:00:27. > :00:29.They have been part of man's story since prehistoric times.
:00:30. > :00:49.I'm not embarrassed to say I am a bit of a cow geek
:00:50. > :00:51.Anita is getting a taste for raw milk.
:00:52. > :01:08.Charlotte is looking at the changing face of dairy farming.
:01:09. > :01:27.And Adam is here with the first of this year's nominees
:01:28. > :01:29.They are an important part of our history,
:01:30. > :01:38.Nearly 2,000,000 dairy cows provide the UK with milk.
:01:39. > :01:43.1.5 million make up our national beef herd.
:01:44. > :01:47.Now, you are quite possibly the most important animal
:01:48. > :01:53.providing food, clothing and fertiliser.
:01:54. > :02:22.Farming cattle is as old as the hills that they graze on.
:02:23. > :02:37.24-year-old Jack Stillwell from West Sussex
:02:38. > :02:40.has been obsessed with cows since he was a boy.
:02:41. > :02:42.But it wasn't until he was at agricultural college
:02:43. > :02:51.that he realised he was going to need more than his summer job wages
:02:52. > :02:54.asking complete strangers to donate cash
:02:55. > :03:06.His initiative earned him a Young Farmer of the Year award.
:03:07. > :03:09.Morning, Jack. Morning. How are you doing, mate? Nice to see you.
:03:10. > :03:12.Good to see you. You all right? Yeah, very well, thank you. Good.
:03:13. > :03:15.It's quite a story, this, isn't it, of how you actually got the money
:03:16. > :03:16.and how you've got to be where you are today?
:03:17. > :03:19.As this thing was kind of progressing, how were you feeling?
:03:20. > :03:22.Was it like, "Yeah, this is it. It's going to start. It's happening."?
:03:23. > :03:24.I really had no idea I was going to get it.
:03:25. > :03:27.and everything started to fall into place.
:03:28. > :03:29.There have been people that have been a bit sceptical,
:03:30. > :03:32.but you are always going to get that with something new.
:03:33. > :03:34.And I think there's a lot of people who would never have heard of it.
:03:35. > :03:37.It is new to the business world, let alone the farming world. Yes.
:03:38. > :03:40.So, the idea that somebody is asking for money can raise a few
:03:41. > :03:42.eyebrows but, once people understand it and get to grips with it,
:03:43. > :03:45.everyone has been on board, so it's been a journey, definitely.
:03:46. > :03:47.And is it better than you thought it would be?
:03:48. > :03:49.I mean, this is the world that you are in now.
:03:50. > :03:52.You must be just loving it. Yeah. I am enjoying it very much.
:03:53. > :03:54.I'm not embarrassed to say I am a bit of a cow geek
:03:55. > :03:58.And what we are doing now, feeding them, that makes me happy.
:03:59. > :04:00.That's one of my favourite things in the world.
:04:01. > :04:04.It sounds pretty cheesy, a bit corny, but I'm all right with that.
:04:05. > :04:07.In return for the donations, Jack promised to keep people
:04:08. > :04:12.up-to-date with his progress via social media.
:04:13. > :04:18.He used the ?4,000 to buy ten Hereford
:04:19. > :04:26.Just six months on, his herd is now nearly 250 strong,
:04:27. > :04:29.spread over three sites across the South Downs,
:04:30. > :04:38.So these are the first ones you bought, then? Yes.
:04:39. > :04:41.These heifers here are what I initially purchased
:04:42. > :04:45.So, it's nice to see it all coming full circle.
:04:46. > :04:48.So, these are all in calf to my Hereford bull here.
:04:49. > :04:50.He's a beauty, isn't he? Yeah, I'm very happy with him.
:04:51. > :04:52.And how old was he when you got him, then?
:04:53. > :04:57.and then he went to work almost straight away.
:04:58. > :05:00.So this will be the first time, then, that you've actually calved?
:05:01. > :05:03.Yeah. Up to now I buy them in as calves,
:05:04. > :05:05.but I've never actually calved my own,
:05:06. > :05:08.so this will be another learning curve.
:05:09. > :05:11.The next new experience. It's exciting times.
:05:12. > :05:14.Yeah, it's very good. I'm looking forward to it.
:05:15. > :05:16.Though Jack works pretty much on his own,
:05:17. > :05:18.he reaches thousands of people worldwide
:05:19. > :05:21.using the internet to post his photos of British farming.
:05:22. > :05:24.So, we are going to take a snap and see how much interest we get by
:05:25. > :05:29.the end of the day, measured by the number of people who like the photo.
:05:30. > :05:33.If you kneel down next to him. Yeah, all right. Do that?
:05:34. > :05:37.That's good. It works? Right, now just do one of him and put him up.
:05:38. > :05:42.Seems Jack has already decided who is going to get more likes.
:05:43. > :05:45.You going to put that one up, are you? Yeah. That's a cracker.
:05:46. > :05:47.That should do really well. All right, then.
:05:48. > :05:50.Launch that one and we'll see what kind of reaction it gets.
:05:51. > :05:53.OK, good. Now, with low milk prices in the headlines recently,
:05:54. > :06:05.whether intensive dairy farming is the way forward.
:06:06. > :06:11.and many of us imagine cattle grazing in green pastures.
:06:12. > :06:23.Most cows are kept inside just during the winter,
:06:24. > :06:26.but now up to one fifth of the milk we produce in this country
:06:27. > :06:30.comes from cows which don't graze in fields at all.
:06:31. > :06:34.In fact, they are kept inside all year round.
:06:35. > :06:42.this intensive style of farming has been practised abroad for decades.
:06:43. > :06:45.A few years ago, Adam visited an American mega-dairy,
:06:46. > :06:52.The scale of this farming operation is absolutely enormous.
:06:53. > :06:55.You can't see any of the cows cos they're all indoors.
:06:56. > :07:00.We've never gone as far as that in the UK,
:07:01. > :07:03.but a growing number of our dairy farmers
:07:04. > :07:06.have started to keep their herds indoors.
:07:07. > :07:09.Now, as many as 15% to 20% of our dairy cows
:07:10. > :07:15.Many farmers are doing this to produce more milk,
:07:16. > :07:19.which might help as the dairy crisis bites.
:07:20. > :07:24.It's estimated that every day a dairy farmer goes out of business.
:07:25. > :07:30.So, in tough times, is the answer to keep cows inside all year round?
:07:31. > :07:32.One obstacle is the public's perception
:07:33. > :07:35.and their concern for animal welfare.
:07:36. > :07:38.So what is it like for cows to be under cover
:07:39. > :07:50.That's more than 12 times the size of the average UK herd.
:07:51. > :07:52.He was one of the first farmers in Britain
:07:53. > :07:56.to start rearing his herd indoors on the scale.
