0:00:28 > 0:00:30Essex, on the doorstep of London,
0:00:30 > 0:00:33but away from the madding crowd, it's home to wild
0:00:33 > 0:00:37and wonderful countryside and an impressive coastline.
0:00:38 > 0:00:41A century ago, this stretch of sand was known as
0:00:41 > 0:00:43the most perilous byway in England.
0:00:43 > 0:00:45To this day, it still has a fearsome reputation
0:00:45 > 0:00:47because of its racing tides.
0:00:47 > 0:00:49But you know me, I love a challenge, so I'm going to give it a go.
0:00:51 > 0:00:54Further inland, I'm on safer ground.
0:00:54 > 0:00:56Here, the locals are trying to put Essex on the map,
0:00:56 > 0:00:58but for a different reason.
0:00:58 > 0:01:01These children are part of a project to encourage people to grow,
0:01:01 > 0:01:04source and use local food, and in fact,
0:01:04 > 0:01:07they're so good at it that they've been winning awards.
0:01:07 > 0:01:10I'll be finding out what these young kitchen gardeners can rustle up
0:01:10 > 0:01:12from their own produce.
0:01:13 > 0:01:16Tom's investigating a new agreement that could help us all.
0:01:16 > 0:01:19After years round the negotiating table,
0:01:19 > 0:01:22the new European deal for farming is done.
0:01:22 > 0:01:26It'll affect the food we eat and the landscape we enjoy.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29But for better or worse, I'll be investigating.
0:01:29 > 0:01:31And Adam's suited and booted
0:01:31 > 0:01:35to judge rare breeds from all over the country.
0:01:35 > 0:01:36The Royal Norfolk Show
0:01:36 > 0:01:38is one of the biggest events in the rural calendar,
0:01:38 > 0:01:41and this year, they're helping the Rare Breeds Survival Trust
0:01:41 > 0:01:44celebrate their 40th anniversary by bringing together
0:01:44 > 0:01:4640 different rare breeds all under one roof,
0:01:46 > 0:01:51so that visitors can get up close and personal to breeds like these.
0:02:05 > 0:02:09Essex is a sprawling rural county, a farmland giving way to
0:02:09 > 0:02:13coastal marshes, river estuaries and tiny islands.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17The western corner kisses the edge of London,
0:02:17 > 0:02:20but the east rubs shoulders with the North Sea.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23Here the land gets flatter and lower,
0:02:23 > 0:02:25and that's made it vulnerable to the tides.
0:02:27 > 0:02:32In 1953, 307 people died when the east of England was
0:02:32 > 0:02:38devastated by Britain's worst ever floods. 120 of those were in Essex.
0:02:40 > 0:02:4460 years on, and reminders are all around.
0:02:44 > 0:02:47Huge flood defences separate productive farmland
0:02:47 > 0:02:48from salty mudflats.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55Peter Caton is Essex born and bred.
0:02:55 > 0:02:59He's walked almost every mile of the coastline - almost.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02He knows the area's true character.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06People think of Essex as being Southend and Clacton
0:03:06 > 0:03:10and Walton-on-the-Naze. But that's only a very small part of Essex.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13It's the longest coastline of any county, about 350 miles,
0:03:13 > 0:03:17and it's a very beautiful place and people don't realise.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20And you've covered almost every inch. Of this territory.
0:03:20 > 0:03:24- But there is a walk that you haven't done.- Indeed.
0:03:24 > 0:03:26I walked along here five or six years ago
0:03:26 > 0:03:30and I looked out across the mud and I walked about 200 yards along
0:03:30 > 0:03:34and decided that it's a walk that just can't be done safely
0:03:34 > 0:03:38without a guide knowing the tide, knowing the weather and where
0:03:38 > 0:03:41- the quicksands are.- And today, Peter, we're going to get to do it.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44- You've won the lottery! - Thank you very much.- Let's go!
0:03:45 > 0:03:47Extreme rambling?
0:03:47 > 0:03:50Well, the route we're taking is said to be the most dangerous
0:03:50 > 0:03:52public footpath in England.
0:03:54 > 0:03:55For centuries, small creeks
0:03:55 > 0:03:59and mudflats separated coastal Foulness Island from the mainland.
0:03:59 > 0:04:04Locals could only cross safely at low tide and with no landmarks,
0:04:04 > 0:04:07the route was marked by besom brooms buried in the sand.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10Hence, it was called the Broomway.
0:04:11 > 0:04:13And if all that wasn't dangerous enough,
0:04:13 > 0:04:15it's now part of a military firing range.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18Hi there, Brian. Hello.
0:04:18 > 0:04:22I've got another victim for you - I mean, a walker! How are you?
0:04:22 > 0:04:25'Experienced walking guide Brian Dawson doesn't use brooms.
0:04:25 > 0:04:27'He's learnt the safe route...
0:04:29 > 0:04:33'..which we can only take when they're not firing live shells.'
0:04:33 > 0:04:36Explain the dangers of the Broomway to me, then, Brian.
0:04:36 > 0:04:38Well, soft sand, especially
0:04:38 > 0:04:42when the Ministry have been letting ammunition off out here,
0:04:42 > 0:04:46displaces the sands and makes pockets of soft mud.
0:04:46 > 0:04:47So it becomes like a quicksand.
0:04:47 > 0:04:51Yeah. We can look out here now, and it looks flat.
0:04:51 > 0:04:55You can see over to Kent and you can see way up there to Margate.
0:04:55 > 0:04:57It looks flat.
0:04:57 > 0:04:59But it's not flat, and that's what makes it dangerous,
0:04:59 > 0:05:01the fact that if you're out there,
0:05:01 > 0:05:04you think, "The sea's over there, no problem."
0:05:04 > 0:05:06But of course, it creeps in behind you.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09So you can very easily become disorientated.
0:05:09 > 0:05:11- Oh, yes.- Think you're heading in one direction,
0:05:11 > 0:05:13and before you know it, the tide's my caught up with you.
0:05:13 > 0:05:17It'll come in faster than we can walk or even run.
0:05:19 > 0:05:24In days gone by, unwary travellers have perished on the Broomway,
0:05:24 > 0:05:27earning it the nickname, the doom way.
0:05:27 > 0:05:29Let's hope it won't be living up to that today.
0:05:31 > 0:05:35It certainly is beautiful out here, and it looks innocuous enough,
0:05:35 > 0:05:41but if you do look out in that direction, there are no landmarks.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44You could lose your bearings so very easily,
0:05:44 > 0:05:48and once the tide starts coming in, you're in serious trouble.
0:05:50 > 0:05:52Better keep up with him. Peter?
0:05:52 > 0:05:55Do you feel that sense of excitement?
0:05:55 > 0:05:58Certainly, yes. It's a big openness.
0:05:58 > 0:06:04There's very few places that are anywhere like it, really,
0:06:04 > 0:06:05that you can get to safely,
0:06:05 > 0:06:08provided you've got someone who knows the way to go.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11As long as you've got a Brian with you!
0:06:11 > 0:06:14The full Broomway walk takes two hours,
0:06:14 > 0:06:15but I need to get there quicker.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18APPROACHING HUM
0:06:18 > 0:06:21Well, guys, I hate to leave you in the lurch, as it were, but you're
0:06:21 > 0:06:25in very safe hands with Brian and Peter. Enjoy the rest of the walk.
0:06:25 > 0:06:26I've got a lift! Bye!
0:06:27 > 0:06:30The volunteers of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution charity
0:06:30 > 0:06:35have the answer to all this sand. They just rise above it.
0:06:36 > 0:06:40Afternoon! Permission to come aboard. Thank you!
0:06:40 > 0:06:42Not quite what you expect to see,
0:06:42 > 0:06:44a hovercraft come hurtling towards you.
0:06:44 > 0:06:46All joking aside, I'm not the first or last person
0:06:46 > 0:06:49- that you're going to save out here, am I?- No.
0:06:49 > 0:06:51We've got a vast amount of mud, about 2.5 miles wide
0:06:51 > 0:06:54- and about 15 miles long, so it's a vast area.- What are some
0:06:54 > 0:06:58of the more unusual cases that you've had to lend a hand with?
0:06:58 > 0:07:01A few years ago, we had a bird-watcher who walked off
0:07:01 > 0:07:03Broomway and got stuck in the mud
0:07:03 > 0:07:06and every time he moved, he went a bit lower,
0:07:06 > 0:07:09so he just sat there, but luckily he had a mobile phone and we managed
0:07:09 > 0:07:12to get hold of him and get him out before the tide got hold of him.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15That must be absolutely terrifying, that horrible feeling of,
0:07:15 > 0:07:17I'm sinking.
0:07:17 > 0:07:20We also do a lot of work with kitesurfers,
0:07:20 > 0:07:25windsurfers who have accidents, break legs, which this is a perfect
0:07:25 > 0:07:29tool for going and picking them up and transporting them back to shore.
0:07:29 > 0:07:32Transport them to shore, those are the words I was waiting to hear.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35- Transport them back to shore. Can I have a lift?- Yes, certainly.
0:07:35 > 0:07:37Excellent. Good stuff. Let's go.
0:07:47 > 0:07:48I'm heading to Foulness Island,
0:07:48 > 0:07:52to an unusual farm in the middle of a firing range.
0:07:52 > 0:07:53More about that later.
0:07:53 > 0:07:57But first, Tom's looking at an issue affecting all farmers -
0:07:57 > 0:08:00European subsidies, and how a new deal will affect you.
0:08:08 > 0:08:12The Common Agricultural Policy, or CAP,
0:08:12 > 0:08:15is something we should all care about.
0:08:17 > 0:08:19It affects the price of our food,
0:08:19 > 0:08:23the landscape we all live in and it's paid for out of your pocket.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31And if you're a farmer, it can be the difference
0:08:31 > 0:08:35between a profitable business or a struggle to survive.
0:08:38 > 0:08:42Since CAP was set up, more than half a century ago
0:08:42 > 0:08:45to boost food production, subsidies have been at its heart.
0:08:47 > 0:08:49But in recent years, CAP payments have changed.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52Alongside subsidies for production,
0:08:52 > 0:08:55farmers now get ready for so-called greening measures,
0:08:55 > 0:08:58designed to sustain and conserve our natural environment.
0:09:02 > 0:09:04Under the current agreement, British farming
0:09:04 > 0:09:10gets around £3.4 billion every year, and if you divide that by
0:09:10 > 0:09:16the population of the country, that's £57 for every man, woman and child.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21Now, after a process which has taken years,
0:09:21 > 0:09:25government ministers from across Europe have agreed a brand-new
0:09:25 > 0:09:29deal for CAP, which should keep us going until 2020.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32But is it better or worse than the last one?
0:09:32 > 0:09:34Well, that depends on who you talk to.
0:09:35 > 0:09:37'Luke Ablett runs a small farm in Cambridgeshire.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40'He's one of the new breed of younger farmers trying to get
0:09:40 > 0:09:42'a foothold in the business.'
0:09:42 > 0:09:44How long have you had this farm yourself?
0:09:44 > 0:09:48I've had this farm for a year and a half now, coming up to two years.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51- I got it when I was 22.- Wow! - I was pretty young.
0:09:51 > 0:09:55It certainly is, to have your own farm, you're a rarity in that case.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58I am. I'm the only one in Cambridgeshire, I think, that young.
0:09:58 > 0:10:00So you got your farm very young.
0:10:00 > 0:10:04How does it feel to have a farm when you're just 22, or now 24?
0:10:04 > 0:10:07It's a good feeling. It's a good feeling, but it's a lot of pressure.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09A lot of pressure. I've got grey hairs coming through,
0:10:09 > 0:10:12and I'm only 24 at the moment!
0:10:14 > 0:10:15You may be young, Luke,
0:10:15 > 0:10:18but some of your machinery's got a bit of history to it!
0:10:18 > 0:10:22Luke currently gets around £15,000 a year in subsidies,
0:10:22 > 0:10:26and under the new CAP deal, he should continue to get most of that.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29It's all right when you get a bit of momentum up on it.
0:10:29 > 0:10:30That's the one. Got to get swinging.
0:10:30 > 0:10:35- Have you heard of oil round these parts, for this handle? - Too expensive!
0:10:35 > 0:10:38Even with subsidies, he can't afford to waste a single potato.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41These are the off ones that didn't quite make the spec.
0:10:41 > 0:10:43- Right.- We're going to feed them the cow.
0:10:43 > 0:10:47So these are the ones that the supermarket didn't think were
0:10:47 > 0:10:49- quite pretty enough. Is that right? - Yeah, that's it.
0:10:49 > 0:10:53So why do you think it is you need a subsidy to run this business?
0:10:53 > 0:10:56I need a subsidy because of the rising cost of fuel,
0:10:56 > 0:11:00the seed, the fertiliser, as well as the rising cost of machinery.
0:11:00 > 0:11:02I need it because of the variable costs that's happening with
0:11:02 > 0:11:04the crop I get at the end of it.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07It's not quite enough to what it costs me to produce it.
0:11:07 > 0:11:09I could hear other businessmen saying,
0:11:09 > 0:11:11"These are problems I have to deal with
0:11:11 > 0:11:13"and I don't get help. Why should you?"
0:11:13 > 0:11:16They get to say at the end how much they want for their product,
0:11:16 > 0:11:18but we haven't got that luxury.
0:11:19 > 0:11:24'As a young farmer in an industry where the average age is 65,
0:11:24 > 0:11:27'there was a particular piece of good news for Luke from the negotiations.'
0:11:27 > 0:11:31- Some hungry mouths to feed.- Yeah. - There you go.
0:11:31 > 0:11:37'2% of the CAP budget is being set aside to support farmers under 40.'
0:11:37 > 0:11:40It will make a big difference, especially
0:11:40 > 0:11:43when there's such a financial layout for the first year.
0:11:43 > 0:11:45You've no profit coming in at all off the farm.
0:11:45 > 0:11:47That first year's really a stretch, money-wise.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50But it will really help get new young farmers in the business.
0:11:50 > 0:11:54It might make a few more people think, "I want to take on a farm."
0:11:54 > 0:11:55That's important.
0:11:57 > 0:12:01But for Luke and farmers across the UK, there are still many
0:12:01 > 0:12:05unanswered questions, not least because individual countries
0:12:05 > 0:12:10will now have more power than ever to decide on their own subsidies.
0:12:10 > 0:12:14That could mean even more variation in payments for farmers in
0:12:14 > 0:12:19England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, and for different things.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22The Common Agricultural Policy seems to be getting a lot less,
0:12:22 > 0:12:24well, common.
0:12:25 > 0:12:27But there are those who believe that
0:12:27 > 0:12:30continuing to subsidise farmers like Luke
0:12:30 > 0:12:32is bad for farming in general.
0:12:35 > 0:12:38'Sean Rickard is an economist who has a very different view on CAP
0:12:38 > 0:12:41'and the subsidies given to farmers.'
0:12:41 > 0:12:45Common Agricultural Policy should be phased out over a period of years.
0:12:45 > 0:12:48It has failed to meet every single one of its targets
0:12:48 > 0:12:51over its last 50 years. It's a chronic waste of money
0:12:51 > 0:12:54and we can much better use the money to help the countryside,
0:12:54 > 0:12:58to help rural economy and to save the taxpayers.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01But don't you think that'll drive a lot of farmers out of farming?
0:13:01 > 0:13:03Yes, it would, it would drive a lot of
0:13:03 > 0:13:06the smaller, full-time, less efficient farmers,
0:13:06 > 0:13:09many of whom are hanging on by their fingertips at the moment.
0:13:09 > 0:13:11'Many, including the British government,
0:13:11 > 0:13:15'are concerned about the overdependence of farmers on subsidy.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18'But when faced with one of the people he could be putting
0:13:18 > 0:13:21'out of business, is Sean still as committed to his views?'
0:13:21 > 0:13:26So, Luke, can you justify to Sean why you need a subsidy?
0:13:26 > 0:13:31I need my subsidy for the rising cost of fuels, the seed,
0:13:31 > 0:13:35the fertiliser and the rent, and without that, I think
0:13:35 > 0:13:36I wouldn't be able to farm.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39Well, let's just deal with rent first, shall we?
0:13:39 > 0:13:41Why do you think your rents are so high?
0:13:43 > 0:13:45- I don't know.- I'll tell you why.
0:13:45 > 0:13:47Because of the subsidy that goes into the land,
0:13:47 > 0:13:50it's pushed up more than 500% in the last 25 years.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53During your life, the cost of land has gone up.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56It's true you have to pay more money for your fertilisers
0:13:56 > 0:13:59and your fuel, but then the price of your crops has gone up.
0:13:59 > 0:14:01If you talk about any other industry, many other
0:14:01 > 0:14:04small businesses out there, where people have to spend
0:14:04 > 0:14:08money on fuel, on other inputs, no-one helps them.
0:14:08 > 0:14:11They survive by selling to people what they want.
0:14:11 > 0:14:15At the end of their products, they say,
0:14:15 > 0:14:16"This cost me x amount to produce,
0:14:16 > 0:14:19"and therefore I'm going to put that much profit on it,
0:14:19 > 0:14:21"and that's how much the product is going to be worth."
0:14:21 > 0:14:23We haven't got that luxury.
0:14:23 > 0:14:25We need that cushion so when the price does drop,
0:14:25 > 0:14:28we have that cushion to make sure that we're not going to go under.
0:14:28 > 0:14:32What you're asking is that the taxpayer should take the risk
0:14:32 > 0:14:34out of your business for you.
0:14:34 > 0:14:38But the years when your potato crops go up in price, you don't
0:14:38 > 0:14:40pay me back for the subsidy I gave you in the bad years.
0:14:40 > 0:14:42If you ask most farmers, we don't want the subsidy,
0:14:42 > 0:14:45we don't want hand-outs, we want to stand on our own two feet.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48- Good to you. That's right.- But we want a fair price for our crops.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51You would get it if it was left to market forces.
0:14:51 > 0:14:55People would pay you what it was worth, and that is a fair price.
0:14:55 > 0:14:59'With such differing points of view, it's not surprising that
0:14:59 > 0:15:03'reaching a deal on CAP that suited everyone was simply impossible.'
0:15:03 > 0:15:06Clearly there's still plenty to be argued about here,
0:15:06 > 0:15:11but the overall debate is not just about how much money is paid
0:15:11 > 0:15:14to farmers, but what it should be used for when it gets to the land,
0:15:14 > 0:15:17and that's what I'll be investigating later.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28Think of Essex. What springs to mind?
0:15:28 > 0:15:32I bet it's not open countryside or fields of gently swaying corn,
0:15:32 > 0:15:37or clapboard houses in pretty villages.
0:15:37 > 0:15:41Well, think again, because Essex is a lot greener and a lot more
0:15:41 > 0:15:45pleasant than you might think, and this place is spreading the word.
0:15:45 > 0:15:46Writtle College.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49For the last 120 years,
0:15:49 > 0:15:52Writtle College has been training the next generation of farmers.
0:15:52 > 0:15:55Back in 1893, thatching and blacksmithing
0:15:55 > 0:15:58were on the curriculum, but not any longer.
0:15:58 > 0:16:02Now they've got everything from horticulture to equine studies,
0:16:02 > 0:16:07agriculture to animal science, and when I say science, I mean science.
0:16:07 > 0:16:11One of their latest projects addresses a gassy problem.
0:16:11 > 0:16:13They're looking for ways to improve
0:16:13 > 0:16:15what goes on inside a sheep's stomach.
0:16:18 > 0:16:20So, Dr Sife, what scientific work
0:16:20 > 0:16:22are you concentrating on at the moment?
0:16:22 > 0:16:26At the moment, we are looking at plant extracts
0:16:26 > 0:16:29which are called essential oils.
0:16:29 > 0:16:31These are found in normal herbs and spices.
0:16:31 > 0:16:36We are looking at ways to use these as supplements
0:16:36 > 0:16:39for ruminant animals such as sheep and cattle.
0:16:39 > 0:16:44Ruminants have got vast numbers of bacteria, protozoa and fungi,
0:16:44 > 0:16:48and these ferment fibre for them.
0:16:48 > 0:16:53They also synthesise protein, which the animal benefits from.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56But also, alongside all those beneficial processes,
0:16:56 > 0:16:59they also generate gases such as methane.
0:16:59 > 0:17:04- They also saturate fatty acids.- so that's obviously affecting the meat.
0:17:04 > 0:17:09Yes. So the fatty acids that end up in the meat and milk are saturated,
0:17:09 > 0:17:13and the negative health effects of saturated fats are well-known.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16And is this flock helping out with the work?
0:17:16 > 0:17:20Yes, some of sheep, when they go to the abattoir,
0:17:20 > 0:17:26we take their guts and use the micro-organisms in there
0:17:26 > 0:17:27for the work that we do.
0:17:27 > 0:17:31Micro-organisms? Methane gas? Saturated fat?
0:17:31 > 0:17:34That's a lot to digest, even for a sheep!
0:17:34 > 0:17:37Time to abandon the fields and head for the lab.
0:17:37 > 0:17:39I hope I've got the stomach for it.
0:17:40 > 0:17:42Right, let's get all the scientific gear on.
0:17:44 > 0:17:47And let's get testing. This is it.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51- Francine, hello.- Hello.
0:17:51 > 0:17:53Wow, that's quite something.
0:17:53 > 0:17:55What have you got there? Is that what I think it is?
0:17:55 > 0:17:59- Yes, that is a sheep stomach.- Right, what are we going to do with this?
0:17:59 > 0:18:00- It's quite gaseous already.- Yes.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03We're going to cut it open and take out the contents.
0:18:03 > 0:18:06- This is going to stink, isn't it?- Yes.
0:18:06 > 0:18:12There's no easy way to introduce someone from the smell of rumen,
0:18:12 > 0:18:14- yeah.- Let's just go for it, shall we?
0:18:14 > 0:18:16'Francine's working with clove oil to see
0:18:16 > 0:18:20'if she can reduce the harmful side effects of sheep digestion.'
0:18:20 > 0:18:25- Wow, is that it?- Yep.- Goodness me.
0:18:25 > 0:18:27That is offensive.
0:18:27 > 0:18:29That is absolutely...
0:18:34 > 0:18:36OK, I'm all right now.
0:18:36 > 0:18:40For any sheep farmers out there, you know the smell of,
0:18:40 > 0:18:44if you're doing anything with foot rot, when you open up their toes
0:18:44 > 0:18:48and it absolutely reeks, it's like that, but multiply by about 100.
0:18:48 > 0:18:50- Yes.- That's about where you're at.
0:18:50 > 0:18:53'We're going to reproduce what goes on inside a sheep's stomach
0:18:53 > 0:18:55'in a bottle.'
0:18:56 > 0:18:58What are you putting in there?
0:18:58 > 0:19:01- This is artificial saliva. - Oh, right.
0:19:01 > 0:19:04So we are properly recreating what would be in there.
0:19:04 > 0:19:05- Yes, yeah.- I'll put the lid on,
0:19:05 > 0:19:08because we certainly don't want this hitting the roof.
0:19:08 > 0:19:10BLENDER WHIRRS
0:19:10 > 0:19:13Anyone for sheep stomach smoothie?
0:19:13 > 0:19:15OK.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18Now we need to strain that through the muslin to separate
0:19:18 > 0:19:20- the contents from the fluid.- Right.
0:19:27 > 0:19:33That contains hundreds and thousands of different micro-organisms
0:19:33 > 0:19:37that were originally in that sheep's stomach.
0:19:38 > 0:19:42'Take thousands of micro-organisms, a touch of artificial saliva,
0:19:42 > 0:19:47'a little food and add a secret ingredient. In this case, clove oil.
0:19:47 > 0:19:50'Mix it all up in a miniature artificial stomach
0:19:50 > 0:19:52'and see what comes out the other end.
0:19:52 > 0:19:54'Figuratively speaking, of course.'
0:19:57 > 0:19:59And what kind of differences
0:19:59 > 0:20:02are you seeing with the ones you've tested already?
0:20:02 > 0:20:06We're seeing that some have actually prevented some polyunsaturated
0:20:06 > 0:20:09fatty acids being converted to saturated fatty acids
0:20:09 > 0:20:12which are bad for human health. That's the main thing.
0:20:12 > 0:20:16Also, we've seen a reduction in gas produced as well.
0:20:16 > 0:20:18So, if your sheep are a bit on the whiffy side,
0:20:18 > 0:20:21then maybe a bit of clove oil is the way to go.
0:20:21 > 0:20:25Certainly, Francine's work seems to suggest that.
0:20:25 > 0:20:27Listen, I wish you all the best with your research.
0:20:27 > 0:20:31That truly has been fascinating for me to see that so thank you.
0:20:33 > 0:20:37Dr Siffy and Francine's work could make a big difference to farming
0:20:37 > 0:20:39and not a welly in sight.
0:20:39 > 0:20:42But then, Writtle College has always been at the leading edge
0:20:42 > 0:20:45of new techniques and technologies.
0:20:45 > 0:20:49Later, I'll be meeting some children who are learning about food.
0:20:50 > 0:20:54First, here's Julia on a really dangerous walk.
0:21:03 > 0:21:05I've arrived on Foulness Island.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08And if you ever thought that arable farming was a tricky job,
0:21:08 > 0:21:09check this out.
0:21:09 > 0:21:11For the last hundred years,
0:21:11 > 0:21:15the island has been used by the MoD for weapons testing.
0:21:17 > 0:21:19When the military moved in,
0:21:19 > 0:21:22you might have expected everybody else to move out, but they didn't.
0:21:22 > 0:21:26The island still has a population of about 125.
0:21:26 > 0:21:27It's all top-secret stuff.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30Residents and their guests have to pass through checkpoints
0:21:30 > 0:21:31to enter and leave the island.
0:21:33 > 0:21:36But the warnings, fences and gates aren't just about national security.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39It can be a dangerous life here on Foulness.
0:21:39 > 0:21:43I'm meeting the Burroughs brothers who've been farming under fire
0:21:43 > 0:21:45all their working lives.
0:21:45 > 0:21:47That's Peter driving the tractor.
0:21:51 > 0:21:55- Afternoon, sir.- Hello, Julia. - How are you?- I'm fine. How are you?
0:21:55 > 0:22:00Very well, thanks. Busy at work then, topping your field?
0:22:00 > 0:22:04I'm always talking to farmers who tell me what a hard time they have all year round.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07But you guys here have genuinely got fresh problems to face
0:22:07 > 0:22:10- on an almost daily basis, haven't you?- Yeah, yeah.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13When the ranges are operating, there are certain areas of the farm
0:22:13 > 0:22:16that we're not allowed to enter until the trial is finished.
0:22:16 > 0:22:18Sometimes this can take all day.
0:22:18 > 0:22:20Sometimes it can be every day of the week.
0:22:20 > 0:22:23- What about things you come across on your land?- You do that, yes.
0:22:23 > 0:22:27The nature of the trial of the test, sometimes debris, shrapnel,
0:22:27 > 0:22:30is thrown across the fields which quite often happens
0:22:30 > 0:22:33- and that can damage machinery. - What happens in a case like that?
0:22:33 > 0:22:36What happens if you come across a massive hit of shrapnel
0:22:36 > 0:22:38- and it gets caught up? - Well, the procedure is
0:22:38 > 0:22:42I would just have a look at it and then ring range control
0:22:42 > 0:22:46- and they'll get someone down to move it.- Last question, can I have a go?
0:22:46 > 0:22:48I can't get into a tractor cabin and not ask for a go.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51- 'Course you can have a go, yeah. - Fantastic.- By all means.
0:22:51 > 0:22:55I haven't done this for a while. It's all coming back to me.
0:22:55 > 0:22:57- There we go. - Rev her up a little bit.- OK.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01- And away we go.- Let's go.
0:23:01 > 0:23:02And we're off.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07- Right, I'll try and keep your edges neat.- Yeah. OK.
0:23:07 > 0:23:10I don't want to ruin all your good work now.
0:23:10 > 0:23:14See, on a day like today, you do have the best job in the world.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17- Air conditioning.- Yeah.
0:23:17 > 0:23:18Not a care in the world.
0:23:18 > 0:23:23- When we come out on the end, press that now.- OK.- Now turn around.
0:23:23 > 0:23:25- Quite tight?- Hard as you can.
0:23:27 > 0:23:29- That's it. Now straighten up.- Yep.
0:23:29 > 0:23:33And press the button down. That's it. In we go again.
0:23:33 > 0:23:35Lovely job.
0:23:35 > 0:23:37So you could just be trundling along on a day like today
0:23:37 > 0:23:40and hear a big "krrrr" or see something in front of you,
0:23:40 > 0:23:42- a massive little shrapnel. - Yes. Yes, you can.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45- You're missing a bit.- Sorry. What's that there?
0:23:45 > 0:23:48- That's a bit of shrapnel I found earlier.- Oh, look at that!
0:23:49 > 0:23:53'I really want to get a closer look at that lump of metal.
0:23:53 > 0:23:55'Peter's brother John's checking it out.'
0:23:55 > 0:23:58I'm about to see some real live shrapnel.
0:23:58 > 0:24:01I think it's the first time I've ever seen shrapnel. Right, John.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04- Do we have to stand clear? - No, we're OK with this piece.
0:24:04 > 0:24:08- It's just a very large lump, as you can see.- It is a big lump.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11It's very tempting, isn't it? I know I can't and I shouldn't
0:24:11 > 0:24:13and I won't, but I want to touch it.
0:24:13 > 0:24:18Well, the nature of it is it's very, very heavy and very sharp-edged.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21That would properly weigh a kilo and a half, if not more.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24- If it landed on your head, you'd be seriously dead.- You would.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27- And you can see where the machine actually hit it.- Yeah.
0:24:27 > 0:24:28The marks there.
0:24:28 > 0:24:31It does make you think, seeing something like that.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34It makes you think about what would happen if...
0:24:34 > 0:24:38My particular farm is about 800 meters from here
0:24:38 > 0:24:41and several years ago, a piece similar to that went
0:24:41 > 0:24:44right through the hay store roof.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46All right. So we shall step away
0:24:46 > 0:24:50and we shall let somebody come and retrieve it,
0:24:50 > 0:24:53- in a very military, secret kind of way.- It'll be fine.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01Earlier, we heard about a European deal which would guarantee subsidies
0:25:01 > 0:25:04to British farmers until at least 2020.
0:25:04 > 0:25:06But what should they be spent on? Here's Tom.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14The British landscape is shaped by the people who farm it
0:25:14 > 0:25:18and their decisions are shaped by the Common Agricultural Policy
0:25:18 > 0:25:19or CAP.
0:25:19 > 0:25:24We've already heard that the idea of farmers getting handouts
0:25:24 > 0:25:26from Europe at all is controversial.
0:25:27 > 0:25:31But how that money is spent is every bit as divisive.
0:25:31 > 0:25:33For some, it's all about nature.
0:25:33 > 0:25:36For others, it's about the business of farming.
0:25:40 > 0:25:44Under the current agreement, virtually all farms, big or small,
0:25:44 > 0:25:47get subsidies regardless of whether they make money or not.
0:25:49 > 0:25:51And some get more than £1 million.
0:25:53 > 0:25:58But why do big, profitable farms need some of our money?
0:25:59 > 0:26:04Here in Cambridgeshire, John Latham is part of a consortium that farms
0:26:04 > 0:26:09around 5,000 acres of arable land, growing mostly wheat.
0:26:09 > 0:26:12Your wheat's coming up nicely here. Are you hopeful for a good year?
0:26:12 > 0:26:16Yes, hopefully it's going to be a lot better than last year.
0:26:18 > 0:26:23John farms on an epic scale and still gets a large cheque.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26You're a very commercial farm here. In the long run, shouldn't you
0:26:26 > 0:26:29be able to do without the crutch of taxpayers' money?
0:26:29 > 0:26:32I think the difficulty is that agriculture globally is such
0:26:32 > 0:26:34a political animal.
0:26:34 > 0:26:38You only have to go across the sea or across the pond to America
0:26:38 > 0:26:42and see the support that they get and that's who we're competing with.
0:26:42 > 0:26:46It's so easy for industry to import global commodities like maize,
0:26:46 > 0:26:50corn, wheat or any other major commodity.
0:26:50 > 0:26:53Those are ultimately who we're competing with.
0:26:53 > 0:26:56If farms in the rest of the world are getting subsidies,
0:26:56 > 0:27:00John thinks it's only fair that British farmers get them too.
0:27:00 > 0:27:05And the new CAP deal will ensure that continues but there is a catch.
0:27:06 > 0:27:09- I can see some bees enjoying it.- Good.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13Despite John already doing his bit for the environment,
0:27:13 > 0:27:16he'll have to do even more if he wants to get
0:27:16 > 0:27:17his full production subsidy.
0:27:19 > 0:27:23And that includes changing to a new system for rotating crops.
0:27:24 > 0:27:27One of the things that's come out
0:27:27 > 0:27:30is the possible three crops on one farm.
0:27:30 > 0:27:32This farm is all down to one crop.
0:27:32 > 0:27:36What I had looked for DEFRA is to make sure we're not penalised
0:27:36 > 0:27:39and have to come back here three times to do three different crops
0:27:39 > 0:27:42with all the implications that'll have on our business.
0:27:42 > 0:27:44Just boil that down a minute.
0:27:44 > 0:27:47This year, this farm is all wheat and that's efficient for you
0:27:47 > 0:27:50cos you can just bring the wheat tools to the farm.
0:27:50 > 0:27:53We can bring the kit here once rather than three times.
0:27:53 > 0:27:56- And next year?- Next year, it'll be oil seed rape
0:27:56 > 0:27:59- so it'll all be one crop again. - So the land still gets rotated?
0:27:59 > 0:28:02- It still gets a rotation on it, yes. - And yet there's a recommendation
0:28:02 > 0:28:05in this proposal that you should grow three different crops.
0:28:05 > 0:28:07That's what it looks like at first glance.
0:28:09 > 0:28:13For John, this compulsory greening of his production subsidy
0:28:13 > 0:28:18reduces his ability to run a profitable farm
0:28:18 > 0:28:20and manage the land at the same time.
0:28:21 > 0:28:24But for others, these measures do not go far enough.
0:28:24 > 0:28:29Environmental groups had hoped for a new deal from CAP reform that offered
0:28:29 > 0:28:34far more in terms of greener farming and the conservation of wildlife.
0:28:34 > 0:28:38The National Trust wants the preservation of our natural landscape
0:28:38 > 0:28:41to play a more central role in the future of farming.
0:28:42 > 0:28:46Its 2,000 tenant farmers and graziers currently get around
0:28:46 > 0:28:49£2.6 million a year in European subsidies.
0:28:53 > 0:28:54Here at Wimpole Hall,
0:28:54 > 0:28:59they have a farm where they balance conservation and food production.
0:29:00 > 0:29:03What have you got the heavy machinery in for today?
0:29:03 > 0:29:06Well, Tom, this is creating what's known as a beetle bank
0:29:06 > 0:29:10which is effectively a strip sacrificed out of the crop
0:29:10 > 0:29:13and ploughed up to allow wild flowers to grow
0:29:13 > 0:29:16and provide a corridor for the wildlife from that wood
0:29:16 > 0:29:20to be able to pass over to these headlands.
0:29:20 > 0:29:22It would normally be a piece of productive land
0:29:22 > 0:29:24with a good return on its crop,
0:29:24 > 0:29:28but we are sacrificing that to provide the wildlife benefit.
0:29:28 > 0:29:31Now, you wanted to see more of that encouraged from the CAP reform deal.
0:29:31 > 0:29:34What do you think about what was thrashed out?
0:29:34 > 0:29:35Well, it started really well.
0:29:35 > 0:29:37So the rhetoric was very good at the start.
0:29:37 > 0:29:39But in the end, it's been watered down.
0:29:39 > 0:29:42We wanted to see more support for those greener farming methods.
0:29:42 > 0:29:46More money, bigger areas put aside for environmental protection
0:29:46 > 0:29:49to give us a sense of long-term resilient farming.
0:29:49 > 0:29:53Do you care about the production of large volumes of foods in England?
0:29:53 > 0:29:57Absolutely. It's interesting. I never think of this as an either/or.
0:29:57 > 0:30:01Some people will reduce the debate to, "We either do green farming
0:30:01 > 0:30:04"or we do maximum food production." I think there's space for both.
0:30:04 > 0:30:08We need to understand much more what our land is good for.
0:30:08 > 0:30:10Some places, it will be growing crops.
0:30:10 > 0:30:13In others, it will be wilder areas and public access.
0:30:23 > 0:30:27In some ways, this CAP reform is best defined by what it isn't.
0:30:27 > 0:30:30It isn't an open door to market forces,
0:30:30 > 0:30:34nor is it a radical shift in terms of paying for the environment.
0:30:34 > 0:30:38It also isn't finished business.
0:30:38 > 0:30:41Many of the details which will actually affect how we farm
0:30:41 > 0:30:45are going to be thrashed out over future months by national government
0:30:45 > 0:30:49and that's something we'll be keeping an eye on here on Countryfile.
0:30:58 > 0:31:00Adam's farm is like a rare breeds Noah's Ark,
0:31:00 > 0:31:05packed with amazing rare breed livestock that needs protecting.
0:31:05 > 0:31:08This year marks a special anniversary
0:31:08 > 0:31:10for the Rare Breeds Survival Trust
0:31:10 > 0:31:13and Adam's on hand to join in with the celebration.
0:31:19 > 0:31:23I was very fortunate to have taken on the tenancy of this farm
0:31:23 > 0:31:24in the Cotswolds from my father.
0:31:24 > 0:31:27He didn't have an easy start into farming
0:31:27 > 0:31:29because he wasn't from an agricultural background.
0:31:29 > 0:31:33But since being a farmer, he has done some amazing things.
0:31:33 > 0:31:35One of those is that he was founder chairman
0:31:35 > 0:31:39of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust and he helped set that up in 1973.
0:31:39 > 0:31:42So this year is their 40th anniversary.
0:31:43 > 0:31:47And it's a good job he did because between 1900 and 1973,
0:31:47 > 0:31:51the UK lost 26 of its native breeds.
0:31:51 > 0:31:55But since the trust formed, no other native stock has been lost.
0:31:56 > 0:32:00There's one breed that we both love. It's the Cotswolds here.
0:32:00 > 0:32:03But they went into decline and almost became extinct
0:32:03 > 0:32:06and it was thanks to people like my dad and other breeders
0:32:06 > 0:32:10that saved them. They really felt that because they had given so much
0:32:10 > 0:32:14to this area that we needed to look after them for the future.
0:32:17 > 0:32:20The Cotswolds wouldn't be what they are today
0:32:20 > 0:32:22without the Cotswold sheep.
0:32:22 > 0:32:25They were brought here by the Romans who brought them to clothe
0:32:25 > 0:32:27their legions in this chilly climate
0:32:27 > 0:32:30and all our long-wool breeds are descended from the Roman long-wool,
0:32:30 > 0:32:33but the Cotswold is probably the most directly descended
0:32:33 > 0:32:37because the Romans settled the Cotswolds, as you know, very intensively.
0:32:40 > 0:32:43My dad helped save the Cotswold from the brink
0:32:43 > 0:32:47and now we have over 50 Cotswolds on the farm.
0:32:47 > 0:32:49Every rare breed has its own story.
0:32:49 > 0:32:52This year, there's a great opportunity
0:32:52 > 0:32:55to see over 40 rare breeds under one roof.
0:32:55 > 0:32:57A rare sight indeed.
0:32:59 > 0:33:03And the place to see it is at the Royal Norfolk Show.
0:33:03 > 0:33:06It's a big event in the agricultural calendar.
0:33:06 > 0:33:10There's lots going on and I normally make a beeline for the tractors.
0:33:10 > 0:33:12But today, it's the rare breeds I'm after,
0:33:12 > 0:33:15in all their weird and wonderful varieties.
0:33:18 > 0:33:23This is the Rare Breeds Village celebrating its 40th anniversary
0:33:23 > 0:33:27with 40 different rare breeds all under one roof.
0:33:27 > 0:33:29I just absolutely love it.
0:33:29 > 0:33:32I'm all dressed up to do a bit of judging later.
0:33:35 > 0:33:39There's one rare breed here that couldn't be more relevant to this show.
0:33:41 > 0:33:43These are Norfolk Horn sheep.
0:33:43 > 0:33:45At one time, there would have been thousands of these in Norfolk,
0:33:45 > 0:33:49grazing on the Brecklands, the poor quality grass.
0:33:49 > 0:33:51But then they fell into decline.
0:33:51 > 0:33:53In the early '70s, there was only a handful of ewes
0:33:53 > 0:33:56and a couple of rams left. They were virtually extinct.
0:33:56 > 0:33:58One of those rams was infertile.
0:33:58 > 0:34:02My dad with a bunch of other people set up a breeding back programme
0:34:02 > 0:34:04to try and bring them back into existence.
0:34:04 > 0:34:07Crossed that ram with a number of other ewes
0:34:07 > 0:34:10and now the breed has become much more popular
0:34:10 > 0:34:14and they're pretty much 99% pure and breeding true to type.
0:34:14 > 0:34:16A really lovely breed.
0:34:16 > 0:34:18Very famous in Norfolk.
0:34:18 > 0:34:21It's really important that the next generation support these breeds.
0:34:21 > 0:34:25And 14-year-old Hamish Beaton is already doing just that.
0:34:25 > 0:34:27Hi, Hamish. I'm Adam. Good to meet you.
0:34:27 > 0:34:30- I hear you're a big Norfolk Horn enthusiast.- I am.
0:34:30 > 0:34:32- How long have you had them? - I've had them eight years now.
0:34:32 > 0:34:34- Have you?!- Yeah, eight years.
0:34:34 > 0:34:37- How many sheep have you got?- We've got about 30 breeding ewes now.
0:34:37 > 0:34:40- So a good size.- Good size, yeah. - And you've got a number of sheep
0:34:40 > 0:34:42in the show ring. How do you fancy your chances?
0:34:42 > 0:34:44I hope we'll do quite well.
0:34:44 > 0:34:47We've had good successes at shows before with the team,
0:34:47 > 0:34:51- so yeah, hoping to do well.- I'll be on the sidelines watching you.
0:34:51 > 0:34:53- Thanks, Adam. Nice to see you. - All the best.
0:34:59 > 0:35:02- Hi, Andy. Good to see you.- Hi, Adam. - Is that an Ixworth?
0:35:02 > 0:35:04It is indeed, yes. This is a working bird.
0:35:04 > 0:35:06I've got a couple at home, but they're very rare.
0:35:06 > 0:35:10They are. They're down to about 450 birds in total now.
0:35:10 > 0:35:12Back in the early '70s though, they were down to just a handful
0:35:12 > 0:35:16- which is a real shame.- Goodness me. So why have they gone into decline?
0:35:16 > 0:35:19Really, it was down to the hybrids and suchlike that came over
0:35:19 > 0:35:22from the States during the '40s, '50s and '60s.
0:35:22 > 0:35:25The Chicken Of Tomorrow contest took place and hybrids were generated
0:35:25 > 0:35:27where you've got laying lines of birds
0:35:27 > 0:35:29and you've got table lines of birds.
0:35:29 > 0:35:32A bird like this, the cockerel itself, would take about 20 weeks
0:35:32 > 0:35:33to reach table weight.
0:35:33 > 0:35:35Whereas the stuff you see in the supermarkets now
0:35:35 > 0:35:38- is more about the eight-week mark. - Incredible, isn't it?
0:35:38 > 0:35:41- And the Ixworth, truly British. - Absolutely.
0:35:41 > 0:35:44Built in Britain by Reginald Appleyard, 1937.
0:35:44 > 0:35:46- I want to get some more if I can find them.- Thank you.
0:35:49 > 0:35:53Out in the show ring, Hamish's judging is just about to start.
0:35:53 > 0:35:54But before I catch up with him,
0:35:54 > 0:35:57a Suffolk Punch horse is not to be missed.
0:35:57 > 0:36:01I've had him 30-odd years and there were only something like 240.
0:36:01 > 0:36:03Now there's about 500.
0:36:03 > 0:36:06But they're still category one which is critically endangered.
0:36:06 > 0:36:10- And why did they become so rare? Just cos of the tractor?- The tractor.
0:36:10 > 0:36:15I think the necessity after the war to feed people,
0:36:15 > 0:36:19the tractor was... Technology's gone on leaps and bounds,
0:36:19 > 0:36:21the horse just got left behind.
0:36:21 > 0:36:24They're part of our living heritage so they shouldn't disappear.
0:36:24 > 0:36:27And why did you choose the Suffolk to keep out of all the heavy horses?
0:36:27 > 0:36:28I'm a Suffolk man.
0:36:28 > 0:36:31- Stunning to look at, aren't they? - Lovely.
0:36:31 > 0:36:34- Always this colour. Chestnut. - Same colour as me.- I know!- Beautiful.
0:36:34 > 0:36:36Probably a relative.
0:36:41 > 0:36:45The judging has started and I've got fingers crossed for Hamish.
0:36:46 > 0:36:51There's four other rams in with him. Quite stiff competition.
0:36:51 > 0:36:54And just my initial reaction is that his ram is quite fine
0:36:54 > 0:36:58and there's other rams in the ring that look bigger
0:36:58 > 0:37:02and stronger. So I don't fancy his chances at the moment.
0:37:21 > 0:37:24Well, the judge has awarded the prizes.
0:37:24 > 0:37:28Unfortunately, Hamish's ram was last in the line-up.
0:37:28 > 0:37:31Perhaps could have done with a little more meat on him.
0:37:31 > 0:37:36The other rams are slightly better grown. But it's a good start.
0:37:36 > 0:37:38It's really important to bring your sheep out to these shows.
0:37:38 > 0:37:42It's good experience. He'll be learning from what the judges
0:37:42 > 0:37:45are saying to them now and can only get better.
0:37:51 > 0:37:55- Well, fifth, Hamish.- Yeah, fifth. - That was a shame you didn't do better.- No.
0:37:55 > 0:37:58- Good, strong class though.- There was a lot of competition.- There was.
0:37:58 > 0:38:00How have you got on with your other Norfolks?
0:38:00 > 0:38:03- That ram there, he came second in the end. The mature ram.- Did he?
0:38:03 > 0:38:05- That's good. - I was really pleased with him.
0:38:05 > 0:38:06Why do you think he did so well?
0:38:06 > 0:38:08He's got a good set of widespread horns
0:38:08 > 0:38:10and he's got quite good short ears
0:38:10 > 0:38:12which is what they look for in the breed.
0:38:12 > 0:38:15- That's what they originally had. - He's well made up, isn't he
0:38:15 > 0:38:18- A bit more of a meaty ram than this one.- Yes.
0:38:18 > 0:38:21What about your other show sheep? Are all these rosettes yours?
0:38:21 > 0:38:25- All those rosettes we've won today. - Goodness me! You've done really well.
0:38:25 > 0:38:27- I was watching the wrong class. - Yeah, you were!- Well done.
0:38:27 > 0:38:30It's fantastic you're supporting Norfolk Horns.
0:38:30 > 0:38:32It's great you're here at the Norfolk Show.
0:38:32 > 0:38:34You're the farmer of the future. Well done. Lovely to meet you.
0:38:34 > 0:38:36- Nice to meet you.- Best of luck.
0:38:37 > 0:38:40The show is all about supporting British agriculture
0:38:40 > 0:38:44in every way we can and there's one very well-known face here today
0:38:44 > 0:38:47that's doing his bit to support the industry.
0:38:49 > 0:38:53Sports presenter Jake Humphrey is the Royal Norfolk show's president.
0:38:54 > 0:38:57There's a real buzz about the place, isn't there?
0:38:57 > 0:38:58There's a great atmosphere.
0:38:58 > 0:39:01What do you think of Rare Breeds Survival Trust
0:39:01 > 0:39:03- and their 40th anniversary tent? - I think this is really special.
0:39:03 > 0:39:06I think if you went to most kids now... Look around here,
0:39:06 > 0:39:08half the people at this show are young kids, seven, eight,
0:39:08 > 0:39:12nine, ten, 11 years old. If you said to them, "Name me an animal in danger."
0:39:12 > 0:39:15They might go, "A tiger." "A panda." "An elephant."
0:39:15 > 0:39:19Think of something from miles and miles away. They wouldn't say a Suffolk Punch.
0:39:19 > 0:39:23- They wouldn't say sheep, cows. - Well done you for being so involved.
0:39:23 > 0:39:27- By the way, the sun always shines in Norfolk.- Cheers.
0:39:28 > 0:39:31And I've got an important job to do too.
0:39:31 > 0:39:35Quite a challenge, judging these cattle. I'm really quite nervous.
0:39:42 > 0:39:44Keep going. Thank you.
0:39:45 > 0:39:47That's a little Irish Moiled. Very nice.
0:39:47 > 0:39:49Just come in here.
0:39:51 > 0:39:52That's it.
0:39:54 > 0:39:56'It was no easy decision.
0:39:56 > 0:39:59'I was looking for one that stands out
0:39:59 > 0:40:01'and for me, there was only one winner.'
0:40:01 > 0:40:04- She's very lovely.- Thank you.
0:40:05 > 0:40:08This is an Irish Moiled cow put up top. Really lovely cow.
0:40:08 > 0:40:11Very well-balanced. Good mobility. Well grown.
0:40:11 > 0:40:16They're very rare so good ones are hard to come by and she's lovely.
0:40:19 > 0:40:22Next week, we'll be celebrating another anniversary,
0:40:22 > 0:40:24Countryfile's Silver Jubilee,
0:40:24 > 0:40:28and I'll be giving Julia a sneak peek behind the scenes down on the farm.
0:40:38 > 0:40:41Here in Essex, food is high up on the rural agenda.
0:40:41 > 0:40:45There's even a project called Edible Essex to spread the word
0:40:45 > 0:40:46about growing your own.
0:40:46 > 0:40:49One place has taken this message to heart.
0:40:50 > 0:40:51This is Birch,
0:40:51 > 0:40:55a village where the small people have big ideas about food.
0:40:58 > 0:41:00Birch Church of England Primary School
0:41:00 > 0:41:02is taking a hands-on approach to food.
0:41:02 > 0:41:04The children have their own gardening club
0:41:04 > 0:41:08and teaching assistant Sadie Broad is in charge.
0:41:08 > 0:41:11- Sadie, what a beautiful day to be Gardening.- Isn't it?
0:41:11 > 0:41:15- Absolutely gorgeous. - This is your pride and joy then.
0:41:15 > 0:41:17This is our school garden and yes, I'm very proud of it.
0:41:17 > 0:41:19- Will you show me round? - I'll show you around.
0:41:19 > 0:41:21We've got some nasturtiums here.
0:41:21 > 0:41:25Keeps the bugs away from my beans. So it's a lovely, useful flower.
0:41:25 > 0:41:28This is something I like to teach children about, plant partners,
0:41:28 > 0:41:30but also I like them to enjoy flowers,
0:41:30 > 0:41:34- eating and tasting flowers.- Can I have a little nibble of that one?
0:41:34 > 0:41:38- It's quite peppery.- I might as well sample the produce while I'm here. - Do you like pepper?
0:41:40 > 0:41:43- Oh, it is peppery.- It is. It's lovely, isn't it?
0:41:43 > 0:41:45Something that I really want the children to understand is
0:41:45 > 0:41:49actually sometimes the best part of a plant is the flower.
0:41:49 > 0:41:53- So, Sadie, you started creating this about four years ago.- That's right.
0:41:53 > 0:41:55Why was it so important for you to do that?
0:41:55 > 0:41:59I wanted to be able to show children how easy it is to grow plants,
0:41:59 > 0:42:03for them to understand where their food does come from
0:42:03 > 0:42:06and in all honesty, to try something different.
0:42:06 > 0:42:09Quite often, especially as a mother, it's very easy to put peas on a plate
0:42:09 > 0:42:11when, in fact, there are so many different vegetables,
0:42:11 > 0:42:14some they've never even heard of, some they've never seen.
0:42:14 > 0:42:15It's very impressive to look at.
0:42:15 > 0:42:19It's got a beautiful feeling, this garden. Obviously, the children...
0:42:19 > 0:42:22- There's a lot of love.- There is a lot of love, you can feel it.
0:42:22 > 0:42:25- A lot of hard work from the children. - They're obviously very good at it.
0:42:25 > 0:42:26Yes, very good indeed.
0:42:26 > 0:42:29In fact, they're so good one of our children Emily Lawrence
0:42:29 > 0:42:33who's been a gardener since the beginning here, she has actually won
0:42:33 > 0:42:36the Edible Essex competition called A Healthy Lunch Plot.
0:42:38 > 0:42:41And Emily's prize-winning plot won the school
0:42:41 > 0:42:43£1,000 from the competition.
0:42:44 > 0:42:47- Sophie, how are you doing? All right?- Fine, thank you.
0:42:47 > 0:42:49- You're from Edible Essex. - That's right.
0:42:49 > 0:42:52You came up this idea of the packed-lunch plot.
0:42:52 > 0:42:55There's been a lot of emphasis over the years on school dinners,
0:42:55 > 0:42:57- but not so much on packed lunches.- Right.
0:42:57 > 0:43:01So we thought we'd get children to create a packed lunch.
0:43:01 > 0:43:06Basically, what they had to do was to design a small plot
0:43:06 > 0:43:09of produce - fruit, veg, herbs, whatever.
0:43:09 > 0:43:11- We've got some of the entries here in front of us.- We have.
0:43:11 > 0:43:14And then to create a recipe for a healthy packed lunch
0:43:14 > 0:43:18- using the produce.- Was there quite a lot of interest in this? How many?
0:43:18 > 0:43:21We had 165 schools enter the competition
0:43:21 > 0:43:26- and we received 1,555 entries. - More than you thought?
0:43:26 > 0:43:28Much more than I thought.
0:43:28 > 0:43:32So this one here then is the winning entry. This is Emily's.
0:43:32 > 0:43:33Why did this one stand out?
0:43:33 > 0:43:36Well, she chose easy to grow vegetables and plants
0:43:36 > 0:43:40and also, the flowers would have other purposes like attracting bees
0:43:40 > 0:43:42- for pollination... - That's a good idea, isn't it?
0:43:42 > 0:43:45- ..and pest-eating insects. - I'll have to go and meet her.
0:43:47 > 0:43:49Right, Emily. Let me get this apron on.
0:43:49 > 0:43:51First of all, huge congratulations.
0:43:51 > 0:43:571,555 people entered this and you won it. What was the secret?
0:43:57 > 0:44:00Um, probably my lavender sugar.
0:44:00 > 0:44:02Oh! I don't even know what we're cooking
0:44:02 > 0:44:05so you'd better tell me what the recipe is then.
0:44:05 > 0:44:10- First, we're going to start of baking lavender cupcakes.- Right.
0:44:10 > 0:44:13That's what you've got in here then, the base mixture for that.
0:44:13 > 0:44:15How many people do you have in your school
0:44:15 > 0:44:18cos we have to make cupcakes for everyone, I think?
0:44:18 > 0:44:23- About 143, I think.- OK. I think we're going to be here for some time.
0:44:25 > 0:44:28- And what did you have for a main course?- Pasta salad.
0:44:31 > 0:44:33Come on. Do your Jamie Oliver. He's from round here.
0:44:33 > 0:44:36Squidge it about a bit. That's the kind of thing he says.
0:44:36 > 0:44:38Squidge it about a bit.
0:44:38 > 0:44:42And then chop up the tomatoes.
0:44:42 > 0:44:45Right. What do you want to do with the chives?
0:44:45 > 0:44:48Use the scissors and cut it.
0:44:48 > 0:44:50- Sugar snap peas.- Straight in.
0:44:50 > 0:44:52Little gem lettuce.
0:44:52 > 0:44:54- Pot marigolds.- That is beautiful.
0:44:54 > 0:44:58- Have you got a special name for this salad?- Sunshine pasta salad.
0:45:00 > 0:45:02And these are all the little rays of sunshine going in now.
0:45:02 > 0:45:04- Shall I chuck a bit of rocket in? - Yeah.
0:45:04 > 0:45:07The white wine vinegar and the olive oil.
0:45:11 > 0:45:14Look at that, now it's ready.
0:45:14 > 0:45:17No wonder you won, this is a brilliant salad, this.
0:45:17 > 0:45:20So, with this thousand pounds you got to spend on the school,
0:45:20 > 0:45:23- have you spent that yet? - Yes.- And what did you buy?
0:45:23 > 0:45:26- We bought a poly tunnel. - Oh!- We bought seeds.
0:45:26 > 0:45:30So you've got things growing in there now?
0:45:30 > 0:45:32Good, all right then, I tell you what.
0:45:32 > 0:45:34While our buns are in the oven and the pasta salad is made,
0:45:34 > 0:45:37let's take the aprons off and go and have a look, shall we?
0:45:39 > 0:45:41Not surprisingly there are three other
0:45:41 > 0:45:43award-winning gardeners here too,
0:45:43 > 0:45:48and now the school has got the room to get all their children involved.
0:45:48 > 0:45:53Oh, my word, this is impressive, wow. What a poly tunnel this is.
0:45:53 > 0:45:54- Hello, everyone. - CHILDREN:- Hi.
0:45:54 > 0:45:58How does it make you feel knowing that you effectively won this
0:45:58 > 0:46:01- poly tunnel, Emily? - Makes me feel amazing.- Yeah.
0:46:01 > 0:46:05And that all your friends can come here and do what you love so much.
0:46:05 > 0:46:08I've been so impressed with everything that I've seen today
0:46:08 > 0:46:10and everything that I've tasted,
0:46:10 > 0:46:12but there's one thing left that we haven't tasted, Emily.
0:46:12 > 0:46:14The cupcakes.
0:46:15 > 0:46:17Lavender cupcakes, tell you what,
0:46:17 > 0:46:19I never got these when I was at school.
0:46:24 > 0:46:26Hang on, where have they all gone?
0:46:27 > 0:46:29I tell you what, a load of people
0:46:29 > 0:46:31could learn a thing or two from this lot.
0:46:31 > 0:46:33Anyway, how are the cupcakes?
0:46:33 > 0:46:36- ALL: Great! - Glad to hear it.
0:46:36 > 0:46:37And what a wonderful school photo,
0:46:37 > 0:46:41speaking of which, this year's Countryfile photographic competition
0:46:41 > 0:46:44is in full swing and here's John with all the details.
0:46:44 > 0:46:47I've got four left if you want them.
0:46:49 > 0:46:53The theme for this year's competition is our living landscape.
0:46:53 > 0:46:58We want pictures that capture the beauty of the British countryside,
0:46:58 > 0:47:03all the wonderful life, the fantastic scenery that you find within it.
0:47:07 > 0:47:10The 12 best photographs chosen by our judges
0:47:10 > 0:47:14will make up the Countryfile calendar for 2014.
0:47:15 > 0:47:19Irene McIlvenny from Leeds was one of the 12 lucky entrants to make
0:47:19 > 0:47:22it into the current Countryfile calendar.
0:47:22 > 0:47:25Her photo of a tern in-flight is the picture for July.
0:47:25 > 0:47:28When I see my photograph in the calendar
0:47:28 > 0:47:31I can't actually believe that I took the photograph.
0:47:31 > 0:47:33It is really good, I'm really pleased.
0:47:33 > 0:47:36It's on my living room wall as we speak.
0:47:38 > 0:47:42Another amateur photographer to make it into the calendar was Andy Holden
0:47:42 > 0:47:46from Skipton with his photo of a stoat peeping out of a wall.
0:47:46 > 0:47:49I saw it run across the road, it went into a dry stone wall,
0:47:49 > 0:47:51which you can see here.
0:47:51 > 0:47:55I jumped over the wall into the next field so I could get the right
0:47:55 > 0:47:57light for the camera and the stoat
0:47:57 > 0:48:01was about 50 yards away at this point.
0:48:01 > 0:48:02To get anywhere near it I thought,
0:48:02 > 0:48:04"I'm going to have to bring it towards me."
0:48:04 > 0:48:07So I gave a little mouse squeak...sort of thing
0:48:07 > 0:48:10and it come popping up through all the different holes in the wall.
0:48:10 > 0:48:14I got about 20 shots in different spots.
0:48:14 > 0:48:15And that was the best of the lot.
0:48:15 > 0:48:17When I saw my photo in the calendar
0:48:17 > 0:48:21I just thought it were fantastic, and all my mates did as well.
0:48:21 > 0:48:24I were really chuffed, made my day.
0:48:24 > 0:48:28We've already had some wonderful entries for this year's competition,
0:48:28 > 0:48:31but there is still time to get yours in.
0:48:31 > 0:48:32Here's what you need to know.
0:48:32 > 0:48:37You can send in up to four photos and they must have been taken in the UK.
0:48:37 > 0:48:42Please could you send in hard copies not e-mails or computer files.
0:48:44 > 0:48:47Write your name, address and a daytime
0:48:47 > 0:48:50and evening phone number on the back of each photo
0:48:50 > 0:48:53with a note of where it was taken then send your entries to:
0:49:03 > 0:49:07The full terms and conditions are on our website where you will
0:49:07 > 0:49:12also find details of the BBC's code of conduct for competitions.
0:49:12 > 0:49:16Our closing date is Friday, 26 July, and I'm sorry
0:49:16 > 0:49:20but we can't return any entries.
0:49:20 > 0:49:25Don't forget, you've got just five more days to get your entry in.
0:49:25 > 0:49:28If you've been inspired to pick up your camera and capture our
0:49:28 > 0:49:30living landscape, then you'll need to know
0:49:30 > 0:49:31what the weather has in store.
0:49:31 > 0:49:34Here's the Countryfile forecast for the week ahead.
0:52:09 > 0:52:12We're loving Essex, in fact, I've been hugging the coast
0:52:12 > 0:52:15with its scattering of tiny inlets and creeks.
0:52:15 > 0:52:17And I've made my way to Wallasea Island.
0:52:19 > 0:52:23For centuries, people in this area have been fighting Mother Nature
0:52:23 > 0:52:27and building sea defences like this one, but now the good landowners
0:52:27 > 0:52:31of Wallasea have thrown in the towel and decided to admit defeat.
0:52:32 > 0:52:36Farming on reclaimed land here dates back hundreds of years.
0:52:36 > 0:52:39Four years ago, the island was bought by the RSPB.
0:52:39 > 0:52:41And they are totally reshaping it,
0:52:41 > 0:52:44ready to surrender it back to the sea...
0:52:47 > 0:52:52..and create the biggest restored coastal habitat in Europe.
0:52:52 > 0:52:55Jeff Kew has been involved from the start.
0:52:55 > 0:52:58What we are doing is essentially turning the island back
0:52:58 > 0:53:01to how it would have been about 600 years ago.
0:53:02 > 0:53:06That's allowing the sea to come in over the land which
0:53:06 > 0:53:11is currently farmed to create new salt marshes and mud flats.
0:53:11 > 0:53:14So describe what we are looking at here and now.
0:53:14 > 0:53:18On the seaward-side, we have an area of previously farmed land
0:53:18 > 0:53:22where the sea has been allowed in creating a new area of mud flat
0:53:22 > 0:53:26and an area of salt marsh in front of us.
0:53:26 > 0:53:29Looking across in the other direction, we can see the extensive
0:53:29 > 0:53:31- area of farmland. - And that's going to go?
0:53:31 > 0:53:34- Yes.- So there will be more of this, essentially.- Much more of this.
0:53:34 > 0:53:37Extensive areas of salt marsh and mud flat.
0:53:37 > 0:53:42Salt marsh is incredibly important as a habitat in the UK.
0:53:42 > 0:53:44The RSPB has high hopes for this project.
0:53:46 > 0:53:49Redshanks from Iceland could overwinter here alongside
0:53:49 > 0:53:54dunlins as 50,000 wading birds are tempted here from Europe and beyond.
0:53:56 > 0:53:58And this is how it will look.
0:53:58 > 0:54:03Once Wallasea is remodelled and crumbling flood defences opened up,
0:54:03 > 0:54:06the North Sea will flood in creating a tidal wetland.
0:54:08 > 0:54:12Landscaping on this scale needs earth and lots of it.
0:54:12 > 0:54:168,000 tonnes of soil get delivered each day via ship to this,
0:54:16 > 0:54:19the largest conveyor belt I've ever seen.
0:54:21 > 0:54:23And it's all possible because of this,
0:54:23 > 0:54:26an unlikely pairing with a mammoth construction project.
0:54:28 > 0:54:32The RSPB need soil, and Crossrail need somewhere to put
0:54:32 > 0:54:35the waste from huge railway tunnels it's digging under London.
0:54:35 > 0:54:38It's a marriage made in heaven.
0:54:38 > 0:54:41Project manager Siobhan Wall is in charge of what is now
0:54:41 > 0:54:43Europe's biggest earthworks.
0:54:45 > 0:54:48Siobhan, it's such a massive exercise, isn't it?
0:54:48 > 0:54:50Tell me about some of the logistical gymnastics
0:54:50 > 0:54:53you've had to go through to get this done.
0:54:53 > 0:54:56It is a huge project, we are bringing 4.5 million tonnes
0:54:56 > 0:55:00of clean earth from underneath London whilst we're building these tunnels,
0:55:00 > 0:55:03and we're bringing it here by rail and by ship.
0:55:03 > 0:55:06It's a fantastic combination of construction
0:55:06 > 0:55:08and logistics in one project.
0:55:08 > 0:55:11Why are Crossrail doing it, why do you care about the RSPB project?
0:55:11 > 0:55:14We would have to dispose of this material anyway
0:55:14 > 0:55:16in order to build the new railway.
0:55:16 > 0:55:19We've got 26 miles of tunnels to construct,
0:55:19 > 0:55:23so it's really important to us that it goes to a good project with good,
0:55:23 > 0:55:27solid environmental credentials and the timing with the RSPB was perfect.
0:55:27 > 0:55:29But you are not just dumping all the soil, are you?
0:55:29 > 0:55:32There is a master plan, there is sculpting going on.
0:55:32 > 0:55:35That's right, we're creating high areas, low areas, channels
0:55:35 > 0:55:38and creeks which will allow the water to come in
0:55:38 > 0:55:40and flood naturally in and out in a tidal exchange.
0:55:40 > 0:55:43And it creates different types of habitat, so we'll get
0:55:43 > 0:55:46different types of birds and creatures wanting to live here.
0:55:46 > 0:55:48We have places for people to walk,
0:55:48 > 0:55:50a network of footpaths will be created,
0:55:50 > 0:55:52it will be a great attraction.
0:55:52 > 0:55:55But what about creatures displaced by the flood water?
0:55:55 > 0:56:00Well, RSPB volunteers are already creating alternative habitats
0:56:00 > 0:56:04for all sorts, from common lizards to voles and oil beetles.
0:56:06 > 0:56:10- Afternoon, this looks like hard work.- It is.- What are you up to?
0:56:10 > 0:56:12We've had a team today cutting this
0:56:12 > 0:56:15and we are raking it up to help encourage the oil beetles.
0:56:15 > 0:56:17- Oil beetles are quite rare though. - They are, yeah.
0:56:17 > 0:56:18They tend to live in the thatch
0:56:18 > 0:56:20although they do lay their eggs elsewhere.
0:56:20 > 0:56:23They live down there, so doing this helps encourage them.
0:56:23 > 0:56:26- Fantastic.- And helps encourage the birds and everything else.
0:56:26 > 0:56:27- Well, I won't stop you.- Thank you.
0:56:27 > 0:56:30- You're doing good work. - Thank you very much, thank you.
0:56:33 > 0:56:37It's very noisy, this one!
0:56:37 > 0:56:40- Hello! How are you getting on? - Hello!
0:56:40 > 0:56:43- What are you doing, Baker boy?- Eh? That's better, go on?
0:56:43 > 0:56:46- What are you doing here? - Well, you know me and power tools.
0:56:46 > 0:56:47You just can't resist, can you?
0:56:47 > 0:56:50I know, I've done about 300 metres, what do you think?
0:56:50 > 0:56:53As usual, very, very good work. I can never fault your tidiness.
0:56:53 > 0:56:57- That's a dream for a basking lizard, that.- I'm sure it is.
0:56:57 > 0:57:00That is it from Essex. Next week we are going to be partying hard
0:57:00 > 0:57:03in the Countryfile style. We're having a country fair.
0:57:03 > 0:57:06And we're going to be joined by 250 lucky viewers who have
0:57:06 > 0:57:08bagged themselves tickets for the whole event
0:57:08 > 0:57:10down on Adam's farm in the Cotswolds.
0:57:10 > 0:57:11Yes, cos it's our 25th anniversary
0:57:11 > 0:57:13so we're going to be having a nice party,
0:57:13 > 0:57:16celebrating with viewers and digging through the archives
0:57:16 > 0:57:17looking back at some of the best bits.
0:57:17 > 0:57:20Are you wearing that posh tweed that you wore for Prince Charles?
0:57:20 > 0:57:21No, I'm wearing an apron,
0:57:21 > 0:57:24because I've been doing some cooking for you.
0:57:24 > 0:57:26- Main course or dessert?- You know me, sweet tooth, always pudding.
0:57:26 > 0:57:29- All right then, sweetie, let's say goodbye.- BOTH: Bye-bye.
0:57:49 > 0:57:53Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd