0:00:25 > 0:00:30'Anglesey, hewn from some of the oldest rocks in Britain.
0:00:30 > 0:00:34'In the Middle Ages, the fields here earned the island fame as Mam Cymru,
0:00:34 > 0:00:36'the Mother of Wales,
0:00:36 > 0:00:39'a place so fertile it could feed a nation.'
0:00:41 > 0:00:44These days, some of the harvests are slightly more exotic,
0:00:44 > 0:00:47as I'll be finding out when I meet a husband and wife team
0:00:47 > 0:00:50who built this polytunnel to house their boat,
0:00:50 > 0:00:53but ended up with a thriving business.
0:00:53 > 0:00:57'The gloves are off for an epic seasonal battle.'
0:00:57 > 0:01:01- I'm going to push mine. - Hang on a minute! This isn't bowls!
0:01:01 > 0:01:04'But just who will win?
0:01:04 > 0:01:09'And Adam's left his farm behind to help with a very special task.'
0:01:09 > 0:01:12I'll be travelling the length and breadth of the country
0:01:12 > 0:01:15in search of the BBC's Farmer of the Year for 2012,
0:01:15 > 0:01:18and I've got three fascinating characters to meet up with.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31'The island of Anglesey.
0:01:31 > 0:01:35'Craggy shores envelope a rich expanse of farmland.
0:01:35 > 0:01:39'Lying in the Irish Sea, just off the north-western tip of Wales,
0:01:39 > 0:01:42'Anglesey is the largest of the Welsh islands.
0:01:43 > 0:01:47'The wild Menai Strait once cut it off from the mainland,
0:01:47 > 0:01:50'but for a century we've had the gap bridged,
0:01:50 > 0:01:53'two elegant crossings connecting this farming community.'
0:01:54 > 0:01:57Back in the Middle Ages, Anglesey was so productive
0:01:57 > 0:02:00that it was known as the Bread Basket of Wales,
0:02:00 > 0:02:02but as I'm about to explore,
0:02:02 > 0:02:06conditions here today are ripe for some very specialist harvests.
0:02:07 > 0:02:10'I'm heading to a small plot of land that's a long way
0:02:10 > 0:02:12'from the traditional kitchen garden.
0:02:12 > 0:02:16'Keith and Catherine Self moved here to retire five years ago.
0:02:16 > 0:02:18'Keith was hankering for a quieter life,
0:02:18 > 0:02:22'but green-fingered Catherine had other ideas.
0:02:22 > 0:02:25'She started a business growing exotic fruit.'
0:02:27 > 0:02:31We've got Kiwi fruits, bananas, oranges, lemons, limes.
0:02:31 > 0:02:33- So all exotic?- Yeah, definitely.
0:02:33 > 0:02:35It was never meant, was it, for plants, this polytunnel?
0:02:35 > 0:02:39No, it wasn't. That's why it's got extra-wide doors and extra height.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42It was to put Lily May in, my boat, but it never made it.
0:02:42 > 0:02:47- Bananas came in and in and in! - Nothing to do with me!
0:02:47 > 0:02:50'So Keith built a second polytunnel,
0:02:50 > 0:02:54'which Catherine also filled with fruit and greenery.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57'Four years later, Lily May is still in need of some TLC. Poor Keith!
0:02:57 > 0:02:59'He doesn't even like fruit!'
0:03:01 > 0:03:04One banana a year and that's about it!
0:03:04 > 0:03:07There's no chance of me eating the profits.
0:03:07 > 0:03:09Go and show me what you're growing outside...
0:03:09 > 0:03:13'Keeping Catherine's beloved plants fruitful in their new,
0:03:13 > 0:03:17'more temperate home in Anglesey needs extra care and attention.'
0:03:19 > 0:03:20As the cold weather tightens its grip,
0:03:20 > 0:03:24it's time to bed these tropical beauties down for the winter
0:03:24 > 0:03:28with the help of a secret ingredient from the Anglesey seaside.
0:03:28 > 0:03:30Seaweed.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38Give it a good bed down,
0:03:38 > 0:03:40right the way round the edges.
0:03:40 > 0:03:45The seaweed actually works as a slow-release fertilizer.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48- We could leave them out all year.- Could you?
0:03:48 > 0:03:50They are hardy enough,
0:03:50 > 0:03:53but we use the fruit to make produce by taking them in.
0:03:53 > 0:03:55It gives them a bit of a head start in the spring,
0:03:55 > 0:03:59so we get a much higher yield from each plant.
0:03:59 > 0:04:00OK.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03Right, we'll go and put that one in the tunnel.
0:04:03 > 0:04:08'One Kiwi plant produces around 90 fruit in a season,
0:04:08 > 0:04:11'so with 100 plants, that's 9,000 Kiwis a year.'
0:04:12 > 0:04:16- Keith, shall I just pop this on here?- Yeah, fine. Just on there.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19- There we are.- No problem. That'll be it for winter now.
0:04:19 > 0:04:21Well, there's another 95 to go.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24- That's fine.- So there's certainly no room for the boat this year.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27- Er, I think I need a big workshop, don't you?- You do!
0:04:30 > 0:04:33'Time to find out what happens to all those Kiwis.
0:04:33 > 0:04:39'Over the past three years, Catherine has handmade 6,353 pots
0:04:39 > 0:04:41'of award-winning jams and preserves.'
0:04:43 > 0:04:45Well, Catherine, this is a very tasty way
0:04:45 > 0:04:48of dealing with how productive your Kiwi plants are.
0:04:48 > 0:04:49It certainly is, Matt, yes.
0:04:49 > 0:04:55We make Kiwi fruit jam along with a lot of others as well,
0:04:55 > 0:04:58and our range has gradually increased
0:04:58 > 0:04:59as we source new recipe ideas.
0:05:00 > 0:05:02What's your secret, then?
0:05:02 > 0:05:06Erm, good fresh ingredients, no artificial colourings,
0:05:06 > 0:05:09preservatives, so everything that goes in the jar is 100% natural.
0:05:09 > 0:05:13'Catherine wants to increase jam production to 3,000 pots a year.'
0:05:15 > 0:05:19I'm a big fan of Kiwi fruit and that...that is beautiful.
0:05:19 > 0:05:21'And she has grand designs
0:05:21 > 0:05:24'for another part of their retirement home.'
