Denbighshire

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0:00:25 > 0:00:27With its sparkling waters,

0:00:27 > 0:00:29looming mountains

0:00:29 > 0:00:31and heather-clad moorland,

0:00:31 > 0:00:33Denbighshire's got the lot.

0:00:38 > 0:00:42Denbighshire feels like a place that isn't really on the way to anywhere,

0:00:42 > 0:00:44an almost forgotten landscape.

0:00:44 > 0:00:45But you know what?

0:00:45 > 0:00:47It's all the better for it,

0:00:47 > 0:00:50because this is gorgeous.

0:00:55 > 0:00:58I'll be exploring this varied landscape

0:00:58 > 0:01:00as it springs back to life.

0:01:00 > 0:01:02Graham, what a place this is!

0:01:02 > 0:01:03It's absolutely glorious.

0:01:05 > 0:01:07Matt's on a hill farm, meeting a grandmother

0:01:07 > 0:01:11who's been recognised for her services to agriculture.

0:01:11 > 0:01:14Matt, you grab that. Thanks very much, that's good.

0:01:15 > 0:01:20Tom will be looking at what leaving the EU could mean for our farmers.

0:01:20 > 0:01:23- 80% of my income comes from subsidies.- Right.

0:01:23 > 0:01:25In today's climate, with all the costs involved,

0:01:25 > 0:01:28the sheep do not make enough profit to pay the bills.

0:01:28 > 0:01:30And Adam goes back to school,

0:01:30 > 0:01:34spending a day on the country's first sheepdog handling course.

0:01:34 > 0:01:36Lie down! Lie down!

0:01:36 > 0:01:39These are the future of British farming.

0:01:39 > 0:01:42Particularly managing sheep up in the fells here,

0:01:42 > 0:01:44learning sheepdog skills is essential.

0:01:53 > 0:01:55SHEEP BLEAT

0:01:58 > 0:02:02MATT BAKER: With fertile pastures and vistas to take your breath away,

0:02:02 > 0:02:06the largely rural county of Denbighshire in north-east Wales

0:02:06 > 0:02:08is framed on three sides

0:02:08 > 0:02:11by its majestic hill ranges.

0:02:12 > 0:02:14SHEEP BLEAT

0:02:16 > 0:02:20Do you know, it takes a certain strength of character

0:02:20 > 0:02:23to farm up here, high on the hillsides of North Wales.

0:02:25 > 0:02:27Even now, at the end of March,

0:02:27 > 0:02:29with the valleys full of spring flowers,

0:02:29 > 0:02:32it's still chilly 1,200 feet up.

0:02:34 > 0:02:36But I'm here to meet a lady from Denbigh

0:02:36 > 0:02:38who isn't fazed by any of that.

0:02:38 > 0:02:40That's it. Lovely!

0:02:40 > 0:02:43Matt, you grab that. Thanks very much, that's good.

0:02:43 > 0:02:44'In honour of Mothering Sunday,

0:02:44 > 0:02:49'I'm here with Welsh sheep-farming matriarch Daphne Tilley, MBE.'

0:02:49 > 0:02:51- Yeah, you show me the way. - Right.- This is Daphne.

0:02:51 > 0:02:54She's a real lamb-bassador for Welsh lamb.

0:02:56 > 0:02:59For the past quarter-century, Daphne has reared sheep

0:02:59 > 0:03:02high on the hillside here at Cefn Du Farm.

0:03:04 > 0:03:07Her lamb has fed statesmen like Barack Obama

0:03:07 > 0:03:11and become a menu staple at 80 of London's top restaurants.

0:03:12 > 0:03:16But Daphne's journey from Welsh sheep farm to Buckingham Palace

0:03:16 > 0:03:19was first triggered by a visit to the butcher.

0:03:20 > 0:03:23I went, er, just to visit a friend in London

0:03:23 > 0:03:28and the price of lamb was astronomical.

0:03:28 > 0:03:30Back in Wales, Daphne and her neighbours

0:03:30 > 0:03:33were getting rock-bottom prices for their lamb.

0:03:33 > 0:03:36It was a light-bulb moment.

0:03:36 > 0:03:39I thought, this is crazy, so I went home, said to the family,

0:03:39 > 0:03:41"Why aren't we selling ours direct to London?"

0:03:41 > 0:03:43And they said, "Mum, don't be so ridiculous.

0:03:43 > 0:03:45"You wouldn't dare take it up there."

0:03:45 > 0:03:47"What do you mean I wouldn't dare?"

0:03:47 > 0:03:49- I thought, I'll show them.- Yeah.

0:03:49 > 0:03:51- Yeah. And you did.- It can be done.

0:03:51 > 0:03:53So, armed with some tasty samples,

0:03:53 > 0:03:55Daphne jumped in a London taxi

0:03:55 > 0:03:58and doorstepped the capital's best restaurants,

0:03:58 > 0:04:01with a 100% success rate.

0:04:02 > 0:04:04What has it become today, then?

0:04:04 > 0:04:06I mean, how many farmers do you have involved with this,

0:04:06 > 0:04:08- and how many restaurants...? - A lot of farmers are,

0:04:08 > 0:04:11because now we don't produce nearly enough meat for what we want.

0:04:11 > 0:04:14- Yeah, of course. - So I buy it in the local auctions,

0:04:14 > 0:04:17all from Wales - born, bred,

0:04:17 > 0:04:19reared, slaughtered, everything within Wales.

0:04:19 > 0:04:22And is it working, from that perspective

0:04:22 > 0:04:24- and from that point of view?- Yes.

0:04:24 > 0:04:27Well, it's certainly kept the price of lamb buoyant in London.

0:04:27 > 0:04:31Remember, the London restaurants are our advertisement, if you like.

0:04:31 > 0:04:35And... I don't mean us personally - Welsh lamb.

0:04:35 > 0:04:36And if they're using Welsh lamb

0:04:36 > 0:04:39and say, "Ooh, this is the best in the world",

0:04:39 > 0:04:42other people go and eat in all these restaurants all over London -

0:04:42 > 0:04:44"We've had Welsh lamb."

0:04:44 > 0:04:47Daphne's tireless promotion of Welsh lamb

0:04:47 > 0:04:50led her to being awarded an MBE.

0:04:50 > 0:04:51And it was her late son John

0:04:51 > 0:04:54who nominated her for the honour as a surprise.

0:04:54 > 0:04:55So what did you...?

0:04:55 > 0:04:58What did you make of that when you heard the news?

0:04:58 > 0:04:59I couldn't believe it.

0:04:59 > 0:05:02My son John, who was so ill with cancer at the time,

0:05:02 > 0:05:04was sitting in the house, he was pretty ill,

0:05:04 > 0:05:07and he did a lot of revision and research

0:05:07 > 0:05:09into what I'd done over the years,

0:05:09 > 0:05:10and he put it all together.

0:05:10 > 0:05:13But it wasn't till he was already dead,

0:05:13 > 0:05:15because there, the people who do the honours list,

0:05:15 > 0:05:17I suppose things take a long time.

0:05:17 > 0:05:19I knew nothing whatsoever about it,

0:05:19 > 0:05:21and it came through then, and I realised

0:05:21 > 0:05:23and that really, actually, made me cry.

0:05:23 > 0:05:25He'd done all that for you.

0:05:25 > 0:05:27Yeah, yeah.

0:05:27 > 0:05:30- I mean, the farm here, it still hits me.- Aw.

0:05:34 > 0:05:35With the loss of her son John,

0:05:35 > 0:05:38Daphne's business hung in the balance.

0:05:38 > 0:05:40INDISTINCT SPEECH

0:05:40 > 0:05:41There's this one...

0:05:41 > 0:05:43But John's son James, then just 22,

0:05:43 > 0:05:47came to the family's rescue and stepped in to run the farm.

0:05:51 > 0:05:52You must be so proud of him.

0:05:52 > 0:05:55You know, the quality of the lamb that he's producing

0:05:55 > 0:05:56and what he's achieved.

0:05:56 > 0:05:58We are proud of him, we really are.

0:05:58 > 0:06:00He's done very well indeed.

0:06:00 > 0:06:04He's bought good rams, carried on doing what his father did.

0:06:04 > 0:06:07I was surprised, pleased...

0:06:07 > 0:06:10and there was so much for him to learn.

0:06:10 > 0:06:13- Mm.- And we all make mistakes, he was bound to make mistakes,

0:06:13 > 0:06:15but he's made very few.

0:06:16 > 0:06:18Daphne's links with London restaurants

0:06:18 > 0:06:20go from strength to strength.

0:06:20 > 0:06:23Chefs like George Wood from Soho restaurant Temper

0:06:23 > 0:06:25have long been a fan of Daphne's lamb.

0:06:26 > 0:06:29Today, he's visiting the farm for the first time.

0:06:33 > 0:06:38When you put yourself into that vibe of that incredibly busy service,

0:06:38 > 0:06:41in the middle of London, it's all kicking off,

0:06:41 > 0:06:44the stress levels are unbelievable,

0:06:44 > 0:06:47and you are now here, looking out on this landscape -

0:06:47 > 0:06:50as a chef, what does this do for you?

0:06:50 > 0:06:52Obviously it's the dream, you know?

0:06:52 > 0:06:54You're seeing the life that they have

0:06:54 > 0:06:56before they come to the restaurant

0:06:56 > 0:06:58and the level of care that people go in

0:06:58 > 0:06:59to looking after these animals.

0:06:59 > 0:07:02I've known Daphne for four years now,

0:07:02 > 0:07:05so it's, you know, quite nice to finally get down to the farm

0:07:05 > 0:07:09and be here and see where the lamb comes from that I get in each week.

0:07:11 > 0:07:14Later, George will be cooking up a Mother's Day treat for Daphne.

0:07:14 > 0:07:18It's one of his top dishes currently setting London ablaze -

0:07:18 > 0:07:21fire-roasted lamb, direct from these Welsh hills.

0:07:24 > 0:07:26Well, Daphne's story is truly remarkable,

0:07:26 > 0:07:29and you'd better make sure that you're sitting comfortably now,

0:07:29 > 0:07:31because Tom also has a tale to tell.

0:07:36 > 0:07:39Once upon a time, not so very long ago,

0:07:39 > 0:07:42wizards in a faraway city conjured up something

0:07:42 > 0:07:45called the Common Agricultural Policy.

0:07:45 > 0:07:49It soon spread across the continent, dividing people as it went.

0:07:51 > 0:07:53Some folk took it to their hearts,

0:07:53 > 0:07:57feeling that the starvation seen in the war had been banished.

0:07:57 > 0:08:01Farmers were prospering and the land flourished.

0:08:02 > 0:08:06For others, it's as if they'd stepped through the looking glass.

0:08:06 > 0:08:08Farmers grew so much food

0:08:08 > 0:08:13that we had mountains of butter and lakes of wine.

0:08:13 > 0:08:16Hard-earned money was handed to rich landowners

0:08:16 > 0:08:20and the birds and the bees were driven from much of our landscape.

0:08:20 > 0:08:23But here in the UK, those two visions won't last for long,

0:08:23 > 0:08:27because Brexit is taking shape on the horizon

0:08:27 > 0:08:30and, when it does, those wizards in Westminster

0:08:30 > 0:08:32will wave their magic wands

0:08:32 > 0:08:36and the Common Agricultural Policy will disappear.

0:08:38 > 0:08:41Once again, the British people will have control

0:08:41 > 0:08:45over the billions of pounds we currently pay to the EU,

0:08:45 > 0:08:49plus the freedom to redesign the regulations it now imposes on us.

0:08:50 > 0:08:53What else will change is hidden in the mists of time.

0:08:56 > 0:08:58But for farmers like Tony Davis,

0:08:58 > 0:09:01whose family have kept sheep on this land in mid-Wales

0:09:01 > 0:09:04for more than 150 years, one thing is certain,

0:09:04 > 0:09:07Brexit will mean that the subsidy payments

0:09:07 > 0:09:08he currently gets from the EU

0:09:08 > 0:09:12will come to an end, and nobody knows if government support

0:09:12 > 0:09:14will continue beyond 2020.

0:09:14 > 0:09:18- Tell me about what you farm here. - These are traditional hay meadows.

0:09:18 > 0:09:20We have woodland, we have new woodland,

0:09:20 > 0:09:23but the majority of the farm is out in the open mountain.

0:09:23 > 0:09:26And all this is managed by a flock of Welsh mountain sheep.

0:09:26 > 0:09:31And how important is subsidy to your survival?

0:09:31 > 0:09:35- 80% of my income comes from subsidies.- Right.

0:09:35 > 0:09:37In today's climate, with all the costs involved,

0:09:37 > 0:09:41- the sheep do not make enough profit to pay the bills.- Yeah.

0:09:42 > 0:09:45What could it mean if subsidies almost vanished?

0:09:45 > 0:09:48It could mean land abandonment, but the local villages,

0:09:48 > 0:09:49all the services, they all depend

0:09:49 > 0:09:51on the farmer spending the money there,

0:09:51 > 0:09:53the schools depend on the children coming off the farms.

0:09:53 > 0:09:57The whole rural economy would suffer in these rural areas.

0:09:57 > 0:10:01And so what would you want a future support system to look like?

0:10:01 > 0:10:03A future support system should be able

0:10:03 > 0:10:06to support the farmers in the upland areas

0:10:06 > 0:10:08who are delivering the environmental benefits.

0:10:08 > 0:10:11We've made this landscape, and sheep a part of it.

0:10:11 > 0:10:13Could you, on this farm,

0:10:13 > 0:10:15- survive without subsidies?- No.

0:10:15 > 0:10:17As black-and-white as that?

0:10:17 > 0:10:20It is as black-and-white, it's as simple as that, yes.

0:10:20 > 0:10:25One thing the EU currently doesn't pay farmers for is producing food.

0:10:25 > 0:10:28What it does pay them for is their land.

0:10:29 > 0:10:31As long as they fulfil certain conditions,

0:10:31 > 0:10:36anyone with more than 12 hectares can apply for a subsidy,

0:10:36 > 0:10:39and the more land you have, the more money you can get.

0:10:39 > 0:10:43And that applies to everyone, from the National Trust

0:10:43 > 0:10:47to Hampshire County Council, from grouse moors to golf clubs.

0:10:48 > 0:10:50And, of course, people like Tony.

0:10:50 > 0:10:54He has 1,600 acres, or 650 hectares,

0:10:54 > 0:10:57but some people have thousands.

0:10:57 > 0:11:01Direct payments from the EU to landowners

0:11:01 > 0:11:04currently amount to about £2.5 billion,

0:11:04 > 0:11:07and another three quarters of a billion

0:11:07 > 0:11:11goes to farmers for work that is good for the environment

0:11:11 > 0:11:14and for projects that promote rural development.

0:11:15 > 0:11:18Now, it probably won't come as a big surprise

0:11:18 > 0:11:23if I tell you it's hard to find anyone who really likes this story.

0:11:23 > 0:11:27And everyone agrees that Brexit gives us a chance to rewrite it.

0:11:32 > 0:11:35It's possible that a new version of this story

0:11:35 > 0:11:39could tell how the money was instead spent on the NHS, or schools,

0:11:39 > 0:11:41or reducing the deficit.

0:11:41 > 0:11:44So, farmers could have a battle on their hands to hang onto it.

0:11:44 > 0:11:49Minette Batters, the Deputy Chairman of the National Farmers Union,

0:11:49 > 0:11:51is preparing for the fight.

0:11:51 > 0:11:53Farming gets roughly three-and-a-bit billion

0:11:53 > 0:11:55at the moment. Why should you get that money?

0:11:55 > 0:11:58Most countries, the whole way across the world,

0:11:58 > 0:12:00support agriculture, and that is because

0:12:00 > 0:12:01they want to keep food affordable,

0:12:01 > 0:12:04and that is the core reason for supporting agriculture.

0:12:04 > 0:12:0712% of annual income is spent on food.

0:12:07 > 0:12:10That's a great deal, that's a great success story.

0:12:10 > 0:12:14Does the British consumer want that to continue? I think they do.

0:12:14 > 0:12:18So we have to look at how we can keep British agriculture productive,

0:12:18 > 0:12:21competitive, but it's also about looking after the environment,

0:12:21 > 0:12:23water quality, landscape benefit.

0:12:23 > 0:12:28You know, our agriculture is totally interlinked with tourism.

0:12:28 > 0:12:31So I think personally we can make a very good case

0:12:31 > 0:12:32for the budget going forwards,

0:12:32 > 0:12:35but it's got to stack up for the taxpayer.

0:12:36 > 0:12:40Of course, it's impossible for the NFU to say exactly what they want

0:12:40 > 0:12:42until they know what trading conditions

0:12:42 > 0:12:44they're going to be facing.

0:12:44 > 0:12:47And at the moment, that really is a mystery.

0:12:49 > 0:12:53But it's not just farmers who feel they're the real heroes

0:12:53 > 0:12:54of this story.

0:12:54 > 0:12:57Later on, I'll be meeting some of the other lead characters

0:12:57 > 0:13:01and asking if there really can be a happy ending.

0:13:06 > 0:13:07BIRDS TWEET

0:13:11 > 0:13:15Gors Maen Llwyd is one of North Wales' largest wildlife reserves.

0:13:20 > 0:13:23With woodland, wetland and moorland,

0:13:23 > 0:13:27there's a whole host of habitats here for wildlife to thrive.

0:13:28 > 0:13:31I love this time of year.

0:13:31 > 0:13:34It feels like such a relief, after a long winter,

0:13:34 > 0:13:37that the landscape is finally waking up.

0:13:37 > 0:13:40It's a time of new beginnings and new life.

0:13:45 > 0:13:46I'm heading for the moorland,

0:13:46 > 0:13:49to help monitor some of the reserve's residents

0:13:49 > 0:13:52as they come out of their winter slumber.

0:13:52 > 0:13:55And I'm unashamedly taking the scenic root.

0:13:56 > 0:13:58ENGINE STARTS UP

0:13:59 > 0:14:01There's a lot to take in,

0:14:01 > 0:14:03but Graham Berry from the North Wales Wildlife Trust

0:14:03 > 0:14:07is giving me a steer as to which species call this place home.

0:14:09 > 0:14:12Graham, what a place this is! It's absolutely glorious.

0:14:12 > 0:14:14Why is it so good here?

0:14:14 > 0:14:17Why does the wildlife seem to be thriving?

0:14:17 > 0:14:22We've got the forests of Clocaenog to the east of the lake here,

0:14:22 > 0:14:25which are home to dormice, red squirrels...

0:14:25 > 0:14:28We've got the upland moorlands in the Mynydd Hiraethog,

0:14:28 > 0:14:30one of the last strongholds

0:14:30 > 0:14:33for the curlew, the hen harrier and the merlin.

0:14:35 > 0:14:38There's plenty going on below the surface, too.

0:14:40 > 0:14:44This reservoir is a larder for many hungry visitors.

0:14:45 > 0:14:48They use this like a motorway pit stop on their migration.

0:14:48 > 0:14:49They stop here and feed.

0:14:49 > 0:14:52- Feed on all the rainbow trout? - That's it.- Lovely.

0:14:54 > 0:14:55It's picking up here.

0:14:55 > 0:14:58We got a bit of a crosswind, getting a few splashes in the face,

0:14:58 > 0:14:59which is all part of the fun.

0:14:59 > 0:15:01All part of the experience.

0:15:06 > 0:15:09- OK, here we go. - All right. Hold on. Oh!

0:15:11 > 0:15:13I'll see you again.

0:15:14 > 0:15:17Alongside the work The Wildlife Trust are doing,

0:15:17 > 0:15:20volunteers are helping to monitor one resident

0:15:20 > 0:15:23that they really want to make count - the adder.

0:15:25 > 0:15:27Now, adders don't go into a true hibernation,

0:15:27 > 0:15:29like dormice or bat.

0:15:29 > 0:15:34Instead, in the autumn, they find a dry and secure spot underground,

0:15:34 > 0:15:36something like a disused burrow,

0:15:36 > 0:15:39their temperature will drop to just above freezing,

0:15:39 > 0:15:42and there they will stay, inactive,

0:15:42 > 0:15:45all the way through to the spring - just about now.

0:15:45 > 0:15:47BIRDS TWEET

0:15:49 > 0:15:52Reptile recorder Mick Brummage, and Mandy Cartwright from

0:15:52 > 0:15:54the Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Trust,

0:15:54 > 0:15:57are working together to keep a check on these elusive snakes.

0:15:58 > 0:16:02- Any adders?- Not at the moment, no.

0:16:02 > 0:16:05- OK, this is prime adder-spotting territory, is it?- It is.- It is. Yes.

0:16:05 > 0:16:09Given how hard they are to spot, they're incredibly well camouflaged,

0:16:09 > 0:16:12how do you go about monitoring them as you are?

0:16:12 > 0:16:14At the moment, this time of year,

0:16:14 > 0:16:17the males are actually coming out of their dormant stage,

0:16:17 > 0:16:20and they're very loyal to where they overwinter,

0:16:20 > 0:16:24so we get a good idea of the actual, where they'll actually be.

0:16:24 > 0:16:27And the females come out a little bit later,

0:16:27 > 0:16:30so at the moment the males will be out basking,

0:16:30 > 0:16:33increasing their sperm, preparing for the females to come out.

0:16:33 > 0:16:36- Shall we see if we can go and find some?- Yep.

0:16:38 > 0:16:40- Hopefully we'll find something.- Yep.

0:16:42 > 0:16:45Mick has been adder-spotting here for a number of years,

0:16:45 > 0:16:47so I'm in safe hands.

0:16:49 > 0:16:53In a five-year period, I've found a total of 59.

0:16:53 > 0:16:56And you can recognise the individuals by their markings?

0:16:56 > 0:17:01Yes, each adder has a very unique pattern of markings.

0:17:01 > 0:17:05We tend to look at the markings on the head,

0:17:05 > 0:17:07and I take close-up photos,

0:17:07 > 0:17:10and build-up a sort of reference collection,

0:17:10 > 0:17:13and then I can identify them as individuals.

0:17:15 > 0:17:19We haven't seen any yet, but we're not giving up.

0:17:19 > 0:17:21If you just want to lay the refuges.

0:17:21 > 0:17:24'To encourage more adders for Mick to count in the future,

0:17:24 > 0:17:27'Mandy and I are putting down some refuges.'

0:17:28 > 0:17:32'These corrugated and felt sheets absorb warmth from the sun

0:17:32 > 0:17:36'and provide cover for reptiles from their predators.'

0:17:37 > 0:17:38- This one here?- Yes.

0:17:38 > 0:17:41Can people do this in their gardens, or do you discourage that?

0:17:41 > 0:17:45No, no, we encourage people to put these out in their gardens,

0:17:45 > 0:17:48to look under once or twice a fortnight,

0:17:48 > 0:17:51and upload that information onto the record centres.

0:17:51 > 0:17:53That gives us a better understanding

0:17:53 > 0:17:58of how reptiles are actually using people's gardens

0:17:58 > 0:18:00as urbanisation grows.

0:18:01 > 0:18:04Remember, these are poisonous snakes, so look but don't touch.

0:18:05 > 0:18:08I suppose the sad thing is that they get such a bad press,

0:18:08 > 0:18:10they're our only venomous snake,

0:18:10 > 0:18:14and people are so used to feeling safe in the countryside,

0:18:14 > 0:18:15and they're frightened of them.

0:18:15 > 0:18:17They do get bad press,

0:18:17 > 0:18:20and people have persecuted them in the past,

0:18:20 > 0:18:24but they're reptiles, they're fantastic creatures,

0:18:24 > 0:18:28they're so charismatic and they're beautiful to watch.

0:18:28 > 0:18:31So, as long as you leave them alone, they'll leave you alone,

0:18:31 > 0:18:34and, yeah, just admire and enjoy what we've actually got.

0:18:34 > 0:18:35Wonderful.

0:18:38 > 0:18:41Even with the most experienced surveyors,

0:18:41 > 0:18:43adders are very tricky to spot.

0:18:47 > 0:18:49Just as we'd given up hope,

0:18:49 > 0:18:52we find two doing a spot of sunbathing.

0:18:56 > 0:18:59Any disturbance could scare them and use up their vital energy,

0:18:59 > 0:19:02which they need to preserve for reproduction.

0:19:04 > 0:19:06So I'm going to quietly watch from afar

0:19:06 > 0:19:09to admire and enjoy as they bask in the spring sun.

0:19:21 > 0:19:23It's Mothering Sunday,

0:19:23 > 0:19:25and spring is definitely in the air.

0:19:28 > 0:19:30The days are drawing out,

0:19:30 > 0:19:31hedgerows budding...

0:19:33 > 0:19:35..and lambs appear in the fields.

0:19:35 > 0:19:37A sign of finer days to come.

0:19:39 > 0:19:42After a long winter, the golden glow

0:19:42 > 0:19:43of flowers like these daffodils

0:19:43 > 0:19:46is a sure sign that spring is on its way.

0:19:46 > 0:19:48And for one family here in the Dee Valley,

0:19:48 > 0:19:50it's when business starts to bloom.

0:19:52 > 0:19:54Sarah Hughes' family

0:19:54 > 0:19:58has been farming beef and lamb in Denbighshire for generations.

0:19:58 > 0:20:02But Sarah has recently taken the business in a fresh direction,

0:20:02 > 0:20:03from beasts to blooms,

0:20:03 > 0:20:07using Victorian know-how to preserve the beauty of flowers.

0:20:12 > 0:20:15And these jewel-like treasures are also edible.

0:20:19 > 0:20:23Sarah, some beautiful flowers there. This is work for you then, is it?

0:20:23 > 0:20:26It is, I'm just picking a few flowers to crystallise later,

0:20:26 > 0:20:28just checking how they're all looking this time of year.

0:20:28 > 0:20:31When I think of farming, I don't think of edible flowers.

0:20:31 > 0:20:33How did this come about?

0:20:33 > 0:20:36Well, I was looking for something to do that I could do based at home,

0:20:36 > 0:20:38and I looked at a few things,

0:20:38 > 0:20:41and one of the things that was becoming quite fashionable

0:20:41 > 0:20:45was edible flowers, so that was a business that I thought

0:20:45 > 0:20:46maybe I can do that myself.

0:20:46 > 0:20:49- And these are your little babies, aren't they?- Yes, they are.

0:20:49 > 0:20:52So these are primroses. These are some very early ones,

0:20:52 > 0:20:55it's a bit early in the year, but these are a few have come out.

0:20:55 > 0:20:56There's a long tradition

0:20:56 > 0:20:58of edible British flowers,

0:20:58 > 0:21:00and Sarah' done her homework.

0:21:01 > 0:21:03- Wow, can I eat this?- Yes, yes.

0:21:03 > 0:21:06So just pull the end bit off.

0:21:06 > 0:21:08- That bit there? - Yeah, the green bit at the bottom.

0:21:08 > 0:21:10It's not poisonous, but it just tastes a bit nicer.

0:21:10 > 0:21:12- And just eat it?- Yes.

0:21:12 > 0:21:15Well, you've had it first and you haven't keeled over.

0:21:15 > 0:21:16Mm!

0:21:17 > 0:21:20It's like a... It's like a fragrant lettuce, isn't it?

0:21:20 > 0:21:22Yes, it's a very delicate flavour.

0:21:22 > 0:21:26Nice in salads, I can see how that would work on a cake.

0:21:26 > 0:21:27This early in the year,

0:21:27 > 0:21:31Sarah relies heavily on potted flowers in her polytunnel.

0:21:31 > 0:21:33Wow, so this is where the magic happens.

0:21:33 > 0:21:35Yes, this is where we grow

0:21:35 > 0:21:38the majority of our primroses and violas in here.

0:21:39 > 0:21:41So, these are viola.

0:21:41 > 0:21:45Primroses are very seasonal this time of year, going up to Easter,

0:21:45 > 0:21:48but the violas will grow all the year round, they're fantastic.

0:21:48 > 0:21:52They're a really good plant for giving out flowers.

0:21:52 > 0:21:55- I can see these are your favourite babies.- They are, they are.

0:21:55 > 0:21:57They're just so perfect.

0:21:57 > 0:22:01With the colours like the lilacs and the purples and blues,

0:22:01 > 0:22:03they're really popular with our customers,

0:22:03 > 0:22:06because they all coordinate and they're nice pastel shades as well.

0:22:06 > 0:22:08So can we get picking here?

0:22:08 > 0:22:11Yes, make sure you get a nice long stem on it.

0:22:11 > 0:22:15- It's quite labour-intensive, isn't it, this?- Yes, it is.

0:22:15 > 0:22:18You have to make sure you keep those petals perfect.

0:22:18 > 0:22:21It's quite easy to snag them when you're pulling them off.

0:22:21 > 0:22:25- Then maybe pick some primroses as well.- OK.

0:22:25 > 0:22:28They're obviously very seasonal at this time of year.

0:22:28 > 0:22:31I'm proud of that, my first flower harvest. Can I carry the basket?

0:22:31 > 0:22:33Absolutely, I'll take you into the kitchen

0:22:33 > 0:22:36- and we'll crystallise them, shall we?- Great.

0:22:37 > 0:22:40Some of Sarah's fresh flowers go into lollipops,

0:22:40 > 0:22:42which sell all over the world.

0:22:44 > 0:22:48But the vast majority get preserved in their freshly picked perfection

0:22:48 > 0:22:51by crystallising them, using egg white and sugar.

0:22:51 > 0:22:54It's a technique that started in Victorian times

0:22:54 > 0:22:58when sugar first started to appear in granulated form.

0:22:58 > 0:23:01You literally just paint it

0:23:01 > 0:23:03with the egg white, like that,

0:23:03 > 0:23:05cover it all over.

0:23:05 > 0:23:07Don't worry too much about being perfect.

0:23:07 > 0:23:09Then just get your sugar,

0:23:09 > 0:23:11- dust it all over.- That looks nice.

0:23:11 > 0:23:12Front and back?

0:23:12 > 0:23:16- Yes, so can you see the whole thing's covered?- Oh, yes.

0:23:16 > 0:23:20- And then we'll just leave it there to dry.- How long do they last for?

0:23:20 > 0:23:23- They'll last for four to six months at least.- Really?!

0:23:23 > 0:23:25It depends how carefully you crystallise them.

0:23:25 > 0:23:27The Victorians liked the meaning of flowers,

0:23:27 > 0:23:31so something like primrose, the meaning was hope.

0:23:31 > 0:23:35- That's what they gave to the primrose.- This one?- Yes.

0:23:35 > 0:23:38So violets and violas, it was love and thoughtfulness.

0:23:38 > 0:23:42So if you were doing something for your mum on Mothering Sunday,

0:23:42 > 0:23:43you're giving a little message as well,

0:23:43 > 0:23:45which is quite sweet, isn't it?

0:23:46 > 0:23:48- And then you decorate the cake.- Yes.

0:23:48 > 0:23:51What's the cake that we're going to use, then?

0:23:51 > 0:23:54So, the cake is a simnel cake, and on Mothering Sunday

0:23:54 > 0:23:58girls used to go home from...often in service,

0:23:58 > 0:24:00and they'd take a simnel cake with them,

0:24:00 > 0:24:02maybe pick flowers on the way,

0:24:02 > 0:24:05and use these to decorate the cake.

0:24:06 > 0:24:09So if you could just pass it over here, please. Be careful.

0:24:09 > 0:24:12I've enjoyed the day, but this is going to be my favourite bit.

0:24:12 > 0:24:15- That looks amazing.- Thank you.

0:24:15 > 0:24:17- And I do like a cake. - I made it myself.- Oh, well done.

0:24:17 > 0:24:21So, shall we just take some of these flowers that we've done,

0:24:21 > 0:24:24and just literally pop them on, scatter them on the top.

0:24:27 > 0:24:31- Oh, it's the icing on the cake, isn't it?- Or marzipan on the cake!

0:24:32 > 0:24:34And they've gone really hard, haven't they?

0:24:34 > 0:24:37They have, it's amazing how quickly they do that,

0:24:37 > 0:24:40and it just means it gives them a bit more body.

0:24:40 > 0:24:42Yeah, crisps them out.

0:24:42 > 0:24:45- Am I going a bit over the top? - No, you can...

0:24:45 > 0:24:47Well, it's the sort of thing you'd do for your mum -

0:24:47 > 0:24:50you can do it however you like, there's no rules.

0:24:50 > 0:24:54It smells fantastic. I'm desperate to have a slice.

0:24:54 > 0:24:55Well, help yourself.

0:25:01 > 0:25:04So, simnel cake decorated to perfection

0:25:04 > 0:25:06with Sarah's crystallised flowers.

0:25:06 > 0:25:08And, of course, a cup of tea.

0:25:08 > 0:25:10The perfect way to celebrate Mothering Sunday.

0:25:10 > 0:25:12Happy Mother's Day.

0:25:14 > 0:25:18Earlier, we heard how Brexit gives us the opportunity

0:25:18 > 0:25:21to rewrite the story about how UK farming is funded.

0:25:21 > 0:25:25So, with Article 50 due to be triggered on Wednesday,

0:25:25 > 0:25:27what should we expect?

0:25:27 > 0:25:29Here's Tom with the next chapter.

0:25:36 > 0:25:39In many a good fairytale, there's a pot of gold

0:25:39 > 0:25:41at the end of the rainbow,

0:25:41 > 0:25:46and in this story that pot is worth about £3.5 billion.

0:25:46 > 0:25:49That's the amount of money that UK agriculture

0:25:49 > 0:25:51gets from the EU every year.

0:25:51 > 0:25:55But, if Brexit is the rainbow, when we get to the end of it,

0:25:55 > 0:25:58we'll find out that the pot of gold no longer exists.

0:25:59 > 0:26:03So, the question facing the bigwigs in Whitehall is,

0:26:03 > 0:26:07should we continue giving some of our hard-earned money to farmers?

0:26:14 > 0:26:18Far, far away in a land on the other side of the world,

0:26:18 > 0:26:20they stopped giving that money to farmers.

0:26:20 > 0:26:26Back in 1984, after six years of paying farmers to grow food,

0:26:26 > 0:26:29the New Zealand government suddenly abolished subsidies.

0:26:33 > 0:26:34Dairy farmer Terry Wilding

0:26:34 > 0:26:37was involved with the New Zealand Farmers' Union at the time.

0:26:39 > 0:26:42It was a decision made overnight.

0:26:42 > 0:26:45Farmers had planned their businesses to grow them,

0:26:45 > 0:26:48they'd bought in more stock, they'd developed more land,

0:26:48 > 0:26:50and all of a sudden that money was gone.

0:26:50 > 0:26:52So, it was a bit of a rude awakening,

0:26:52 > 0:26:54and farmers were pretty angry.

0:26:54 > 0:26:56They weren't just angry.

0:26:56 > 0:26:58Many farms went out of business,

0:26:58 > 0:27:02and there were even a number of farmers who took their own lives.

0:27:02 > 0:27:05But in the end, the industry adapted and survived.

0:27:06 > 0:27:11Looking back, our farmers became more...let's say market-savvy.

0:27:11 > 0:27:15They look to their markets for signals, not to the government.

0:27:15 > 0:27:17And I think we're in a stronger position

0:27:17 > 0:27:18to respond to market signals,

0:27:18 > 0:27:23and I think we're a more resilient industry due to that.

0:27:23 > 0:27:27Now, New Zealand is roughly the same size as the UK,

0:27:27 > 0:27:29but it's a very different country.

0:27:29 > 0:27:32However, their farming has gone from strength to strength

0:27:32 > 0:27:33without subsidies.

0:27:35 > 0:27:36But here's the thing.

0:27:36 > 0:27:38To get where they are now,

0:27:38 > 0:27:40some of the rules governing the care

0:27:40 > 0:27:43of animals, wildlife and landscape,

0:27:43 > 0:27:46were - how shall I put it? - relaxed.

0:27:46 > 0:27:50And that worries some people here as we approach Brexit.

0:27:52 > 0:27:55The interaction between farming and the environment

0:27:55 > 0:28:00concerns England's Wildlife Trust so much that they run commercial farms,

0:28:00 > 0:28:04like this one in the shadow of the M5 in Worcestershire,

0:28:04 > 0:28:08where they show how agriculture and nature can help each other.

0:28:08 > 0:28:11Stephen Trotter is the Trust Director.

0:28:11 > 0:28:14Here, they do everything, from rebuilding soil structure,

0:28:14 > 0:28:17to providing clean water and refuges for wildlife.

0:28:17 > 0:28:20Oh, yes, it's fantastic. There's one there, look.

0:28:20 > 0:28:23The wonderful thing about slow worms is that they love slugs,

0:28:23 > 0:28:26and consume large numbers of them.

0:28:26 > 0:28:28- I love looking at them close up. - Absolutely.

0:28:28 > 0:28:31If you spend time, you can see all the delicacy of the colours,

0:28:31 > 0:28:33the gold and copper and everything.

0:28:33 > 0:28:35A fantastic beast.

0:28:38 > 0:28:42So, when we get control of our farming policy in this country,

0:28:42 > 0:28:44how would you like to see it shaped?

0:28:44 > 0:28:46Well, it's a great opportunity, really,

0:28:46 > 0:28:49to ensure that we invest in restoring our natural environment.

0:28:49 > 0:28:53Farmers, land managers, landowners, are vital for that,

0:28:53 > 0:28:56we need to be investing in those people to do the work.

0:28:56 > 0:28:59Is it possible to mix farming and environment?

0:28:59 > 0:29:01There is no conflict.

0:29:01 > 0:29:03You've seen some of the things on the farm here -

0:29:03 > 0:29:05we have to produce food, and we have to produce

0:29:05 > 0:29:08a strong, healthy environment - the two go together.

0:29:08 > 0:29:09And, if we get our environment right,

0:29:09 > 0:29:11we improve the quality of our air,

0:29:11 > 0:29:14the quality of our water, the quality of our food,

0:29:14 > 0:29:17and give people good places to go and visit and enjoy and relax.

0:29:17 > 0:29:19Just as vital as the National Health Service,

0:29:19 > 0:29:20just as vital as social care.

0:29:20 > 0:29:22So, it's not just about the Skylark up there,

0:29:22 > 0:29:25- it's about the health of you and I. - Yes, absolutely.

0:29:29 > 0:29:33Whether that's feasible or not, as we start our Brexit journey,

0:29:33 > 0:29:37there will be many different paths to choose from.

0:29:37 > 0:29:40So, I'm meeting economics wizard Sean Rickard

0:29:40 > 0:29:43to see if he can help me solve this puzzle.

0:29:43 > 0:29:47So, what do you think a post-Brexit farm policy should look like?

0:29:47 > 0:29:51Where we have to start is recognising that, ultimately,

0:29:51 > 0:29:53agriculture is an industry.

0:29:53 > 0:29:55It produces the raw materials

0:29:55 > 0:29:58for the UK's largest manufacturing sector - food.

0:29:58 > 0:30:03I judge that, in this country here, we would best serve the population

0:30:03 > 0:30:06we would best serve the food industry,

0:30:06 > 0:30:08we would best serve our trade balance,

0:30:08 > 0:30:11by allowing agriculture to go forward

0:30:11 > 0:30:14as an intensive, competitive industry.

0:30:14 > 0:30:18We can protect their incomes via an insurance scheme

0:30:18 > 0:30:21with much less money than we spend today.

0:30:21 > 0:30:23Where does environment fit in your future?

0:30:23 > 0:30:26There are certain aspects of the environment

0:30:26 > 0:30:28which farmers aren't going to deliver

0:30:28 > 0:30:31because it doesn't contribute to their business.

0:30:31 > 0:30:34So, if you want a hay field, that's a public good,

0:30:34 > 0:30:37and a public good must be paid for out of public money.

0:30:37 > 0:30:41Very roughly, we spend about £3 billion to £3.5 billion

0:30:41 > 0:30:43on agricultural support at the moment.

0:30:43 > 0:30:47I think probably about a third of that might go to the environment.

0:30:47 > 0:30:51Right, and what should happen to the rest of that money?

0:30:51 > 0:30:53Should that go away from agriculture?

0:30:53 > 0:30:56Yes, I would say a farm business

0:30:56 > 0:30:59really has to be capable of surviving

0:30:59 > 0:31:03on the basis of producing agricultural produce.

0:31:04 > 0:31:09As in every fairytale, this one isn't just about the money.

0:31:09 > 0:31:13The story of EU regulation of both farming and the environment

0:31:13 > 0:31:15is a long and familiar saga,

0:31:15 > 0:31:20and rewriting that chapter is likely to be a mammoth task.

0:31:22 > 0:31:24So, will there be a happy ending?

0:31:24 > 0:31:26Well, I guess that depends what you wish for.

0:31:26 > 0:31:29But one of the things that's surprised me in telling this tale

0:31:29 > 0:31:34is that there's more that unites farmers and environmentalists

0:31:34 > 0:31:35than divides them.

0:31:35 > 0:31:38And one of the things that they're currently agreed upon

0:31:38 > 0:31:41is the government isn't yet making food and farming

0:31:41 > 0:31:44a priority in its Brexit plans.

0:31:52 > 0:31:57Earlier in the programme, I met Welsh hill farmer Daphne Tilley MBE,

0:31:57 > 0:32:00whose award-winning lamb has graced the world's top tables.

0:32:02 > 0:32:06Now, this farm is managed by her 25-year-old grandson, James.

0:32:06 > 0:32:08He took over after his father died.

0:32:11 > 0:32:13And, in his dad's memory,

0:32:13 > 0:32:16James has put his own slant on what he produces on the farm,

0:32:16 > 0:32:20and is passionate about his new breeding rights.

0:32:26 > 0:32:28Well, there's quite a few expectant mums

0:32:28 > 0:32:30waiting patiently in the maternity ward, in the barn,

0:32:30 > 0:32:33but there's literally hundreds on the hill that need feeding,

0:32:33 > 0:32:37so I'll get the gate for you, James, all right? See you in a sec.

0:32:51 > 0:32:53There you go!

0:32:57 > 0:32:59Come on, girls! Breakfast!

0:33:02 > 0:33:05James farms 350 acres.

0:33:05 > 0:33:08The 750-strong flock are separated into last year's lambs

0:33:08 > 0:33:12and ewes pregnant with one lamb, twins or triplets.

0:33:14 > 0:33:17It's only James' third season in the saddle.

0:33:18 > 0:33:20Sheepdog Fly lends a helping paw.

0:33:29 > 0:33:31Was this always the plan for you, then,

0:33:31 > 0:33:33to come back from university and farm,

0:33:33 > 0:33:36or did you have a different career path in mind?

0:33:36 > 0:33:38So I went to university, I did a three-year degree there,

0:33:38 > 0:33:40I did ancient history.

0:33:40 > 0:33:43And I had the intention of doing a PGCE at one point,

0:33:43 > 0:33:47and unfortunately my father fell ill November-time

0:33:47 > 0:33:50and I came home to look after the farm until he got better.

0:33:50 > 0:33:53So I was in charge of virtually everything on the farm.

0:33:53 > 0:33:54He passed away in July,

0:33:54 > 0:33:59and I sort of had the responsibility of looking after the farm itself

0:33:59 > 0:34:01and taking on the tenancy.

0:34:01 > 0:34:03Having inherited his dad's sheep,

0:34:03 > 0:34:06James is now starting to breed his own line.

0:34:06 > 0:34:09What kind of satisfaction do you get from that,

0:34:09 > 0:34:12and actually starting to create your own flock now?

0:34:12 > 0:34:13It is really nice and satisfying.

0:34:13 > 0:34:15Because you get to see them, you know, you lamb them,

0:34:15 > 0:34:18you get to see them from a small little lamb

0:34:18 > 0:34:20and eventually grow to a fully sized ewe

0:34:20 > 0:34:22and you can think, "I'm proud of that."

0:34:22 > 0:34:24Well, we'd better crack on because, them lot over there,

0:34:24 > 0:34:27that are expecting twins, they're looking at you...

0:34:27 > 0:34:29- Yeah.- ..longingly!

0:34:30 > 0:34:32James' farm extends onto the rugged hilltops.

0:34:34 > 0:34:36Challenging terrain for four wheels,

0:34:36 > 0:34:37let alone four legs.

0:34:39 > 0:34:42The ewes up here, the breed, they just seem to survive.

0:34:42 > 0:34:45You've got to give them credit where credit is due.

0:34:45 > 0:34:47They're at the height of the farm at the moment,

0:34:47 > 0:34:491,200 feet above sea-level here,

0:34:49 > 0:34:51and they're able to survive the conditions.

0:34:51 > 0:34:53At the moment on here I've got my ewe lambs

0:34:53 > 0:34:56- just grazing the mountainside.- Yep.

0:34:56 > 0:34:58And they get a bit of haylage and a bit of feed every now and then.

0:34:58 > 0:35:01So hopefully they will be lambing this time next year, then?

0:35:01 > 0:35:02These will be my replacements.

0:35:02 > 0:35:06- So this time next year, they will be lambing.- Yeah.

0:35:06 > 0:35:07What a spot, though.

0:35:07 > 0:35:10I mean, just standing here and looking off to every single view,

0:35:10 > 0:35:13you just look all the way around.

0:35:13 > 0:35:15That direction there is quite something, isn't it?

0:35:15 > 0:35:17Sometimes it makes farming worth it.

0:35:17 > 0:35:20Because we do get harsh conditions and it's a tough environment,

0:35:20 > 0:35:23but when you get lovely views on a clear day, there's nothing better,

0:35:23 > 0:35:25there's nowhere else to be.

0:35:25 > 0:35:28And since you've started this venture and this whole life

0:35:28 > 0:35:31and this way of life for you, you must have learned so much.

0:35:31 > 0:35:34I mean, you never stop learning, do you, anyway, with farming.

0:35:34 > 0:35:35I don't think any farmer stops learning.

0:35:35 > 0:35:37You're always reading something new

0:35:37 > 0:35:39and always trying to keep up-to-date with what's going on,

0:35:39 > 0:35:41so I'm always learning.

0:35:41 > 0:35:43And if you're not learning then something's not going right,

0:35:43 > 0:35:45but I always try and learn.

0:35:53 > 0:35:55Right, then, Fly, you are going to love this, my dear,

0:35:55 > 0:35:57because Adam has been up in the hills

0:35:57 > 0:36:01searching for the next generation of sheepdog handlers.

0:36:09 > 0:36:12These are the high fells of Northern Lakeland, Cumbria.

0:36:14 > 0:36:16A beautiful but unforgiving landscape.

0:36:18 > 0:36:20Hard country for farming.

0:36:23 > 0:36:27Upland terrain like this covers roughly a third of the UK land area,

0:36:27 > 0:36:30and with its altitude, harsh weather conditions

0:36:30 > 0:36:33and ground that's pretty unsuitable for growing crops,

0:36:33 > 0:36:36there's very few agricultural systems that work up here.

0:36:36 > 0:36:38That is, apart from sheep.

0:36:38 > 0:36:40So if you want to farm in this environment,

0:36:40 > 0:36:44the one tool you really need to know how to handle is a sheepdog.

0:36:44 > 0:36:45Here, Peg.

0:36:50 > 0:36:54Here at Newton Rigg College, just a few miles from Penrith,

0:36:54 > 0:36:57they can teach you all you need to know.

0:36:57 > 0:37:0015 young people from across the North of England

0:37:00 > 0:37:03flock to enrol on this ground-breaking programme.

0:37:03 > 0:37:06WHISTLE

0:37:06 > 0:37:08The college is the first in the country

0:37:08 > 0:37:11to provide a course dedicated to sheepdog handling.

0:37:11 > 0:37:14Choose what your whistles are - there's a "left" and a "right"

0:37:14 > 0:37:17and a "stop" and a "walk on".

0:37:17 > 0:37:19- HE WHISTLES - That's the right,

0:37:19 > 0:37:23so they're really completely different from each other.

0:37:23 > 0:37:28The course is run by top dog trialer and sheep farmer Derek Scrimgeour.

0:37:30 > 0:37:33Away, away.

0:37:33 > 0:37:36- Hi, Derek. Good to see you. - Hello, Adam.

0:37:36 > 0:37:40- So what are you working on here with the student?- Well, this is Naomi.

0:37:40 > 0:37:42And her job is to stay with the sheep

0:37:42 > 0:37:43and protect the sheep from the dog

0:37:43 > 0:37:46if it decides it wants to try anything difficult.

0:37:46 > 0:37:50And she's very calm. The dogs, they buy into what you're like.

0:37:50 > 0:37:53If you're excited and loud and rushing about,

0:37:53 > 0:37:56before you know it your dogs are the same. But she's nice and calm.

0:37:56 > 0:37:59But she wasn't at the start. It's something... It's a technique you can learn.

0:37:59 > 0:38:03You know, I'm not calm at all. I've learned to act calm.

0:38:03 > 0:38:06I'm still not calm, but I can act calm on a good day.

0:38:06 > 0:38:07When I was younger,

0:38:07 > 0:38:09there was no real opportunities to learn anything,

0:38:09 > 0:38:12so I had to learn by my mistakes.

0:38:12 > 0:38:14But I'm a bit older now and I have learned a few things,

0:38:14 > 0:38:16and it's nice to be able to pass them on.

0:38:16 > 0:38:18Little things that make it so much easier.

0:38:18 > 0:38:21You know, things that I wish I'd known 30 years ago.

0:38:21 > 0:38:22Come by, come by.

0:38:24 > 0:38:26This initiative is amazing

0:38:26 > 0:38:29because they're going to get a skill that they'll have for life -

0:38:29 > 0:38:31and it won't leave them, they'll have it for life.

0:38:31 > 0:38:33It's quite unusual, isn't it,

0:38:33 > 0:38:37using an animal to work another animal. Quite a skill.

0:38:37 > 0:38:39They start off wanting to kill sheep, most of them,

0:38:39 > 0:38:40that's in their mind.

0:38:40 > 0:38:43And even if they don't do it, they want to do it.

0:38:43 > 0:38:46So you just channel that instinct so that they work the sheep for you.

0:38:46 > 0:38:49And they're herding the sheep to bring them back to you,

0:38:49 > 0:38:52- expecting you to kill them. - ADAM LAUGHS

0:38:52 > 0:38:54So that's the base of it, I think, yes.

0:38:58 > 0:39:00Lie down.

0:39:00 > 0:39:02See when you're saying "lie down", you're shouting at her.

0:39:02 > 0:39:04Lie down. Over here. Lie down.

0:39:07 > 0:39:09Matt here is from a farming background.

0:39:11 > 0:39:14But the students come from all walks of life,

0:39:14 > 0:39:16united by their love of the countryside.

0:39:19 > 0:39:23Hi, guys, you looked like you knew what you were doing in there.

0:39:23 > 0:39:26Yeah, it was all right. I work dogs at home on the farm,

0:39:26 > 0:39:28so I kind of know what I'm doing a little bit,

0:39:28 > 0:39:29but he knows more than me.

0:39:29 > 0:39:31So what's the most important thing, do you think,

0:39:31 > 0:39:32Derek has taught you?

0:39:32 > 0:39:34Probably patience.

0:39:34 > 0:39:36Yeah, just to be calm, and if you're getting mad with your dog,

0:39:36 > 0:39:39then just take a bit of time out and have a break,

0:39:39 > 0:39:41because usually it's your fault, not the dog's.

0:39:41 > 0:39:45I want a shepherding job somewhere, on a hill farm, hopefully.

0:39:45 > 0:39:49- You want to stick with the hills? - Yeah, definitely, yeah.

0:39:49 > 0:39:51I'd like to do shepherding for a bit first.

0:39:51 > 0:39:54I enjoy being outside and I enjoy being with the animals.

0:39:54 > 0:39:56And when you've got a good dog at your side,

0:39:56 > 0:39:58you'll be totally employable.

0:39:58 > 0:39:59Well, we'll see about that!

0:40:01 > 0:40:03For 20 weeks, the students and their dogs

0:40:03 > 0:40:05will be working this rugged landscape.

0:40:05 > 0:40:08Along with the International Sheep Dog Society,

0:40:08 > 0:40:11Matt Bagley from the college has been instrumental

0:40:11 > 0:40:13in getting this course off the ground.

0:40:13 > 0:40:16Why do you think the course is so important?

0:40:16 > 0:40:18It's fundamentally important

0:40:18 > 0:40:21that that bond between the handler and the dog is so special

0:40:21 > 0:40:24that if we don't harness it in a young person,

0:40:24 > 0:40:25we may lose these skills.

0:40:25 > 0:40:26You can see this terrain,

0:40:26 > 0:40:28a quad bike's little or no use to you up here.

0:40:28 > 0:40:32You need a dog that can get the job done efficiently and quickly.

0:40:32 > 0:40:34You get a manual when you buy a new tractor,

0:40:34 > 0:40:37but you don't get a handbook when you buy a dog.

0:40:37 > 0:40:39All dogs are completely different, as are the handlers,

0:40:39 > 0:40:41so you need to look at those skills.

0:40:41 > 0:40:44Well, it's great you're doing such a wonderful job,

0:40:44 > 0:40:47and fantastic to be able to see them learning how to train sheepdogs.

0:40:47 > 0:40:50Such an essential tool up on these fells.

0:40:50 > 0:40:54It is, and we're very, very proud of the progress they're making.

0:40:54 > 0:40:57Well, it's great to see the college doing such a good job.

0:40:57 > 0:40:59- Shall we go back down and see the students?- Yeah, we can.

0:40:59 > 0:41:00Come on, Peg.

0:41:10 > 0:41:14One student who's already made the grade is 16-year-old Tom Blease.

0:41:15 > 0:41:19You may remember him from last year's One Man And His Dog,

0:41:19 > 0:41:21where Tom was part of the winning team.

0:41:21 > 0:41:23And he's away nicely.

0:41:23 > 0:41:25Nice, steady lift there.

0:41:25 > 0:41:28- Here we go.- Lay down.

0:41:28 > 0:41:29Come by, get, lay down.

0:41:31 > 0:41:35An impressive achievement, as Tom's not from a farming background.

0:41:35 > 0:41:36Soon after the competition,

0:41:36 > 0:41:40he started an apprenticeship through Newton Rigg College.

0:41:40 > 0:41:43His work placement is at Glencoyne Farm in Ullswater,

0:41:43 > 0:41:45and I'm keen to see how he's getting on.

0:41:45 > 0:41:47What's your dream? What's your goal in life?

0:41:47 > 0:41:50I suppose to get a tenancy would be fantastic, to be my own boss.

0:41:50 > 0:41:53To work on a farm that I'm running.

0:41:53 > 0:41:56One of the best things, really, about being on a hill farm,

0:41:56 > 0:41:58for me, it's gathering and working your dogs.

0:41:58 > 0:42:01And you're going to carry on trialing, will you?

0:42:01 > 0:42:02Yeah, yeah, no, I am.

0:42:02 > 0:42:06We've got the world champion sheepdog trials this summer.

0:42:06 > 0:42:08And how do you fancy your chances?

0:42:08 > 0:42:11I don't know. I'll have a good go, but I'm not sure.

0:42:11 > 0:42:15So you're on a apprenticeship scheme here and going to college,

0:42:15 > 0:42:17do the two work well together?

0:42:17 > 0:42:20It's fantastic for me, you know, because I can earn money,

0:42:20 > 0:42:22you know, to help pay for my own sheep

0:42:22 > 0:42:25and, you know, when I start driving and that,

0:42:25 > 0:42:27but also do something that I enjoy.

0:42:27 > 0:42:28What could be better?

0:42:37 > 0:42:40I've been exploring Denbighshire's wild side,

0:42:40 > 0:42:43seeing it spring back to life after its winter slumber.

0:42:46 > 0:42:49I've come down from the moorlands to explore the woodlands,

0:42:49 > 0:42:52and this place is certainly full of life.

0:42:57 > 0:42:58But here at Llandegla Forest,

0:42:58 > 0:43:00they're doing things a bit differently.

0:43:02 > 0:43:03WHISTLING

0:43:03 > 0:43:06Just as many farmers have come up with new ideas

0:43:06 > 0:43:07in order to survive,

0:43:07 > 0:43:10commercial forests like this one have also had to diversify.

0:43:13 > 0:43:16The goal here was to make the forest a fun place

0:43:16 > 0:43:18for runners and walkers,

0:43:18 > 0:43:21challenging trails for mountain bikers,

0:43:21 > 0:43:23and I'm told some of them are pretty epic.

0:43:23 > 0:43:27Also a place that encourages and protects wildlife,

0:43:27 > 0:43:29all the while continuing to grow

0:43:29 > 0:43:31the forest's main source of income - timber.

0:43:37 > 0:43:39Simon Miller manages the forest

0:43:39 > 0:43:42and is passionate about making this a recreational space

0:43:42 > 0:43:45we can share with our wild neighbours.

0:43:45 > 0:43:49The forestry industry realised a long time ago that it had,

0:43:49 > 0:43:52as well as producing softwood timber for industry,

0:43:52 > 0:43:56it had a responsibility to look after, take care of the environment.

0:43:56 > 0:43:57And as a consequence,

0:43:57 > 0:44:01forestry practices developed over recent decades

0:44:01 > 0:44:03so that now our forests are more resilient

0:44:03 > 0:44:05and include more biodiversity.

0:44:05 > 0:44:09So that's why you've got the different ages of the trees here?

0:44:09 > 0:44:12Yeah, in sensitive parts of the forest,

0:44:12 > 0:44:16rather than clear-felling, we thin the crop regularly

0:44:16 > 0:44:18and we make small group fellings

0:44:18 > 0:44:22and we replant them with a mixture of conifers and some broad leaves.

0:44:22 > 0:44:24In fact, if you were to look at Llandegla from above,

0:44:24 > 0:44:26it would look more like a patchwork quilt.

0:44:26 > 0:44:28Which is great for birdlife and wildlife.

0:44:28 > 0:44:31Yeah, and since we've been measuring, particularly, the birds,

0:44:31 > 0:44:34the numbers have gone up significantly,

0:44:34 > 0:44:37and now we have species like nightjar and crossbills.

0:44:37 > 0:44:41That's great, that's impressive having those.

0:44:41 > 0:44:45But there's one forest-dweller here that I really want to see -

0:44:45 > 0:44:46the black grouse.

0:44:47 > 0:44:50It's at this time of year that places like this

0:44:50 > 0:44:52become nature's nightclubs.

0:44:52 > 0:44:54It's mating season for the black grouse,

0:44:54 > 0:44:56but you have to get up incredibly early

0:44:56 > 0:44:59if you want to see this spectacle of forest-flirting,

0:44:59 > 0:45:01as I know only too well.

0:45:03 > 0:45:04A couple of years ago,

0:45:04 > 0:45:08I tried to see this mating ritual known as lekking.

0:45:08 > 0:45:10I DID see the black grouse,

0:45:10 > 0:45:13but they were way off in the distance...and not lekking.

0:45:17 > 0:45:18Well, it's six in the morning

0:45:18 > 0:45:21and this is a routine I know all too well.

0:45:21 > 0:45:26Up at the crack of sparrows in hopes of seeing the black grouse lekking.

0:45:26 > 0:45:27Fingers crossed.

0:45:34 > 0:45:36I know what I'm looking for,

0:45:36 > 0:45:38but will they come close enough to see this time?

0:45:40 > 0:45:44Martin Clift assures me there's a good chance of getting lucky today.

0:45:44 > 0:45:45- Good morning, Martin.- Morning.

0:45:45 > 0:45:47Early start, is it worth it yet?

0:45:47 > 0:45:50- They're out there, certainly, I can hear them.- OK.

0:45:50 > 0:45:51I can't quite pick them out yet.

0:45:51 > 0:45:54OK, well, it's still a bit dingy light...

0:45:54 > 0:45:56'He's an RSPB conservation officer

0:45:56 > 0:45:57'and monitors the black grouse population.'

0:45:57 > 0:46:01What is it that they like here?

0:46:01 > 0:46:03Black grouse like a mixture of habitats,

0:46:03 > 0:46:07so they like the taller heather moorland vegetation for nesting in,

0:46:07 > 0:46:10they like the much shorter, wetter areas for foraging in,

0:46:10 > 0:46:14and they like the sensitively managed edge of the forest here.

0:46:14 > 0:46:18'But there's not much flirting going on at the moment.'

0:46:18 > 0:46:20So can we see any now?

0:46:20 > 0:46:24There's a few, there's a few. Quite far away.

0:46:26 > 0:46:29This looks like a really calm night at the pub, doesn't it?

0:46:29 > 0:46:32- When do the fights begin?- Yeah.

0:46:32 > 0:46:34And what about numbers?

0:46:34 > 0:46:38- How are they doing? - There's about 260 in last year.

0:46:38 > 0:46:40We'll be counting them again in April,

0:46:40 > 0:46:42so we expect similar numbers.

0:46:42 > 0:46:44Martin is being modest.

0:46:44 > 0:46:4770% of the Welsh black grouse population

0:46:47 > 0:46:49actually lives in and around the forest.

0:46:51 > 0:46:55- That one's standing quite proudly in the middle of the group there.- Yeah.

0:46:55 > 0:46:58The dominant ones are generally in the middle.

0:46:58 > 0:47:00The ones all around the edge, as they get further to the centre,

0:47:00 > 0:47:02they'll have the most chance with the females.

0:47:02 > 0:47:05And the females could be there, but we're not going to see them

0:47:05 > 0:47:08because she's usually at the edges, she's pretty brown in colour anyway.

0:47:08 > 0:47:11We might not be able to see her but the male will know she's there.

0:47:11 > 0:47:14- That's what the display's all about. - Yes, yes, getting her attention.

0:47:19 > 0:47:22Yes, this is some lekking now. This is good.

0:47:22 > 0:47:25This is more than I've ever seen before, so this is wonderful!

0:47:25 > 0:47:26Oh, brilliant.

0:47:30 > 0:47:32There we go, a little charge.

0:47:32 > 0:47:34Charge in the direction of another one.

0:47:34 > 0:47:36Now the party's really started.

0:47:39 > 0:47:42People are going to say how do you conserve the black grouse

0:47:42 > 0:47:46while, at the same time, people are shooting red grouse?

0:47:46 > 0:47:47They can work together really well.

0:47:47 > 0:47:51The gamekeeper here is working to establish this moor

0:47:51 > 0:47:52as a red grouse moor,

0:47:52 > 0:47:55and there's a voluntary code which the landowners abide by here

0:47:55 > 0:47:57not to shoot black grouse.

0:48:03 > 0:48:05Yeah, it was worth getting up early.

0:48:05 > 0:48:07Thank you so much, Martin.

0:48:07 > 0:48:11I'll leave you to enjoy the last of the lek. What a treat.

0:48:11 > 0:48:13Last time, the weather was atrocious,

0:48:13 > 0:48:16but today the conditions have been perfect.

0:48:16 > 0:48:18I'm so glad I got a second chance.

0:48:38 > 0:48:42I've been spending the day with hill-farming royalty Daphne Tilley,

0:48:42 > 0:48:46who was awarded an MBE for her services to agriculture

0:48:46 > 0:48:49and introducing Welsh lamb to London's top eateries.

0:48:49 > 0:48:53For barbecue kings George Wood and Martin Anderson,

0:48:53 > 0:48:57Daphne's lamb is a staple in their Soho restaurant.

0:48:57 > 0:48:59Lads, how are we doing?

0:48:59 > 0:49:02- Hi.- What a sight this is.

0:49:02 > 0:49:03How are things?

0:49:03 > 0:49:05'They've made the long trip from the Big Smoke

0:49:05 > 0:49:07'to see where their meat comes from

0:49:07 > 0:49:12'and reward Daphne with a Mother's Day meal to remember.'

0:49:12 > 0:49:14What theatre you're cooking in here, then.

0:49:14 > 0:49:15So how does it all work?

0:49:15 > 0:49:20We've got one of Daphne's lambs here, a whole one on an asado cross,

0:49:20 > 0:49:22so that's kind of a South American way of cooking things.

0:49:22 > 0:49:26- Right.- It takes about six hours to cook.- Does it really?

0:49:26 > 0:49:29- So, slow and low, then? - Yeah, slow, low.

0:49:30 > 0:49:33The veg, too, is barbecued for that smoky flavour.

0:49:33 > 0:49:36And don't worry, the skin's peeled off later.

0:49:36 > 0:49:38I'm going to take the tomatoes,

0:49:38 > 0:49:41- and we're just going to put them right down like that.- OK.

0:49:41 > 0:49:45The veg gets the Argentinian barbie treatment, too, for a smoky flavour.

0:49:45 > 0:49:48But it's also coming from the sugars in the tomatoes.

0:49:48 > 0:49:50SIZZLING

0:49:50 > 0:49:52Oh, lovely, listen to that sizzle.

0:49:52 > 0:49:53And what a kitchen.

0:49:53 > 0:49:57I mean, when you look at this, it's just food as far as the eye can see.

0:49:57 > 0:49:59You don't need anything else, you know?

0:49:59 > 0:50:02- You can cook just about anything out here on something like this.- Yeah.

0:50:02 > 0:50:04And, I mean, setting it up here in the farmyard,

0:50:04 > 0:50:06it's idyllic, this, isn't it?

0:50:06 > 0:50:09Yeah, it's probably the nicest setting I've ever cooked in,

0:50:09 > 0:50:10- I'd have to say.- Yeah?- Yeah.

0:50:10 > 0:50:13And, for you, I guess, as a chef, when you go home tonight,

0:50:13 > 0:50:14you'll leave the farm gate

0:50:14 > 0:50:16but actually you'll just take this with you,

0:50:16 > 0:50:19and this somehow will just go into the meals that you create back in London.

0:50:19 > 0:50:20Oh, of course, of course.

0:50:20 > 0:50:22It's the whole reason why, you know,

0:50:22 > 0:50:24it's so good as a chef to come out to these places.

0:50:27 > 0:50:32A few of the locals have followed their noses up to our field kitchen.

0:50:32 > 0:50:37Daphne, who are your friends, who are your friends? Come on.

0:50:37 > 0:50:41Well, they're all part of the team, all part of the Welsh lamb team.

0:50:41 > 0:50:46Hi, all. Take a seat, I guess. I think that's the order.

0:50:47 > 0:50:51- It looks amazing. It smells, doesn't it?- It's fantastic, isn't it?- Yeah.

0:50:53 > 0:50:55This is a perfect example

0:50:55 > 0:50:59of that relationship between producers and chefs.

0:50:59 > 0:51:00So here you've got farmers

0:51:00 > 0:51:03talking to the high-end chefs from the middle of London

0:51:03 > 0:51:05about what they're doing with the lamb

0:51:05 > 0:51:07that they're actually producing.

0:51:09 > 0:51:12It all looks cooked to perfection. Good job -

0:51:12 > 0:51:14there's a lot of hungry farmers to feed.

0:51:17 > 0:51:19Daphne should be the first one in, so here we go. Are we ready?

0:51:19 > 0:51:21Hang on, let's do this.

0:51:21 > 0:51:23We need a little bit of this on the top - there we are.

0:51:23 > 0:51:26And here we are - first up, ladies and gentlemen, Daphne!

0:51:26 > 0:51:28DAPHNE LAUGHS

0:51:31 > 0:51:34What do you make of it? You've just tried it.

0:51:34 > 0:51:35It's fantastic, very moist.

0:51:35 > 0:51:39Just melts in the mouth, doesn't it? It's amazing, isn't it?

0:51:41 > 0:51:44Right, now everyone else has got some, I'm going in.

0:51:49 > 0:51:52Oh, my word. Oh, that is absolutely...

0:51:52 > 0:51:55- It's really good, huh?- ..terrific.

0:51:55 > 0:51:59Oh, my word. That is just a burst of flavour.

0:51:59 > 0:52:03Wow, that's like fireworks in your mouth. Isn't it?

0:52:07 > 0:52:10Does it live up to your expectation, is the question?

0:52:10 > 0:52:14- Actually the flavour is better, it's beyond.- Yeah. Really, does it?

0:52:14 > 0:52:18Yeah, it really has improved the flavour, cooking it this way.

0:52:18 > 0:52:20It's absolutely beautiful. Honestly, Martin, George,

0:52:20 > 0:52:22let's have a round of applause for the boys, because...

0:52:22 > 0:52:25- Fantastic! For the chefs! - ..they've come up trumps there.

0:52:25 > 0:52:27Absolutely beautiful.

0:52:28 > 0:52:31Well, I would save some of this for Ellie, but I know that she's got

0:52:31 > 0:52:35her own Mothering Sunday treats to get back for.

0:52:35 > 0:52:38I have indeed, not to mention some much-needed sleep

0:52:38 > 0:52:40that I need to catch up on.

0:52:40 > 0:52:41But I will see you next week

0:52:41 > 0:52:44in a special extended edition of the programme,

0:52:44 > 0:52:47when we'll be exploring more of the country's finest forest.

0:52:47 > 0:52:48But, from all of us here,

0:52:48 > 0:52:51and to all the mums that are watching, iechyd da.

0:52:51 > 0:52:52Iechyd da!