:07:57. > :08:00.Do you worry about keeping cows inside?
:08:01. > :08:03.We need to just do the best for them with their bedding,
:08:04. > :08:06.with their feeding, with their health,
:08:07. > :08:10.so our barns are designed to provide the cows with comfortable
:08:11. > :08:13.lying area because cows lie down for about 14 hours a day.
:08:14. > :08:20.so there is plenty of room to move around in
:08:21. > :08:25.and just providing an environment so our cows can behave as naturally
:08:26. > :08:28.as they can in a farming environment.
:08:29. > :08:33.Many people will watch this and they won't like what they see.
:08:34. > :08:37.Potentially, but that's... We are not hiding away.
:08:38. > :08:41.and I don't think it matters whether they are in a barn or outside.
:08:42. > :08:45.Cows don't have some imagination of where they want to live.
:08:46. > :08:47.I personally think my cows are happy.
:08:48. > :08:51.Their happiness comes from being looked after and feeling safe.
:08:52. > :08:54.Are you proud of your farm? Immensely proud.
:08:55. > :08:57.I'm immensely proud of my great-grandmother who started it all
:08:58. > :09:05.Today, this dairy produces enough milk for 200,000 UK consumers
:09:06. > :09:12.I think that's actually quite a lot to be proud of.
:09:13. > :09:17.with this style of keeping cattle as Neill.
:09:18. > :09:20.Compassion In World Farming would like to see all dairy herds
:09:21. > :09:26.but Neil is so confident in the welfare of his cows,
:09:27. > :09:29.he has invited them on to his farm to have a look around.
:09:30. > :09:37.The farmer clearly cares about his cows.
:09:38. > :09:40.It's a shame he doesn't let them outside.
:09:41. > :09:43.So it is the system that you object to? What's wrong with it?
:09:44. > :09:48.They wouldn't naturally have to sit in rows like this.
:09:49. > :09:50.Naturally they would be out on fields
:09:51. > :09:53.sitting at different spacings from each other,
:09:54. > :09:57.well away from walkways that are covered in manure and urine.
:09:58. > :10:02.wet fields in the rain even in the spring.
:10:03. > :10:05.Yes, indeed, and some of the best systems give them the choice.
:10:06. > :10:09.So if you took this farm and you opened it out at the far end,
:10:10. > :10:12.and you let them out into fields, they can go in when they want,
:10:13. > :10:19.So is that your objection generally - that cows just can't do
:10:20. > :10:25.That is one of our objections. We would like to give the cows choices.
:10:26. > :10:30.is that where they're not incredibly well managed,
:10:31. > :10:36.You get a high risk of loneliness. You will often get,
:10:37. > :10:42.because of the very high yields of some of these cows, emaciated cows.
:10:43. > :10:45.There are very mixed views on the issues associated with
:10:46. > :10:53.keeping cows in year-round but the big question is - is it worth it?
:10:54. > :10:56.The amount of milk one cow can produce has more than
:10:57. > :11:01.doubled in the last 50 years from an average of 3,500 litres
:11:02. > :11:08.a year in 1963 to about 7,500 litres today.
:11:09. > :11:12.Cows kept inside like this are fed this highly nutritious food.
:11:13. > :11:20.And here is where that really starts to show.
:11:21. > :11:26.It just means that you can milk more cows a lot more quickly.
:11:27. > :11:29.Now, here on Neil's farm, these cows produce
:11:30. > :11:34.an average of 11,000 litres of milk per cow per year.
:11:35. > :11:37.And surely when dairy farms are struggling,
:11:38. > :11:45.But producing more milk doesn't make Neil immune to
:11:46. > :11:50.He's seen the value of his milk drop more than a fifth in just
:11:51. > :11:57.over a year from 30 pence a litre in 2014 to 23 pence today.
:11:58. > :12:00.Do you think that the economies of scale mean that you can
:12:01. > :12:03.survive at that price, perhaps longer than other farmers?
:12:04. > :12:06.Well, I'd hope we can do more than survive, really.
:12:07. > :12:11.but I guess the investment we've put in over the years is going to
:12:12. > :12:19.help us to continue to prosper in these really difficult times.
:12:20. > :12:25.but indoor-intensive farms aren't easy to establish.
:12:26. > :12:29.They can take years to set up at huge cost and, even then,
:12:30. > :12:33.some farmers that have done it have gone under.
:12:34. > :12:36.On the face of it, while milk prices are low,
:12:37. > :12:40.it might seem like the obvious solution to bring cows indoors all
:12:41. > :12:45.year, produce more milk and so make more money but it's not that simple.
:12:46. > :12:48.So later on I'll be finding out if, instead,
:12:49. > :12:59.it's possible to increase the value of the milk you're selling.
:13:00. > :13:03.Cattle not only give us milk and meat, there's also the leather.
:13:04. > :13:09.In its transition from beast to brogues, it takes quite a hiding.
:13:10. > :13:13.Within these walls, craftsmen work the raw material in the same
:13:14. > :13:21.And this is where the process begins, these are the raw hides...
:13:22. > :13:27.and this is the first part of their journey to becoming lovely
:13:28. > :13:37.Bakers in East Devon is Britain's last traditional oak-bark tannery.
:13:38. > :13:42.They've been using oak-bark liquor to turn skin into
:13:43. > :13:47.leather on this site since Roman times.
:13:48. > :13:55.It's been run by Andrew Parr's family for the last 150 years.
:13:56. > :13:58.Andrew's going to take me through the whole process,
:13:59. > :14:04.from raw hide to world-renowned, top-quality leather.
:14:05. > :14:10.Yup, well, we've been through the first process, which is
:14:11. > :14:13.the liming process, to de-hair the hides.
:14:14. > :14:17.And they've come down now to Roger, where he's just finishing them off.
:14:18. > :14:21.So any short hair that's left on the hide,
:14:22. > :14:24.he's taking off with the de-hairing tool over the beam.
:14:25. > :14:26.So where do these hides come from, then, Andrew?
:14:27. > :14:28.These are all local hides, so they've all come
:14:29. > :14:32.It's a good beef-growing area, lots of grass around here.
:14:33. > :14:35.And so from good-quality beef, you get some good quality hides.
:14:36. > :14:40.We only do beef cattle here because, with cows, they have a calf
:14:41. > :14:45.and obviously we're wanting stuff without stretched skin.
:14:46. > :14:47.We don't want stretch in the leather.
:14:48. > :14:49.So we're just looking for the very best beef hide.
:14:50. > :14:53.So you're basically using something that wouldn't have any
:14:54. > :14:55.stretch marks, so to speak, in human terms. Yes.
:14:56. > :14:59.That's right, that one's a black-and-white.
:15:00. > :15:05.That's the pigment in the skin and, gradually, as it starts tanning,
:15:06. > :15:07.within two or three weeks, that will disappear altogether.
:15:08. > :15:11.So when it comes out, it'll be a uniform biscuit-brown colour
:15:12. > :15:17.and that's part of sort of the secret or magic.
:15:18. > :15:27.Once they've been cleaned, the real alchemy takes place.
:15:28. > :15:38.The hides are suspended in bits of the tanning solution.
:15:39. > :15:41.This is what we call the new tan yard. The new tan yard?
:15:42. > :15:44.Yeah, it's about 100 years old, so it's still new...to us.
:15:45. > :15:52.These hides here have been in for about six months.
:15:53. > :15:54.They've got another six months to go.
:15:55. > :15:57.And what we're doing here is just strengthening up the tan liquor
:15:58. > :15:59.and we're putting the hides back in with oak bark,
:16:00. > :16:02.so that oak bark is going to feed the liquor.
:16:03. > :16:05.This is my favourite kind of science.
:16:06. > :16:08.The guys are just sort of chucking in a couple of handfuls of oak.
:16:09. > :16:12.It's very precise. This oak is mostly from Wales
:16:13. > :16:14.and some of it comes from the Lake District.
:16:15. > :16:16.It is a by-product of the timber industry.
:16:17. > :16:20.Most of this is what we call coppice oak,
:16:21. > :16:23.so they'll use the main wood for charcoal.
:16:24. > :16:29.so nothing is wasted in the timber business, a bit like with the hides.
:16:30. > :16:34.Everybody else is using chemicals, why are you using oak still?
:16:35. > :16:38.It's very hard-wearing, it's got very high tensile strength
:16:39. > :16:45.and it actually looks beautiful when it's finished.
:16:46. > :16:47.The hides are soaked for a whole year before they're
:16:48. > :16:58.there are still a few of nature's imperfections to iron out.
:16:59. > :17:03.and we go down through the bottom edge like that. It just gets
:17:04. > :17:07.out that hump, you know, the humps you've got in it
:17:08. > :17:16.I feel a bit nervous because this is such a precious material
:17:17. > :17:23.and commodity, I don't want to mark it or ruin it.
:17:24. > :17:27.So why do you add the oil to it? We put it on to look after it.
:17:28. > :17:31.and I guess, in the same way you look after your own skin...
:17:32. > :17:33.Yes, that's right, yeah, yeah, it is, yeah.
:17:34. > :17:35.It's like a protection thing. Nourishes it?
:17:36. > :17:38.And how long will you leave it hanging for?
:17:39. > :17:41.For six days... Six days. ..we will hang it up for, yeah.
:17:42. > :17:47.how do you know which one is at which stage of the drying process?
:17:48. > :17:49.Have you got like a spreadsheet or something somewhere?
:17:50. > :17:51.No. Is it all up here? Yeah, yeah, all up here.
:17:52. > :17:55.After the years... I've been here for 40 odd years.
:17:56. > :17:58.Really ironically, I can remember leading calves as a child
:17:59. > :18:09.After being oiled, it's off to be rollered by Jeff.
:18:10. > :18:12.Jeff, this is an incredible piece of machinery.
:18:13. > :18:15.It's not the newest or most contemporary piece of kit, is it?
:18:16. > :18:23.Rolling the leather compacts the natural fibres.
:18:24. > :18:28.This not only toughens it but also means moisture can't get in,
:18:29. > :18:36.Then finally it gets stained. That's James' job today.
:18:37. > :18:41.and what seems like quite a loving process, James, is that fair?
:18:42. > :18:45.I'm one of those lucky people that really look forward to
:18:46. > :18:47.getting up and going to work in the morning.
:18:48. > :18:49.You can see that you're making a difference.
:18:50. > :18:52.You know, there is a product at the end of it.
:18:53. > :18:55.You've got to be patient in this leather-making game, haven't you?
:18:56. > :19:05.these hides from the West Country are shipped all over the world
:19:06. > :19:11.to become high-end shoes, bags and equestrian goods.
:19:12. > :19:14.But we dropped in on a craftsman a little closer to home who's
:19:15. > :19:28.My name's John Hagger and I've been working with leather for 25 years.
:19:29. > :19:30.My grandfather was a leather guilder,
:19:31. > :19:38.The tools that I use are the same tools that have been
:19:39. > :19:45.used by leather makers, by leather crafters for generations.
:19:46. > :19:51.Because it's tanned with oak, that gives me a leather that is not
:19:52. > :19:54.only very durable and strong but it's also supple.
:19:55. > :19:58.And because of the hand-dyeing process, it's not uniform.
:19:59. > :20:07.I like to know... In fact, I NEED to know where the leather comes from.
:20:08. > :20:11.I feel like I have a responsibility to my customer to know where
:20:12. > :20:17.There's no part of that leather belt or that leather bag
:20:18. > :20:30.What I love is creating something of beauty
:20:31. > :20:45.Finely-crafted leather is one use for precious hides...
:20:46. > :20:54...but there's another even finer purpose.
:20:55. > :21:03.She's a botanical artist from Hertfordshire.
:21:04. > :21:07.A key feature of her beautifully detailed work is that she
:21:08. > :21:15.chooses to paint on a very special surface.
:21:16. > :21:23.and drawing on for thousands of years and it's made from calf skin.
:21:24. > :21:26.It can also be made from goats and sheep
:21:27. > :21:30.but the best stuff comes from calves.
:21:31. > :21:35.I think because it's such an organic material, it's so natural
:21:36. > :21:38.and it fits with the subjects that I enjoy painting.
:21:39. > :21:41.And a sense that this surface or support has been around for
:21:42. > :21:44.thousands and thousands of years and it will carry on being around.
:21:45. > :21:47.It will outlast both of us but I'm also working
:21:48. > :21:53.and yet bringing together something which can be quite
:21:54. > :21:56.contemporary in terms of its layout and its application today.
:21:57. > :21:59.So, for me, it very much connects past, present, future.
:22:00. > :22:01.It's got quite a lot of symbolism in it, really.
:22:02. > :22:03.How does it work differently to paper?
:22:04. > :22:05.The paint actually sits on the surface of the vellum,
:22:06. > :22:15.it doesn't sink in in the way that it would into paper.
:22:16. > :22:20.There's something else about the vellum which is its organic quality
:22:21. > :22:23.and if you have a look at the piece I've got here,
:22:24. > :22:26.which has got quite a lot of veining.
:22:27. > :22:29.Here you can see veining that's very much echoing some of these
:22:30. > :22:33.shapes, so there's something about the markings here that
:22:34. > :22:45.Gael buys her vellum from the firm of William Cowley's
:22:46. > :22:50.in Buckinghamshire. They've been making vellum for 180 years
:22:51. > :22:54.and are now the only supplier left in the UK.
:22:55. > :22:59.I've come with Gael to meet the manager, Paul Wright, who's going
:23:00. > :23:04.The firm made the news recently when Parliament threatened to end
:23:05. > :23:08.the thousand-year-old practice of writing new laws on vellum.
:23:09. > :23:13.This piece here, this is a manuscript vellum
:23:14. > :23:16.and it's very white. We've taken all of the pigment out of the skin.
:23:17. > :23:18.This would be used by calligraphers and illuminators.
:23:19. > :23:21.Really used for very high-end documents.
:23:22. > :23:25.When Prince William married, the Queen signed what is called
:23:26. > :23:28.which will in turn become a national document.
:23:29. > :23:31.This will be something we'll look back on in 2,000 years' time plus.
:23:32. > :23:33.Anything where you're sort of saying,
:23:34. > :23:36."OK, then, the document is of personal or national importance,"
:23:37. > :23:42.So, Gael, what are you looking for when you come to get your vellum?
:23:43. > :23:46.So sometimes I will have in my mind's eye a subject that
:23:47. > :23:49.I want to paint on this and think which skin is going to work
:23:50. > :23:52.with the subject that I'm going to be doing and other times
:23:53. > :23:57.I will see a skin and decide it's not what I've come to buy
:23:58. > :24:01.but I have to have it, it has to leave here in the car with me.
:24:02. > :24:09.This is typically talking to me about some quite complex
:24:10. > :24:12.So something like a very complex dried hydrangea.
:24:13. > :24:17.This is where the artwork starts, in many ways.
:24:18. > :24:20.Because each piece of vellum has a unique DNA profile,
:24:21. > :24:23.some internationally renowned artists are working on it
:24:24. > :24:28.Well, a modern artist buys a vellum,
:24:29. > :24:33.keeps a small piece of it, does the work and off it goes and if someone
:24:34. > :24:36.in 20 years' time says, "I've got the original,"
:24:37. > :24:44.There's a magical atmosphere in the stockroom.
:24:45. > :24:50.raw animal skins create a different kind of atmosphere.
:24:51. > :24:56.I do love the way that waft comes out as you open the door,
:24:57. > :24:58.like, "Whoa!" It's an intense smell.
:24:59. > :25:01.Obviously, these are all hand-selected skins
:25:02. > :25:03.from the abattoir. So this is a by-product?
:25:04. > :25:06.Nothing is killed for its skin, it's killed for its meat.
:25:07. > :25:13.We can go through 500 and walk away with 50.
:25:14. > :25:17.After four weeks in a caustic bath to remove the hair,
:25:18. > :25:23.the skins are stretched on frames to dry.
:25:24. > :25:30.Then Lee gets to work crafting the finished article.
:25:31. > :25:34.Hi, Lee. Hiya. Tell me what you're doing to this.
:25:35. > :25:37.Basically, I'm trying to take this grain layer off the skin,
:25:38. > :25:40.the outer layer where the hair was on the animal.
:25:41. > :25:44.And I'm just removing that to get a nice white finish for a manuscript.
:25:45. > :25:46.So, Lee, how many people in the world can do this job?
:25:47. > :25:48.In this country, it's just me at the moment.
:25:49. > :25:51.I understand there's a couple of others in the world.
:25:52. > :25:57.Production stops for a little while. But, touch wood, I don't get sick.
:25:58. > :26:01.How difficult is what you are doing? What is this? This is a lune.
:26:02. > :26:04.It's a very sharp blade and we're just using it to just
:26:05. > :26:09.scrape away as much of the layer as possible.
:26:10. > :26:17.All right, I think the stance is very important. It is, yes.
:26:18. > :26:28.Ouch, cramp. Hang on. I'm going to mess this up.
:26:29. > :26:31.There's actually something really satisfying about it as well,
:26:32. > :26:35.You've got quite a few to get through
:26:36. > :26:37.and I think you're much better at it than me, obviously.
:26:38. > :26:41.As well as the satisfaction of knowing that every new
:26:42. > :26:44.act of Parliament is written on vellum he's crafted,
:26:45. > :26:49.with pride to see Gael take the vellum he's produced
:26:50. > :26:58.I'm going to do my best not to ruin a perfectly good calfskin.
:26:59. > :27:04.Imagine that you're stroking the paint onto the actual petal itself.
:27:05. > :27:10.That's lovely. I'm in the zone. You're really good at this!
:27:11. > :27:13.I don't know about that but there we go.
:27:14. > :27:16.I followed your lines as neatly as I could and, yeah,
:27:17. > :27:19.the good news is I've done it, the bad news is it's going to be
:27:20. > :27:33.here for thousands and thousands of years.
:27:34. > :27:36.Now, earlier we asked whether intensive dairy production is
:27:37. > :27:41.the way for farmers to survive the current crisis over milk prices.
:27:42. > :27:49.But as Charlotte's been finding out, it's by no means the only choice.
:27:50. > :27:54.Making money out of milk is harder now than it has been for years.
:27:55. > :27:58.But not everyone thinks that more intensive production is the answer.
:27:59. > :28:02.What other options do dairy farmers have to get them
:28:03. > :28:09.Some people think the answer is to go big.
:28:10. > :28:12.Others feel we should be going in the opposite direction,
:28:13. > :28:18.He thinks the dairy industry could be missing a trick.
:28:19. > :28:23.By playing to its strengths, he spies an opportunity.
:28:24. > :28:26.Neil, you've spotted what you think is a gap in the market
:28:27. > :28:28.which could help dairy farmers, what is it?
:28:29. > :28:31.Well, it's all about this that we're looking at here today.
:28:32. > :28:36.It's called free-range milk, which is basically based on a commitment
:28:37. > :28:39.by farmers to graze their cows for six months of the year in fields.
:28:40. > :28:42.So who comes up with a definition that that is free-range milk?
:28:43. > :28:45.I have worked with others to build a definition.
:28:46. > :28:49.governing free-range milk production.
:28:50. > :28:54.First of all, freedom for cows to graze,
:28:55. > :28:59.a fair award to farmers and a more informed choice for the consumer.
:29:00. > :29:03.The idea is to return a few more pence per litre to the farmer.
:29:04. > :29:10.price-wise it will be pitched between standard and organic milk.
:29:11. > :29:12.Isn't there an implied criticism, at least, here?
:29:13. > :29:15.Aren't you saying, "Actually, this is the best way to do things,"
:29:16. > :29:19.far better than, for instance, keeping cows in all year?
:29:20. > :29:21.Well, we're not out to criticise anybody
:29:22. > :29:24.but I think if we are to avoid milk becoming nothing more than
:29:25. > :29:28.a cheap white-water commodity, we have to start to differentiate milk
:29:29. > :29:32.differentiating the way in which we farm.
:29:33. > :29:36.Most people actually think their milk comes from cows in fields
:29:37. > :29:38.but, increasingly, less and less milk does.
:29:39. > :29:41.And we want people to be able to make that choice.
:29:42. > :29:45.Farmers at the moment are forced to compete one another
:29:46. > :29:48.out of business to see who can deliver it the cheapest
:29:49. > :29:50.but if we can instil the real value in that milk,
:29:51. > :29:57.we believe we can command a higher price.
:29:58. > :30:01.Well, free-range may be a new concept for milk
:30:02. > :30:05.but it isn't in other parts of the industry.
:30:06. > :30:09.More than half the eggs we buy in Britain today are free-range.
:30:10. > :30:12.Supermarkets might be open to other free-range products
:30:13. > :30:17.Marketing expert Dr Fiona Spotswood
:30:18. > :30:21.believes this new idea might be here to stay.
:30:22. > :30:25.I think if you look at how free-range eggs have taken off
:30:26. > :30:29.and become very normal now, there's no reason why certain
:30:30. > :30:32.consumers wouldn't take on the idea of free-range milk.
:30:33. > :30:35.At the moment things are really bad for dairy farmers
:30:36. > :30:38.Can they market their way out of this crisis?
:30:39. > :30:41.I think marketing is a really powerful way of adding value
:30:42. > :30:45.If they can encourage consumers to feel like they are making
:30:46. > :30:48.meaningful choices, then there's no reason why
:30:49. > :30:53.a little bit more on products. In the future, customers might bring
:30:54. > :30:58.and use that free-range label to sort of show off a little bit
:30:59. > :31:02.to their neighbours when they invite them round for coffee.
:31:03. > :31:05.Phil Brooke from Compassion in World Farming
:31:06. > :31:08.also thinks there's mileage in free-range milk.
:31:09. > :31:11.The public expect cows to be kept outside.
:31:12. > :31:14.They'd be horrified if they were kept inside all of the time
:31:15. > :31:17.but it doesn't say so on the label, so they don't know.
:31:18. > :31:22.There should be a picture of these cows on the label
:31:23. > :31:25.and if it's from a free-range farm, a picture of cows outside.
:31:26. > :31:29.The consumers would know what they were getting and I think we'd find
:31:30. > :31:36.people paying a bit more for kinder milk from cows given more choices.
:31:37. > :31:43.free-range milk will become a staple on our supermarket shelves.
:31:44. > :31:49.will it alienate some dairy farmers, like Neil who I met earlier?
:31:50. > :31:55.so what does he make of free-range milk?
:31:56. > :32:00.Do you see that as a threat to you? Certainly not a threat, no.
:32:01. > :32:04.I'm unsure what it is. We just need to be wary.
:32:05. > :32:07.Does anybody know what free-range dairy is any more than
:32:08. > :32:13.So that's something we need to know but certainly not a threat.
:32:14. > :32:18.Isn't there an implied criticism of what you do in free-range milk?
:32:19. > :32:22.I don't know, is there? Potentially, I suppose.
:32:23. > :32:26.But I think it's not that much different.
:32:27. > :32:28.They're still looking after the cows,
:32:29. > :32:35.but anything that adds value to the dairy chain without causing
:32:36. > :32:46.harm to another sector of it has got to be a good thing.
:32:47. > :32:49.There's no doubt British dairy farmers are in the midst
:32:50. > :32:54.of one of their toughest times ever and there are no easy solutions.
:32:55. > :32:58.on the future for British dairy farming.
:32:59. > :33:01.You can contact us via the website...
:33:02. > :33:07.or join the conversation on Twitter. We're...
:33:08. > :33:11.Britain has long been regarded the stockyard of the world.
:33:12. > :33:16.Our bulls have populated herds from Aberdeen to Argentina for decades
:33:17. > :33:22.but the humble cow has changed considerably over the years.
:33:23. > :33:25.Bulls in particular have changed through the decades.
:33:26. > :33:30.meet the shifting demands of the market.
:33:31. > :33:33.It's something award-winning young farmer Jack Stilwell is
:33:34. > :33:38.Some of the animals he bought with money raised via
:33:39. > :33:41.an internet crowd-funding campaign are going to market,
:33:42. > :33:44.so will his animals meet today's demands?
:33:45. > :33:46.A fieldsman for 30 years, Mark Ferrett
:33:47. > :33:51.knows his way around the back end of a bovine better than most.
:33:52. > :33:53.So the cow that we know and love, Mark,
:33:54. > :33:56.has changed and evolved quite considerably, hasn't it?
:33:57. > :34:01.and that has been driven by industry demand, really,
:34:02. > :34:04.where you would have had a traditional small, stocky breed
:34:05. > :34:07.used to living outside through the winter as well as the summer.
:34:08. > :34:12.because farmers need to turn their cattle round more, so they've
:34:13. > :34:17.had to introduce a bigger breed to get the beast to grow quicker.
:34:18. > :34:21.The volume of animals coming through in unit has to be revolving
:34:22. > :34:24.quite quickly to enhance the profit margins for the farmer.
:34:25. > :34:28.Conformation of a beast is always so important, Matt.
:34:29. > :34:30.You know, at the end of the day, the public,
:34:31. > :34:34.when they purchase their beef, are always looking for a nice joint.
:34:35. > :34:38.These days, consumers are returning to traditional British beef breeds,
:34:39. > :34:46.I've stuck with Herefords and Aberdeen Anguses... Yup.
:34:47. > :34:50.A bit of fat on the meat is good and that brings the flavour
:34:51. > :34:56.and it's not bad fat, it's good for you.
:34:57. > :35:02.There's a nice, long beast and he's got a good conformation,
:35:03. > :35:13.but what we would refer to in the trade as...
:35:14. > :35:15.Where we're at at the moment with the market,
:35:16. > :35:20.what would you expect to be a good price next Friday?
:35:21. > :35:27.but these lovely little healthy bullocks here which we're selecting,
:35:28. > :35:30.I'm hoping, for Jack's sake, that they are clear 450s
:35:31. > :35:41.It's a good job. Hopefully next week will be payday. Yeah.
:35:42. > :35:46.if our photo of Curly the bull is impressing people as much.
:35:47. > :36:04.That's it. Get the message of British beef out there. Marvellous.
:36:05. > :36:08.Earlier this year, we asked you to nominate your farming heroes
:36:09. > :36:11.as part of the BBC's Food and Farming Awards.
:36:12. > :36:50.And Charlotte Smith, a familiar Countryfile face
:36:51. > :36:53.and all parts of the UK, so they took some sorting.
:36:54. > :36:55.What sort of people are we looking for?
:36:56. > :36:57.Somebody who has done something extra,
:36:58. > :37:00.something they didn't really have to do.
:37:01. > :37:03.Somebody who hasn't really been recognised for that. Yeah.
:37:04. > :37:07.We want someone special. Going above and beyond, isn't it?
:37:08. > :37:12.I think that's the important thing, isn't it?
:37:13. > :37:20.but we've picked three finalists to meet, so we can choose one winner.
:37:21. > :37:23.Cumbria police have declared a major incident as Storm Desmond
:37:24. > :37:31.And where better to start looking for heroes
:37:32. > :37:39.than in the midst of last winter's storms...
:37:40. > :37:43.The floods last year had a massive impact on many farming communities.
:37:44. > :37:47.There were lots of nominations for people who helped out in the flood,
:37:48. > :37:51.so we decided to pick just one that represented the spirit of them all.
:37:52. > :37:55.And that actually proved rather difficult but we have managed it
:37:56. > :37:58.and we are here because it's the Cumbria Young Farmers.
:37:59. > :38:00.So I'm going to meet the Young Farmers.
:38:01. > :38:07.And I'm going to see who nominated them. See you later. See you.
:38:08. > :38:10.Our first finalists are a group of heroes,
:38:11. > :38:14.the entire Cumbria Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs.
:38:15. > :38:24.That's 25 clubs, 1,600 young men and women.
:38:25. > :38:28.When their county was caught up in Storm Desmond last December,
:38:29. > :38:31.they didn't hesitate to get stuck in.
:38:32. > :38:38.Like when Mike Dunning's farm near Tebay was engulfed in a mudslide.
:38:39. > :38:42.Goodness me. What a mess. It's a little babbling brook today
:38:43. > :38:44.but it was a raging torrent that afternoon. Yes.
:38:45. > :38:48.Obviously it burst its banks as you can see there, it burst through.
:38:49. > :38:51.We were stood up to here in water and, you know, coming in full force,
:38:52. > :38:53.it was all you could do to stand in it.
:38:54. > :38:56.Goodness me. It was ferocious, it really was.
:38:57. > :38:59.And then when the mudslide happened, what did it look like?
:39:00. > :39:02.It was just like looking at a wall of soil, it was frightening.
:39:03. > :39:06.Unbelievable. My muck-spreader, it was there on its side upside down,
:39:07. > :39:13.it had just lifted it up. You couldn't get your head round it.
:39:14. > :39:17.Dozens of Cumbria Young Farmers turned up to help out.
:39:18. > :39:22.And some are back today to tell us about it. Hiya. Hello. Hi.
:39:23. > :39:26.So tell me, how did the first contact happen, then?
:39:27. > :39:29.I actually got in touch with Mike. Seeing how bad everything was here,
:39:30. > :39:31.I just knew these guys could help out.
:39:32. > :39:34.Even in a small way, it would make a big difference.
:39:35. > :39:37.We soon got together, got our shovels and started digging.
:39:38. > :39:40.So it was handballing work, really. It was.
:39:41. > :39:43.It was all hand work, yeah, it was too high for the digger to
:39:44. > :39:45.get in for access, so it was man and shovel.
:39:46. > :39:50.And why the Young Farmers? Why not the...you know, the Fire Service?
:39:51. > :39:53.Part of the community spirit of Young Farmers, really.
:39:54. > :39:58.Strengthening the local community. Fantastic. Yeah.
:39:59. > :40:06.Congratulations and I think you're very deserved nominees.
:40:07. > :40:10.This is just one of the many stories of Young Farmers in Cumbria
:40:11. > :40:16.Charlotte's caught up with the person who nominated them
:40:17. > :40:20.And to do that, I've left the countryside behind
:40:21. > :40:27.This is Petteril Street in the centre of Carlisle.
:40:28. > :40:31.But during Storm Desmond, it looked more like a river.
:40:32. > :40:35.1,600 houses were evacuated, including this one,
:40:36. > :40:40.home to 80-year-old Marie Scott. I'm meeting her son David.
:40:41. > :40:44.I left this house at about three o'clock on the Sunday morning
:40:45. > :40:47.and it was just lapping the doorstep there.
:40:48. > :40:50.I went home, came back about an hour and a half
:40:51. > :40:59.Yeah, she's coping with it but, I mean,
:41:00. > :41:04.As she says, she's been rehoused and she's living in another house
:41:05. > :41:09.It isn't where she hangs her coat and everything like that.
:41:10. > :41:17.With Carlisle in crisis, Cumbria's Young Farmers really became heroes.
:41:18. > :41:21.They weren't content to just help people in the farming community,
:41:22. > :41:24.they decided to take their agricultural hardware onto
:41:25. > :41:29.We have a lot of resources, a lot of equipment
:41:30. > :41:32.and we can mobilise quite quickly, so we thought we'd try and do
:41:33. > :41:35.a bit of prevention and get some sandbags and see what we could do.
:41:36. > :41:38.And how many of you pulled together to get this going?
:41:39. > :41:42.About 25 that day and they just kept coming out the woodwork.
:41:43. > :41:44.Seeing we were in need and so they came to help.
:41:45. > :41:47.So what did the Young Farmers do to help?
:41:48. > :41:49.In every direction, every single house was flooded
:41:50. > :41:52.and every piece of furniture, fridge, food,
:41:53. > :41:55.everything that was in the house had to be taken out and this street
:41:56. > :41:58.and as far as the eye could see was just laden with rubbish
:41:59. > :42:01.and the Young Farmers came in to help the council because we didn't
:42:02. > :42:03.have enough skips, or anything like that,
:42:04. > :42:07.We've got about nine tractors and trailers, three loaders
:42:08. > :42:10.and a digger and moved quite a considerable amount of stuff
:42:11. > :42:13.on that day. We cleared in the region of five streets,
:42:14. > :42:15.about 70 or 75 trailerloads of material,
:42:16. > :42:20.so I think we made a large impact in one day.
:42:21. > :42:23.Why do you think they're heroes? It's a big word, hero, isn't it?
:42:24. > :42:27.But they just put their own troubles aside
:42:28. > :42:30.and these young lads, whose farms and buildings
:42:31. > :42:33.and livestock were devastated and also ruined, managed to give
:42:34. > :42:37.up their own time to come in and actually help in the city.
:42:38. > :42:40.And how do you feel now that you're nominated as farming heroes?
:42:41. > :42:46.Well, yes, a little bit overwhelmed, really.
:42:47. > :42:48.We didn't do it for any form of recognition.
:42:49. > :42:50.It was just...you like to do something to help, really.
:42:51. > :42:55.All right, let's get these wheels rolling.
:42:56. > :42:59.Well, we've decided to hit the road and re-enact the rescue,
:43:00. > :43:03.so the Young Farmers can meet up for the first time with the people
:43:04. > :43:16.This is great, going through town with all these tractors.
:43:17. > :43:28.That was quite some sight. That was amazing.
:43:29. > :43:33.David, this is David who nominated them.
:43:34. > :43:35.Hello, nice to meet you. Lovely to meet you.
:43:36. > :43:38.This is Tom, who came to your rescue. Thanks, Tom.
:43:39. > :43:41.And the whole Young Farmers crew. Yeah.
:43:42. > :43:44.And these lads managed to bring a little bit more normality
:43:45. > :43:50.Well done, you. Well done, Young Farmers.
:43:51. > :43:53.Great. Amazing how many people turned out for you.
:43:54. > :43:56.Yup, yup, every one of them. Thank you very much.
:43:57. > :44:02.Someone here at the back of the group is another person who
:44:03. > :44:06.and that's Jason who works for Carlisle City Council.
:44:07. > :44:08.Jason, what difference did this lot make?
:44:09. > :44:12.We were under real pressure as City Council and other partners to
:44:13. > :44:14.get on with recovery and support people who had been affected.
:44:15. > :44:19."If you want something done, just ask a farmer."
:44:20. > :44:21.And that was absolutely right on this occasion.
:44:22. > :44:24.You made a tremendous difference and I'm really grateful.
:44:25. > :44:27.It was inspirational what you did. So thank you very much indeed.
:44:28. > :44:29.Well done for everything you achieved down here
:44:30. > :44:32.and keep up the good work. Well done, thanks very much.
:44:33. > :44:35.What an amazing group of people. I know.
:44:36. > :44:38.Because they could have just done what we all do, couldn't they?
:44:39. > :44:41.Watch it on the telly, feel very sympathetic, make a cup of tea.
:44:42. > :44:45.They rallied the troops, rang round, got together and got stuck in.
:44:46. > :44:48.Just brilliant. And made a real difference, a real difference here.
:44:49. > :44:52.This is going to be hard. It's a good start, though, isn't it?
:44:53. > :45:21.It's just before dawn and I'm out buying milk for breakfast.
:45:22. > :45:32.But what makes this milk different is that it's raw milk.
:45:33. > :45:43.Non-pasteurised, non-heat-treated, straight from the udder.
:45:44. > :45:48.I've come to Fen Farm in Bungay in Suffolk to meet Jonny Crickmore,
:45:49. > :45:52.one of a growing number of farmers registered to supply it.
:45:53. > :45:56.From just a handful at the start of the decade, there are now 114 just
:45:57. > :46:02.like him, producing raw milk to meet the demand of a burgeoning market.
:46:03. > :46:07.If you like the flavour of milk, and you taste raw milk,
:46:08. > :46:12.It's got so much more flavour and it's more silky,
:46:13. > :46:17.it's not been battered around in pumps and been cooked
:46:18. > :46:26.and it's just as straightforward and basic as it comes.
:46:27. > :46:29.At the heart of Jonny's operation is a 300-strong herd
:46:30. > :46:33.a breed from the Alpine regions of Europe.
:46:34. > :46:35.So what's different about this breed?
:46:36. > :46:38.If you notice, they're quite a chunky cow.
:46:39. > :46:41.Mostly the milk is used for making comte cheese,
:46:42. > :46:43.so this is sort of the Swiss-French border.
:46:44. > :46:48.so it's got higher butterfat and higher protein.
:46:49. > :46:51.Higher solids in the milk actually makes more flavour in the milk.
:46:52. > :46:54.You don't have to convince me, I love butter.
:46:55. > :46:56.I'm an absolute butter and dairy obsessive.
:46:57. > :46:58.They're massive, some of these cows, aren't they?
:46:59. > :47:02.Yeah, they're quite chunky. They've got some power behind them.
:47:03. > :47:04.Jonny originally brought in the Montbeliardes
:47:05. > :47:16.but soon found that people were asking for his raw milk.
:47:17. > :47:22.and conditions in the parlour are kept scrupulously clean.
:47:23. > :47:29.you wouldn't be cleaning the teats quite like this, would you?
:47:30. > :47:32.No, I mean, every dairy will be different. Some dairy farmers
:47:33. > :47:36.will spend more time than others but, on the whole,
:47:37. > :47:39.what we are doing different is we're spending a lot more
:47:40. > :47:42.time in the milking parlour making the cows' teats clean
:47:43. > :47:47.and trying to prevent muck going in the milk.
:47:48. > :47:51.'A special brush applies disinfectant to the teats.'
:47:52. > :48:03.That's it, you want to go over once or twice.
:48:04. > :48:06.You want to see that teat nice and shiny.
:48:07. > :48:14.This herd produces up to 6,000 litres a day.
:48:15. > :48:17.The bulk of it still goes for pasteurising but Jonny's holding
:48:18. > :48:22.back more and more because of the increasing appetite for raw milk.
:48:23. > :48:25.Sorry, lady, there we go, and last one.
:48:26. > :48:28.There's been a bit of a buzz around the product for a while now
:48:29. > :48:35.Is it working? Oh, yeah, there you go, the milk's coming out, lovely.
:48:36. > :48:40.Because raw milk isn't pasteurised, harmful bugs could still be present.
:48:41. > :48:42.This can make drinking it risky for small children,
:48:43. > :48:46.pregnant women and people with underlying health conditions.
:48:47. > :48:52.So all bottles have to carry health advice and testing is rigorous.
:48:53. > :48:56.The Food Standards Agency comes out and takes a sample of the milk that
:48:57. > :48:59.we sell and they're testing really just for the hygiene of the milk.
:49:00. > :49:02.So they're testing for the level of pathogens.
:49:03. > :49:05.So this would be your listerias, your salmonellas,
:49:06. > :49:09.And how clean the actual milking parlour is itself.
:49:10. > :49:12.I suppose the testing is even more rigorous when you're doing
:49:13. > :49:15.something like raw milk because, well, it has to be, doesn't it?
:49:16. > :49:19.Yeah, I think it needs to have a high level of testing.
:49:20. > :49:23.You just need to make sure, at the end of the day,
:49:24. > :49:38.The spring sunshine is beginning to punch through
:49:39. > :49:43.and the first of the day's customers are here for their milk.
:49:44. > :49:46.They've come here to buy direct from the farm as it's illegal to
:49:47. > :49:54.Well, it's a totally different taste and everything.
:49:55. > :49:57.You can't beat it, really. Real milk. I know, real milk.
:49:58. > :49:59.And cream about that much on a bottle. Yeah.
:50:00. > :50:02.Does is remind you of something you used to have when you were a kid?
:50:03. > :50:13.From ten litres a day just a few months back,
:50:14. > :50:17.Jonny's now shifting 200 litres a day.
:50:18. > :50:20.And because there are no middlemen and no supermarkets,
:50:21. > :50:24.he keeps every penny he sells it for.
:50:25. > :50:39.It's a lot creamier, silkier and it's got a lot more flavour.
:50:40. > :50:43.Well, that's what I think but raw milk still divides people.
:50:44. > :50:47.Some claim health benefits whilst others warn of the dangers
:50:48. > :50:50.from drinking milk that might contain harmful bugs.
:50:51. > :50:54.But the advice on the bottles is clear and, ultimately,
:50:55. > :51:02.Farmers up and down the country are getting ready to turn their
:51:03. > :51:06.cattle out but what has the weather got in store for them and us?
:51:07. > :51:31.Good evening. It is a changeable week ahead. We start with a look
:51:32. > :51:38.back at March. It was drier than normal. Further south, it was wetter
:51:39. > :51:44.than normal. We saw storms early in the month and storm Katie bringing
:51:45. > :51:53.rain to the southern half of the UK. It settled down in the middle part
:51:54. > :51:58.of the month. There was an easterly wind coming in from the North Sea.
:51:59. > :52:02.However, it was across the south-east today where we saw 17.2
:52:03. > :52:08.degrees in Gravesend which made it to the warmest day in England so far
:52:09. > :52:13.this year. We will not see that in the coming few days. We will pick up
:52:14. > :52:21.a westerly breeze and it will turn that bit cooler. It will maybe be
:52:22. > :52:29.cold and off by the end of the week for some frost in places. It will
:52:30. > :52:35.not be raining all the time. We have since heavy downpours in the past
:52:36. > :52:41.few hours. Not a great rush hour in central and southern Scotland. The
:52:42. > :52:44.eastern side of Northern Ireland is also looking pretty wet through the
:52:45. > :52:51.morning. A scattering of showers in Wales. Showers are on the other side
:52:52. > :52:57.of the Bristol Channel. Central and eastern areas getting off to a
:52:58. > :53:00.reasonable start. Cloudy for some, brighter for others. Generally
:53:01. > :53:02.speaking, for England and Wales, we will cease showers breaking out
:53:03. > :53:11.through the day. A bit of sunshine in between. This in China is limited
:53:12. > :53:19.for Scotland and Northern Ireland. It is seven or 8 degrees in
:53:20. > :53:24.Aberdeen. Onto Tuesday, low-pressure drifting across the north of the UK
:53:25. > :53:29.taking most of the rain with it. A reasonable day for most places on
:53:30. > :53:34.Tuesday. Any early rain becomes light and patchy. We will get to 12
:53:35. > :53:40.degrees for many places in the far south-east. A big change happens
:53:41. > :53:48.Tuesday night into Wednesday as this weather front comes in from the
:53:49. > :53:53.west. A lot of isobars. The cooler air will be dragged in behind. There
:53:54. > :53:57.will be some showers around. The cooler air is flooding its way in.
:53:58. > :54:02.Many places struggling to get into double figures. It looks like
:54:03. > :54:08.further showers on Thursday. It will be a blustery cool day with a fair
:54:09. > :54:13.bit of cloud and some rain at times. Some places really struggling to get
:54:14. > :54:18.above 89 degrees. Onto the end of the week and we have this weather
:54:19. > :54:28.front drifting its way in from the Atlantic. We are likely to see
:54:29. > :54:32.developments along this front. The low pressure will stick around next
:54:33. > :54:37.weekend as well. It is the southern half of the UK which is most at risk
:54:38. > :54:41.of some cloud, outbreaks of rain at times. Further north it should be
:54:42. > :54:51.that bit drier, particularly into the north and west.
:54:52. > :54:59.Their milk, their leather, their meat.
:55:00. > :55:02.I'm spending the day with Jack Stilwell,
:55:03. > :55:05.an award-winning young farmer combining modern thinking
:55:06. > :55:10.The last stop of the day is on another bit of Jack's shared
:55:11. > :55:13.farmland and it's with his breeding cows of the future.
:55:14. > :55:17.And it's quite a big day for them because, after a long winter
:55:18. > :55:29.indoors, they're about to get their first taste of fresh green grass.
:55:30. > :55:32.Well, even though Jack got into farming in a very modern way,
:55:33. > :55:34.what he's doing is incredibly traditional
:55:35. > :55:37.and it's all about this - the landscape,
:55:38. > :55:42.Really, he's chosen breeds that can do well on grass
:55:43. > :55:45.and don't need a huge amount of supplementary feed.
:55:46. > :55:49.The problem he's got is that his fields are really quite spread out.
:55:50. > :55:55.So today we are taking part of his herd over the Downs.
:55:56. > :55:59.Jack's mate Alex is lending tractor and trailer support.
:56:00. > :56:01.We're only going to get one shot at this, really,
:56:02. > :56:04.so we're just trying to make sure it's kind of as
:56:05. > :56:13.efficient as possible and everything's in the right place.
:56:14. > :56:19.The plan here is to make the pen smaller and smaller...
:56:20. > :56:22.so the cattle only have one place to go.
:56:23. > :56:25.Once one goes, the rest of them will go.
:56:26. > :56:50.Right. Thank you very much for that. No problem.
:56:51. > :56:55.Some of these have never seen grass, have they? No.
:56:56. > :57:07.That's a great sight, isn't it? That is what it's all about.
:57:08. > :57:12.Seeing them run across the grass like that... Uh-huh.
:57:13. > :57:22.So really, going forward, then, what is the grand plan here?
:57:23. > :57:24.The grand plan for me is just to continue
:57:25. > :57:30.If a good opportunity comes my way, I'll grab it with both my hands.
:57:31. > :57:32.As long as I can keep it sustainable and allow it to keep
:57:33. > :57:36.paying for itself, I don't really see a limit to it, to be honest.
:57:37. > :57:41.Jack hopes his story will inspire others just as he was
:57:42. > :57:45.inspired by the wise words of one of his sponsors.
:57:46. > :57:49.He said that someone helped him when he was younger, which allowed him
:57:50. > :57:52.to become successful and the one caveat to that was that,
:57:53. > :57:56.when I was successful and I had made it, that I should help people do
:57:57. > :57:59.the same thing and I really like that sentiment.
:58:00. > :58:04.before Jack can help out some other young farmer.
:58:05. > :58:07.Judging by Curly's fan club, there's plenty of interest out there.
:58:08. > :58:15.you've got the whole field to play in and you're still stuck around us.
:58:16. > :58:17.It seems like, because this whole programme has been
:58:18. > :58:19.all about cattle, they just wanted to say goodbye
:58:20. > :58:22.because that is all we've got time for this week.
:58:23. > :58:24.Next week we're going to be up in Northumberland where John
:58:25. > :58:27.will be following in the footsteps of one of our best loved artists
:58:28. > :58:31.and Ellie will be in a bit of a hotspot.