0:05:24 > 0:05:28We've just got planning permission now to, dare I say it,
0:05:28 > 0:05:30turn the garage into a commercial kitchen.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33- Not Keith's garage!- Yes. - He's lost his polytunnel!
0:05:33 > 0:05:36- Now he's losing his garage. - Now he's going to lose his garage.
0:05:36 > 0:05:40'With the jam business going places, it looks like Keith's boat Lily May
0:05:40 > 0:05:43'will be high and dry for a little longer.'
0:05:49 > 0:05:53'At Anglesey's western edge lies the port of Holyhead.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57'Every year, two million passengers
0:05:57 > 0:06:01'make the crossing to and from Ireland. Just a few miles away,
0:06:01 > 0:06:04'the famous South Stack Lighthouse protects it all.'
0:06:05 > 0:06:09But the lighthouse has a noisy younger brother,
0:06:09 > 0:06:11a fog house on the North Stack.
0:06:11 > 0:06:13For decades, it's been privately owned,
0:06:13 > 0:06:16but recently, it's come up for sale, and as it happens,
0:06:16 > 0:06:19I'm in the market for something unusual and craggy.
0:06:22 > 0:06:26'I've arranged a viewing with Philippa Jacobs who owns the house.'
0:06:26 > 0:06:27- Hi, Philippa.- Hello.- Hello, hello.
0:06:27 > 0:06:29Well, suitably miserable weather.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32- Absolutely.- And I understand we've got a bit of a journey.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35You have, and it's going to be a slippery one, the first bit.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38'It's a 20 minute drive from civilisation to get there.
0:06:38 > 0:06:42'Along a track...if that's what you want to call it.'
0:06:42 > 0:06:47- So how many times do you think you've made this journey?- Hundreds.
0:06:47 > 0:06:50Hundreds and hundreds, cos you've been at the fog house for how long?
0:06:50 > 0:06:55- Nearly 24 years.- 24 years! - Yes, so quite a few journeys.
0:06:55 > 0:06:57I try to limit it these days to about three a week.
0:07:02 > 0:07:04So 24 years and now you decide it's time to sell.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07Well, yes, I mean it's my age.
0:07:07 > 0:07:09I don't want to go, obviously, I mean, I love it here,
0:07:09 > 0:07:11I've loved every minute of being here.
0:07:11 > 0:07:16- How old are you? I know it's rude to ask.- 73.- 73.
0:07:20 > 0:07:22This is the most bumpy bit.
0:07:23 > 0:07:26Oops! Sorry.
0:07:26 > 0:07:28For me, still no sign of the fog house.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31You will see it where it is!
0:07:33 > 0:07:38This is becoming quite ridiculous! Philippa, look at this!
0:07:40 > 0:07:46- There's the fog house.- I can see a roof, there she is.- There she is.
0:07:46 > 0:07:48'The signal station was built in the 1850s
0:07:48 > 0:07:52'to send out warning blasts to ships on foggy days.
0:07:54 > 0:07:59'Nowadays, Philippa uses it as a studio for her artwork.'
0:07:59 > 0:08:03- Oh, have a cup of tea, yes. - Oh, lovely.- We need it today.
0:08:03 > 0:08:05I'm very impressed with your kitchen.
0:08:05 > 0:08:09You've got everything here. It's very cosy, I'm loving the Aga.
0:08:09 > 0:08:11I can see electricity, so you've got power, you've got water.
0:08:11 > 0:08:16Yes, ah, but the water is from the roof, you realise that?
0:08:16 > 0:08:20- I'm not on mains water here. - It's rain water?
0:08:20 > 0:08:22It's rain water, but this water is bought water
0:08:22 > 0:08:25because I didn't want to give you rain water
0:08:25 > 0:08:28because the seagulls defecate on the...
0:08:28 > 0:08:30Eurgh!
0:08:30 > 0:08:33But in the old days, the fog people,
0:08:33 > 0:08:36they drank the water from the roof all the time.
0:08:37 > 0:08:41'With great views, period features and privacy guaranteed,
0:08:41 > 0:08:42'this three-bed character property
0:08:42 > 0:08:44'is enough to make any estate agent drool.
0:08:44 > 0:08:48'And it's a snip at just under £600,000.
0:08:50 > 0:08:54'Philippa moved into the living quarters in 1989.'
0:08:54 > 0:08:57I lived in Hampshire on a farm for many years,
0:08:57 > 0:09:01and my husband became terminally ill, sadly,
0:09:01 > 0:09:05so we moved to the town, and there I didn't have a studio, you see,
0:09:05 > 0:09:08in the town, and so when sadly he died,
0:09:08 > 0:09:12I, erm, saw this place, an aerial shot of it
0:09:12 > 0:09:17in a property magazine and came up and immediately fell in love with it
0:09:17 > 0:09:19and realised that this was the place.
0:09:19 > 0:09:23I was 50 years old at the time and realised that if I didn't do it then,
0:09:23 > 0:09:27I wasn't going to do it in another ten years' time, so go for it!
0:09:29 > 0:09:30'Continuing my tour,
0:09:30 > 0:09:32Philippa's taking me to the heart of the house.'
0:09:32 > 0:09:36The cold wing. I don't like it too hot in the studio.
0:09:38 > 0:09:43So this is your place of work and play and meditation.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46- No, it's not a place of play. - Not a place of play.- No.
0:09:46 > 0:09:52So you don't consider there to be any play in your artistry?
0:09:52 > 0:09:53There's no play in the art.
0:09:53 > 0:09:57There is enjoyment, of course you love doing it, but it's a struggle.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00It's quite a...you know, you have to get up every morning
0:10:00 > 0:10:03and know that you're going to work because a painter, I think,
0:10:03 > 0:10:05should work as hard as anybody else.
0:10:05 > 0:10:09I can't be in the room and not be drawn to that.
0:10:09 > 0:10:15Well, this one is of...well, this part here is North Stack,
0:10:15 > 0:10:18is the island, and this is the race between the island
0:10:18 > 0:10:23and this is the mainland, and the sea for me is also about an idea.
0:10:23 > 0:10:26You can't paint a painting unless you've got an idea behind it.
0:10:26 > 0:10:28There's no point in painting something...
0:10:28 > 0:10:31and the currents of the sea, again, are about our lives.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34The way we go in this direction or that...
0:10:34 > 0:10:36Or get pulled in this direction or that direction.
0:10:36 > 0:10:37Yes, exactly.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40- Is that where you rest or where you sleep?- This is where I sleep.
0:10:40 > 0:10:45I live in this room. I sleep, work, read, eat,
0:10:45 > 0:10:48and the dogs also sleep in here at the same time.
0:10:48 > 0:10:49So you like to sleep with your art?
0:10:49 > 0:10:51I like to sleep with my paintings, yes.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56'Philippa is leaving her mark on the history of the house,
0:10:56 > 0:10:58'like the fog people before her.
0:10:58 > 0:11:02'A bank of redundant speakers sit dormant in the fog station.
0:11:02 > 0:11:07'Now silent, they're a reminder that this place was built to be heard.'
0:11:10 > 0:11:12I'm not sure that I could live here,
0:11:12 > 0:11:15but of course, it never used to be a choice, it was a lifestyle.
0:11:15 > 0:11:17The man in the picture here is called Derek Lewis,
0:11:17 > 0:11:20and he used to be the assistant keeper,
0:11:20 > 0:11:25and he's on his way back for a visit for the first time in 50 years.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28I wonder what he'll make of the place now.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31- Hello, Philippa.- Hello, lovely to meet you, Mr Lewis. Do come in.
0:11:31 > 0:11:35Hello, you couldn't have picked a better day for it. Come on in.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38Derek, this is a real first for you, isn't it,
0:11:38 > 0:11:40because you're in the house as well?
0:11:40 > 0:11:42- That's right.- You weren't allowed in the house.- No, I weren't.
0:11:42 > 0:11:44First time to be in the house.
0:11:44 > 0:11:47We used to...in a little shed at the back here.
0:11:47 > 0:11:52I used to go down to the fog station about 12 o'clock at night,
0:11:52 > 0:11:55down this path, you know, it's very, very...
0:11:55 > 0:11:57- The lethal path.- Oh!
0:11:57 > 0:12:01And if it was foggy, then I'd start firing,
0:12:01 > 0:12:04and I'd be firing say till eight o'clock in the morning.
0:12:04 > 0:12:07And then I'd stop then and I used to go to sleep
0:12:07 > 0:12:12and then the next keeper would take charge then.
0:12:12 > 0:12:14- Hard work.- Well, yes.
0:12:14 > 0:12:18And not only that, but you have to have these guns blasting away
0:12:18 > 0:12:21while you're trying to sleep, you know.
0:12:21 > 0:12:25- Not very restful.- No. - How's your hearing?- Not very good!
0:12:27 > 0:12:29'Philippa's nearing the end of her time at North Stack
0:12:29 > 0:12:31'and so am I,
0:12:31 > 0:12:36'but before I leave, she wants to show me one more painting.'
0:12:36 > 0:12:40- Oh, yes!- There it is. - It's not very artistic, Philippa.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43Well, that's what my son said.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46I sent him a photograph of it, and he had the audacity to say,
0:12:46 > 0:12:48"You didn't do it very neatly, did you, Mother?"
0:12:50 > 0:12:53'Well, it could catch a passing sailor's eye.'
0:12:53 > 0:12:55I think the people looking at this kind of house
0:12:55 > 0:13:00are looking for peace, looking to get away from the scrum of everyday life.
0:13:02 > 0:13:04Here I can see the horizon,
0:13:04 > 0:13:08I can see the clouds disappearing below the horizon,
0:13:08 > 0:13:13so I know that I'm living on a globe and part of a much bigger system.
0:13:13 > 0:13:16In the town, you don't have that sense
0:13:16 > 0:13:18of this extraordinary place called Earth.
0:13:21 > 0:13:25'Over on the mainland, our very own farmer in residence
0:13:25 > 0:13:28'has been asked to judge this year's Farmer of the Year, part of
0:13:28 > 0:13:30'the BBC's Food and Farming Awards.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33'Today, he's visiting the three short-listed farms.'
0:13:33 > 0:13:36It's a real honour to be asked to judge these awards,
0:13:36 > 0:13:40and as a farmer, I'm often driving around looking over the fence
0:13:40 > 0:13:42wondering what other farmers are getting up to.
0:13:42 > 0:13:45So I can get behind the scenes and have a good nose round.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48But also, the three finalists that I'm going to visit
0:13:48 > 0:13:51have got some very inspirational businesses.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00As a judge, what I'm looking for are very good farmers
0:14:00 > 0:14:04who produce food in a responsible way and consider the environment,
0:14:04 > 0:14:07but also that they're great communicators
0:14:07 > 0:14:09and can inspire others around them.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14'I'm heading to Devon first of all, where I'm meeting up with someone
0:14:14 > 0:14:17'whose business has gone from strength to strength.
0:14:17 > 0:14:19'Guy Watson has run an organic veg box scheme
0:14:19 > 0:14:21'for the last 25 years.'
0:14:23 > 0:14:25Morning, Guy. It's a wonderful spot.
0:14:25 > 0:14:27Have you always wanted to be a farmer?
0:14:27 > 0:14:30I have, ever since I was three I've been obsessed with it, really.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33Stomping around in me wellies, getting in everyone's way.
0:14:33 > 0:14:37How did the box scheme all come about and grow so fast?
0:14:37 > 0:14:40Well, we are the real thing. People like that.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43I mean, I am actually a farmer, I do occasionally get out in the field
0:14:43 > 0:14:45and we do grow really good vegetables.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48To employ 450 people in a way that I feel comfortable with,
0:14:48 > 0:14:51it has been difficult and I've had to learn a hell of a lot.
0:14:51 > 0:14:53It's been a steep learning curve.
0:14:53 > 0:14:58And then your Riverford brand has just exploded.
0:14:58 > 0:15:00Well, I was delivering vegetables to local shops
0:15:00 > 0:15:02literally out of the back of my beaten up old car
0:15:02 > 0:15:05and it's grown from those very small beginnings to now
0:15:05 > 0:15:10we pack 40,000 boxes a week, that's roughly one every three seconds.
0:15:10 > 0:15:13- Fascinating. Well, I'm intrigued to see more.- OK.
0:15:15 > 0:15:19I want to see what happens to the veg once it's picked.
0:15:19 > 0:15:21So, Guy, this is a serious operation, in here?
0:15:21 > 0:15:26Yeah, we've invested quite a lot in mechanising the box-packing.
0:15:26 > 0:15:28As well as having this set-up in Devon,
0:15:28 > 0:15:32Guy also runs other farms across the UK and abroad.
0:15:32 > 0:15:36- Some tomatoes. Where is this grown? - That would be various UK growers.
0:15:36 > 0:15:41- This is from a farm in Hampshire. - And avocado, is that?- Yes.
0:15:41 > 0:15:43They're not grown in the UK?
0:15:43 > 0:15:46No, they're normally Spanish.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49People would imagine you're doing seasonal vegetables in a box,
0:15:49 > 0:15:53delivered locally... But the business has gone past that?
0:15:53 > 0:15:56Well, that's what I would like to do.
0:15:56 > 0:16:00We do pack one very seasonal box, which would be 98% UK produce.
0:16:00 > 0:16:02It is 2% of our sales.
0:16:02 > 0:16:06I'm afraid tomatoes in February have just become a reality.
0:16:06 > 0:16:10So how do you balance that with your ethics? How do you justify it?
0:16:10 > 0:16:13When we do import, we import carefully.
0:16:13 > 0:16:15We always know the farm that it comes from.
0:16:15 > 0:16:18I like to think that on balance,
0:16:18 > 0:16:22we leave the world a better place than if we weren't here.
0:16:22 > 0:16:23Yeah.
0:16:23 > 0:16:27But not everything they harvest here is taken away from the farm.
0:16:28 > 0:16:31There is a restaurant on site, too. And I can't help feeling
0:16:31 > 0:16:36that this really is a great example of diversification in farming.
0:16:37 > 0:16:42We have a salad of butternut squash, slow-roast tomatoes and red onions.
0:16:42 > 0:16:46Thank you very much, wow! This looks absolutely delicious.
0:16:46 > 0:16:48What is the business all about?
0:16:48 > 0:16:51It's about taking the best from out there in the fields
0:16:51 > 0:16:53and sharing with our customers.
0:16:53 > 0:16:57Trying to get them excited about cooking seasonal vegetables.
0:16:57 > 0:17:00And when they come here, that's what they get.
0:17:00 > 0:17:04So, I really think that the field kitchen,
0:17:04 > 0:17:07it does sum up our mission statement, if you like. Which is
0:17:07 > 0:17:09about good farming, good business and good food.
0:17:11 > 0:17:16Guy Watson is certainly a very good farmer, running a huge business.
0:17:16 > 0:17:20But still considering the environment in everything that he does.
0:17:20 > 0:17:23And the farm that I'm heading to next is certainly no different.
0:17:23 > 0:17:25I'm leaving Devon for Wiltshire,
0:17:25 > 0:17:28where wildlife is at the heart of everything they do.
0:17:29 > 0:17:32Henry Edmunds farms 1,000 hectares,
0:17:32 > 0:17:36around 2,500 acres organically, on the Cholderton estate in Salisbury.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40Henry, this is a lovely scene. Tell me about your dairy herd.
0:17:40 > 0:17:44Well, we have about 300 cows, split into two herds.
0:17:44 > 0:17:46We milk them only twice a day, and they are out at grass
0:17:46 > 0:17:48for as much of the year as possible,
0:17:48 > 0:17:50as you can see, today.
0:17:50 > 0:17:53Henry sows his fields with all sorts of grasses and clovers
0:17:53 > 0:17:56that are so rich in nutrients that it allows
0:17:56 > 0:17:59the cattle to stay out much longer than most dairy cows.
0:18:01 > 0:18:04The system works pretty well. The cows last a long time.
0:18:04 > 0:18:07Many cows that you are looking at here have done 10, 12 lactations,
0:18:07 > 0:18:09sometimes even more.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12If you compare that to many of the commercial systems,
0:18:12 > 0:18:14what would their average be?
0:18:14 > 0:18:16Well, they only do three lactations on the whole.
0:18:16 > 0:18:18That is the national average.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21And cows that are kept on concrete, it just isn't natural.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24This is how cows should be kept, grazing on grass.
0:18:24 > 0:18:26And you can see they are very happy.
0:18:26 > 0:18:30I have to mention the swallows and house martins.
0:18:30 > 0:18:32- It is an amazing spectacle. - Yeah, it's fabulous.
0:18:32 > 0:18:34And it's a reflection... They are being attracted
0:18:34 > 0:18:36by the cowpats coming from the cows,
0:18:36 > 0:18:38which is bringing in insects.
0:18:38 > 0:18:40And of course, the red clover,
0:18:40 > 0:18:42insects are coming and nectaring off that.
0:18:42 > 0:18:46And also, there are a lot of small beetles and flies coming off this
0:18:46 > 0:18:48that you wouldn't get in a conventional pasture.
0:18:48 > 0:18:52As well as having bird life at the forefront of his farming model,
0:18:52 > 0:18:54Henry also keeps a traditional breed of sheep.
0:18:54 > 0:18:58Something close to my heart, and I'm intrigued to check out his stock.
0:18:58 > 0:19:00Why Hampshires? Is it a family tradition?
0:19:00 > 0:19:03Yeah, we have had Hampshires here since 1890.
0:19:03 > 0:19:06- This is the oldest flock of Hampshires in the world.- Is it?
0:19:06 > 0:19:07- Yeah, it is.- Goodness me.
0:19:07 > 0:19:08Next door to here,
0:19:08 > 0:19:12we've got the field which is grazed tightly by the sheep.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15The lapwings always nest there every year and I leave it fallow for them.
0:19:15 > 0:19:17So they come in, nest there,
0:19:17 > 0:19:19their chicks eat all the insects left by the sheep droppings.
0:19:19 > 0:19:23So I always arrange that there is a field closely grazed by sheep
0:19:23 > 0:19:25right next door to where they have their babies.
0:19:25 > 0:19:26That's amazing!
0:19:26 > 0:19:29Here you are, farming crops and livestock,
0:19:29 > 0:19:31but you're really farming the wildlife.
0:19:31 > 0:19:33Yeah that's... Well, it all works together.
0:19:35 > 0:19:37Another big part of Henry's farming ethos
0:19:37 > 0:19:39is how his hedgerows are managed.
0:19:39 > 0:19:41All right then, girls! Freedom!
0:19:41 > 0:19:42And like most farmers,
0:19:42 > 0:19:46Henry gets government grants for his environmental work.
0:19:46 > 0:19:49Henry, where I farm in the Cotswolds, we don't have too many hedges,
0:19:49 > 0:19:51but you've got lots of them.
0:19:51 > 0:19:52How do you manage them?
0:19:52 > 0:19:56Yeah, well, we cut them once every three years, basically.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59- Lots of berries on that bush there. - This is a beauty.
0:19:59 > 0:20:05- It grows quite a lot around here. Absolutely beautiful, spindle.- Yes.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08- What the next one up? - This is Gilda rose.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11This doesn't last as long as the berries on the spindle,
0:20:11 > 0:20:14but this will be eaten by mistle thrushes and things like that.
0:20:14 > 0:20:18So you cut the hedges every three years to leave food for the birds.
0:20:18 > 0:20:19Absolutely.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22I don't cut any hedges until the berries have been eaten.
0:20:22 > 0:20:23This is key.
0:20:23 > 0:20:27This business of cutting hedges in late summer is scandalous.
0:20:27 > 0:20:28I would never do that.
0:20:28 > 0:20:30There's a flock of birds down there.
0:20:30 > 0:20:34- What are they?- Those are goldfinches. There are 50, 60 of them.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37Mostly young birds. They are coming in and feeding on the chicory here.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40You can see, some of it's flowering, some of it is seeding.
0:20:40 > 0:20:43So it's giving great continuity of food for these small birds.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46Do you consider yourself as a conservationist or a farmer?
0:20:46 > 0:20:47I'm definitely a farmer
0:20:47 > 0:20:50because without farming I couldn't do my conservation work.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53But every farming decision I make,
0:20:53 > 0:20:57I am thinking about the environmental effects of what I do.
0:20:57 > 0:20:59Later on in the programme,
0:20:59 > 0:21:03I'll be heading north to see another candidate for farmer of the year.
0:21:03 > 0:21:04He is a new breed of dairy farmer
0:21:04 > 0:21:06that is turning the industry on its head,
0:21:06 > 0:21:09and he doesn't even have to get his hands dirty.
0:21:21 > 0:21:27The Isle of Anglesey. Separated from Wales by the narrow Menai Strait.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30The channel is filled with water all the way from the Atlantic.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33Seawater, pushed in through the Irish Sea by the Gulf Stream.
0:21:39 > 0:21:43It's fresh from the ocean and full of salt.
0:21:43 > 0:21:47And one enterprising Islander has found a way to tap into it.
0:21:47 > 0:21:51It was whilst walking his dog on the shoreline that businessman
0:21:51 > 0:21:54David Lea-Wilson had a Eureka moment.
0:21:54 > 0:21:56He decided to make salt.
0:21:56 > 0:21:59People told us we were mad, you get sea salt from the Mediterranean.
0:21:59 > 0:22:00Not from Anglesey.
0:22:03 > 0:22:05So, 15 years ago, with a pan,
0:22:05 > 0:22:08heating some seawater from the Menai Strait,
0:22:08 > 0:22:11he set out to put his idea to the test. It worked.
0:22:11 > 0:22:15And today, he sells Anglesey sea salt all over the world.
0:22:15 > 0:22:19But now, he's gone back to basics, to show me how it all began.
0:22:19 > 0:22:23When it actually worked, and this is what I did,
0:22:23 > 0:22:28I got some seawater and concentrated it up.
0:22:28 > 0:22:30And then you put it in the saucepan.
0:22:30 > 0:22:33You are just adding a little bit of heat,
0:22:33 > 0:22:35and a bit like a cloud can only hold
0:22:35 > 0:22:39so much moisture before it starts raining, with liquid,
0:22:39 > 0:22:44it can only hold so much sold before it has got to crystallise.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47What is going on, out there, that brings in this salt?
0:22:47 > 0:22:51We've got really clean seawater. There is no industry here.
0:22:51 > 0:22:54The Gulf stream is bringing in new seawater twice a day.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57And the last thing is, in front of us, we have got a huge mussel bed.
0:22:57 > 0:23:02Several thousand tonnes of mussels out there and each of those mussels
0:23:02 > 0:23:05individually is filtering nine pints an hour.
0:23:05 > 0:23:07So our salt...
0:23:07 > 0:23:09Helping you out quite nicely there?
0:23:09 > 0:23:11They're doing their stuff!
0:23:11 > 0:23:15- You can certainly see all those crystals forming now, David.- Yeah.
0:23:15 > 0:23:20It is really a simple, natural process. This is what we did.
0:23:21 > 0:23:24And there you have it. Sea salt.
0:23:24 > 0:23:26And luckily, I came prepared for this moment.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31David, we can't sit around here talking about the salt
0:23:31 > 0:23:33without putting it to the test.
0:23:33 > 0:23:36And I've got the perfect seaside delicacy to do just that with it.
0:23:36 > 0:23:40- A bag of chips!- And I've got the finished dried product here.
0:23:40 > 0:23:42So... Nice little sprinkle.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50I tell you what, I'm genuinely surprised, at the difference
0:23:50 > 0:23:54in the taste of that salt to what we have at home, in our cupboard.
0:23:54 > 0:23:58- Good. You make a salt-maker a very happy.- That is lovely.
0:24:00 > 0:24:04For David, the days of slaving over a hot stove are long gone.
0:24:04 > 0:24:09He now employs 14 Anglesey Islanders in his salt works
0:24:09 > 0:24:13which produces 100 tonnes of Anglesey Sea salt a year.
0:24:13 > 0:24:17Hundreds of thousands of packs of salt are sold all over the world.
0:24:21 > 0:24:26The salt now goes off to Japan as an ingredient in soy sauce.
0:24:26 > 0:24:29It is even sprinkled on Barack Obama's favourite chocolate
0:24:29 > 0:24:31and was on the menu at the Royal wedding.
0:24:31 > 0:24:35But there's nothing quite like enjoying it at the water's edge
0:24:35 > 0:24:37in the place where it came from.
0:24:39 > 0:24:43Along Anglesey's coastline, there is something to suit all tastes.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49This is a place of peace and tranquillity.
0:24:49 > 0:24:53But noisy secrets lurk in this island's crags and corners.
0:24:53 > 0:24:57These buildings are all that is left of the Ty Croes military camp.
0:24:57 > 0:24:59It was a test facility for surface-to-air missiles
0:24:59 > 0:25:02and anti-aircraft weapons.
0:25:02 > 0:25:0350 years ago,
0:25:03 > 0:25:06this place would have been rocking with the sound of explosions.
0:25:11 > 0:25:15Missiles like this Bloodhound were launched towards the Irish Sea,
0:25:15 > 0:25:18leaving balls of fire on the horizon.
0:25:18 > 0:25:21Nowadays, the focus is off the derelict buildings
0:25:21 > 0:25:23and onto this tough coastal heathland
0:25:23 > 0:25:26which is full of rare birds and butterflies.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29But that doesn't mean it's all peace and love, man.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34Ty Croes is now home to the Anglesey track
0:25:34 > 0:25:37where petrol heads go head-to-head and test their mettle.
0:25:37 > 0:25:40And they do it amongst the most stunning scenery.
0:25:41 > 0:25:43I'm joining them for the day.
0:25:47 > 0:25:48Thank you.
0:25:48 > 0:25:50Every biker has a wristband.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53It tells the organisers they are safe to ride.
0:25:53 > 0:25:54Wristbands, please!
0:25:54 > 0:25:57I've been asked to make sure that everyone is OK to go.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00Tell me, what's so great about this track, racing on it?
0:26:00 > 0:26:03It's open, clear, you see everything going on.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06And when you're going so fast, you do still see the view?
0:26:06 > 0:26:09- Yes.- You take it all in? - Spot the dolphins.- Ah, lovely.
0:26:15 > 0:26:16Good luck! Enjoy!
0:26:16 > 0:26:18What did he say?
0:26:18 > 0:26:22He said, you look like an air hostess!
0:26:22 > 0:26:26Great, I look like an air hostess! I thought I'd given it some panache.
0:26:26 > 0:26:30I was giving it some moves and some shape, boys! So no job for me, then?
0:26:30 > 0:26:35- Maybe next year.- I'll keep practising, that's what I'll do.
0:26:35 > 0:26:38- Keep the good work up. - Disappointed, disappointed.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41Motorbikes whizzing around
0:26:41 > 0:26:44may not be the most environmentally friendly activity,
0:26:44 > 0:26:46but this track is trying to lower its impact.
0:26:46 > 0:26:50The tyres and the marshals' huts are recycled, noise is monitored,
0:26:50 > 0:26:53and they are planning to offset the circuit's emissions.
0:26:55 > 0:26:57The bikers are taking their lunch break
0:26:57 > 0:27:00and to a woman like me, that's an opportunity.
0:27:02 > 0:27:04Nice view, I must say.
0:27:04 > 0:27:07I have roped racing instructor Mark Hales into taking me
0:27:07 > 0:27:09for a spin in a racy little Lotus Elise.
0:27:09 > 0:27:14It's very small in here! Ooh, ow! I can barely get in.
0:27:14 > 0:27:18- It's like the TARDIS. It gets bigger once you're in.- Does it?
0:27:18 > 0:27:19A car for little people.
0:27:23 > 0:27:27Now, look at that view. That's not a view you get at Silverstone, is it?
0:27:27 > 0:27:30I've been asking myself all day if you can actually take in
0:27:30 > 0:27:36that view when you're racing around here at 100 miles an hour?
0:27:36 > 0:27:38I'm looking at the track, if that's OK with you?
0:27:38 > 0:27:40Fine, you look at the track.
0:27:40 > 0:27:43I'll look at the view as you push me to this side of the car.
0:27:45 > 0:27:47OK, we're coming up to Rocket, now.
0:27:47 > 0:27:51- So this will hark back to the military past.- Yup.
0:27:51 > 0:27:53That's Rocket bend.
0:27:56 > 0:28:01Now, what you single this whole concept of an eco-racetrack?
0:28:03 > 0:28:05Well, they quarried all the stone here,
0:28:05 > 0:28:09which saved 3,000 wagon journeys.
0:28:09 > 0:28:14They laid the asphalt cold, they did a lot of work trying
0:28:14 > 0:28:17to make the building of the track eco-friendly.
0:28:17 > 0:28:20But it's not just a racetrack.
0:28:20 > 0:28:24It's a research facility. People come here with experimental vehicles,
0:28:24 > 0:28:27electric cars have all been tested here.
0:28:29 > 0:28:33I think you should have a go around this track.
0:28:33 > 0:28:36Now you see what it looks like...
0:28:36 > 0:28:39Now I've seen it from the left-hand side of this window!
0:28:41 > 0:28:44Ah, OK.
0:28:44 > 0:28:47He has no idea what he's letting himself in for.
0:28:52 > 0:28:54- Right. Let's do it. - Are you sure?- Yeah.
0:28:55 > 0:28:58I'll just get out of this bend.
0:29:00 > 0:29:04OK. Slow down. Look for the end of the corner, it is over there.
0:29:04 > 0:29:08- And just let the car go there. - OK.- Weee!
0:29:08 > 0:29:10OK, this one is coming at you,
0:29:10 > 0:29:12so slow it down because we've got to turn sharp left.
0:29:12 > 0:29:14Whoa!
0:29:16 > 0:29:20- Ooh!- Probably don't want to do that, then.
0:29:20 > 0:29:27OK, just relax a bit. You are very keen to get on the gas, aren't you?
0:29:27 > 0:29:29Slow it down, slow it down.
0:29:31 > 0:29:33Nicely held.
0:29:34 > 0:29:37Good. It all gets much calmer.
0:29:43 > 0:29:48And that, as they say, is that. Did I scare you?
0:29:48 > 0:29:50No. That was all right.
0:29:50 > 0:29:54Full marks for commitment. Just need to calm it down.
0:29:54 > 0:29:56That has always been a problem of mine.
0:30:00 > 0:30:03Now Adam has certainly got his work cut out, judging this year's
0:30:03 > 0:30:06Farmer Of The Year as part of the BBC Food And Farming Awards.
0:30:06 > 0:30:09It's no easy task.
0:30:11 > 0:30:14I've been really impressed with the first two candidates.
0:30:14 > 0:30:18From veg box schemes on an enormous scale...
0:30:18 > 0:30:22We pack 40,000 boxes a week, that's roughly one every three seconds.
0:30:22 > 0:30:26To a farmer keeping nature at the heart of everything he does.
0:30:26 > 0:30:29- You are really farming the wildlife? - Well, yeah. It all works together.
0:30:31 > 0:30:34I'm heading out to Yorkshire to visit the last candidate
0:30:34 > 0:30:37and I'm intrigued to find out what this guy is all about.
0:30:37 > 0:30:39He is trying to turn the dairy industry on its head.
0:30:39 > 0:30:42And apparently, whatever he is doing is working.
0:30:43 > 0:30:47Tom Rawson is 34 and he is trying to revolutionise dairy farming
0:30:47 > 0:30:51with an injection of sound business sense.
0:30:51 > 0:30:53Tom, as the dairy industry seems to be in crisis
0:30:53 > 0:30:55and lots of people going out of business,
0:30:55 > 0:30:57you are turning it around into a success story.
0:30:57 > 0:31:00- How have you managed that?- Myself and my business partner got together,
0:31:00 > 0:31:03independent of our families, and decided to try to make something
0:31:03 > 0:31:07out of nothing, working with other farmers, clubbing together.
0:31:07 > 0:31:10We are hooking up investors, young people in the industry,
0:31:10 > 0:31:12ourselves and farm owners.
0:31:12 > 0:31:14Just trying to get together, add some scale to the business
0:31:14 > 0:31:16and make it all work for all parties.
0:31:16 > 0:31:19So, investors bring the money, farmers have the farms
0:31:19 > 0:31:23and Tom and his team bring business acumen and management skills.
0:31:23 > 0:31:24So what else?
0:31:24 > 0:31:26We have come to Jim and Nicola's to work with them.
0:31:26 > 0:31:29We have got some cows arriving here at this farm.
0:31:29 > 0:31:32The farmer would like to step back from milking cows
0:31:32 > 0:31:36but actually his farm is perfect for young cattle.
0:31:36 > 0:31:40He can focus on that, we can focus on milking another 50 cows here.
0:31:40 > 0:31:42Because, at the end of the day, if you can get a 10% return,
0:31:42 > 0:31:45why would you want to sell your cows when you can hire them out?
0:31:45 > 0:31:49Well, good for you, Tom. But it's not just Tom in charge.
0:31:49 > 0:31:51His business partner, Oliver Hall, is 25
0:31:51 > 0:31:54and they have a group of managers, all in their 20s,
0:31:54 > 0:31:56helping to run various farms around the UK.
0:31:59 > 0:32:02- Adam, this is Ollie, my business partner.- Hi, Ollie.
0:32:02 > 0:32:05- How are you doing? - What's going on here, then?
0:32:05 > 0:32:08We've just measured the grass here in this field.
0:32:08 > 0:32:13We've got 1,550 kilos of dry matter per hectare available in the field.
0:32:13 > 0:32:16- What's that about?- There's quite a lot of science behind the grass.
0:32:16 > 0:32:19It's about treating the grass as a crop,
0:32:19 > 0:32:21looking to harvest at the right point,
0:32:21 > 0:32:23making sure we graze down to the right point
0:32:23 > 0:32:24so we get good utilisation.
0:32:24 > 0:32:27It's very business minded, isn't it?
0:32:27 > 0:32:31And so, are you consultants, or are you farmers?
0:32:31 > 0:32:32A bit of both.
0:32:32 > 0:32:35We both do over 25,000 miles a year each on the road.
0:32:35 > 0:32:38So you would say that actually, we are just drivers!
0:32:42 > 0:32:45Jim and Nicola Waterhouse were struggling to make a living
0:32:45 > 0:32:46before they met Tom.
0:32:46 > 0:32:49He has encouraged them to rethink their business.
0:32:49 > 0:32:52There's a lovely family scene.
0:32:52 > 0:32:54How have things changed for you over the last three years?
0:32:54 > 0:32:57Things were getting increasingly more difficult
0:32:57 > 0:32:58for borrowing and things.
0:32:58 > 0:33:01So we had to do something.
0:33:01 > 0:33:04Tom has fetched great value to our business.
0:33:04 > 0:33:09He has more or less turned it around from me struggling on me own
0:33:09 > 0:33:11to a viable dairy enterprise.
0:33:11 > 0:33:16They have now got a herdsman helping them, too.
0:33:16 > 0:33:18We get just about every other weekend off.
0:33:18 > 0:33:21So that makes a big difference when they are young.
0:33:21 > 0:33:23Often, dairy farmers work their fingers to the bone.
0:33:23 > 0:33:26- Precisely.- We do, definitely.
0:33:26 > 0:33:30But while the children are growing up its time to be spending with them
0:33:30 > 0:33:32and enjoying the dairy side.
0:33:32 > 0:33:35So putting attention to detail when you are working,
0:33:35 > 0:33:38- but also recharging your batteries. - Good luck with it.- Thank you.
0:33:38 > 0:33:42- See you soon. OK. Bye, girls. - Say bye-bye.
0:33:43 > 0:33:46It's great that Tom and his business partner
0:33:46 > 0:33:48have come up with some exciting ideas
0:33:48 > 0:33:52to try and improve the profitability of dairy farming.
0:33:52 > 0:33:54And they are attracting young people into it.
0:33:54 > 0:33:57And really, if you want to get young people into farming,
0:33:57 > 0:34:00it has got to be exciting and it has got to be profitable.
0:34:00 > 0:34:03And what they are doing seems to be working.
0:34:05 > 0:34:09I've been bowled over with all three candidates.
0:34:09 > 0:34:11Now I've got some serious thinking to do before I make
0:34:11 > 0:34:15my final decision at the award ceremony at the NEC in Birmingham.
0:34:15 > 0:34:19Go to our website if you want to be in the audience on 28th November.
0:34:19 > 0:34:21It would be great to see you there.
0:34:22 > 0:34:25In a moment, I'm going to be meeting one man who wants
0:34:25 > 0:34:29to sail across the Menai Straits in one of these.
0:34:29 > 0:34:31Extraordinary, I know.
0:34:31 > 0:34:32But first, a very big thank you
0:34:32 > 0:34:35to everyone who has been buying our Countryfile Calendar.
0:34:35 > 0:34:37So many beautiful pictures in here,
0:34:37 > 0:34:42but my favourite has to be September's owl on the prowl.
0:34:42 > 0:34:46If you would like your own copy, here's John with all of the details.
0:34:46 > 0:34:49You can order copies right now, either by going to our website:
0:34:55 > 0:34:58Or by ringing the order line.
0:35:08 > 0:35:13To order by post, send your name, address and cheque to:
0:35:23 > 0:35:28Please make cheques payable to BBC Countryfile Calendar.
0:35:28 > 0:35:33It costs £9 and at least £4 from every sale goes to Children in Need.
0:35:36 > 0:35:38Well, the weather certainly features on our calendar,
0:35:38 > 0:35:41but what does it have in store in the week ahead?
0:35:41 > 0:35:42Here's the Countryfile forecast.
0:37:50 > 0:37:57.
0:38:09 > 0:38:10Anglesey.
0:38:10 > 0:38:13For centuries, its fertile land made the island a hub
0:38:13 > 0:38:14for food production.
0:38:14 > 0:38:17I've been discovering some of its more specialist harvests
0:38:17 > 0:38:19and now, I'm on my way to meet
0:38:19 > 0:38:24the owners of a little vegetable garden with big ideas.
0:38:26 > 0:38:30Welcome to the world of super-sized veg.
0:38:30 > 0:38:34I tell you what, imagine having one of these as part of your five a day!
0:38:40 > 0:38:43The garden is owned by Medwyn Williams.
0:38:43 > 0:38:48And it's full of all shapes and sizes of gold-medal-winning veg.
0:38:50 > 0:38:55So what is the secret in producing something that you can feed
0:38:55 > 0:38:58the whole family, the in-laws, and the neighbours all in one go?
0:38:58 > 0:38:59All in one go.
0:38:59 > 0:39:03Well, there are strains that are likely to grow this big,
0:39:03 > 0:39:07genetically inbuilt to grow bigger than normal, regular vegetables.
0:39:07 > 0:39:09Your runner beans are longer than my arm!
0:39:09 > 0:39:13Well, there was a variety called "as long as your arm".
0:39:15 > 0:39:17Is this a real passion of yours, then, big veg?
0:39:17 > 0:39:20- Is it the bigger the better as far as you're concerned?- No, no.
0:39:20 > 0:39:23Definitely not the bigger the better. We're not into giant veg.
0:39:23 > 0:39:24Well, I'm not.
0:39:24 > 0:39:28We like to grow vegetables to their optimum and pick them to harvest
0:39:28 > 0:39:31when they are just right for taste, flavour, condition.
0:39:35 > 0:39:38It's not just the veg around here that's big.
0:39:38 > 0:39:41And for Medwyn's son Alwyn, it is all about size.
0:39:41 > 0:39:43We're about to harvest the seeds
0:39:43 > 0:39:46from the king of this year's pumpkin crop. This £400 beauty.
0:39:46 > 0:39:47Just the front off.
0:39:49 > 0:39:51Oh, lovely!
0:39:52 > 0:39:54Look how thick it is.
0:39:54 > 0:39:56Wow!
0:39:57 > 0:39:58OK.
0:40:00 > 0:40:02Oh, the seeds are hiding. There is one there.
0:40:02 > 0:40:04What we need to start doing is having a look inside,
0:40:04 > 0:40:07and we'll see all the seeds in little pods along the sides, here.
0:40:07 > 0:40:10- There you go.- How many seeds do you get from a pumpkin like this?
0:40:10 > 0:40:12A good couple of hundred good quality seeds.
0:40:12 > 0:40:14And let's say, right, that this
0:40:14 > 0:40:17was the biggest pumpkin that you had ever produced
0:40:17 > 0:40:18and there were good seeds in there,
0:40:18 > 0:40:22how much would I expect to pay for just one seat?
0:40:22 > 0:40:25I believe the record for the UK was about £800.
0:40:25 > 0:40:27And that was for a world record.
0:40:27 > 0:40:29- 800!- Yeah.
0:40:29 > 0:40:32It's all to do with the genetics. The parentage of the plant.
0:40:32 > 0:40:35It's a frightening thought.
0:40:35 > 0:40:39- Well, you have an ambition with your pumpkins, don't you?- Yes.
0:40:39 > 0:40:41If I get one big enough,
0:40:41 > 0:40:43I would like to take it across the Menai Strait.
0:40:43 > 0:40:47- You want to sail a pumpkin... - Across the Menai Strait, yes.
0:40:49 > 0:40:52This year's pumpkin is too small to sail.
0:40:52 > 0:40:55Alwyn's dream will just have to wait.
0:40:55 > 0:40:58But that doesn't mean that we can't do a trial run on a smaller scale.
0:40:58 > 0:41:03I'm setting up for a pumpkin sailing race. And it's me versus Julia.
0:41:04 > 0:41:08Now, why am I meeting you on a jetty with a pumpkin?
0:41:08 > 0:41:11Because we're going to have a pumpkin race, of course!
0:41:11 > 0:41:12A pumpkin race?
0:41:12 > 0:41:15In honour of Alwyn, we're going to see if we can do this.
0:41:15 > 0:41:18- A little pilot race. So there's your flag.- Right.
0:41:18 > 0:41:21We're starting here. I don't know where you want the finish to be?
0:41:21 > 0:41:23- Just go to that...? - Can I ask you something?
0:41:23 > 0:41:25- Are you sure they'll float?- No.
0:41:25 > 0:41:29We're racing with the tide, about 20 feet to the end of the pontoon.
0:41:29 > 0:41:32- I don't think they're going to fly away from the edge...- No!
0:41:32 > 0:41:35- Are you ready?- Yeah, I'm ready. - Oh, it's actually floating!- Is it?
0:41:35 > 0:41:38It is, it's going, yeah. That's all right.
0:41:38 > 0:41:39OK.
0:41:39 > 0:41:41Mine is heavier. There we go.
0:41:41 > 0:41:43And...
0:41:43 > 0:41:49Yay! Mine's got a bit of a head start because it's a bit weighty.
0:41:49 > 0:41:53- What is mine doing?- Yours is just bobbing around. Hang on a minute!
0:41:53 > 0:41:57- This isn't bowls!- Tell you what, that's got a good bit of pace on it.
0:41:59 > 0:42:00You do need a motor, to be fair.
0:42:05 > 0:42:07- Are we there?- That's there.
0:42:07 > 0:42:10- Is that it?- I'll tell you what, Alwyn will be pleased.
0:42:10 > 0:42:13On this occasion, actually, size did count.
0:42:13 > 0:42:16You've done it, by at least 20 pumpkin lengths.
0:42:16 > 0:42:21That's it from us this week. Next week, Ellie will be in West Sussex.
0:42:21 > 0:42:23She's going to be with the expert woodman Ben Law,
0:42:23 > 0:42:25finding out all about life in the forest.
0:42:25 > 0:42:27And she'll be looking back at the wonderful woodland
0:42:27 > 0:42:30we've covered in the past. Hope you can join her then.
0:42:30 > 0:42:32WHISTLES
0:42:32 > 0:42:34Will you do us a favour?
0:42:34 > 0:42:38Will you just grab our pumpkins that are floating off downstream?
0:43:00 > 0:43:03Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd