0:00:26 > 0:00:31North Kent, a diverse landscape of rolling hills, winding rivers,
0:00:31 > 0:00:34ancient woodland and traditional orchards.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40Kent may be known as the Garden of England,
0:00:40 > 0:00:43but there's more to this place than apples and pears.
0:00:43 > 0:00:45Savvy food producers are discovering
0:00:45 > 0:00:48there's a taste for all sorts around here.
0:00:48 > 0:00:49L'Escargot, anyone?
0:00:50 > 0:00:53'While Julia's sampling Kent's slimy delights,
0:00:53 > 0:00:56'I'm tackling a skill that's well rooted in this landscape.'
0:00:56 > 0:00:59This county is famed for its fruit and veg,
0:00:59 > 0:01:01but its woodlands are a rich resource too
0:01:01 > 0:01:03and I'm getting stuck in with the people
0:01:03 > 0:01:06who find ways to make the trees pay.
0:01:06 > 0:01:08How is that one, Gary?
0:01:08 > 0:01:10Not bad, another 500 more to do.
0:01:10 > 0:01:12'And whilst I'm busy in Kent,
0:01:12 > 0:01:14'John's got some questions for you.'
0:01:14 > 0:01:18Why is this cow wearing a breathalyser?
0:01:18 > 0:01:20And why is this home-grown tomato
0:01:20 > 0:01:24more damaging to our environment than this banana?
0:01:24 > 0:01:26all will be revealed when I investigate
0:01:26 > 0:01:29the way that our food is affecting climate change.
0:01:29 > 0:01:33'And Adam's thoughts are turning to this year's crops.'
0:01:33 > 0:01:35Fertiliser spreading is one of the first major jobs
0:01:35 > 0:01:38in arable farming, and the conditions have got to be right
0:01:38 > 0:01:40for the spreader to work properly.
0:01:40 > 0:01:43We've got the whole farm to get across, so the race is on.
0:01:59 > 0:02:04They call it the Garden of England, a rich and fertile land.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09North Kent's in the far south-east of the country,
0:02:09 > 0:02:14it's a landscape dominated by the beauty of the Kent Downs.
0:02:14 > 0:02:19It's not all fruit and veg, this landscape has all sorts of secrets.
0:02:20 > 0:02:24Like these stunning, isn't it?
0:02:24 > 0:02:29This is a shining ram's horn snail.
0:02:29 > 0:02:33Very, very rare and, as you can see, very, very small.
0:02:33 > 0:02:37The shining ram's horn absolutely loves these reclaimed marshes.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40'They're a nationally endangered species.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43'Numbers here are uncertain,
0:02:43 > 0:02:47'so the Kent Wildlife Trust are on the lookout.'
0:02:47 > 0:02:48Morning, all.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51- Hello, hello.- Hi.
0:02:51 > 0:02:53Right, let me try and make my way down to you
0:02:53 > 0:02:56without falling in, which should be spectacular.
0:02:56 > 0:02:59How do you know that there are shining ram's horn in here?
0:03:01 > 0:03:05Well, we had historic records from this site in particular.
0:03:05 > 0:03:09Whilst we were here, we saw a number of ditches that looked good habitat
0:03:09 > 0:03:12for the snails, so well vegetated.
0:03:12 > 0:03:17We thought we'd have a little nose around in those. A little explore.
0:03:17 > 0:03:19We were so encouraged to find
0:03:19 > 0:03:23that we actually did find shining ram's horn snails.
0:03:23 > 0:03:27Excellent. Right, let's go and see what we've got.
0:03:27 > 0:03:31'A warm day like this means the snails should be more active.
0:03:31 > 0:03:33'Hopefully we'll have some in our nets.'
0:03:33 > 0:03:38- Now, they are rare. How rare are we talking?- Pretty rare.
0:03:38 > 0:03:42They were, we think, widespread over lowland England at some point
0:03:42 > 0:03:46in the past, but now they're very restricted to just a few locations.
0:03:46 > 0:03:50- Why is that?- Pollution, overenthusiastic ditch management
0:03:50 > 0:03:53and possibly lowering of water tables.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56- So loss of habitat.- Yeah.- OK.
0:03:56 > 0:04:01'They're tiny, but once you get your eye in, bingo.'
0:04:01 > 0:04:04They're quite distinguishable from other snails
0:04:04 > 0:04:08because they've got this lens shape of their shell
0:04:08 > 0:04:10and also - you might need a hand lens -
0:04:10 > 0:04:14they've got these internal thickenings inside their shell
0:04:14 > 0:04:17and they show through as little spokes.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20- They are very beautiful. - They really are.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25Really, how important can that be?
0:04:25 > 0:04:28Well, it's found here on a tiny little area of Yorkshire
0:04:28 > 0:04:31on a tiny area of Somerset level, so I would say that alone
0:04:31 > 0:04:35speaks for itself in terms of national distribution.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38Once we understand more of the ecology of these things,
0:04:38 > 0:04:42we'll have a better sense of the role that they play in promoting
0:04:42 > 0:04:46and making us realise what a good habitat this is
0:04:46 > 0:04:49and how it should be managed.
0:04:49 > 0:04:53- So rock on, the shining ram's horn. - Absolutely.
0:04:54 > 0:04:59What's good for the shining ram's horn is good for other wildlife.
0:04:59 > 0:05:03Manage the habitat for them, and everything else benefits.
0:05:03 > 0:05:07Kent and snails go together like fish and chips.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10Back in the day, pilgrims would carry pocketfuls
0:05:10 > 0:05:14of snails around to snack on. A slow fast food, if you get my drift.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19These days, they've fallen out of favour, but down
0:05:19 > 0:05:23this sleepy suburban street, all that could be about to change.
0:05:23 > 0:05:27I haven't forgotten what programme I'm on, this isn't a property show,
0:05:27 > 0:05:29but for one moment I would like you
0:05:29 > 0:05:33to take in this delightfully suburban scene.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36Look at this compact terraced house, number 18.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39You wouldn't believe what goes on behind that door.
0:05:41 > 0:05:43Snails is what's going on.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46Thousands of them. All under one roof.
0:05:51 > 0:05:56How much of the house has this passion, hobby, taken over?
0:05:56 > 0:06:00- Just the spare bedroom. - And this is it?- Yes, this is it.
0:06:00 > 0:06:05- Right, you breed snails in here? - I do. Yes.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08There are 5,000 of the critters in here.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11All fattening up in these plastic tubs.
0:06:11 > 0:06:13Helen sells the mail-order,
0:06:13 > 0:06:15or "snail"-order. Business is on the up.
0:06:15 > 0:06:19- It's quite unusual, Helen.- Yes.
0:06:19 > 0:06:24How did you end up being a snail breeder in your home?
0:06:24 > 0:06:28My daughter and I looked around for an agricultural activity
0:06:28 > 0:06:31that didn't require a lot of space,
0:06:31 > 0:06:34and snails have a lot to recommend them as farm animals.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37- You don't have to chase them around with a dog.- No.
0:06:37 > 0:06:41And they don't take up much space.
0:06:41 > 0:06:43Are these all the same kind of snail?
0:06:43 > 0:06:46Yes, they're the same species as the common garden snail.
0:06:46 > 0:06:51So anybody could go outside and pluck up a garden snail?
0:06:51 > 0:06:54They could do as long as you're sure what they've been eating.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57There's quite a demand for them.
0:06:57 > 0:06:59The chefs who buy from me
0:06:59 > 0:07:02and the enthusiastic cooks are looking for fresh local food.
0:07:02 > 0:07:06They don't want imported food, they don't want their snails in tins.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09'If the thought of eating them is off-putting,
0:07:09 > 0:07:12'you should see what they eat.
0:07:12 > 0:07:16'This is a mix of chalk and milk powder. Snail ambrosia.
0:07:16 > 0:07:19'Great for building their shells.'
0:07:19 > 0:07:22I have a confession. I've eaten snails before
0:07:22 > 0:07:25and I'm not a huge fan, but I'm going to take one for the team
0:07:25 > 0:07:27and give it one more bash.
0:07:27 > 0:07:29It's not looking that tasty now.
0:07:29 > 0:07:35'Helping me learn to love snails all over again is foodie Helen Parkin.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38'She's on a mission to put them back on the map.
0:07:38 > 0:07:40'And there's something special on the menu.'
0:07:40 > 0:07:45- A snail pizza. - A snail pizza? Brilliant(!)
0:07:45 > 0:07:51'OK, there's some cheese, some ham, all the usual pizza goodies
0:07:51 > 0:07:53'and there are snails too.
0:07:53 > 0:07:56'They are packed with protein and they're a bit like mushrooms.'
0:07:58 > 0:08:03- Look, it's snail shaped! - You're a natural, Delia.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06'Garnish with a bit of kale and onion.'
0:08:06 > 0:08:10When people come round for dinner, have you given them a snail pizza?
0:08:10 > 0:08:12No, I haven't, but that's the next thing
0:08:12 > 0:08:14- I must do, obviously.- Definitely.
0:08:16 > 0:08:18Plenty of that.
0:08:19 > 0:08:21Right, then.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24- In it goes for between about 10 and 15 minutes.- OK.
0:08:29 > 0:08:33- Must be ready now. - Right, let's have a look.
0:08:35 > 0:08:37Oh, wow, look at that. Look at that.
0:08:37 > 0:08:42That's a handsome pizza.
0:08:42 > 0:08:47Raymond, Gordon, Albert would all be proud of a pizza like that.
0:08:54 > 0:08:56Mmm.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59SHE MUMBLES
0:09:00 > 0:09:04- Delicious!- Good. - Absolutely delicious.
0:09:04 > 0:09:06You can't really taste the snail.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09It's lovely, but there's no overwhelming power.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12The combination of flavours are delicious.
0:09:12 > 0:09:16- The snail isn't too slimy, she said. - Good.
0:09:16 > 0:09:19Now, whether or not you're eating a snail-topped pizza at home
0:09:19 > 0:09:22or a three course meal, every bit of food you eat
0:09:22 > 0:09:26has an impact on the environment, so which foodstuffs are the worst?
0:09:26 > 0:09:28John has been investigating.
0:09:30 > 0:09:32That was a good one.
0:09:41 > 0:09:42Our climate is changing
0:09:42 > 0:09:46and the way we choose to live our lives is having a hand in that.
0:09:48 > 0:09:50We all know that when we travel by car,
0:09:50 > 0:09:55we're contributing to climate change, but what about the food that we eat?
0:09:55 > 0:09:58Do we ever consider what impact that's having?
0:09:58 > 0:10:00Take this pint of milk.
0:10:00 > 0:10:05Its carbon footprint is the same as travelling a mile by car.
0:10:05 > 0:10:08And producing these carrots creates the same emissions
0:10:08 > 0:10:10as a two mile journey by train.
0:10:13 > 0:10:17This week is climate week and during it, we're being challenged
0:10:17 > 0:10:20to think about the food that we eat, with good reason.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23As far as our own carbon footprints are concerned,
0:10:23 > 0:10:28the food that we eat has just about the same impact as the energy that we
0:10:28 > 0:10:32use in our homes and a bigger impact than the fuel we burn in our cars.
0:10:32 > 0:10:38A carbon footprint is a measure of the amount of greenhouse gases which
0:10:38 > 0:10:41are released into the atmosphere during the life of the product,
0:10:41 > 0:10:43but do any of us think about this or even care
0:10:43 > 0:10:45when we're choosing our food?
0:10:45 > 0:10:49- Can you get me a cauliflower? - Cauliflower.- No, that's broccoli.
0:10:49 > 0:10:53The Hopper family, like most of us, do a big weekly shop
0:10:53 > 0:10:57and they like to think they do their bit for the environment.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00When I go shopping, I'm always trying to make sure that
0:11:00 > 0:11:04there's not too much packaging or unnecessary packaging.
0:11:04 > 0:11:09At home, when I'm unpacking, I make sure that we recycle what we can.
0:11:09 > 0:11:13Do you ever think about the carbon footprints
0:11:13 > 0:11:16- of the food that you're buying? - Never. No, no.
0:11:16 > 0:11:18Maybe you should.
0:11:18 > 0:11:22Now you've mentioned it, I'm already thinking about it, yeah.
0:11:22 > 0:11:26If we're going to think about it, where do we start?
0:11:26 > 0:11:32Take this leg of lamb. Its carbon footprint is 38 kilos.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35That's 38 kilos of greenhouse gas emissions.
0:11:35 > 0:11:37That's made of all sorts of things,
0:11:37 > 0:11:39from the methane produced by the sheep
0:11:39 > 0:11:43to the gas released in the making of the plastic wrapping
0:11:43 > 0:11:46to the fuel that's needed to get it to the shop.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50But how are customers expected to know all this?
0:11:50 > 0:11:53Well, there are some simple rules.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56We've enlisted the help of carbon footprint consultant,
0:11:56 > 0:12:01Mike Berners-Lee, to give the Hoppers the low-down on their weekly shop.
0:12:01 > 0:12:05Here's some raspberries from Morocco, tomatoes from Spain,
0:12:05 > 0:12:09asparagus from Peru, some grapes from South Africa,
0:12:09 > 0:12:11some bananas from Columbia.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15So out of all this lot,
0:12:15 > 0:12:18which do you think has the highest carbon footprint?
0:12:18 > 0:12:21I would say the bananas from Colombia.
0:12:21 > 0:12:27- Or maybe the grapes from South Africa.- Why are you saying that?
0:12:27 > 0:12:30Just the distance, really. That's about all.
0:12:30 > 0:12:33- Which do you think? - I say the asparagus.
0:12:33 > 0:12:37You're spot on. My money would be on the asparagus as well.
0:12:37 > 0:12:41This asparagus will have gone straight onto an aeroplane
0:12:41 > 0:12:44and flown all the way from Peru to the UK.
0:12:44 > 0:12:48They can't put it on the boat because it doesn't keep long enough.
0:12:48 > 0:12:52It's a short shelf life product, so the only way to get it
0:12:52 > 0:12:55to the UK in good condition is to put it on an aeroplane,
0:12:55 > 0:12:57which is sadly a carbon disaster.
0:12:57 > 0:13:02So which of all those things has the least effect?
0:13:02 > 0:13:06The good news is that these bananas, although they've come from
0:13:06 > 0:13:10a long way away, have got a lovely thick skin to them and keep
0:13:10 > 0:13:11really well, so they keep
0:13:11 > 0:13:14long enough that you can put them on a boat. A boat is about 100 times
0:13:14 > 0:13:17less impactful than putting it on an aeroplane.
0:13:17 > 0:13:21The footprint of transporting them to the UK isn't too bad,
0:13:21 > 0:13:23so these are really nutritious, low carbon fruit.
0:13:23 > 0:13:28- Mum and Dad, you were both wrong. - Absolutely. We usually are.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31But you still had to use fuel in the boat?
0:13:31 > 0:13:33Yeah, you've had to use some fuel
0:13:33 > 0:13:36and there is a carbon footprint associated with shipping them,
0:13:36 > 0:13:40but on the other hand, those bananas have been able to be grown
0:13:40 > 0:13:44in a fabulous sunny climate where that sunshine is for free.
0:13:44 > 0:13:45The carbon footprint
0:13:45 > 0:13:47you incur by putting them on a boat is worth it.
0:13:47 > 0:13:49So, Sarah?
0:13:49 > 0:13:50All I'm thinking is,
0:13:50 > 0:13:53you don't know whether they've come on a boat or a plane.
0:13:53 > 0:13:54How do you know?
0:13:54 > 0:13:58A simple rule of thumb for all fruit and veg out of season,
0:13:58 > 0:14:00if it's got a really nice solid skin on it
0:14:00 > 0:14:02and it's going to keep for a long time
0:14:02 > 0:14:04like an orange or a banana or a melon,
0:14:04 > 0:14:08that can be taken from anywhere you like in the world.
0:14:08 > 0:14:10But what about these local tomatoes?
0:14:10 > 0:14:14Actually, their footprint is bigger than much of the foreign produce.
0:14:14 > 0:14:19To give you an idea of how high-carbon tomatoes can be
0:14:19 > 0:14:23at their very worst, if you get a very low yield variety
0:14:23 > 0:14:25like a cherry tomato and grow it on the vine,
0:14:25 > 0:14:29which is the most carbon intensive way of growing it,
0:14:29 > 0:14:32and you do it in the UK right out of season
0:14:32 > 0:14:36through the middle of winter, you might get up to 50 kilograms
0:14:36 > 0:14:41of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions for just one kilogram.
0:14:41 > 0:14:45That's a bit more than your body weight in emissions.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48And here's why. It's all about the way out of season
0:14:48 > 0:14:51fruit and veg are produced.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55Every year, 80 million tomatoes are grown
0:14:55 > 0:14:59in this huge glasshouse in the Vale of Evesham.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02Obviously, if you're going to produce any kind of fruit or vegetable
0:15:02 > 0:15:07in artificial surroundings, it's going to take an awful lot of energy
0:15:07 > 0:15:10for heating the place, pumping through the water, things like that.
0:15:10 > 0:15:15In turn, that creates an awful lot of greenhouse gas emissions.
0:15:15 > 0:15:19It's a problem that growers like Roly Holt are taking very seriously.
0:15:19 > 0:15:23His family firm has greatly increased its output over the last 25 years,
0:15:23 > 0:15:26while managing to halve its energy use.
0:15:26 > 0:15:28- But don't you need to do even more? - Yes, we do.
0:15:28 > 0:15:32We've got planning permission to build an anaerobic digester.
0:15:32 > 0:15:34The beauty about this scheme is, we can use all
0:15:34 > 0:15:38the vegetable pasteurised green waste from the local farm,
0:15:38 > 0:15:41all our green waste produced in this glasshouse, all the old plants,
0:15:41 > 0:15:44all the leaf material, we can put it into a big digester,
0:15:44 > 0:15:46by which the by-products are bio-methane.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49We can use the bio-methane to heat the glasshouse.
0:15:49 > 0:15:51We can then be sustainable on electricity,
0:15:51 > 0:15:53use all the electricity produced,
0:15:53 > 0:15:57plus the surplus electricity, we can sell back to the National Grid.
0:15:57 > 0:16:01- Will you be zero carbon then? - We'll be completely carbon zero,
0:16:01 > 0:16:04- carbon neutral in fact. - By when?- By 2013.
0:16:04 > 0:16:09It's not just our fruit and veg that pose a dilemma, though.
0:16:09 > 0:16:13Many other foods with the highest footprints are home-produced.
0:16:13 > 0:16:15Here's a fascinating fact.
0:16:15 > 0:16:19If you drink three of these lattes every day for a whole year,
0:16:19 > 0:16:22that will have the same environmental impact
0:16:22 > 0:16:26as an airline passenger flying from London to Madrid,
0:16:26 > 0:16:29and we'll be finding out why in a few minutes' time.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34The Kent Downs - a chalky escarpment
0:16:34 > 0:16:38littered with ancient woodlands and traditional orchards.
0:16:38 > 0:16:4020% of the Kent Downs are wooded,
0:16:40 > 0:16:43which means that trees are a really valuable resource.
0:16:43 > 0:16:47But around here, you can't see the trees for the wood.
0:16:47 > 0:16:49Such a vast amount of woodland
0:16:49 > 0:16:51in an area of outstanding natural beauty
0:16:51 > 0:16:55needs to be carefully managed. On this estate, they're coppiced -
0:16:55 > 0:16:58that's a fancy word for farming woodland.
0:16:58 > 0:17:03John Leigh-Pemberton has around 800 acres of sweet chestnut trees
0:17:03 > 0:17:05that are used to make fences,
0:17:05 > 0:17:07or pales as they're known in the business.
0:17:07 > 0:17:08Once every 14 years,
0:17:08 > 0:17:12each piece of woodland is cut and it then regrows again.
0:17:12 > 0:17:16How does this affect the life of the stock?
0:17:16 > 0:17:20The stock itself, the bit of the tree that's left in the ground,
0:17:20 > 0:17:22sort of thinks that it's still only 14,
0:17:22 > 0:17:26and so, actually, they're almost immortal.
0:17:26 > 0:17:30This cycle goes on and on and on and it's been going on here
0:17:30 > 0:17:33probably, judging by the size of some of these stocks,
0:17:33 > 0:17:36600 or 700 years, probably even longer, actually.
0:17:36 > 0:17:39So this was then chopped off at the end of last year.
0:17:39 > 0:17:41When are those due to come down?
0:17:41 > 0:17:43They are 12 years old, so in two years time,
0:17:43 > 0:17:47all of this wood will be cut in exactly the same way
0:17:47 > 0:17:50and actually it will look, in two years' time,
0:17:50 > 0:17:54exactly like that over there and so it goes. The rotation goes on.
0:17:54 > 0:17:58Yeah, and the trick is long, straight poles.
0:17:58 > 0:18:02What I need for my business is long, straight poles,
0:18:02 > 0:18:04so we try and keep as many stocks as possible close together
0:18:04 > 0:18:08because that forces the wood up and this nice, straight wood
0:18:08 > 0:18:15is exactly what we can use to make pales and posts out of.
0:18:15 > 0:18:19Once cut, the coppiced logs end up at John's wood yard.
0:18:20 > 0:18:22This is the raw material as it comes in.
0:18:22 > 0:18:25The first thing that happens is that it's lengthed up.
0:18:25 > 0:18:30We take out the knots, the bent bits of wood,
0:18:30 > 0:18:32to suit the nature of the wood.
0:18:32 > 0:18:36The next stage in the process is that the bark is taken off
0:18:36 > 0:18:43and that is ready now to go into the shed to be made into pales.
0:18:45 > 0:18:49Gary here is going to show us how it's turned into fencing
0:18:49 > 0:18:52and it's all done by hand, which, Gary, when you look behind
0:18:52 > 0:18:55at the amount that you've produced, the mind boggles.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58It's all made by hand. That's the only way to do it.
0:18:58 > 0:19:02- Show us the tools, the tools of the trade.- This is called a dull axe,
0:19:02 > 0:19:04that actually cleaves the wood.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07So knock this into the wood.
0:19:07 > 0:19:12- That opens the wood up to make your stakes.- So dull axe in, upside down.
0:19:12 > 0:19:14That's right. That's it. A little bit of leverage.
0:19:14 > 0:19:18- That's fine.- Is that all right? - A little bit more.
0:19:18 > 0:19:22Am I going to make it? Oh, just!
0:19:22 > 0:19:26Look at that end and then that end. Anyway, it's there.
0:19:26 > 0:19:32- Is that going to go on the rubbish pile?- That will. Rubbish pile.
0:19:32 > 0:19:37- That one can go on the massive pile. - That's fine.
0:19:37 > 0:19:42Gary and the boys can get through 250 to 300 logs an hour.
0:19:42 > 0:19:43Each individual section
0:19:43 > 0:19:47is hand-placed into a wiring machine that holds it all together.
0:19:49 > 0:19:54The only waste product from the whole process is the bark,
0:19:54 > 0:19:56but I've got an idea that could put it to good use
0:19:56 > 0:19:58and it involves these girls.
0:19:58 > 0:20:01I'll be testing out my theory later.
0:20:01 > 0:20:05Not all the coppiced wood here ends up in a fence.
0:20:05 > 0:20:06Some becomes fuel for the fire
0:20:06 > 0:20:10because they also produce woodchip and logs for wood burners.
0:20:10 > 0:20:12Matthew, from your perspective,
0:20:12 > 0:20:15is coppicing woodland a good idea for fuel?
0:20:15 > 0:20:20It is. It's very good for both habitats and the landscape.
0:20:20 > 0:20:23If it's done on a sustainable footing with a good woodland management plan
0:20:23 > 0:20:26behind it, it brings light into the woodland,
0:20:26 > 0:20:29it opens the canopy, it creates a much better habitat
0:20:29 > 0:20:32for woodland birds, woodland flowers and butterflies,
0:20:32 > 0:20:35so it's a very good thing to coppice the woodland.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38- Could wood be the new oil?- For certain uses and applications,
0:20:38 > 0:20:41I think woodchip is a really good substitution for oil.
0:20:41 > 0:20:45People will make a 50% saving on their fuel bill with woodchip.
0:20:45 > 0:20:50It's a very, very attractive proposition these days.
0:20:54 > 0:20:59It's a big moment for me, this. My pales are now being wired in
0:20:59 > 0:21:01and they're going in like an absolute dream,
0:21:01 > 0:21:05and that ten-metre roll of Kent sweet chestnut fencing could end up
0:21:05 > 0:21:10anywhere from Devon to Denmark. Happy travels.
0:21:16 > 0:21:20Now, earlier we heard about the environmental impact of food
0:21:20 > 0:21:22that has to travel from all over the world to get to us.
0:21:22 > 0:21:25What about the stuff that comes from closer to home?
0:21:25 > 0:21:28That's got to be better, hasn't it? Here's John.
0:21:34 > 0:21:38Tomorrow marks the start of Climate Week, and we're being encouraged
0:21:38 > 0:21:40to look at the food we eat
0:21:40 > 0:21:45- and the carbon footprint it leaves.- Raspberries from Morocco.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48As we've already heard, food from the other side of the world
0:21:48 > 0:21:52isn't necessarily any worse than food from here at home.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55The latte that I've just been drinking has had the same
0:21:55 > 0:21:59environmental impact as a four-mile journey by train,
0:21:59 > 0:22:03and it's not just the foreign coffee beans that are responsible,
0:22:03 > 0:22:04it's largely the milk.
0:22:07 > 0:22:11Cattle spend an awful lot of their time eating, but it's this
0:22:11 > 0:22:16simple act which makes the carbon footprint of meat and milk so high,
0:22:16 > 0:22:20because the methane they produce while they're digesting
0:22:20 > 0:22:25is 25 times more damaging to the atmosphere than carbon dioxide.
0:22:25 > 0:22:28- But how many of us actually realise that?- Here we go.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31A pint of milk. Drink a lot of milk in this house?
0:22:31 > 0:22:34Yeah, we get through a lot of milk.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37What do you think about it in carbon terms?
0:22:37 > 0:22:41Well, it'd be fine because we don't fly the milk in,
0:22:41 > 0:22:45- we've got our farmers.- Quite local. But there's going to be a downside.
0:22:45 > 0:22:49There is a downside, there's always a catch.
0:22:49 > 0:22:51The transport is not too bad, it hasn't come from
0:22:51 > 0:22:54the other side of the world or anything like that,
0:22:54 > 0:22:58but it does come from cows, and cows and sheep in particular ruminate,
0:22:58 > 0:23:00which means they burp up methane
0:23:00 > 0:23:03and that's quite a carbon intensive greenhouse gas.
0:23:03 > 0:23:07Just as with home-grown fruit, there are ways of bringing down
0:23:07 > 0:23:11the carbon footprint of meat and dairy products.
0:23:11 > 0:23:13Here at Harper Adams University,
0:23:13 > 0:23:17they're looking at ways to reduce the methane from cows.
0:23:17 > 0:23:21So what we have here, Liam, is a very strange sight
0:23:21 > 0:23:23of a cow wearing a breathalyser.
0:23:23 > 0:23:27Yes, that's because we're measuring the methane output from these cows.
0:23:27 > 0:23:31I think most people think that methane from a cow
0:23:31 > 0:23:34comes from the back end rather than the front end.
0:23:34 > 0:23:35There's a popular misconception
0:23:35 > 0:23:39that methane is produced from the back, but the majority comes
0:23:39 > 0:23:43- from the front.- Is it possible to actually reduce their methane levels?
0:23:43 > 0:23:45We've shown that certainly
0:23:45 > 0:23:49by altering the forage, having more nutritious, better quality forages,
0:23:49 > 0:23:51that can have a significant effect.
0:23:51 > 0:23:55There are other supplements, such as oils, that can be added
0:23:55 > 0:23:57that can reduce methane by 20, 30,
0:23:57 > 0:23:59up to even 40% of methane production,
0:23:59 > 0:24:02so it is possible to have quite significant amounts
0:24:02 > 0:24:06of methane reduction and still maintain performance
0:24:06 > 0:24:09- or even enhance performance. - The organisers of Climate Week
0:24:09 > 0:24:12are not asking us to cut out meat and dairy,
0:24:12 > 0:24:16but they are asking us to cut back, but that's led to concerns about
0:24:16 > 0:24:19the impact that could have on our diets, our farmers
0:24:19 > 0:24:20and even our landscape.
0:24:20 > 0:24:25Ultimately, it's down to us to choose how we balance our own footprints,
0:24:25 > 0:24:29but we need help in making that choice.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32Supermarket giant Tesco says it aims
0:24:32 > 0:24:35to lead the way when it comes to good carbon thinking,
0:24:35 > 0:24:38with clearer information for its customers.
0:24:38 > 0:24:41So what percentage of the lines that you sell
0:24:41 > 0:24:44have these carbon footprint labelling information?
0:24:44 > 0:24:45It's still relatively low.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48We've carbon footprinted over 1,000 products.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51We think that's more than any other retailer has done
0:24:51 > 0:24:55and we've put labels over the last three years on over 500 products.
0:24:55 > 0:24:57But we've got much further to go
0:24:57 > 0:25:01and what we want to do is to use the carbon footprinting process
0:25:01 > 0:25:04to help us really understand how to reduce the emissions
0:25:04 > 0:25:06associated with those products that we sell
0:25:06 > 0:25:09and to help our customers make better choices.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12Its sights are high, aiming to cut emissions of its products
0:25:12 > 0:25:15by 30% in the next eight years.
0:25:15 > 0:25:19Sometimes it can be done by making them lighter.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22One thing we've done recently is to lightweight our wine bottles,
0:25:22 > 0:25:24so our standard wine bottle now
0:25:24 > 0:25:27is about a third lighter than it was several years ago.
0:25:27 > 0:25:31That means we're using much less fuel to move that product around
0:25:31 > 0:25:33into our distribution centres,
0:25:33 > 0:25:36out to stores and out to our customers homes.
0:25:36 > 0:25:38Other supermarkets are also looking
0:25:38 > 0:25:40at ways of creating smaller footprints.
0:25:40 > 0:25:42Back at the Hopper home,
0:25:42 > 0:25:45Mike is helping the family rustle up a low carbon meal.
0:25:45 > 0:25:49- Excuse me, but what is that? - That is kale,
0:25:49 > 0:25:52which is one of the great discoveries
0:25:52 > 0:25:55of seasonal winter vegetables
0:25:55 > 0:25:57that lots of people don't know about
0:25:57 > 0:26:00and turns out to be really delicious and very low carbon.
0:26:00 > 0:26:04We're having chicken because, if you're going to have meat,
0:26:04 > 0:26:08chicken is one of the lower carbon meats that you can have,
0:26:08 > 0:26:10and potatoes, like other complex carbohydrates,
0:26:10 > 0:26:13are also a low carbon way of feeding yourself.
0:26:13 > 0:26:19This food comes from the UK, with the potatoes and kale grown in season.
0:26:19 > 0:26:23- What do you make of the kale then, May?- Really nice.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26- Do you really mean that?- Yeah. - Of course she means it!
0:26:26 > 0:26:29Most chickens don't eat grass till they produce less methane,
0:26:29 > 0:26:32and Mike's got one last tip.
0:26:32 > 0:26:34The average UK household
0:26:34 > 0:26:37wastes an astonishing quarter of all the food that it buys.
0:26:37 > 0:26:41I was astonished when I first heard that. If we stopped doing that
0:26:41 > 0:26:43and we stopped wasting food completely,
0:26:43 > 0:26:46it would be as beneficial for the climate
0:26:46 > 0:26:48as halving the emissions from cars in the UK.
0:26:48 > 0:26:50Really? Wow.
0:26:50 > 0:26:53It's a simple message - eat the food that you buy.
0:26:53 > 0:26:56And don't waste it, don't waste a thing.
0:26:56 > 0:26:57No. Tuck in!
0:26:58 > 0:27:01Later on tonight's Countryfile -
0:27:01 > 0:27:03Adam's rounding up his rams...
0:27:03 > 0:27:08Teenage rams - full of testosterone and a bit of temperament.
0:27:08 > 0:27:10..Julia's at the dentist with some goats.
0:27:10 > 0:27:12That's never a good noise.
0:27:12 > 0:27:14MECHANICAL WHIRRING
0:27:14 > 0:27:18..and we'll have the Countryfile weather forecast for the week ahead.
0:27:31 > 0:27:35Kent's North Downs Way. A national trail
0:27:35 > 0:27:38that takes in the farms and orchards that span the Garden of England.
0:27:38 > 0:27:42Weaving its way through an area of outstanding natural beauty,
0:27:42 > 0:27:47the trail opened in 1978, but the path is thought to be much older.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50The bit I'm interested in is an ancient track way
0:27:50 > 0:27:52trodden by people since the Middle Ages,
0:27:52 > 0:27:56starting in Winchester and heading to Canterbury. I'm in Godmersham
0:27:56 > 0:27:59for the last seven miles of what would have been their journey.
0:27:59 > 0:28:04It was thought to be a route taken by pilgrims to get to Canterbury.
0:28:04 > 0:28:07The trouble is, nobody is entirely sure of the exact path
0:28:07 > 0:28:11they would've taken, but everyone round here seems to know its name.
0:28:11 > 0:28:14It's called the Pilgrims' Way.
0:28:16 > 0:28:19To find out more, I'm meeting a man who's spent
0:28:19 > 0:28:22the last ten years researching the track way.
0:28:22 > 0:28:24- All right there, Derek. - Hello, Ellie.
0:28:24 > 0:28:26Do I happen to find you on the Pilgrims' Way?
0:28:26 > 0:28:29I think it probably was. I mean, there were five
0:28:29 > 0:28:33key prehistoric track ways that ran through southern England.
0:28:33 > 0:28:37It was an ideal surface for walking. It was mainly chalk.
0:28:37 > 0:28:41There was plenty of flint, so you had a hard surface underfoot,
0:28:41 > 0:28:43and you had exceptionally good drainage.
0:28:43 > 0:28:46What was life on the road like for the pilgrims?
0:28:46 > 0:28:50Well, people would've been quite wealthy that were Pilgrims.
0:28:50 > 0:28:54Most of us wouldn't have been pilgrims, we wouldn't have been able
0:28:54 > 0:28:55to leave the land and go on
0:28:55 > 0:28:58an extended jaunt across the countryside,
0:28:58 > 0:29:01so these people were wealthy. Some were well connected
0:29:01 > 0:29:04and stayed in the archbishop's palaces along the way.
0:29:04 > 0:29:07It's easy to think that they were poor people
0:29:07 > 0:29:09and they cuddled around fires and things.
0:29:09 > 0:29:13Well, on the other hand, there is some folklore that suggests
0:29:13 > 0:29:16that the snails we find along the Pilgrims' Way
0:29:16 > 0:29:21- were dropped by Norman Pilgrims. - Eating snails?- Maybe they were.
0:29:21 > 0:29:23Maybe they were transporting their own food.
0:29:32 > 0:29:34This would have been an exciting moment
0:29:34 > 0:29:36for mediaeval pilgrims,
0:29:36 > 0:29:39because if you look down the valley,
0:29:39 > 0:29:42this is the first sight they would have had
0:29:42 > 0:29:45of Canterbury Cathedral and the Bell Harry Tower.
0:29:45 > 0:29:48There's an Edwardian writer called Hilaire Belloc.
0:29:48 > 0:29:50He describes this scene.
0:29:50 > 0:29:54"It is from this place that a man after all these hundred miles
0:29:54 > 0:29:58"can first see Canterbury. We looked through the mist,
0:29:58 > 0:30:02"down the hollow glen towards the valley between walls of trees.
0:30:02 > 0:30:05"We thought, perhaps, that a dim mark in the haze far off
0:30:05 > 0:30:07"was the tower of the cathedral."
0:30:07 > 0:30:09"Could not be sure."
0:30:15 > 0:30:18Pilgrims made long journeys to Canterbury
0:30:18 > 0:30:20to visit the shrine of Thomas Becket,
0:30:20 > 0:30:22the former Archbishop of the Cathedral.
0:30:22 > 0:30:25He was murdered by the knights of King Henry II because he
0:30:25 > 0:30:29disagreed with government policy and offended the interest of the church.
0:30:29 > 0:30:31After his death, Becket was made a saint.
0:30:31 > 0:30:34What would happen when they'd finally get to the Cathedral?
0:30:34 > 0:30:36They'd visit the shrine,
0:30:36 > 0:30:41but they would have also carried their flasks.
0:30:41 > 0:30:42What's that for?
0:30:42 > 0:30:44The blood and the brains of Becket,
0:30:44 > 0:30:46we know from witnesses that were there,
0:30:46 > 0:30:51were scooped up and they would have filled some of this in their flasks
0:30:51 > 0:30:53and they would've taken it back with them.
0:30:53 > 0:30:56As a little memento, they had a piece of his body.
0:30:56 > 0:30:59- Would they have charged for that? - I'm sure they did.
0:30:59 > 0:31:01They were at it even then. My goodness.
0:31:02 > 0:31:07'With such macabre matters on my mind, it's time for Derek and I
0:31:07 > 0:31:10'to go our own ways. I'm heading for Boughton Aluph Church.
0:31:10 > 0:31:14'Locals think it was an important stopover for pilgrims.'
0:31:14 > 0:31:18We believe that the pilgrims collected here to keep warm
0:31:18 > 0:31:23and to wait until the numbers built up sufficiently for them to proceed
0:31:23 > 0:31:26to Canterbury because the next bit was regarded as rather dangerous.
0:31:26 > 0:31:28Why would they be targeted?
0:31:28 > 0:31:31They were carrying valuables to leave the shrine in Canterbury
0:31:31 > 0:31:34and people knew that, so they lay in wait for them.
0:31:40 > 0:31:44Even if you're not on a pilgrimage, the route is absolutely beautiful
0:31:44 > 0:31:47and passes through some surprising places.
0:31:47 > 0:31:50This used to be part of Jane Austen's brother's estate
0:31:50 > 0:31:53and she visited here all the time. You can picture her
0:31:53 > 0:31:57up there on the folly, dreaming up Mr Darcy.
0:32:11 > 0:32:14Finally, the pilgrims' epic journey would be over.
0:32:14 > 0:32:17They'd arrived at their most sacred destination.
0:32:17 > 0:32:20I wonder what it would have been like,
0:32:20 > 0:32:23having travelled maybe hundreds of miles to get to this point
0:32:23 > 0:32:25knowing that the shrine of Thomas Becket,
0:32:25 > 0:32:29the reason for this perilous journey, was right inside there.
0:32:32 > 0:32:35Thomas Becket's bones may be long gone,
0:32:35 > 0:32:39but his presence lives on within the cathedral.
0:32:42 > 0:32:46It's strange to think, all those years ago, pilgrims would have
0:32:46 > 0:32:48seen the cathedral pretty much as I see it now -
0:32:48 > 0:32:51albeit without the scaffolding.
0:32:51 > 0:32:56Today there's a team of people working tirelessly to maintain it.
0:32:56 > 0:32:59So I've got special permission to go behind the scenes
0:32:59 > 0:33:03and find out how on earth you look after a place of this magnitude.
0:33:05 > 0:33:08The stained glass survived the wrath
0:33:08 > 0:33:11of King Henry VIII during the Reformation and later the puritans,
0:33:11 > 0:33:14who smashed any image they thought blasphemous.
0:33:14 > 0:33:17Each section of window has to be carefully cleaned.
0:33:17 > 0:33:20How do you get these ginormous windows down to work on?
0:33:22 > 0:33:28Ah, see, they're not that ginormous. They come apart in sections.
0:33:28 > 0:33:31The people in the Middle Ages were very clever in making sure
0:33:31 > 0:33:32you could maintain things.
0:33:32 > 0:33:34And how do you maintain them?
0:33:34 > 0:33:37We clean it very, very carefully under the microscope.
0:33:37 > 0:33:39We've got moulds growing on them,
0:33:39 > 0:33:43we have salts developing from the glass, we have flaking paint,
0:33:43 > 0:33:50all that's a huge, messy crust on the inside of the glass.
0:33:50 > 0:33:54So it's a very time-consuming, hugely delicate operation.
0:33:54 > 0:33:57'But it's not just the glass that needs work.
0:33:57 > 0:34:00'19 stonemasons have replaced part of the walls
0:34:00 > 0:34:03'with thousands of handmade stones.
0:34:03 > 0:34:06'I'm nearly at the end of my modern-day pilgrimage,
0:34:06 > 0:34:07'just one last thing.
0:34:07 > 0:34:11'I'm going up four floors of the cathedral to do my bit
0:34:11 > 0:34:13to' become part of its history.'
0:34:13 > 0:34:15- There you are. - Is this ready to go in?
0:34:15 > 0:34:17That's ready. Ready and waiting.
0:34:17 > 0:34:21- Oof, that's heavy. Just pop it on top?- Just pop it on, yeah.
0:34:21 > 0:34:23So it's already been prepped.
0:34:23 > 0:34:27Look how neatly that's been made! Perfect.
0:34:27 > 0:34:29- What a fit.- Give it a knock on top. - A bit of tapping.
0:34:29 > 0:34:33What a moment.
0:34:33 > 0:34:36I feel rather moved. Fantastic.
0:34:36 > 0:34:40'It's hard to imagine that my stone will form part of this
0:34:40 > 0:34:43'stunning building way beyond my lifetime.
0:34:43 > 0:34:47'But for future travellers, Canterbury Cathedral will always be
0:34:47 > 0:34:50'a special ending to a very personal journey.'
0:35:00 > 0:35:03In the Cotswolds, Adam's got his hands full
0:35:03 > 0:35:06as he readies his farm for spring.
0:35:12 > 0:35:16Through the winter, life on the farm tends to slow down.
0:35:16 > 0:35:19The fields lie more or less untouched and, for the animals,
0:35:19 > 0:35:23it's mostly just a case of keeping them fed and fending off the cold.
0:35:23 > 0:35:25But come the spring, it's all systems go.
0:35:26 > 0:35:29This time of year is all about preparing for the coming months.
0:35:29 > 0:35:33The crops need the right amount of nutrients in the soil to grow
0:35:33 > 0:35:36and we need to feed our pregnant ewes for the lambs inside them.
0:35:42 > 0:35:44This year, we're expecting about 1200 lambs.
0:35:44 > 0:35:47Slightly more than last year.
0:35:47 > 0:35:52As lambing time approaches, we have to start giving the ewes extra grub.
0:35:52 > 0:35:55This is a bit of an automated feeding device
0:35:55 > 0:35:59and it's really labour-saving. The buggy is pulling the hopper,
0:35:59 > 0:36:02and in the hopper are the sheep nuts that are being measured out
0:36:02 > 0:36:05so that the correct amount of food goes to this flock of sheep.
0:36:05 > 0:36:09I just have to drive along, making sure I don't run them over.
0:36:09 > 0:36:13The ewes have learned to recognise their drive-by dinner
0:36:13 > 0:36:15and fight it out for first dibs.
0:36:15 > 0:36:19Pregnancy has made them hungry and with no grass left in my field,
0:36:19 > 0:36:21they need a bit of extra help.
0:36:22 > 0:36:25The lambs are growing very fast inside the ewe
0:36:25 > 0:36:27in the last month or so of pregnancy
0:36:27 > 0:36:29and they really draw upon her nutrients.
0:36:29 > 0:36:31You have to feed them correctly.
0:36:31 > 0:36:35These sheep nuts are full of the right oils and proteins
0:36:35 > 0:36:39and fibres as well as essential vitamins and minerals. These ewes
0:36:39 > 0:36:43are all carrying twins. They're about six weeks off lambing,
0:36:43 > 0:36:46they're getting 0.2 of a kilo per head per day.
0:36:46 > 0:36:49I've got another flock of ewes that are even closer to lambing
0:36:49 > 0:36:51and I have to get those into the shed.
0:36:53 > 0:36:56But first, I need to prepare for their arrival.
0:37:00 > 0:37:03This one's seen better days. I can't use that.
0:37:05 > 0:37:09A thick bed to start off with, and then as it gets dirty or wet,
0:37:09 > 0:37:12we just add fresh straw to the top.
0:37:13 > 0:37:17Who's a good girl? Hello, Maud. Hello.
0:37:17 > 0:37:21Come on then, dogs. Let's go get these sheep. Go on.
0:37:34 > 0:37:37That's these girls' home now for the next month or so
0:37:37 > 0:37:40until they give birth, and they should settle in here nicely.
0:37:40 > 0:37:42These ewes are giving birth to single lambs,
0:37:42 > 0:37:45so they don't need a lot of grub, whereas that lot over there
0:37:45 > 0:37:48are giving birth to two, so they'll get a bit more.
0:37:48 > 0:37:50If all goes according to plan,
0:37:50 > 0:37:53there'll soon be hundreds of new faces on the farm,
0:37:53 > 0:37:56but spring will bring new life in other ways too.
0:37:59 > 0:38:02We grow three main crops on the farm -
0:38:02 > 0:38:04barley, wheat and oilseed rape.
0:38:04 > 0:38:08This is the oilseed rape that was planted last August.
0:38:08 > 0:38:09It shoots down roots,
0:38:09 > 0:38:12grows some leaves and then goes dormant over the winter.
0:38:12 > 0:38:16Now that spring is coming and the days are getting longer and warmer,
0:38:16 > 0:38:18this plant will grow very quickly and before you know it,
0:38:18 > 0:38:20it'll be an array of yellow flowers.
0:38:20 > 0:38:23It's amazing how quickly the seasons come round.
0:38:23 > 0:38:27The rapeseed is used to make oil and a successful crop depends on
0:38:27 > 0:38:30getting the right balance of nutrients in the ground.
0:38:30 > 0:38:33The soil on this farm is quite thin and stony.
0:38:33 > 0:38:35It's called Cotswold brash
0:38:35 > 0:38:39and it isn't very nutrient rich, so to grow good quality crops,
0:38:39 > 0:38:42we have to feed it with nitrogen.
0:38:48 > 0:38:51Of all the crops I planted back in the autumn,
0:38:51 > 0:38:53oilseed rape is the earliest to mature
0:38:53 > 0:38:56and the first to be spread with fertiliser.
0:38:56 > 0:38:59This can only be done when the conditions are right.
0:38:59 > 0:39:02The ground has to be dry enough for the tractors
0:39:02 > 0:39:04and it can't be blowing a gale. It has to be still,
0:39:04 > 0:39:07so the spread of the fertiliser is accurate
0:39:07 > 0:39:10and when we can go, we've got to go, so it's all hands to the deck.
0:39:15 > 0:39:18It's a bit like a military operation.
0:39:18 > 0:39:21While my arable manager, Martin Parkinson,
0:39:21 > 0:39:25is working the fields, I'm ferrying supplies of fertiliser to him
0:39:25 > 0:39:28so he doesn't waste any time coming back to the farm.
0:39:28 > 0:39:34- Last field to do, then.- Yeah, last field and then all 275 acres done.
0:39:34 > 0:39:37This is about £300 a ton, so you've got to go in the right place.
0:39:37 > 0:39:40It's over £300 a ton, so we need to make sure we get it on
0:39:40 > 0:39:42at the right time, in the right place.
0:39:42 > 0:39:45People don't realise that if you didn't put the nitrogen on,
0:39:45 > 0:39:47it wouldn't grow.
0:39:47 > 0:39:50There'd be nothing there at all. Pigeons would eat it.
0:39:50 > 0:39:54But we don't want to use too much fertiliser either.
0:39:54 > 0:39:58Using more than we need can be bad for the environment.
0:39:58 > 0:40:00The price has also doubled in the last few years
0:40:00 > 0:40:04and the 35 tonnes we'll be using today will cost around ten grand,
0:40:04 > 0:40:08so we use on-board computers to make sure we get it right.
0:40:08 > 0:40:12Provided we get a good harvest, it'll all be worth the effort.
0:40:16 > 0:40:19There's one more job to do on the farm today.
0:40:22 > 0:40:26Teenage rams - full of testosterone and a bit of temperament.
0:40:29 > 0:40:35All these here are ram lambs and they were born April last year,
0:40:35 > 0:40:37so they're coming up to a year old,
0:40:37 > 0:40:40and Mike chose them in the lambing pen
0:40:40 > 0:40:43for potential breeding stock that we can sell on to other farmers.
0:40:43 > 0:40:45Now that they're a year old, we can tell
0:40:45 > 0:40:47whether they've made the grade or not.
0:40:47 > 0:40:51We're going to go through them, select out the elite, the very best,
0:40:51 > 0:40:53that will get sold on to other breeders.
0:40:53 > 0:40:55The rest will go for meat.
0:40:57 > 0:41:00These are Norfolk Horns. Got to check their teeth, testicles,
0:41:00 > 0:41:04feet and then their overall body condition and what they look like.
0:41:04 > 0:41:07Because they're lambs, these have only got baby teeth
0:41:07 > 0:41:11on their bottom jaw and their teeth have to meet the pad.
0:41:11 > 0:41:14- He's got really good teeth. - Yeah, that one has as well.
0:41:14 > 0:41:21Testicles - need two good, even-sized testicles.
0:41:21 > 0:41:24- They're good.- All good. - All good on the testicles.
0:41:24 > 0:41:27Norfolk Horns, the rams and the ewes have got horns,
0:41:27 > 0:41:30but the rams have got much stronger horns.
0:41:30 > 0:41:34They need a bit of a gap in between, that they've all got,
0:41:34 > 0:41:37not too close to their faces, not too wide.
0:41:37 > 0:41:39- In fact, they're all really nice. - They're good.
0:41:39 > 0:41:42These are all good. We'll take them to the sales in the autumn
0:41:42 > 0:41:46and hopefully they'll make money. These rams, we'll want to be making
0:41:46 > 0:41:50300 or 400 quid to pay for the time and effort that has gone into them.
0:41:50 > 0:41:53When they're all together like this, you can really see just how
0:41:53 > 0:41:56colourful and varied the native British breeds are,
0:41:56 > 0:42:00but unless they're near-perfect specimens, the rams are no use
0:42:00 > 0:42:04for breeding stock, and that means some tough decisions.
0:42:04 > 0:42:08These are the Herdwicks. These are sheep that survive
0:42:08 > 0:42:11up in the Lakeland Fells, really tough sheep.
0:42:11 > 0:42:16They like them nice and clean here, so that's very good, that one.
0:42:16 > 0:42:20This is a reject. It's got a horn growing into his head,
0:42:20 > 0:42:24he's under-grown and hasn't made the grade, so he's a no.
0:42:25 > 0:42:29Even when it comes to my Cotswolds, a breed that is close to my heart,
0:42:29 > 0:42:32this is no time to get sentimental.
0:42:32 > 0:42:36The meat price for sheep at the moment is very good,
0:42:36 > 0:42:39so these big lambs will make 80 quid, 90 quid.
0:42:39 > 0:42:41A bit more even, up to 100.
0:42:41 > 0:42:43Because they're not really amazing,
0:42:43 > 0:42:47they're good but not brilliant, we're going to get rid of them all.
0:42:47 > 0:42:48We're only aiming to keep
0:42:48 > 0:42:52about half the rams, and the decisions don't get any easier.
0:42:52 > 0:42:56These are four smart-looking tups.
0:42:56 > 0:42:59Be quite difficult to make a choice on these.
0:42:59 > 0:43:03- I don't particularly like that one. - Take those two.- Yeah.
0:43:03 > 0:43:07- Come on, boys.- He dips a bit in the shoulder there.
0:43:07 > 0:43:08He has had bad feet as well.
0:43:08 > 0:43:11- Still got the best fleece though. - Yeah, he has, yeah.
0:43:13 > 0:43:17Selecting sheep to sell to other people for breeding,
0:43:17 > 0:43:20particularly rams, is something that I really enjoy doing.
0:43:20 > 0:43:22It's a great part of the job
0:43:22 > 0:43:25and something to be proud of when you turn out a cracking good ram.
0:43:25 > 0:43:28Next week, I'll be heading to the West Country,
0:43:28 > 0:43:31hoping to add to my collection of rare breed chickens.
0:43:42 > 0:43:45We've been exploring the North Kent countryside.
0:43:45 > 0:43:49It's a landscape rich in tradition and history.
0:43:49 > 0:43:54Around here there is a non-native species thriving on local farms.
0:43:54 > 0:43:57Their numbers are on the increase across the UK
0:43:57 > 0:44:00and they're becoming a culinary delight.
0:44:00 > 0:44:04Goats. There are only 94,000 nationwide,
0:44:04 > 0:44:10small beer compared to the UK's 10 million cows and 30 million sheep.
0:44:10 > 0:44:12But when it comes to milk and cheese,
0:44:12 > 0:44:15these girls punch well above their weight.
0:44:17 > 0:44:21Debbie Vernon swapped a comfy IT desk job in London
0:44:21 > 0:44:23for a life on the farm.
0:44:23 > 0:44:26Husband David's dairy farm, to be exact,
0:44:26 > 0:44:29but it was out with the cows and in with the goats.
0:44:29 > 0:44:31So how did you end up with this many goats?
0:44:31 > 0:44:34Well, we started with two goats about eight years ago.
0:44:34 > 0:44:36We've got over 200 now.
0:44:36 > 0:44:40I used to have an auntie that used to sing Paddy McGinty's Goat to me
0:44:40 > 0:44:43and I learnt all the words when I was three or four years old,
0:44:43 > 0:44:45and it's come from there, really!
0:44:45 > 0:44:47'Debbie's goats produce 400 litres of milk a day.
0:44:47 > 0:44:50'Some is sold through local shops, some goes to make cheese.'
0:44:50 > 0:44:53And it's raw milk that you're producing?
0:44:53 > 0:44:56It is. We're unusual in that we produce unpasteurised milk.
0:44:56 > 0:45:00We had goats as I was growing up, and I was raised on raw milk,
0:45:00 > 0:45:03but the reason we got them was, my sister had eczema.
0:45:03 > 0:45:07A lot of our customers have psoriasis or eczema or colitis,
0:45:07 > 0:45:11intolerance to traditional dairy produce.
0:45:11 > 0:45:13'There are rules about selling raw goat milk, as it
0:45:13 > 0:45:16contains live bacteria. The Food Standards Agency
0:45:16 > 0:45:18reckons young children,
0:45:18 > 0:45:20pregnant mums and the elderly should avoid it.
0:45:20 > 0:45:23And obviously what goes in one end comes out the other,
0:45:23 > 0:45:26so the feed is very important for you too.
0:45:26 > 0:45:29Yes, we try to feed them as naturally as possible. As you see,
0:45:29 > 0:45:33they're out grazing here. Most big commercial herds don't graze.
0:45:33 > 0:45:36And we feed them a lot of herbs in their food as well.
0:45:36 > 0:45:40Now, some of these girls, Debbie, are looking lovely and rotund!
0:45:40 > 0:45:42Fat! LAUGHTER
0:45:42 > 0:45:45Yes! I was trying to think of the appropriate term,
0:45:45 > 0:45:46but are they in kid?
0:45:46 > 0:45:51Yes, most of them. This is Ginger, she's having triplets.
0:45:51 > 0:45:56'Debbie has 100 nannies in kid and is expecting about 150 new arrivals,
0:45:56 > 0:45:58'with a few she hadn't banked on.
0:45:58 > 0:46:02'So she has called in Michael Owen to confirm with a scan.'
0:46:02 > 0:46:07- She's carrying twins. - Good news, lads. The girls are fine.
0:46:07 > 0:46:10Loads of kids on the way, you did a good job.
0:46:10 > 0:46:12We had a bit of a breakout the other week,
0:46:12 > 0:46:17and all the goats decided to let themselves out.
0:46:17 > 0:46:21Having done that, they then went and let the two little boys out,
0:46:21 > 0:46:24and we're just a bit concerned that they might have had a little fun
0:46:24 > 0:46:26that they shouldn't have done.
0:46:26 > 0:46:28So this is the moment of truth, then!
0:46:28 > 0:46:31- This is the moment of truth. - She is in kid.- She's in kid!
0:46:31 > 0:46:35- She's carrying twins. - Naughty Figgy!
0:46:37 > 0:46:40'Mum needs to be in tiptop condition
0:46:40 > 0:46:43'so the milk that goes to the shops is as good as it can be.
0:46:43 > 0:46:46'But what happens when one of the girls is ill?'
0:46:46 > 0:46:51One of the ways that Debbie tries to keep the herd as medicine free
0:46:51 > 0:46:53as possible is by using acupuncture,
0:46:53 > 0:46:56and Footsie here suffers from a bit of arthritis,
0:46:56 > 0:46:59so I'm going to accompany her to her monthly session.
0:46:59 > 0:47:02Come on, darling.
0:47:02 > 0:47:04'Monica David is a local vet.
0:47:04 > 0:47:07'She's a dab hand with the needles, so Debbie's goat is in good hands.'
0:47:07 > 0:47:10So, as with normal acupuncture,
0:47:10 > 0:47:13you're kind of following these energy pathways.
0:47:13 > 0:47:14I always do use the Chinese line,
0:47:14 > 0:47:18but I apply the Western approach -
0:47:18 > 0:47:23we stimulate the body to release endorphins
0:47:23 > 0:47:28that will cut the pain pathway.
0:47:28 > 0:47:29How do you know
0:47:29 > 0:47:33it's actually an effective treatment for her arthritis?
0:47:33 > 0:47:35She will stand more easily in the morning
0:47:35 > 0:47:40when normally she is stiff, or she will walk better.
0:47:40 > 0:47:42She's a lovely girl, aren't you?
0:47:42 > 0:47:45'Well, that's Footsie sorted for a few more weeks.
0:47:45 > 0:47:49'Now, it's time to put my theory for Baker's bark to the test.'
0:47:49 > 0:47:52Well, it's now feeding time, and Debbie, I've had this idea.
0:47:52 > 0:47:54I don't know if you'll be interested,
0:47:54 > 0:47:57but I've been coppicing this morning, right -
0:47:57 > 0:48:01the only waste product of the whole process is the bark.
0:48:01 > 0:48:07The moment of truth will they eat sweet chestnut bark? Here we go.
0:48:07 > 0:48:11'Well, the girls seem interested. I checked with the nets and they said
0:48:11 > 0:48:13'so long as the bark hasn't been treated or sprayed,
0:48:13 > 0:48:17'and if it's only used as part of their regular diet, it's fine.
0:48:17 > 0:48:20'Looks like I'm on to a winner.' Oh, we've got a bit of interest.
0:48:20 > 0:48:23- What do you reckon?- Yes, it's good roughage, isn't it?
0:48:23 > 0:48:26Would you be interested in feeding them this?
0:48:26 > 0:48:29As long as we know where it comes from and how it's treated.
0:48:29 > 0:48:31Just up the road, Debbie, just up the road.
0:48:31 > 0:48:34A wood farmer and a goat farmer working in perfect harmony.
0:48:34 > 0:48:36Isn't that lovely?
0:48:36 > 0:48:37'Life for Debbie's goats is good.
0:48:37 > 0:48:40'They are comfy, healthy and have plenty of good stuff to eat.
0:48:40 > 0:48:44'Important, because these animals are smarter than we think.'
0:48:44 > 0:48:47And Julia will be finding out just how smart they are
0:48:47 > 0:48:50after the Countryfile weather forecast for the week ahead.
0:48:50 > 0:48:53Get your head out me bucket!
0:51:50 > 0:51:57.
0:52:11 > 0:52:13We've been getting to know North Kent.
0:52:13 > 0:52:17It's an area of outstanding natural beauty, with open moors,
0:52:17 > 0:52:20wooded valleys, and rich farmland.
0:52:20 > 0:52:24And it's where some frontline scientific research is being done.
0:52:24 > 0:52:28This is the Buttercups Goat Sanctuary near Maidstone.
0:52:28 > 0:52:33It's where abused and abandoned goats come for some proper TLC.
0:52:33 > 0:52:35It's also a place that is changing opinion
0:52:35 > 0:52:38about how smart these animals actually are.
0:52:38 > 0:52:40Take a look at this.
0:52:40 > 0:52:43This video was taken here last summer.
0:52:43 > 0:52:46It shows an experiment to test goat intelligence.
0:52:46 > 0:52:49The animal has worked out how to get food out of a sealed box.
0:52:49 > 0:52:55Dr Elodie Briefer, from Queen Mary University, London, ran that test.
0:52:55 > 0:52:59She's running the same test again today,
0:52:59 > 0:53:02and it looks like this lot know what is going on.
0:53:02 > 0:53:06Now, we saw in the film the goats operating
0:53:06 > 0:53:11this piece of machinery, but explain exactly what you've designed here.
0:53:11 > 0:53:14So, we designed a complicated two-step process,
0:53:14 > 0:53:17where they have to pull that out and then pull it up,
0:53:17 > 0:53:19and then the pasta comes.
0:53:19 > 0:53:23So what's the point of testing again now, six months later?
0:53:23 > 0:53:26To see if they have a long-term memory of this task.
0:53:26 > 0:53:30So you're going to put the same goats through the test.
0:53:30 > 0:53:33'The goat we're after is called Willow.
0:53:33 > 0:53:36'Now, it's been a few months since she did the test.
0:53:36 > 0:53:40'Will she still remember how to open the box? Let's find out.'
0:53:40 > 0:53:46- Here we go.- She's really motivated. - Definitely motivated.- Right.
0:53:47 > 0:53:50Straight oh, my Lord, look at that!
0:53:52 > 0:53:55- Straight for it.- That's it.
0:53:55 > 0:53:58'It's the speed with which she solved the puzzle
0:53:58 > 0:54:00'that's evidence she remembered.'
0:54:00 > 0:54:05So this proves they have a memory, proves they are very intelligent.
0:54:05 > 0:54:10Yes, absolutely. She may destroy the box if we leave her!
0:54:10 > 0:54:14- I think next, we should try a crossword.- Yes.
0:54:14 > 0:54:18'So why do we need to know how smart goats are?'
0:54:18 > 0:54:22It informs us in terms of at least being able to show people
0:54:22 > 0:54:25that the animals show quite complex behaviours
0:54:25 > 0:54:27and they are intelligent animals.
0:54:27 > 0:54:30So if you want to keep goats, you should really give them
0:54:30 > 0:54:32the best possible welfare that you can.
0:54:32 > 0:54:35A basic thing is, goats should never be kept on their own,
0:54:35 > 0:54:38they should always be kept in a group, or at least a pair.
0:54:38 > 0:54:42So showing how complicated their behaviours can be
0:54:42 > 0:54:45actually helps inform people.
0:54:45 > 0:54:48- And the handling and the treatment. - Yes, exactly.
0:54:48 > 0:54:51'It's something they pay heed to at Buttercups.
0:54:51 > 0:54:54'All these animals are rescues, and they get the best of attention.'
0:54:54 > 0:54:56What are you up to, Gillian?
0:54:56 > 0:55:00- I'm leg scratching.- Leg scratching, is this an official duty?
0:55:00 > 0:55:04Not exactly, no, but one that he likes and enjoys anyway!
0:55:04 > 0:55:10Can I have a go now? Oh, right a bit. Left a bit. lovely.
0:55:10 > 0:55:12'Volunteers staff the sanctuary,
0:55:12 > 0:55:15'but there are regular visits from the vet.
0:55:15 > 0:55:18'Today, he's got his dentist's hat on.'
0:55:18 > 0:55:22- Hi, Heather.- Hiya.- It's like standing in line at the doctor's!
0:55:22 > 0:55:25- That's just what we said. - Oh, don't worry, it won't hurt.
0:55:25 > 0:55:30- Look at all that stuff coming up there.- All this stuff comes out.
0:55:30 > 0:55:34They don't mind that too much. Then I'll have a good look inside.
0:55:34 > 0:55:36I can see a nasty point in there
0:55:36 > 0:55:39which I'll rasp off with a power tool in a minute.
0:55:39 > 0:55:40Can the camera get in there?
0:55:40 > 0:55:44Have a look, get in here. Get in there! There you go.
0:55:44 > 0:55:47Can you see a sort of needle sticking down from the upper jaw?
0:55:48 > 0:55:53- Yes, there we go.- Well, we'll just try and buzz that down.
0:55:53 > 0:55:55BUZZING
0:55:55 > 0:55:58That's not a good noise, wherever you hear it.
0:55:59 > 0:56:03Oh, look at this. So, Hattie is next in line. Not looking forward to it!
0:56:03 > 0:56:05Not looking forward to it.
0:56:05 > 0:56:09'Buttercups has been going for over 20 years.
0:56:09 > 0:56:11'Let's meet the man behind it.'
0:56:11 > 0:56:15- How many have you got here, Bob? - We've got about 140 in this sanctuary
0:56:15 > 0:56:18and another 95 in foster homes around the county.
0:56:18 > 0:56:21We take them from as far afield as Cornwall and the Midlands.
0:56:21 > 0:56:25- And what are the reasons that people abandon them?- So varied.
0:56:25 > 0:56:29I could tell you so many different forms of cruelty,
0:56:29 > 0:56:32but also not only cruelty, but where they have been abandoned,
0:56:32 > 0:56:35or people who of course can't manage them any more.
0:56:35 > 0:56:39'Now, we know that goats go bonkers for food.
0:56:39 > 0:56:42'I hope Matt is prepared for a feeding frenzy.'
0:56:42 > 0:56:47- Hello, lovely.- How you doing? - I'm very well. Did you miss me?
0:56:47 > 0:56:50- I have, yes. How were the snails? - The snails were great, very tasty.
0:56:50 > 0:56:53That's it, we thought we'd sort out something nice for you.
0:56:53 > 0:56:57Good day with the goats? Stay where you are, you don't need to move.
0:56:57 > 0:56:59I've got something for you. Bob?
0:56:59 > 0:57:04Um... I just think that, you know, really,
0:57:04 > 0:57:06you should do a little job for me.
0:57:06 > 0:57:10You know, first time we've been back together and all that.
0:57:10 > 0:57:13So if you can just help me out, because I've been doing it all day.
0:57:13 > 0:57:17- This is Bob. Here you go, big boy. - So, what I need you to do
0:57:17 > 0:57:21- I'm sensing a stitch-up.- I'm tired! I've been doing this all day,
0:57:21 > 0:57:24It's been goats, goats and more goats. Sprinkle away,
0:57:24 > 0:57:28- and I'll tell you when to stop. - I just have to sprinkle now?
0:57:28 > 0:57:32- Throw it over there.- Where they can see it, over there. Have fun.
0:57:32 > 0:57:35Not too much, not too much. One, two, three - come on!
0:57:35 > 0:57:38- Come on, then.- Come on, come on! Come on, then.
0:57:38 > 0:57:41Come on, then. Come on, then! Go, go, go, go, go!
0:57:41 > 0:57:43LAUGHTER
0:57:43 > 0:57:48- What a beautiful sight. Come on then, girls.- Girls and boys.
0:57:48 > 0:57:51- Thanks for sorting that out. - Pleasure, I knew you'd like that.
0:57:51 > 0:57:55- How lovely it is to have you back on Countryfile.- It's great to be back.
0:57:55 > 0:57:57That's all we've got time for from North Kent.
0:57:57 > 0:57:59Next week, we'll be in the New Forest.
0:57:59 > 0:58:02They're letting me loose with a 30 ton digger.
0:58:02 > 0:58:04I'm discovering a hidden landscape.
0:58:04 > 0:58:07And I'm going in search of a hidden bounty,
0:58:07 > 0:58:09but that's all, me hearties, we're empty.
0:58:09 > 0:58:11- See you later. - See you later. Bye-bye.
0:58:30 > 0:58:34Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd