:58so we can feed them the right amount of grub.
0:37:58 > 0:38:00They're keen to stay together.
0:38:00 > 0:38:03Sheep have a bit of a reputation for not being very clever,
0:38:03 > 0:38:06but actually, they like being together as a flock
0:38:06 > 0:38:07for a very good reason.
0:38:08 > 0:38:12If a shepherd's going to look after his flock successfully, he needs
0:38:12 > 0:38:15to know what makes them tick, so I've invited animal behaviourist
0:38:15 > 0:38:16Cathy Dwyer to my farm,
0:38:16 > 0:38:19to help me see the world through the eyes of a sheep.
0:38:22 > 0:38:25So Cathy, why do you want to sneak up on this flock of sheep, then?
0:38:25 > 0:38:28We want to look at their undisturbed behaviour,
0:38:28 > 0:38:30so although it looks like they're just little woolly blobs
0:38:30 > 0:38:32on the field doing nothing much,
0:38:32 > 0:38:35actually you're looking at a sheep society, if you like.
0:38:35 > 0:38:37Animals will choose to graze with each other,
0:38:37 > 0:38:41so we have a group of animals over here who may be related
0:38:41 > 0:38:44to each other, or are friends, grazing buddies, if you like.
0:38:44 > 0:38:46- Ooh, they've just spotted us. - They have.
0:38:46 > 0:38:49And they're running now!
0:38:52 > 0:38:54Sheep are prey animals.
0:38:54 > 0:38:57They've evolved keen instincts to spot predators like wolves
0:38:57 > 0:38:58and of course us humans.
0:38:58 > 0:39:03A field of sheep means lots of pairs of eyes on the lookout for trouble.
0:39:03 > 0:39:06When one raises the alarm, they start to flock together.
0:39:06 > 0:39:09As we all know, there's safety in numbers.
0:39:10 > 0:39:13For an approaching predator, the key to success lies in picking out
0:39:13 > 0:39:16a weakness, like a sheep that's old or one that's sick,
0:39:16 > 0:39:18but the flock seems to know this
0:39:18 > 0:39:23and so sacrifices its weaker members.
0:39:23 > 0:39:26Within the group of animals, you'll have animals that are dominant,
0:39:26 > 0:39:29so these are the animals that are the most important in the flock,
0:39:29 > 0:39:31and there will be animals that are much more subordinate.
0:39:31 > 0:39:34- Will the dominant ones be safe in the middle, then?- That's right.
0:39:34 > 0:39:37The more subordinate animals are probably around the outside
0:39:37 > 0:39:40and the dominants will be tucking themselves into the safest position,
0:39:40 > 0:39:43so that when we run, they'll be in the middle of that group.
0:39:43 > 0:39:45When sheep flock together in numbers,
0:39:45 > 0:39:48getting hold of one is a tricky business.
0:39:48 > 0:39:51If I go in and see if I can catch one, if you hang on here,
0:39:51 > 0:39:53let's see what I can do.
0:39:53 > 0:39:57What I'm trying to do here now is get...
0:39:57 > 0:39:59behind one.
0:40:04 > 0:40:06Not a hope!
0:40:06 > 0:40:07HE LAUGHS
0:40:07 > 0:40:09I'll never be able to catch one like that.
0:40:09 > 0:40:11CLIP REWINDS SQUEAKILY
0:40:11 > 0:40:14As I launch my attack, the flock scatter,
0:40:14 > 0:40:17making it difficult to target any one sheep.
0:40:19 > 0:40:22I spotted one that was running away, so I reckoned I could
0:40:22 > 0:40:24get up behind it, but the others were looking at me,
0:40:24 > 0:40:26sort of warning it, really.
0:40:26 > 0:40:29That's right - they work together, it's quite a co-operative group.
0:40:29 > 0:40:30That's what keeps them safe,
0:40:30 > 0:40:33being in this social group and keeping an eye out for each other.
0:40:33 > 0:40:36Yeah. They're all looking at me now, laughing!
0:40:41 > 0:40:45I know one way to a sheep's heart, which WILL get me closer.
0:40:45 > 0:40:47Sheep food!
0:40:48 > 0:40:52It's highly nutritious and irresistible if you're a sheep.
0:40:52 > 0:40:56So they recognise the bag instantly. Just a shake of a bag.
0:40:56 > 0:40:59And before, these sheep were running away from me,
0:40:59 > 0:41:01still a little bit nervous.
0:41:01 > 0:41:03Put down a bit of food...
0:41:08 > 0:41:10And, er...
0:41:10 > 0:41:12One sheep!
0:41:12 > 0:41:14HE LAUGHS
0:41:14 > 0:41:15There's a good girl.
0:41:15 > 0:41:17That wild instinct, I suppose,
0:41:17 > 0:41:20is taken away because I've tamed them, in a way.
0:41:20 > 0:41:22That's right - you've trained them to know what this is,
0:41:22 > 0:41:24and it's so delicious that they've let their guard down a bit
0:41:24 > 0:41:26so you can get behind them and get in the blind spot.
0:41:26 > 0:41:28So tell me about their eyes.
0:41:28 > 0:41:29Can they see as well as we can?
0:41:29 > 0:41:33They have different vision to us, so if you look at the pupil,
0:41:33 > 0:41:36it's horizontal, so that helps them see much better
0:41:36 > 0:41:39in the periphery, but they don't see as well in the top and bottom.
0:41:39 > 0:41:41So if something was jumping out of a tree,
0:41:41 > 0:41:44they wouldn't see that so well, but as long as a predator's
0:41:44 > 0:41:45coming along the ground, they'll spot that really well.
0:41:45 > 0:41:47And how far can they see?
0:41:47 > 0:41:49There's reports that they can see up to a mile away.
0:41:49 > 0:41:51They're particularly good at seeing movement,
0:41:51 > 0:41:55that's what their eyes are designed to do - to spot movement.
0:41:55 > 0:41:59One of the sheep's natural predators, the wolf, has forward-pointing eyes,
0:41:59 > 0:42:02giving them what's known as binocular vision.
0:42:02 > 0:42:05This enables them to judge distance accurately,
0:42:05 > 0:42:07so hunt and bring down prey.
0:42:09 > 0:42:13Sheep's eyes, on the other hand, are found on the sides of their head,
0:42:13 > 0:42:16so while they're unable to judge distance well, it gives them
0:42:16 > 0:42:19a remarkable 270-degree field of vision.
0:42:19 > 0:42:22This still leaves a blind spot directly behind them.
0:42:22 > 0:42:25On their own, this would make them vulnerable, but in a flock,
0:42:25 > 0:42:28they can all watch each other's backs.
0:42:30 > 0:42:35It's fantastic for them, the way it's evolved over thousands of years.
0:42:35 > 0:42:37That's right - it's an arms race between predator and prey,
0:42:37 > 0:42:39so as they develop one tactic,
0:42:39 > 0:42:43then another one evolves in the prey animal, so they try and stay
0:42:43 > 0:42:46one step ahead of whatever tricks a wolf has up his sleeve.
0:42:46 > 0:42:48All right - let her go.
0:42:48 > 0:42:51Go on then, missus! Go back to your breakfast.
0:42:51 > 0:42:54And today, we use the domesticated version of the wolf
0:42:54 > 0:42:55to round up the sheep.
0:42:55 > 0:42:58We're going to attempt a simple experiment to see whether
0:42:58 > 0:43:00their herding instinct is stronger
0:43:00 > 0:43:03than their appetite for their favourite food.
0:43:03 > 0:43:04I'll just get a subject...
0:43:04 > 0:43:06You'll do.
0:43:06 > 0:43:09By taking one greedy sheep away from the safety of the flock, we'll force
0:43:09 > 0:43:16her to make a snap decision - will she run to her friends, or the food?
0:43:16 > 0:43:19If you grab the bag of food, and stand down there,
0:43:19 > 0:43:24and I'll...give her the option and then she can decide
0:43:24 > 0:43:27whether to go to you for food or go to her mates.
0:43:27 > 0:43:30- That's right.- Ready?
0:43:31 > 0:43:33There's some food - seen it.
0:43:38 > 0:43:41She has a look at the food, thinks about it for half a second
0:43:41 > 0:43:44before the wild flock instinct takes over.
0:43:44 > 0:43:49OK, it might not be scientific, but she chooses her friends first time.
0:43:49 > 0:43:50Nature wins over nurture.
0:43:50 > 0:43:53It just demonstrates how strong that flock instinct is
0:43:53 > 0:43:55and how important it is to the sheep.
0:43:55 > 0:43:58They will choose the flock over anything else.
0:43:58 > 0:43:59When they're stressed,
0:43:59 > 0:44:02they'll choose the social group, and it really demonstrates
0:44:02 > 0:44:04how stressful it is for these sheep to be on their own.
0:44:08 > 0:44:12So remember, when you next pass a flock of sheep, they're not just
0:44:12 > 0:44:13a bunch of animals standing around -
0:44:13 > 0:44:15each individual has their role to play.
0:44:15 > 0:44:19Sticking together keeps them safe.
0:44:21 > 0:44:24Next week, I'll be taking a trip along the Rhine in Germany,
0:44:24 > 0:44:26to see what happens to my spring barley once it leaves my farm.
0:44:35 > 0:44:38The Blackdown Hills on the Somerset and Devon border -
0:44:38 > 0:44:40a glorious slice of English countryside,
0:44:40 > 0:44:42just waiting to be explored.
0:44:42 > 0:44:47With no towns or cities within its 143 square miles,
0:44:47 > 0:44:50it's a surprisingly tranquil place.
0:44:50 > 0:44:52There's not a soul in sight.
0:44:54 > 0:44:56It's the perfect habitat
0:44:56 > 0:45:00for the highly elusive Brown Hairstreak butterfly,
0:45:00 > 0:45:03and now is the perfect time to keep a lookout for its eggs.
0:45:03 > 0:45:05To find them, I'm going to need this.
0:45:05 > 0:45:09Apparently, they're the size of a speck of dandruff.
0:45:09 > 0:45:12But that doesn't put off Marjorie Taylor -
0:45:12 > 0:45:14she's a volunteer for Butterfly Conservation,
0:45:14 > 0:45:17and along with other eagle-eyed enthusiasts,
0:45:17 > 0:45:18she's working on a project
0:45:18 > 0:45:21to monitor Brown Hairstreak eggs in the area.
0:45:21 > 0:45:25Why do they like this area so much?
0:45:25 > 0:45:27They like sheltered areas, small fields, high hedges.
0:45:27 > 0:45:29They need it to be fairly warm,
0:45:29 > 0:45:30they're quite sensitive to temperature.
0:45:30 > 0:45:34The adults fly from about the second week of August
0:45:34 > 0:45:37through to about the last week of September.
0:45:37 > 0:45:41During that time, the males go up to the top of oak or ash trees
0:45:41 > 0:45:44and feed on the honeydew up there, produced by aphids.
0:45:44 > 0:45:48The females fly up to mate with them and after mating,
0:45:48 > 0:45:52they then dissipate along blackthorn hedges and the female wiggles
0:45:52 > 0:45:57her way around in amongst the leaves and she'll lay her eggs,
0:45:57 > 0:46:03usually one at a time, in the axis of a thorn or a little twig.
0:46:03 > 0:46:07The female will lay around 130 eggs.
0:46:07 > 0:46:09But only 10% will survive.
0:46:09 > 0:46:11They're either eaten by predators or disturbed
0:46:11 > 0:46:13when hedges are trimmed annually by machine.
0:46:13 > 0:46:15If they make it to the caterpillar stage,
0:46:15 > 0:46:17they're an even juicier meal for a bird.
0:46:17 > 0:46:20One thing I love about the Attenborough series is that bit
0:46:20 > 0:46:23where they show you how they film everything,
0:46:23 > 0:46:25and we're going to do the same now.
0:46:25 > 0:46:26Steve has taken off the massive lens
0:46:26 > 0:46:30and we're replacing it with this tiny macro lens,
0:46:30 > 0:46:33which hopefully will blow up a butterfly egg
0:46:33 > 0:46:35to the size of a golf ball.
0:46:35 > 0:46:39If we can find one! Let me look at you - wow! You look massive!
0:46:40 > 0:46:43Searching for these tiny eggs is no mean feat.
0:46:43 > 0:46:46Gilly Ould is a volunteer co-ordinator and is here to help.
0:46:48 > 0:46:53- So, I'm here with my magnifying glass.- Right.
0:46:53 > 0:46:55I know I'm looking for a very small butterfly egg,
0:46:55 > 0:46:57but where am I looking and what are the signs?
0:46:57 > 0:47:01We need to look at the young blackthorn whips,
0:47:01 > 0:47:05either in the hedgeline... You can see some small sections over here.
0:47:05 > 0:47:09Or sometimes in field whips, you'll find...cropping up.
0:47:09 > 0:47:11It's the young growth really,
0:47:11 > 0:47:14that's the ones the females like to find.
0:47:14 > 0:47:18- Am I just looking for a white speck, then?- It's a very small white speck,
0:47:18 > 0:47:21the size of a pinhead, really.
0:47:21 > 0:47:22You have to get your eye in,
0:47:22 > 0:47:24cos they're very difficult to see initially.
0:47:24 > 0:47:29After a while, once you've seen a couple, you find it a lot easier.
0:47:29 > 0:47:30- I think I've got one here. - Let's take a look.
0:47:31 > 0:47:35- Where is he?- Is that... Just, right in there...
0:47:35 > 0:47:36The corner, on my side?
0:47:36 > 0:47:39- Ah!- I'll swap places!
0:47:41 > 0:47:42I think that might be one, I don't know.
0:47:42 > 0:47:45Let's take a look. Ooh! Yeah, that's looking positive.
0:47:45 > 0:47:47I'll have a look with the hand-lens here.
0:47:48 > 0:47:50- Yes, well done.- Yes!
0:47:50 > 0:47:54'But how small is that?
0:47:54 > 0:47:56'Time for the special macro lens and a handy pencil.'
0:47:58 > 0:47:59There we go.
0:47:59 > 0:48:01Look at that!
0:48:01 > 0:48:04Looks absolutely enormous in comparison.
0:48:04 > 0:48:07That is small!
0:48:07 > 0:48:10It's incredible that from this tiny egg
0:48:10 > 0:48:13comes one of the country's rarest butterflies.
0:48:13 > 0:48:14Let's hope raising awareness
0:48:14 > 0:48:16about preserving their habitat can help protect them.
0:48:16 > 0:48:20In a moment, Ellie will be meeting some producers who've started
0:48:20 > 0:48:23a local foodie revival and hopefully she's going to be gathering
0:48:23 > 0:48:26some of their specialities for a February picnic,
0:48:26 > 0:48:29but before then, if you're planning a February picnic,
0:48:29 > 0:48:32and quite frankly, why wouldn't you be,
0:48:32 > 0:48:34it's time for the Countryfile forecast for the week ahead.
0:50:50 > 0:50:57.
0:51:11 > 0:51:14The Blackdown Hills, straddling the Devon/Somerset border -
0:51:14 > 0:51:17a picture of idyllic English rural life.
0:51:18 > 0:51:22Earlier, I met some innovative textile entrepreneurs,
0:51:22 > 0:51:26but they're not the only businesses on the up.
0:51:26 > 0:51:28The Blackdown Hills have seen a recent revival
0:51:28 > 0:51:30in local food producers,
0:51:30 > 0:51:33so I've been set a challenge...
0:51:33 > 0:51:34to gather a picnic -
0:51:34 > 0:51:38but everything I find has to be made in the Blackdown Hills.
0:51:39 > 0:51:41No supermarkets allowed.
0:51:41 > 0:51:44Since I'm going to be shopping the old-fashioned way,
0:51:44 > 0:51:45I've got transport to match.
0:51:45 > 0:51:50And she comes complete with her own picnic basket - what luck!
0:51:54 > 0:51:55Off we go!
0:52:08 > 0:52:13My first stop is Ellises Farm, where butcher's daughter Donna Lucking
0:52:13 > 0:52:17is continuing the family tradition - with a Mediterranean twist.
0:52:17 > 0:52:20So what do you produce here on the farm?
0:52:20 > 0:52:23We'll, we've got the cattle and the Gloucester Old Spot pigs here,
0:52:23 > 0:52:27so from these we do all the fresh pork cuts, also the salamis,
0:52:27 > 0:52:29the chorizos, the air-dried meats.
0:52:29 > 0:52:32How did you come round to producing that?
0:52:32 > 0:52:36Trips to Italy, and my dad started to make salami in this country
0:52:36 > 0:52:38when he was a butcher.
0:52:38 > 0:52:41You start thinking, "yeah, let's try this and that",
0:52:41 > 0:52:44and you're different out there on the farmers' market.
0:52:44 > 0:52:48Donna's sows produce 120 new pigs each year,
0:52:48 > 0:52:49She butchers the meat
0:52:49 > 0:52:54and single-handedly cures it all in her farm shop and kitchen.
0:52:54 > 0:52:56- Right, Donna - what are we making here?- This is chorizo.
0:52:56 > 0:52:59It smells really spicy, it's lovely.
0:52:59 > 0:53:01It's the smoked Spanish paprika that we put in it,
0:53:01 > 0:53:02and garlic and black pepper.
0:53:02 > 0:53:06- All the good stuff. So this gets loaded into here?- It does.
0:53:06 > 0:53:08You mention the Gloucester Old Spots,
0:53:08 > 0:53:09are they a good breed for these continental cured meats?
0:53:09 > 0:53:12Brilliant - they have that extra layer of fat, more fat than
0:53:12 > 0:53:14the commercial breeds where it's been bred out,
0:53:14 > 0:53:16and you need that in the salami
0:53:16 > 0:53:18and all the cured products and air-dried hams and things.
0:53:18 > 0:53:21With the sausage machine loaded,
0:53:21 > 0:53:24the crucial job of tying the knot falls to me.
0:53:24 > 0:53:25There we go.
0:53:29 > 0:53:31Oh, hang on - look at my knot!
0:53:31 > 0:53:34I was a Guide, as well - that's embarrassing!
0:53:34 > 0:53:38Sorry! 'So clearly, I didn't get my sausage-making badge.
0:53:38 > 0:53:41'Fortunately, the pro knows a quick fix.'
0:53:41 > 0:53:44OK, they're looking quite the part now.
0:53:44 > 0:53:46Then we can hang it up to dry.
0:53:46 > 0:53:49Can I take some chorizo with me for my picnic?
0:53:49 > 0:53:52This lot will take another four weeks to dry.
0:53:52 > 0:53:54I've got some bresaola that you can take.
0:53:54 > 0:53:57This is from our beef - an air-dried product
0:53:57 > 0:54:01- from the silverside of the beef, but a bit more spice in it.- Lovely.
0:54:01 > 0:54:04With Donna's Italian-style dry-cured beef,
0:54:04 > 0:54:07the hamper has its first Blackdown cargo.
0:54:21 > 0:54:26The next food is something that I love - who doesn't?
0:54:26 > 0:54:30And it wouldn't really be a picnic without it.
0:54:31 > 0:54:35Our obsession with cheese began about 8,000 years ago.
0:54:35 > 0:54:38We've been making it ever since, and in her new dairy,
0:54:38 > 0:54:40Julie Wing is perfecting the art.
0:54:41 > 0:54:43Ooh!
0:54:45 > 0:54:46Wow!
0:54:46 > 0:54:49Look at these cheeses! My goodness.
0:54:49 > 0:54:52This is based on a Camembert recipe.
0:54:52 > 0:54:54But I want to put my own twist on the cheeses,
0:54:55 > 0:54:59so we thought we'd use a local cider, give it a good dunk in there.
0:54:59 > 0:55:03- You're kind of bathing it?- Get the sponge and rub it quite firmly,
0:55:03 > 0:55:08and this will help it develop a really lovely, fruity rind.
0:55:08 > 0:55:11Why do you make cheese here? Why the Blackdown Hills?
0:55:11 > 0:55:14I'd always fancied having a go at making cheeses,
0:55:14 > 0:55:17and there's wonderful pasture, wonderful cows
0:55:17 > 0:55:21and so I decided to get the milk from our next-door neighbour.
0:55:21 > 0:55:24Have you got one of these lovely cheeses
0:55:24 > 0:55:25that I might be able to take away?
0:55:25 > 0:55:28I've got some fresh ones over here. This one is with thyme and lemon,
0:55:28 > 0:55:30and those are with chives.
0:55:30 > 0:55:33I suppose it's only polite to try two(!)
0:55:33 > 0:55:35I'll take extra-large ones!
0:55:40 > 0:55:44There are over 100 independent food producers here. I'm not sure
0:55:44 > 0:55:48these wheels will make it round all of them, but there's no need.
0:55:48 > 0:55:51I've got a secret weapon up my sleeve!
0:55:55 > 0:55:57Churchinford and District Community Shop!
0:56:01 > 0:56:03Going to need one of these...
0:56:03 > 0:56:05- Hello!- Good morning!- Morning!
0:56:05 > 0:56:07I'm collecting for a picnic
0:56:07 > 0:56:10and I'm after locally-sourced Blackdown Hills food.
0:56:10 > 0:56:14Right. Well, we could start with our lovely salad leaves here,
0:56:14 > 0:56:18they're sourced about a couple of miles away.
0:56:18 > 0:56:20- A healthy start, I like it. - A healthy start.
0:56:20 > 0:56:24We've got some lovely bread here, also locally-sourced,
0:56:24 > 0:56:28and if you want something sweet to finish your picnic off, we've got
0:56:28 > 0:56:30these lovely home-baked cakes from somebody local in the village.
0:56:30 > 0:56:33- Shall we ring this up? - Right, certainly.
0:56:41 > 0:56:45The tastes of the Blackdown Hills have been gathered.
0:56:45 > 0:56:48The car has made it, the hamper is bursting
0:56:48 > 0:56:50and there's a beautiful wintry sun.
0:56:50 > 0:56:54All I need now is a pretty picnic spot with a bit of shelter,
0:56:54 > 0:56:55away from this wind.
0:57:00 > 0:57:02Right, I'm going to gorge
0:57:02 > 0:57:06on this amazing spread from the beautiful Blackdown Hills.
0:57:06 > 0:57:08That is it for Countryfile this week.
0:57:08 > 0:57:10Next week, we'll be on the Isle of Wight,
0:57:10 > 0:57:13where Matt will meet the couples who met while speed-date walking,
0:57:13 > 0:57:17and I will be taking to the waves in an attempt at surfing.
0:57:17 > 0:57:20Hope you can join us then - bye-bye!
0:57:20 > 0:57:22Right, dig in!
0:57:23 > 0:57:25(Mmm.)
0:57:43 > 0:57:46Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:57:46 > 0:57:49E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk