0:00:28 > 0:00:31All over Herefordshire, the orchards burst with fruit.
0:00:35 > 0:00:38The boughs hang heavy with apples...
0:00:38 > 0:00:40and pears, but we are not going to eat the pears
0:00:40 > 0:00:42that we are picking today, because they are used to make
0:00:42 > 0:00:45a drink that some say is even better than cider.
0:00:46 > 0:00:48Thank you very much.
0:00:48 > 0:00:50I mean, it is Sunday night, Countryfile's on, why not?
0:00:50 > 0:00:52Mmm.
0:00:52 > 0:00:53Oh, yeah, that is good.
0:00:54 > 0:00:57Anita's stepping back in time.
0:00:57 > 0:01:00"September 1st, 1939.
0:01:00 > 0:01:04"Trimmed hedge by lane, turned and hauled load of hay from X Way.
0:01:04 > 0:01:06"Germany invades Poland."
0:01:08 > 0:01:10Tom's at sea with the Border Force,
0:01:10 > 0:01:13investigating exploitation of fishing workers.
0:01:14 > 0:01:18This new Modern Slavery Act means they are taking this issue
0:01:18 > 0:01:21very seriously. There's proof right there.
0:01:23 > 0:01:26And Adam's on hand to witness a different kind of harvest.
0:01:27 > 0:01:30We're cutting bracken to make this. This is a brackette,
0:01:30 > 0:01:33and it's ideal for log burners and open fires.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36It's amazing that you can take this old bracken and make it into
0:01:36 > 0:01:38a fuel that heats up a roaring fire.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41And, in fact, on a day like today I'm going to need a fire tonight!
0:01:50 > 0:01:54Herefordshire - a largely rural county.
0:01:54 > 0:01:57A land that is the very definition of fruitful.
0:01:59 > 0:02:02Herefordshire is bordered by Wales to the west and sandwiched
0:02:02 > 0:02:04between Shropshire to the north
0:02:04 > 0:02:06and Gloucestershire to the south.
0:02:09 > 0:02:13Famed for its apple orchards, there is a fruit more highly prized still.
0:02:15 > 0:02:18Oh, yes. I am talking about pears. And not just any pears.
0:02:18 > 0:02:22Now, these are not meant for eating. They are grown to make perry.
0:02:22 > 0:02:24Herefordshire's gift to the world.
0:02:26 > 0:02:29Perry is the proper name for pear cider.
0:02:29 > 0:02:33And here in Herefordshire, they make more than anywhere else.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36The finest is said to be made from pairs grown
0:02:36 > 0:02:38in sight of the fabled May Hill.
0:02:43 > 0:02:45Westons, the cider makers,
0:02:45 > 0:02:48are the only large-scale producer of traditional perry.
0:02:52 > 0:02:54It's been made at Bounds Farm, Much Marcle
0:02:54 > 0:02:56for more than a century.
0:03:00 > 0:03:04Well, isn't this just the most beautiful, mellow farmhouse?
0:03:04 > 0:03:06And you would think from the front that not much had changed
0:03:06 > 0:03:10since Henry Weston first came here in 1878.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13Mind you, if he could look out of his back bedroom these days,
0:03:13 > 0:03:15he'd certainly be in for a shock.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22Three generations on, the family continues Henry's business,
0:03:22 > 0:03:24but these days on a much bigger scale,
0:03:24 > 0:03:27making and selling all the perry they can.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35Oh, lovely! Look at that batch!
0:03:35 > 0:03:38Beautiful. What a lovely sight.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41Well, I think you can't quite believe,
0:03:41 > 0:03:44- and it always amazes me, how many there are!- Yeah!
0:03:44 > 0:03:47Yeah, you think of a bag of pears in a supermarket or a greengrocers...
0:03:47 > 0:03:49- Yes.- And then you see that many pears at once.
0:03:49 > 0:03:51It never fails to impress me.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54Well, you've obviously got a massive production site here,
0:03:54 > 0:03:57but how big a part is perry of what you do here?
0:03:57 > 0:04:00Well, this year we're looking to process over 30,000 metric
0:04:00 > 0:04:02- tonnes of fruits.- Are you really?
0:04:02 > 0:04:06And, of that, if we get 400 tonnes of perry pears we'll be happy,
0:04:06 > 0:04:08so it's a very, very small part,
0:04:08 > 0:04:11but a very, very precious part of our business.
0:04:11 > 0:04:13Absolutely.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16Perry's, perry pear's a very special part of Herefordshire,
0:04:16 > 0:04:18but it is less than 1% of our production.
0:04:19 > 0:04:22'A third of the pears are grown right here.
0:04:22 > 0:04:24'The rest are bought ripe each autumn from
0:04:24 > 0:04:26'local farmers ike Steve Leighton,
0:04:26 > 0:04:29'who's planted perry pear trees especially to meet this demand.'
0:04:33 > 0:04:34- This is the first time...- Is it?
0:04:34 > 0:04:38..on a commercial orchard. We planted seven acres, five years ago,
0:04:38 > 0:04:41- so we're just getting up to production now.- Wow.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44- Exciting times, then, for you. - Yes, going well, yeah.
0:04:44 > 0:04:46Well, you've done a good job with this lot.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49'And after all that effort, it's key for growers like Steve to
0:04:49 > 0:04:52'deliver the perry pears at just the right time.'
0:04:53 > 0:04:55How urgent is this process,
0:04:55 > 0:04:57because they don't really keep that well, do they, perry pears?
0:04:57 > 0:04:58Absolutely not.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01- We need 20 tonnes before we can start the pressing process.- Yeah.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04But with pears in particular we really need to process them
0:05:04 > 0:05:05as quickly as possible.
0:05:05 > 0:05:06Apples will last a bit longer,
0:05:06 > 0:05:10but the pears we'll process pretty much as soon as we get them.
0:05:12 > 0:05:16'These special perry pears would make your mouth pucker if you tried
0:05:16 > 0:05:19'to eat them, but once the fruit juice is fermented and matured,
0:05:19 > 0:05:21'it makes a flavoursome drink.
0:05:24 > 0:05:29'The alchemy of maturing this perry takes six months in oak casks,
0:05:29 > 0:05:31'but not just any old casks.'
0:05:34 > 0:05:38- It's... It is mind-blowing.- It is.
0:05:38 > 0:05:40It is potentially the largest collection of oak vats,
0:05:40 > 0:05:42not barrels, in the world.
0:05:42 > 0:05:45- Is that right?- Yeah. - Well, it doesn't surprise me.
0:05:46 > 0:05:50- What a sight this is.- This is the highest point in the main vat shed.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53- Right.- And we're standing on top of Squeak.- This is Squeak?
0:05:53 > 0:05:55- This is Squeak.- Named Squeak? OK.
0:05:55 > 0:05:59Yeah, all the vats have names. The three oldest down here are
0:05:59 > 0:06:01Hereford, Gloucester and Worcester.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04And Henry Weston bought those second-hand in 1880.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07- It's a super display.- Oh, yeah. - I mean, you feel it, don't you?
0:06:07 > 0:06:08You really do feel the character
0:06:08 > 0:06:10- of the liquid that's in here. - Absolutely, yeah.
0:06:13 > 0:06:15'And talking of characters,
0:06:15 > 0:06:17'later I'm going to be meeting the perry fanatic on
0:06:17 > 0:06:21'a one-man crusade to put authentic pear cider back on the map.'
0:06:24 > 0:06:28For centuries, we've been known as a seafaring nation -
0:06:28 > 0:06:31harvesting our seas as we have done our land.
0:06:31 > 0:06:32But at what cost?
0:06:32 > 0:06:33Here's Tom.
0:06:40 > 0:06:43Our coastal waters - mighty and dramatic,
0:06:43 > 0:06:46and for some a truly formidable place of work.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49Generations of men and women have toiled here,
0:06:49 > 0:06:53bringing ashore all manner of foods from the deep.
0:06:53 > 0:06:55But for a few at the margins of the fishing industry,
0:06:55 > 0:06:57it's not just hard work.
0:06:57 > 0:06:59It's exploitation.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02Some of the people who actually catch this fish
0:07:02 > 0:07:04live and work in appalling conditions.
0:07:04 > 0:07:08Unsafe, untrained, sometimes unpaid.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11In effect, treated like slaves.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15Shocking words, but they're not mine.
0:07:15 > 0:07:19It's seen as such a serious problem, a new law has been passed -
0:07:19 > 0:07:21the Modern Slavery Act.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25Some 12,000 people work on UK fishing boats.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28About one in ten come from outside Europe.
0:07:28 > 0:07:32And it's these sometimes low-paid foreign workers who can be
0:07:32 > 0:07:34at risk of exploitation.
0:07:35 > 0:07:39Everyone knows that working to catch fish is
0:07:39 > 0:07:42a tough job and not always the best paid.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45But this is something much more sinister.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51Out on the high seas, it's easy for promises of good pay and
0:07:51 > 0:07:55a decent job to vanish, leaving people in dangerous conditions
0:07:55 > 0:07:57working for almost nothing.
0:07:58 > 0:08:02I'm meeting three men who have experienced just that, first-hand.
0:08:09 > 0:08:12- You worked 24 hours...? - Yes.- In one go?- Yes.
0:08:12 > 0:08:14'They are all Filipinos.
0:08:14 > 0:08:17'Their case is still under investigation and because of
0:08:17 > 0:08:22'past threats of violence, they've asked us not to show their faces.'
0:08:22 > 0:08:24Do you get any rest after that?
0:08:27 > 0:08:31- 24 hours, one hour...? - One hour, two hours, again.
0:08:31 > 0:08:33It's continue.
0:08:33 > 0:08:38You said you were treated like animals. Was the captain aggressive?
0:08:38 > 0:08:41- Yes.- Was there a threat of violence?- Yes.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50Were you free to leave the ship when you were in port?
0:08:55 > 0:08:57Did you feel like a slave?
0:09:00 > 0:09:04'The men found themselves trapped in an unseen corner
0:09:04 > 0:09:07'of the fishing industry where abuse was commonplace.'
0:09:07 > 0:09:10They were rescued by the Apostle Ship of the Sea,
0:09:10 > 0:09:12a church-based charity.
0:09:12 > 0:09:16Roger Stone is a chaplain who's witnessed exploitation.
0:09:16 > 0:09:20In the 21st century in the UK, why is this happening?
0:09:20 > 0:09:23In most ports around the country,
0:09:23 > 0:09:27ships come alongside to berths which are behind security fences,
0:09:27 > 0:09:29so the general public has no access,
0:09:29 > 0:09:32so it's only from a sort of privileged position of
0:09:32 > 0:09:36working for a charity like us that we're able to go on ships and
0:09:36 > 0:09:39spend time talking to the crew and find out what's going on.
0:09:39 > 0:09:41When you go on ships and see some of these conditions,
0:09:41 > 0:09:45- what's the worst thing you've seen? - It's a combination of factors.
0:09:45 > 0:09:49Some people work really long hours, maybe 100, 120 hours a week,
0:09:49 > 0:09:54sometimes for very little money or sometimes for no money.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57Very poor accommodation on board. And lack of provisions.
0:09:57 > 0:10:01Either no food or no water or running very low,
0:10:01 > 0:10:05or they can only eat what they catch, for example.
0:10:05 > 0:10:08When all those factors come together, there's only one word
0:10:08 > 0:10:12that describes what's really going on on a ship and that is slavery.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15How did it feel when you were free? What did that feel like?
0:10:22 > 0:10:25- It was like getting out of jail? - Yes, yes.
0:10:25 > 0:10:28- Really? You're all nodding at that. - Mm-hm.
0:10:29 > 0:10:33'Happily, these men were supported by the Salvation Army and now
0:10:33 > 0:10:35'have legitimate jobs.'
0:10:35 > 0:10:39But the charity says that right now, today, there could be scores
0:10:39 > 0:10:42more like them, being exploited on UK fishing boats.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45So, how has this been allowed to happen
0:10:45 > 0:10:48and what is the industry doing about it?
0:10:48 > 0:10:50Libby Woodhatch is from Seafish,
0:10:50 > 0:10:53which represents and promotes UK fishing.
0:10:53 > 0:10:57Do you acknowledge that there is a problem in some fishing boats
0:10:57 > 0:10:59with, in effect, slave labour?
0:10:59 > 0:11:01I think slave labour's quite a strong word.
0:11:01 > 0:11:04We need to look at perhaps labour abuses, but focus on the fact
0:11:04 > 0:11:09that it's one or two vessels potentially out of a large fleet.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12If you need five or six crew and you can't find that locally,
0:11:12 > 0:11:14then you want reliable labour.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17Particularly other countries, like the Philippines,
0:11:17 > 0:11:19provide highly skilled men and without them,
0:11:19 > 0:11:22the fleet wouldn't be able to operate and because it's a dangerous
0:11:22 > 0:11:25job, you want people who know exactly what they're doing,
0:11:25 > 0:11:27you want people handling the product correctly.
0:11:27 > 0:11:29There's nothing wrong with migrant labour,
0:11:29 > 0:11:33- as long as they're being adequately paid and treated fairly.- Absolutely.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36And safely. And I still wonder what the industry's doing to make sure
0:11:36 > 0:11:39- that's the case.- The industry initially, in the early days,
0:11:39 > 0:11:42created its own code of conduct for non-EAA labour,
0:11:42 > 0:11:45which ensured that you had the right conditions on board,
0:11:45 > 0:11:48that the people were looked after and paid, and as a carry-on from
0:11:48 > 0:11:51that, we have something called the Seafish Responsible Fishing Scheme.
0:11:51 > 0:11:53There are five key criteria and one of those is health,
0:11:53 > 0:11:55safety and welfare.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58We want to make sure that the conditions are right on board
0:11:58 > 0:12:00the boat, that they are being paid, they have a right to be there,
0:12:00 > 0:12:04they have freedom of movement, they can get on and off the boat,
0:12:04 > 0:12:07they have the right contracts, so the Responsible Fishing Scheme,
0:12:07 > 0:12:09it gives assurances.
0:12:09 > 0:12:13Even if exploitation is only happening on the fringes of
0:12:13 > 0:12:16the industry, it's something the Government says must be stopped.
0:12:16 > 0:12:20And later in the programme, I'll be joining the Border Force,
0:12:20 > 0:12:22as they use new powers to do just that.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27This new Modern Slavery Act means they're taking this issue
0:12:27 > 0:12:29very seriously.
0:12:29 > 0:12:31It's proof right there.
0:12:36 > 0:12:40Sweeping ridges and steep-sided valleys.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43This part of Herefordshire, near the border with Wales,
0:12:43 > 0:12:46is a quiet corner of a quiet county.
0:12:46 > 0:12:50It's as though time has stood still here and it feels like things
0:12:50 > 0:12:52haven't changed for decades
0:12:52 > 0:12:55and the spirits of a bygone era are all around.
0:12:57 > 0:12:59"Fed some cattle, ploughed corner field.
0:12:59 > 0:13:03"Farther hedging, carried fern for horse and cattle.
0:13:03 > 0:13:06"Put my cow back in her old place and little cow was put by her
0:13:06 > 0:13:09"in wild one's place."
0:13:09 > 0:13:12Those words were written by a farmer, Alfred Price,
0:13:12 > 0:13:16and the place he was talking about is right here, all around me.
0:13:17 > 0:13:19This is Birches Farm.
0:13:21 > 0:13:26Alfred was born in 1908 and farmed these 60 acres in the same
0:13:26 > 0:13:29traditional way for his entire life.
0:13:29 > 0:13:32The modern world seemed to pass him by,
0:13:32 > 0:13:36as he faithfully recorded each and every day in diaries spanning
0:13:36 > 0:13:38more than 70 years.
0:13:38 > 0:13:41These diaries are a haul of treasure.
0:13:41 > 0:13:45This is where Alfred has kept the minute details of his routine
0:13:45 > 0:13:48farming life. And I'll give you an example.
0:13:48 > 0:13:51This is from one of his earlier diaries. 1930.
0:13:51 > 0:13:55It's January 29th and it's a Wednesday and he says,
0:13:55 > 0:13:58"Fed ewes and suckled calf before breakfast.
0:13:58 > 0:14:02"Fed and cleaned cattle and horses out after breakfast.
0:14:02 > 0:14:06"Hauled three loads of manure from bullock's door and one from
0:14:06 > 0:14:11"inside and brought four loads of swedes back in barn.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14"Done cattle, and pulped them,
0:14:14 > 0:14:18"had tea, suckled calf and finished up work by 6.30."
0:14:18 > 0:14:19What a day's work.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22And then, January 30th, the following morning,
0:14:22 > 0:14:24he starts with, "Same as yesterday."
0:14:24 > 0:14:27And something that stands out for me, which I found
0:14:27 > 0:14:30particularly interesting, gives us an insight into the age.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33It says, "Went down to Guild at night,
0:14:33 > 0:14:36"the topic of discussion was - should boys do housework?"
0:14:36 > 0:14:38Well, I hope things have moved on a little bit since then.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41But looking at all of these, all I want to know is, Alfred,
0:14:41 > 0:14:43where's the juicy gossip about your personal life?
0:14:43 > 0:14:48Well, there is one entry, thank you, from 1942 about his future wife,
0:14:48 > 0:14:52Winnie, and it says, "Received a lovely smile from W."
0:14:54 > 0:14:59And then, there's this entry. From September 1st, 1939.
0:14:59 > 0:15:04"Trimmed hedge by lane. Turned and hauled load of hay from X Way.
0:15:04 > 0:15:07"Germany invades Poland."
0:15:07 > 0:15:09Even the outbreak of the Second World War is
0:15:09 > 0:15:12no more significant to Alfred than hauling a load of hay.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18During the war, many farmers were encouraged to plough
0:15:18 > 0:15:20a pasture to grow food.
0:15:20 > 0:15:25But Birches Farm was too hilly, so Alfred carried on just as before,
0:15:25 > 0:15:27as those who knew him well remember.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33- Hello, Jimmy.- Hello. - How does it feel, being back here?
0:15:33 > 0:15:36Amazing, actually. It really is very, very nice.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39It's about ten years since I've been here.
0:15:39 > 0:15:4272-year-old Jimmy Morgan was a labourer here and is
0:15:42 > 0:15:45mentioned often in Alfred's diaries.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48How old were you when you started working with Alfred?
0:15:48 > 0:15:50I was about ten, I think.
0:15:50 > 0:15:51- Yeah.- What was he like?
0:15:51 > 0:15:55He was the sort of man who would never ever ever
0:15:55 > 0:15:56criticise anybody else.
0:15:56 > 0:16:01He was a lovely man. And I think I was the son he never had. Basically.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04He didn't believe in fertiliser out of the bag,
0:16:04 > 0:16:08but I can't remember him ever using fertiliser, actually.
0:16:08 > 0:16:12I know I tried very hard to get him to put water tanks in.
0:16:12 > 0:16:17- Just basically, he didn't want the bother.- Why do you think that was?
0:16:17 > 0:16:19Why do you think he did things that way?
0:16:19 > 0:16:21Well, he didn't have a mortgage.
0:16:23 > 0:16:27That was the reason. He didn't really have to make a lot of money.
0:16:27 > 0:16:31- Just enough to live.- Lucky him. - Very lucky him, yeah.
0:16:34 > 0:16:35And lucky for us too.
0:16:35 > 0:16:39Alfred's refusal to keep step with changing trends in farming
0:16:39 > 0:16:41has had an unexpected bonus.
0:16:43 > 0:16:47It's because Alfred didn't want or need to modernise the farm, it's
0:16:47 > 0:16:51because he didn't have to introduce intensive methods and use
0:16:51 > 0:16:56pesticides and fertilisers that this land has a very special quality.
0:16:58 > 0:17:02The farm is rich in wildlife and wild flowers and is now owned
0:17:02 > 0:17:04by the Herefordshire Wildlife Trust.
0:17:04 > 0:17:08Jim Light manages it in exactly the same way that Alfred Price did.
0:17:11 > 0:17:14- Hi, Jim.- Hello.- What are you up to?
0:17:14 > 0:17:17- We're just stacking some hay. - And is this ordinary hay?
0:17:17 > 0:17:20This is no ordinary hay.
0:17:20 > 0:17:24We've got around 30 species, say, in this,
0:17:24 > 0:17:28whereas your sort of lay pastures would have seven or eight.
0:17:28 > 0:17:31It's not just grass, it's things like birdsfoot trefoil,
0:17:31 > 0:17:34- orchids, other bits and pieces. - Which is all in the hay.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37Which is all in the hay, which all gets fed to the cattle here,
0:17:37 > 0:17:40which then comes out the rear end and goes back on the farm.
0:17:40 > 0:17:42Exactly as it would have been done 100 years ago.
0:17:42 > 0:17:44Exactly as it would have been 100 years ago.
0:17:44 > 0:17:46You smell this, you'll smell summer.
0:17:47 > 0:17:48- Oh!- It's fantastic.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51It's lovely and green, you can see the difference species.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54- We've got yellow rattle in here. - It's fragrant.
0:17:54 > 0:17:55It's fantastic.
0:17:55 > 0:18:00My analogy is that the silage that you get on farms nowadays,
0:18:00 > 0:18:02it's like going to any fast food outlet.
0:18:02 > 0:18:05But eating this is like coming home to mum for a Sunday lunch.
0:18:05 > 0:18:06Oh, wow. That's nice.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09And how important are Alfred's diaries?
0:18:09 > 0:18:11Oh, fantastically important.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14We've actually got his cattle movements,
0:18:14 > 0:18:17what he was doing on a day-to-day basis and that will inform
0:18:17 > 0:18:20the management of this site from now until the future.
0:18:25 > 0:18:31"Mostly cloudy. John came. Lit Rayburn. John went to town.
0:18:31 > 0:18:36"Paid my papers and put £300 in bank for me. Came over. Fire up again."
0:18:37 > 0:18:41And that's the last entry, apart from this, two days later,
0:18:41 > 0:18:43that just says, "Pay milk."
0:18:43 > 0:18:47You can see his writing is pretty much illegible and
0:18:47 > 0:18:51over the previous few entries, he'd spoken about not feeling too well.
0:18:51 > 0:18:53And then, the entries stop.
0:18:58 > 0:19:00They're just the plain writings of an ordinary man,
0:19:00 > 0:19:04but the diaries of Alfred Price offer us a rare glimpse into our
0:19:04 > 0:19:07agricultural past and, just maybe,
0:19:07 > 0:19:09a hint to our farming future.
0:19:13 > 0:19:17It's harvest time all over Herefordshire.
0:19:17 > 0:19:22In the orchards, farmers are busy, getting in nature's bounty.
0:19:22 > 0:19:27Pears to make perry and apples for cider.
0:19:27 > 0:19:29The trees here are dripping with fruit.
0:19:31 > 0:19:32Playing out behind me is
0:19:32 > 0:19:35a harvesting scene unchanged in centuries. But what may not
0:19:35 > 0:19:39be apparent from that is that elsewhere on this farm,
0:19:39 > 0:19:41they do things a little bit differently.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47This is Broom Farm in South Herefordshire.
0:19:47 > 0:19:5160 acres of orchards, ancient and modern,
0:19:51 > 0:19:54tended by third-generation cider maker Mike Johnson.
0:19:56 > 0:19:58Mike depends on a good crop of fruit,
0:19:58 > 0:20:02so orchard pests are an ever-present threat.
0:20:04 > 0:20:08We had a problem last year in the apple orchards with ermine moth
0:20:08 > 0:20:12cos they put these webs all over the trees and then
0:20:12 > 0:20:15the little black caterpillars would come out and eat the leaves
0:20:15 > 0:20:17- all round, go back in. - How much damage were they doing?
0:20:17 > 0:20:19They eat the leaves, do they, caterpillars?
0:20:19 > 0:20:21They eat the leaves and then, of course,
0:20:21 > 0:20:24the tree can't make the fruit bud for the blossom the following year.
0:20:24 > 0:20:28And I looked into how to treat it and I didn't want to do spraying,
0:20:28 > 0:20:32I just wasn't happy with spreading them all out in the environment,
0:20:32 > 0:20:35so I decided to make 100 bird boxes and spread
0:20:35 > 0:20:39them all round the farm and it seems to have worked.
0:20:40 > 0:20:42By inviting the birds to move in,
0:20:42 > 0:20:46Mike has seen the problem with caterpillars drop right off.
0:20:46 > 0:20:47Encouraged by this,
0:20:47 > 0:20:50he has further plans for nocturnal pest control too.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55It's just blue tits and great tits in these boxes?
0:20:55 > 0:20:58Apart from one, when we were checking them out,
0:20:58 > 0:21:02- there was a bat in one of them, so we left that alone.- Oh, wow!
0:21:02 > 0:21:04- And next year's project is bat boxes.- Yeah.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07Well, the blue tits, the great tits eat the caterpillars.
0:21:07 > 0:21:09- The bats will go after the moths themselves.- Yeah.
0:21:09 > 0:21:11That's what I was thinking.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24But just how effective are the birds at dealing with Mike's pests?
0:21:26 > 0:21:30That's what PhD student Charlotte Selvy is finding out.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33And she has a really novel method,
0:21:33 > 0:21:36using camera traps and modelling clay.
0:21:38 > 0:21:41Charlotte, what have you got here? What is going on?
0:21:41 > 0:21:44I've got some modelling clay caterpillars,
0:21:44 > 0:21:48so I'm going to be putting these on the different parts of the tree
0:21:48 > 0:21:51and I stick them on and then leave the camera trap on
0:21:51 > 0:21:55for 24 hours and I come back and see if any birds have pecked them.
0:21:55 > 0:21:58So are these caterpillars supposed to look like any particular
0:21:58 > 0:21:59- caterpillars?- Yeah.
0:21:59 > 0:22:04So these ones are supposed to look like tortrix moth caterpillars.
0:22:04 > 0:22:08So you might get different blue tits or great tits coming along
0:22:08 > 0:22:12and they'd leave a little peck mark and then that would be an indication
0:22:12 > 0:22:14to me that there's been a predation attempt.
0:22:14 > 0:22:16So this is what it looks like when a bird's had a go.
0:22:16 > 0:22:18So there are different types of marks.
0:22:18 > 0:22:21That one's just like a little peck mark, so they've just been
0:22:21 > 0:22:23tasting it, really, to see if it is actually food or not.
0:22:23 > 0:22:27- Very light, very gentle and very kind of clean and sharp.- Yes.
0:22:27 > 0:22:30- That one's more probing, so it's just kind of...- Speared it slightly.
0:22:30 > 0:22:31Speared it. Yeah.
0:22:31 > 0:22:35You really see the benefit of the soft modelling clay, don't you?
0:22:35 > 0:22:36- Yes.- Very clear, the marks.- Yeah.
0:22:36 > 0:22:39- That's a much bigger one, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42So it's kind of like a swipe that they've made with their beak there.
0:22:42 > 0:22:44And you've made quite a few of these?
0:22:44 > 0:22:47- I've made nearly 5,000 of them.- Wow!
0:22:47 > 0:22:51While Charlotte is looking solely at the biodiversity of apple
0:22:51 > 0:22:54orchards, her work may have wider significance for
0:22:54 > 0:22:57all fruit farmers battling pests.
0:22:59 > 0:23:01So, where am I going to put this? I've got my little kink in it.
0:23:01 > 0:23:03- You need some glue.- OK.
0:23:03 > 0:23:06This is where I end up being stuck to a tree for the rest of the day.
0:23:06 > 0:23:10It's quite good, this one, cos it doesn't run so much.
0:23:10 > 0:23:12- Just there?- Yeah.- Go on, stick.
0:23:12 > 0:23:14It's a bit dewy.
0:23:14 > 0:23:16Lovely. Yeah.
0:23:16 > 0:23:18Doesn't that look appetising?
0:23:18 > 0:23:23So the idea here is they're visible to birds nearby or flying around?
0:23:23 > 0:23:25Yeah, they don't have to be really visible.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28It's actually quite amazing that they find them.
0:23:28 > 0:23:32Over all of the orchard, there might just be 16 caterpillars and
0:23:32 > 0:23:35sometimes a bird finds those and will peck it.
0:23:35 > 0:23:38So I'm trying to see how much pest control they can actually do
0:23:38 > 0:23:39for the farmer's benefit.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42And how much that's worth to the farmer.
0:23:49 > 0:23:52And Mother Nature is coming to the rescue
0:23:52 > 0:23:54in other orchards on the farm.
0:23:54 > 0:23:57Mike's nephew Toby Lovell is using his flock of Shropshire sheep
0:23:57 > 0:24:00to help keep the orchards disease-free.
0:24:00 > 0:24:02Come on, then!
0:24:02 > 0:24:03Come on, come on, come on!
0:24:03 > 0:24:07Once the apples are picked, the sheep move in to clear up.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11And so all these leaves on the ground, some of these low
0:24:11 > 0:24:15growing leaves, that's what they're going to come in and clean up.
0:24:15 > 0:24:17Yeah, that's right. We hope that by clearing all the leaves,
0:24:17 > 0:24:21they'll reduce the environment for fungal spores to overwinter.
0:24:21 > 0:24:23It's win-win.
0:24:23 > 0:24:25The sheep get rich, fresh grazing
0:24:25 > 0:24:28and because they keep the grass down, there's no need to mow.
0:24:28 > 0:24:33And unlike other breeds, Shropshires don't eat the apple tree bark.
0:24:33 > 0:24:36That's why we chose the Shropshire breed.
0:24:36 > 0:24:40We learned that there was a demand for them in Scandinavia and France
0:24:40 > 0:24:43to graze in Christmas tree plantations and orchards and
0:24:43 > 0:24:45thought that we could try a similar thing here.
0:24:45 > 0:24:50And they're basically known to have a disposition to not eat the bark
0:24:50 > 0:24:51around the trunk of the trees.
0:24:51 > 0:24:54If they did sort of start eating away at the bark at the bottom,
0:24:54 > 0:24:58- that would basically kill the tree, wouldn't it?- Yeah, it would. Yeah.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05I'm really quite taken with what's going on here,
0:25:05 > 0:25:10using nature and natural processes to aid and maintain these orchards.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13It just kind of feels right, but actually,
0:25:13 > 0:25:17with Charlotte's research, very soon there'll be more than gut feeling.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20There'll actually be scientific evidence to show
0:25:20 > 0:25:22just how effective it is.
0:25:27 > 0:25:31Now, earlier, we heard how some unscrupulous fishing boat owners
0:25:31 > 0:25:34are treating foreign workers like slaves,
0:25:34 > 0:25:36so what's being done about it? Here's Tom.
0:25:41 > 0:25:45The UK fishing fleet employs about 12,000 people.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47One in ten are from outside Europe.
0:25:48 > 0:25:52Out at sea, these foreign workers can, in some extreme cases,
0:25:52 > 0:25:56be working untrained, unsafe and even unpaid.
0:25:56 > 0:26:00It's beginning to be recognised as a form of modern slavery and
0:26:00 > 0:26:02moves are under way to stop it.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08This is the Border Force cutter by the name of Searcher.
0:26:08 > 0:26:10Today, she's going to be patrolling
0:26:10 > 0:26:13the approaches to the English Channel off here in Penzance
0:26:13 > 0:26:15and we're going to be joining her.
0:26:15 > 0:26:19'This team from the UK Border Force are checking for rogue
0:26:19 > 0:26:22'fishing boat skippers who exploit workers.'
0:26:22 > 0:26:24This target's just under two miles away.
0:26:24 > 0:26:27And as you can see, there's no vis at all.
0:26:27 > 0:26:31'Graham Lindsay is using radar and tracking devices
0:26:31 > 0:26:32'to identify potential targets.'
0:26:34 > 0:26:37I've got a vis on the target. Sailing vessel. It's a yacht.
0:26:37 > 0:26:41'Private yachts can be used to traffic workers between
0:26:41 > 0:26:44'fishing boats, so even they come under scrutiny.
0:26:44 > 0:26:47'It's time to send in the boarding party.'
0:27:03 > 0:27:06Hello, Border Force. Customs and Immigration.
0:27:06 > 0:27:09We're going to come on board. We've got some questions, OK?
0:27:12 > 0:27:15My colleague's just going to have a quick look downstairs,
0:27:15 > 0:27:17make sure everything's OK, OK?
0:27:17 > 0:27:20On board the yacht, Graham and Andy search the living quarters
0:27:20 > 0:27:25for anyone who shouldn't be there and check the paperwork.
0:27:25 > 0:27:28I guess it's a bit of a surprise to some people to see
0:27:28 > 0:27:32a big boat looming out of the mist and then us approaching on this.
0:27:32 > 0:27:35They must feel a bit nervous. But if they've got nothing to hide,
0:27:35 > 0:27:39presumably they just think it's an entertaining variety in the day.
0:27:39 > 0:27:40Bye!
0:27:40 > 0:27:42Foreign nationals entering the UK,
0:27:42 > 0:27:45so we've been able to check that out.
0:27:45 > 0:27:49We'll run their identity cards through to our central offices
0:27:49 > 0:27:52and they'll be able to give them inward clearance.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55In this case, the holiday-makers get the all-clear
0:27:55 > 0:27:59and continue on their way, while we rejoin the mother ship.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03This Border Force team look impressive,
0:28:03 > 0:28:07but with so much open sea and so many fishing boats out there,
0:28:07 > 0:28:09is it literally a drop in the ocean?
0:28:10 > 0:28:11'Back on dry land,
0:28:11 > 0:28:15'I'm meeting the new Minister for Modern Slavery, MP Sarah Newton.'
0:28:15 > 0:28:18Can you tell me what's changed with the Modern Slavery Act,
0:28:18 > 0:28:20what can happen now that couldn't happen before?
0:28:20 > 0:28:25The aim is to give law enforcement all the tools that they need
0:28:25 > 0:28:29to find the perpetrators of this absolutely horrendous crime.
0:28:29 > 0:28:33They now have the powers to go on to a vessel where they suspect
0:28:33 > 0:28:36that there is trafficking or slavery.
0:28:36 > 0:28:40They can then take the people, take those victims into safety ashore.
0:28:40 > 0:28:44They can take the people who've committed these dreadful crimes
0:28:44 > 0:28:46into custody, into police stations, and then,
0:28:46 > 0:28:49obviously, go through their investigations from there.
0:28:49 > 0:28:52They couldn't do that without these maritime powers.
0:28:52 > 0:28:56If the Government is serious, I wonder when will exploited
0:28:56 > 0:29:00workers, like those I met earlier, see justice in the courts?
0:29:00 > 0:29:02These powers only came into force on August 8th,
0:29:02 > 0:29:04so we'll be keeping a very careful eye
0:29:04 > 0:29:06on how they are used and hope very much
0:29:06 > 0:29:09that there will be prosecutions arising from them.
0:29:13 > 0:29:16Back with the Border Force, we have a trawler in our sights.
0:29:18 > 0:29:21He's got the fishing gear out the back,
0:29:21 > 0:29:23which makes it an extra challenge getting on
0:29:23 > 0:29:27and also, as you can see, it's fairly choppy.
0:29:27 > 0:29:29Still, they're going to give it a go.
0:29:29 > 0:29:32'And this time, I'm with the team as they board the vessel.'
0:29:38 > 0:29:41Hi, I'm Tom, from Countryfile. Nice to see you.
0:29:41 > 0:29:44'Cornish skipper Mike Pengelly takes it in his stride.'
0:29:44 > 0:29:46How many crew have you got on board?
0:29:46 > 0:29:48There's three of us.
0:29:48 > 0:29:51Two is enough, but because I've got my two sons...
0:29:51 > 0:29:54You don't have any foreign crew on board,
0:29:54 > 0:29:57- as in EU or non-EU crew? - No. Never, no.
0:29:57 > 0:30:01- Have you ever employed or had to employ any...?- No, no.
0:30:01 > 0:30:02When we go on board,
0:30:02 > 0:30:05we're looking for foreign nationals, evidence of people
0:30:05 > 0:30:10living on the boat long-term and people that are maybe
0:30:10 > 0:30:13not too keen to speak to us for...
0:30:13 > 0:30:15for fear, maybe, of the skipper.
0:30:15 > 0:30:19Have you ever heard of people, you know, cutting corners a bit on crew?
0:30:19 > 0:30:21Well, perhaps, if they're not earning so much,
0:30:21 > 0:30:23where there might have been three hands,
0:30:23 > 0:30:25they might only do two hands now.
0:30:25 > 0:30:27How do you get your crew? How do you find them?
0:30:27 > 0:30:29I breed mine, I have my two sons!
0:30:29 > 0:30:31THEY LAUGH
0:30:31 > 0:30:34'We let Mike and his hard-working sons get on...'
0:30:34 > 0:30:35This is the tricky bit.
0:30:35 > 0:30:38'..but not before he gives me a steadying hand
0:30:38 > 0:30:39'back on to the Border Force rib.'
0:30:42 > 0:30:43Done it.
0:30:43 > 0:30:46'Campaigners say modern-day slavery
0:30:46 > 0:30:50'is a stain on the good name of our fishing industry.
0:30:50 > 0:30:54'Finding rogue skippers is like looking for a needle in a haystack,
0:30:54 > 0:30:57'but with their new stop-and-search powers,
0:30:57 > 0:31:01'vessels like this could help end slavery in our waters.'
0:31:09 > 0:31:12MATT: It's harvest time in Herefordshire,
0:31:12 > 0:31:14a county famed for its pears
0:31:14 > 0:31:17and the perry, or pear cider, made from them.
0:31:17 > 0:31:21'It's a drink loved by cider expert Gabe Cook.
0:31:21 > 0:31:24'He champions traditional farm perries
0:31:24 > 0:31:27'and the old-time pears that they're made from.'
0:31:28 > 0:31:32These are really old-fashioned varieties that have been grown
0:31:32 > 0:31:35in this area for centuries, for hundreds of years,
0:31:35 > 0:31:38for the specific purpose of making perry
0:31:38 > 0:31:40and what is really special for me
0:31:40 > 0:31:43is that these are varieties that are very much of this landscape.
0:31:43 > 0:31:46They are named after individual villages,
0:31:46 > 0:31:50sometimes they're named after individual farms and properties.
0:31:50 > 0:31:51You know, these are varieties
0:31:51 > 0:31:54that have the same points of difference as grapes do with wine,
0:31:54 > 0:31:57so they are all quite different and quite unique,
0:31:57 > 0:31:59with different flavours you can get from them.
0:32:01 > 0:32:04There is one special place of pilgrimage for Gabe -
0:32:04 > 0:32:06the grounds of a 12th-century manor
0:32:06 > 0:32:10and its spectacular avenue of rare and ancient pear trees,
0:32:10 > 0:32:14nursed in their dotage by gardener David Maddison.
0:32:16 > 0:32:19So, David, this is a pretty significant driveway
0:32:19 > 0:32:22- as far as perry pear trees are concerned.- Well, it is.
0:32:22 > 0:32:27For a start, it's historically significant. It was planted in 1710
0:32:27 > 0:32:30to commemorate the coronation of Queen Anne.
0:32:30 > 0:32:32- Right, wow! A long time ago, then. - A long time ago,
0:32:32 > 0:32:39which places some of our oldest trees at 360 years old.
0:32:39 > 0:32:42'Of all these rare varieties,
0:32:42 > 0:32:45'there's one in this avenue that is the Holy Grail -
0:32:45 > 0:32:49'the only mature Water Lugg pear tree surviving on the planet.'
0:32:52 > 0:32:55This... This is a bit of living history right here.
0:32:55 > 0:32:58It's really important that the likes of the team here,
0:32:58 > 0:33:01David and co, do take cuttings to propagate
0:33:01 > 0:33:03so that the genetics...
0:33:03 > 0:33:07this variety can continue to exist, because it will get lost.
0:33:07 > 0:33:09Yeah, and it may look a little bit worse for wear,
0:33:09 > 0:33:10but to be fair, very impressive
0:33:10 > 0:33:13that it's still delivering fruit. I mean, look at that!
0:33:13 > 0:33:17Absolutely, it is quite magnificent and huge and still fruiting
0:33:17 > 0:33:19and, you know, perry is still made from it.
0:33:19 > 0:33:23Surely there's as much conservation and biodiversity value
0:33:23 > 0:33:27in saving this variety of pear tree as with an animal, you know,
0:33:27 > 0:33:31it really is an important part of the ecosystem
0:33:31 > 0:33:33and of our natural flora
0:33:33 > 0:33:36and it's really important to hang onto it.
0:33:36 > 0:33:38'This ancient tree is spared
0:33:38 > 0:33:41'the rough-and-tumble of the commercial pear harvest.'
0:33:46 > 0:33:48In modern orchards, it's done by machinery...
0:33:55 > 0:33:58'..but the traditional way involves a panking pole.'
0:33:58 > 0:34:01You just have to do that with one hand and the other one...
0:34:01 > 0:34:03I just got one right on the end of the nose!
0:34:03 > 0:34:05HE LAUGHS
0:34:05 > 0:34:07'It's a bit of a headache, to be honest.'
0:34:07 > 0:34:10GABE CHUCKLES HEARTILY I just got a beauty!
0:34:10 > 0:34:13I just got an absolute beauty.
0:34:14 > 0:34:17Not always the easiest of jobs,
0:34:17 > 0:34:20but absolutely crucial to next year's vintage.
0:34:21 > 0:34:25'Well, as they say, no pain, no gain.
0:34:25 > 0:34:28'Later, I'm going to be pressing these to make perry.
0:34:28 > 0:34:30'Just need a few more to fill the sack.'
0:34:30 > 0:34:33Here's that panking pole. Watch your heads, everyone.
0:34:35 > 0:34:38Oh! What do you know?!
0:34:39 > 0:34:40Hey, it's that reminder time, look.
0:34:40 > 0:34:43It's the Countryfile calendar, sold in aid of Children In Need
0:34:43 > 0:34:45and if you haven't got your hands on one yet,
0:34:45 > 0:34:47here's John with all the details.
0:34:47 > 0:34:51It costs £9.50 including free UK delivery.
0:34:51 > 0:34:53You can go to our website,
0:34:53 > 0:34:56where you'll find a link to the order page,
0:34:56 > 0:34:59or you can phone the order line on...
0:35:06 > 0:35:08If you'd prefer to order by post,
0:35:08 > 0:35:11then send your name, address and a cheque to...
0:35:23 > 0:35:27A minimum of £4 from the sale of each calendar
0:35:27 > 0:35:30will be donated to BBC Children In Need.
0:35:40 > 0:35:44Our breathtaking countryside never stops working for us.
0:35:44 > 0:35:48For farmers, each season brings something new.
0:35:52 > 0:35:54This week, Adam is finding out about a harvest
0:35:54 > 0:35:57that is quite literally turning up the heat
0:35:57 > 0:36:00with an invasive plant that was a feature of our landscape
0:36:00 > 0:36:02well before farming took hold.
0:36:07 > 0:36:10Most of our countryside was once woodland.
0:36:10 > 0:36:14It's been cleared over thousands of years to make way for farmland.
0:36:14 > 0:36:15It's as simple as that.
0:36:18 > 0:36:21We work the land hard to put food on our tables,
0:36:21 > 0:36:25so it's important for farmers to manage the countryside responsibly.
0:36:27 > 0:36:29I set aside 50 acres for wildlife
0:36:29 > 0:36:33to ensure farming and nature thrive side-by-side,
0:36:33 > 0:36:36but not all species are welcome on the farm,
0:36:36 > 0:36:39especially those that can have fatal consequences.
0:36:39 > 0:36:40Believe it or not,
0:36:40 > 0:36:46there is actually a Weed Act of 1959 and it specifies five weeds -
0:36:46 > 0:36:49common ragwort, spear thistle, creeping thistle
0:36:49 > 0:36:51and a couple of types of dock -
0:36:51 > 0:36:55and it requires landowners to take action as may be required
0:36:55 > 0:36:57to prevent the spread of the weeds.
0:37:00 > 0:37:01And I'm doing just that.
0:37:03 > 0:37:07Ragwort has always been quite bad on this part of the farm,
0:37:07 > 0:37:10despite our best efforts, and it produces these yellow flowers
0:37:10 > 0:37:12from July to about now
0:37:12 > 0:37:16and it's very poisonous, particularly to cattle and horses.
0:37:16 > 0:37:19They tend to avoid it when it's in its green state like this,
0:37:19 > 0:37:21but if it gets mown and ends up in hay,
0:37:21 > 0:37:24it can have a serious effect on their liver.
0:37:24 > 0:37:27And although it's not against the law to have it on your farm,
0:37:27 > 0:37:28if you end up with too much,
0:37:28 > 0:37:31the government can come in and make you remove it,
0:37:31 > 0:37:32but as a responsible farmer,
0:37:32 > 0:37:34it's sensible to try and get rid of it on your own land
0:37:34 > 0:37:37and to stop it blowing onto your neighbours'
0:37:37 > 0:37:39so the best way to do that is to pull it by hand
0:37:39 > 0:37:40to get the whole root system.
0:37:44 > 0:37:45And you have to wear gloves
0:37:45 > 0:37:49because the sap from the plant can cause damage to my liver too.
0:37:52 > 0:37:53Here!
0:38:00 > 0:38:02Other plants on the Weed Act
0:38:02 > 0:38:06are ones many farmers have problems with, like thistles.
0:38:08 > 0:38:10Thistles pop up all over the farm,
0:38:10 > 0:38:13in the arable fields and in the pastures like this.
0:38:13 > 0:38:14They are a really robust plant,
0:38:14 > 0:38:18with prickles all over them that prevent animals from eating them.
0:38:18 > 0:38:20They've got a very clever reproduction system,
0:38:20 > 0:38:23that they will go under the ground in roots and then pop up
0:38:23 > 0:38:26all over the place and when they flower and go into the seed,
0:38:26 > 0:38:29the seed will just blow on the wind and go all over the farm.
0:38:29 > 0:38:33Despite our best efforts, it's a never-ending battle.
0:38:37 > 0:38:42Another invasive species that has ancient roots is bracken.
0:38:42 > 0:38:47Fossil records suggest that it dates back around 55 million years.
0:38:47 > 0:38:50It has adapted to survive all over the world.
0:38:50 > 0:38:54There are 2.5 million acres growing wild across Britain
0:38:54 > 0:38:58and, in some parts of the country, it's a major problem.
0:39:00 > 0:39:03I've come to the Mendips in Somerset to meet Les Davies.
0:39:03 > 0:39:06He knows all about this intrusive plant.
0:39:06 > 0:39:10- Hi, Les.- Hi, Adam.- Lovely spot, shame about the weather!
0:39:10 > 0:39:12Well, Mendip sunshine!
0:39:12 > 0:39:15Now, as a warden here, how much of a problem was this bracken,
0:39:15 > 0:39:16because it is everywhere, isn't it?
0:39:16 > 0:39:19Yeah, I was Mendip Warden up until about 2009
0:39:19 > 0:39:21and this was a real, real problem here.
0:39:21 > 0:39:23It's just totally invasive.
0:39:23 > 0:39:26And then how does it develop, how does it grow and sort of encroach?
0:39:26 > 0:39:27It's got a root system underneath
0:39:27 > 0:39:29that the shoots actually come up from,
0:39:29 > 0:39:32so what it's doing, it's creeping forward all the time
0:39:32 > 0:39:35and it's throwing the shoots up and this is like...
0:39:35 > 0:39:40almost like, I suppose, an ice floe that gradually moves forward,
0:39:40 > 0:39:41like a glacier.
0:39:41 > 0:39:44I've heard it did actually survive the Ice Age,
0:39:44 > 0:39:45so it must have put on a coat
0:39:45 > 0:39:47- and went underground! - THEY LAUGH
0:39:47 > 0:39:49And, so, would they have used it in the past?
0:39:49 > 0:39:51It was part of the common
0:39:51 > 0:39:54that they would cut bracken for cattle bedding. Of course, that...
0:39:54 > 0:39:57Probably the Second World War was the last time it was cut
0:39:57 > 0:40:00and then straw superseded cattle bedding, but, yes,
0:40:00 > 0:40:03it was cut, it was cut from a lot of the lower slopes down here.
0:40:03 > 0:40:06And you look across the Welsh mountains, the Scottish mountains,
0:40:06 > 0:40:09you know, all over the uplands in the UK, you find bracken.
0:40:09 > 0:40:12It's everywhere, it's everywhere within the UK.
0:40:12 > 0:40:14The thing we are looking at now with it
0:40:14 > 0:40:16is, you know, what can we do with it?
0:40:16 > 0:40:19I mean, the common has always been about producing and I think nowadays
0:40:19 > 0:40:22we're going back to something like that.
0:40:26 > 0:40:28'There may be a clever solution to this problem.
0:40:28 > 0:40:30'Barry Smith and his team
0:40:30 > 0:40:33'are busy harvesting bracken that can be used as fuel
0:40:33 > 0:40:36'and, on a day like today when the seasons are changing,
0:40:36 > 0:40:39'it's bringing a much-needed spark to our autumn fires.'
0:40:40 > 0:40:42Hi, Barry. This looks like a serious operation.
0:40:42 > 0:40:44So, you're cutting down the bracken?
0:40:44 > 0:40:46Yes, we're cutting bracken to make this.
0:40:46 > 0:40:50This is a brackette and it's ideal for log burners and open fires.
0:40:50 > 0:40:53Amazing! So, you're really taking a sort of waste plant
0:40:53 > 0:40:56and making it into something very usable.
0:40:56 > 0:41:00I suppose, when you've removed it, it benefits the land, does it?
0:41:00 > 0:41:02Well, it benefits the land enormously.
0:41:02 > 0:41:05By cutting bracken on a regular basis,
0:41:05 > 0:41:07we're reducing the suffocating canopy,
0:41:07 > 0:41:10which encourages flora and fauna to flourish.
0:41:10 > 0:41:13So, how much have you cleared here? It looks like a lot.
0:41:13 > 0:41:15Well, there's 500 acres here in total
0:41:15 > 0:41:17and I think we've probably cleared 250 of those acres.
0:41:17 > 0:41:20So, this is the mowing. What else is happening?
0:41:20 > 0:41:21Let me show you.
0:41:33 > 0:41:35So, they're just raking up the bracken
0:41:35 > 0:41:38like you would straw on a field. When was this cut?
0:41:38 > 0:41:40This was cut about two weeks ago,
0:41:40 > 0:41:45so we cut it, actually, when it was in a green state,
0:41:45 > 0:41:49we've let it die, but we wait before we bale it
0:41:49 > 0:41:54to get results in from where we test the bracken
0:41:54 > 0:41:58because it can have carcinogens in it when it spores.
0:41:58 > 0:42:01Now, we understand that when the plant dies,
0:42:01 > 0:42:02the carcinogen dies with it.
0:42:02 > 0:42:05Now, carcinogens can be a cause of cancer,
0:42:05 > 0:42:07so we take this really seriously
0:42:07 > 0:42:12and so we don't give the thumbs-up to bale it
0:42:12 > 0:42:15until we've got the all-clear from the testing.
0:42:15 > 0:42:18And once it's in rows like this, the baler just goes through it
0:42:18 > 0:42:21and makes an ordinary bale like you would in an arable field?
0:42:21 > 0:42:23Yes, exactly the same.
0:42:23 > 0:42:25So, does it extend the season, then, for the contractors
0:42:25 > 0:42:27because harvest is now over?
0:42:27 > 0:42:30We're extending the harvest by a good couple of months
0:42:30 > 0:42:33and also creating jobs in rural areas.
0:42:33 > 0:42:35It's amazing that you can take this old bracken
0:42:35 > 0:42:38and make it into a fuel that heats up a roaring fire
0:42:38 > 0:42:41and, on a day like today, I'm going to need a fire tonight!
0:42:41 > 0:42:43Where do the bales go now?
0:42:43 > 0:42:46Well, they go down over there, into the mist.
0:42:50 > 0:42:54At this time of year, the factory is fed a constant supply of bracken.
0:42:54 > 0:42:57It's chopped and loaded into the dryer
0:42:57 > 0:43:01and processed through a machine that compresses it into brackettes,
0:43:01 > 0:43:03the first of their kind.
0:43:10 > 0:43:12Then they're ready to burn.
0:43:14 > 0:43:16I'm keen to put them to the test.
0:43:19 > 0:43:21I've been looking forward to seeing these things burning.
0:43:21 > 0:43:23I'll chuck one on the fire.
0:43:23 > 0:43:25'Barry has invited me to warm up at his home,
0:43:25 > 0:43:27'along with two of his colleagues
0:43:27 > 0:43:30'who have also been working on this unique project.'
0:43:30 > 0:43:31Hot, isn't it, Dickie?
0:43:31 > 0:43:33It burns very well.
0:43:33 > 0:43:37It actually burns hotter than oak and lasts considerably longer.
0:43:37 > 0:43:40And lovely to see, you know, that bracken up on the hill,
0:43:40 > 0:43:44that's causing some problems up there, being put to good use.
0:43:44 > 0:43:47- Are there any other advantages? - Well, the ash is high in potash,
0:43:47 > 0:43:51so it can go straight on the garden and makes an ideal fertiliser.
0:43:51 > 0:43:54So, can I toast a crumpet?
0:43:54 > 0:43:55Please, go ahead.
0:43:55 > 0:43:57Well, as the nights are drawing in,
0:43:57 > 0:44:01it's a really lovely warm fire to sit next to
0:44:01 > 0:44:04and I quite often use the phrase "from field to fork",
0:44:04 > 0:44:07but here it's from field to flame!
0:44:07 > 0:44:09ADAM CHUCKLES
0:44:18 > 0:44:22- ANITA:- The Marches along the border between England and Wales
0:44:22 > 0:44:24is perfect walking country.
0:44:24 > 0:44:27There are few main roads and gentle pastures give way
0:44:27 > 0:44:30to steep slopes that lead to open hilltops.
0:44:32 > 0:44:35All you need is a sturdy pair of boots,
0:44:35 > 0:44:38or even a sturdy pair of clogs.
0:44:38 > 0:44:40CHAINSAW BUZZES
0:44:40 > 0:44:41Follow me.
0:44:45 > 0:44:48'Jeremy Atkinson is the last craftsman in England
0:44:48 > 0:44:51'to carve clogs in the traditional way.
0:44:51 > 0:44:54'Right now, he's gathering some raw materials.'
0:44:54 > 0:44:56Hello, Jeremy.
0:44:56 > 0:44:59Now, that is not the traditional hand tool I was expecting.
0:44:59 > 0:45:02- It is a hand tool, though.- No, it is a hand tool, you're right.
0:45:02 > 0:45:05So, what type of wood are you chopping down here?
0:45:05 > 0:45:08- This is sycamore, it's a type of maple.- Uh-huh.
0:45:08 > 0:45:11It's the most durable of the clog woods,
0:45:11 > 0:45:12but you have to work it green.
0:45:12 > 0:45:14When it dries out, it hardens up.
0:45:14 > 0:45:16I am so intrigued to find out
0:45:16 > 0:45:19how this will turn into something to put on my feet.
0:45:19 > 0:45:20- Have you got some on now?- Yeah.
0:45:20 > 0:45:23Are those clogs?! They're so smart! They are brilliant!
0:45:23 > 0:45:25That is not what I was expecting at all!
0:45:25 > 0:45:29- It's leather!- Yeah, well, a clog is a composite of leather and wood,
0:45:29 > 0:45:31that's what a clog is.
0:45:31 > 0:45:33And who would wear clogs?
0:45:33 > 0:45:34In some of the valleys, everybody.
0:45:34 > 0:45:37You can go right through Europe and they were in Poland,
0:45:37 > 0:45:39they were in Switzerland, they were in northern Italy,
0:45:39 > 0:45:40they were in Galicia...
0:45:40 > 0:45:42But it needs a thin soil.
0:45:42 > 0:45:45They're not very good on heavy soil, so in Herefordshire,
0:45:45 > 0:45:47it seems to have disappeared about 1850.
0:45:47 > 0:45:50- It clogs up!- But... There you go!
0:45:50 > 0:45:52That is where "clog up" comes from,
0:45:52 > 0:45:54you just pick up mud and that sticks to more mud
0:45:54 > 0:45:56and you end up standing on stilts.
0:45:59 > 0:46:01'Clogs have been worn in Britain since medieval times
0:46:01 > 0:46:04'and in the little town of Kington,
0:46:04 > 0:46:06'it's easy to feel that you've stepped back in time.
0:46:06 > 0:46:10'There are two butchers, a greengrocer and fishmonger,
0:46:10 > 0:46:11'a baker...'
0:46:11 > 0:46:14and a clog-maker.
0:46:14 > 0:46:16Right, well, I'll show you the knives.
0:46:16 > 0:46:19ANITA LAUGHS
0:46:19 > 0:46:22It does feel like we've stepped back in time in your workshop, Jeremy.
0:46:22 > 0:46:23Yeah.
0:46:23 > 0:46:26'Jeremy uses tools that were specifically made for the job...
0:46:27 > 0:46:30'..and which have survived from days gone by.'
0:46:30 > 0:46:32Ooh!
0:46:32 > 0:46:34Oh-ha-ha!
0:46:34 > 0:46:37I thought it might have been something more dainty and small.
0:46:40 > 0:46:43Oh, you're just going for it!
0:46:43 > 0:46:44Amazing.
0:46:47 > 0:46:49Yeah, you don't really want that to go through your hand.
0:46:49 > 0:46:52No, that's why I took a step back!
0:46:54 > 0:46:58It's starting to take a clog-like shape.
0:46:58 > 0:46:59Yeah, it's starting to.
0:47:06 > 0:47:10'Jeremy uses these huge knives to shape, hollow and groove the wood
0:47:10 > 0:47:12'to precise specifications.
0:47:19 > 0:47:23'It's a process of focused power and subtle control.
0:47:28 > 0:47:32'A combination of knowledge, experience and attention to detail.
0:47:37 > 0:47:40'And the true craftsman's love of the materials.
0:47:50 > 0:47:55'In just a matter of hours, Jeremy transforms raw tree trunks
0:47:55 > 0:47:58'into bespoke clogs, handmade to fit individual feet.'
0:48:02 > 0:48:05I get quite a big sideline making shoes for people
0:48:05 > 0:48:09that have got arthritis or gait problems or foot problems.
0:48:09 > 0:48:13You can angle the foot bed slightly, the heel bed slightly,
0:48:13 > 0:48:15to try and straighten up a fallen arch
0:48:15 > 0:48:17and then people with very broad or very narrow feet,
0:48:17 > 0:48:19people with bunions.
0:48:19 > 0:48:22But recently, I've had quite a lot of work
0:48:22 > 0:48:24just making for people who...
0:48:24 > 0:48:26They find it painful to bend their feet,
0:48:26 > 0:48:30so they're able to walk naturally without actually flexing their foot.
0:48:30 > 0:48:32- Can you wear them all day long? - Well, I do.
0:48:32 > 0:48:34Do you? Do you wear them every day?
0:48:34 > 0:48:36Yeah, I mean, I've got shoes,
0:48:36 > 0:48:39but I think I've worn my shoes two days this year.
0:48:42 > 0:48:44'Although some of the designs Jeremy uses
0:48:44 > 0:48:47'have been around since Elizabethan times,
0:48:47 > 0:48:49'they are still bang up-to-date.'
0:48:49 > 0:48:52The colour is fantastic.
0:48:52 > 0:48:54- I mean, that's a modern twist, right?- Oh, yeah, yeah.
0:48:54 > 0:48:56They are... They are so cool!
0:48:56 > 0:48:59- I'm going to try it on, I'm going to have to.- Yeah...
0:48:59 > 0:49:01I don't... Obviously, it's not for my foot, but what do you think?
0:49:01 > 0:49:04Well, sit yourself down, we'll have a look.
0:49:04 > 0:49:06This is so exciting!
0:49:07 > 0:49:10- I don't know if... - ANITA GASPS
0:49:11 > 0:49:14It's like Cinderella! The shoe fits!
0:49:14 > 0:49:16- You can stand up in them. - Yeah, I'd love to.
0:49:16 > 0:49:18They feel fantastic!
0:49:18 > 0:49:21They are really comfortable.
0:49:21 > 0:49:26They feel... Well, they're quite smooth.
0:49:26 > 0:49:29Not what I was expecting at all. I think putting these clogs on...
0:49:29 > 0:49:32There is something magic in these clogs.
0:49:32 > 0:49:35- All of a sudden, everything here makes sense.- Hmm.
0:49:35 > 0:49:38It might to an outsider, it doesn't always to me!
0:49:42 > 0:49:43'If all this clog talk
0:49:43 > 0:49:45'has made you want to stride out in the week ahead,
0:49:45 > 0:49:47'you'll want to know what the weather's doing.
0:49:47 > 0:49:49'Here's the Countryfile forecast.'
0:51:09 > 0:51:13We are in Herefordshire, amongst the perry pear orchards.
0:51:13 > 0:51:17Earlier, I saw pear cider-making on an industrial scale,
0:51:17 > 0:51:20but now I'm going to be making perry the traditional way,
0:51:20 > 0:51:23with a shoulder to the wheel and some hard graft.
0:51:25 > 0:51:26Well, I've got a nice full load here
0:51:26 > 0:51:28and, let me tell you, it's big news around here
0:51:28 > 0:51:31when you turn up with a barrel-load of perry pears.
0:51:31 > 0:51:33CHEERING Now, then, everyone.
0:51:33 > 0:51:35- Welcome.- Right, here we go. Hello!
0:51:35 > 0:51:38Wow! You're an impressive dog!
0:51:40 > 0:51:43'Here at the 12th-century Hellens Manor,
0:51:43 > 0:51:46'they make perry using a 200-year-old mill and press.
0:51:46 > 0:51:50'Caitlin Morgan oversees the process.'
0:51:50 > 0:51:52- So, just roll them in, yeah? - Yeah, just roll them in.
0:51:52 > 0:51:54All the way round?
0:51:54 > 0:51:56Yes, please. That's it.
0:51:57 > 0:51:59So, in you go.
0:51:59 > 0:52:01- Who's going to help me? What's your name?- Kieran.
0:52:01 > 0:52:04- Kieran and...?- Ruth. - Here we go, then.
0:52:04 > 0:52:06It is heavy, Matt, it weighs half a tonne.
0:52:08 > 0:52:10And you do need to put your back into it.
0:52:10 > 0:52:11That's it.
0:52:11 > 0:52:15There we are, we've got a good technique going now.
0:52:15 > 0:52:18'Pulping the pears first means even more juice can be extracted
0:52:18 > 0:52:21'when it comes to pressing later.'
0:52:21 > 0:52:23Looking good!
0:52:23 > 0:52:26You can already see how much of a team effort this is.
0:52:28 > 0:52:31Yeah, oh, we're getting a nice porridgy consistency now.
0:52:33 > 0:52:35- How many? One? One more? - One more time!
0:52:39 > 0:52:41- Happy with that?- Happy with that.
0:52:41 > 0:52:46PANTING: There we are, team. Well done, that'll do.
0:52:46 > 0:52:50- It's a good workout, isn't it? - Great. So, what happens now?
0:52:50 > 0:52:53- We just sit down and drink perry? - You've got to pick out all...!
0:52:53 > 0:52:56- Smells delicious, doesn't it? - It's good, isn't it?
0:52:56 > 0:52:59We're going to scrape it all out and get it over to the press.
0:53:01 > 0:53:04OK, then, Caitlin. What a wonderful bit of kit this is.
0:53:04 > 0:53:06It's fabulous, isn't it?
0:53:06 > 0:53:09'The pulped fruit is layered in sacks called hairs,
0:53:09 > 0:53:13'after the horse hair material once used.'
0:53:14 > 0:53:18- Is that enough, do you think? - That's good. So, it's the fold.
0:53:18 > 0:53:19I'll come to you.
0:53:21 > 0:53:26'The whole stack is called a cheese, as it's like a cheese press,
0:53:26 > 0:53:30'and the heavy board on top evens out the pressure of the vice.'
0:53:34 > 0:53:36And again.
0:53:37 > 0:53:38And again.
0:53:38 > 0:53:41- LIQUID GUSHES - That's what we like to hear.
0:53:43 > 0:53:45'Pure, gorgeous orchard pear juice.'
0:53:47 > 0:53:48Look at that!
0:53:49 > 0:53:53This will now be barrelled up for five months.
0:53:53 > 0:53:55We don't do anything else to it.
0:53:55 > 0:53:58It sits, it sits warm, it starts fermenting in about two days
0:53:58 > 0:54:01and, in five months' time, we're drinking it.
0:54:01 > 0:54:02Wow!
0:54:04 > 0:54:06This is Herefordshire in a glass.
0:54:08 > 0:54:11Traditional perry produced by small-scale farmers
0:54:11 > 0:54:14from ancient trees in even older orchards.
0:54:16 > 0:54:18And that tastes good.
0:54:20 > 0:54:22- Oh!- Matt, this is nice!
0:54:22 > 0:54:24- Hello, how are you? - I'm really well.
0:54:24 > 0:54:26Have you been here all day, just doing this?
0:54:26 > 0:54:29Well, I have, most of the afternoon, just enjoying myself.
0:54:29 > 0:54:32Now, let me tell you about this wonderful little piece of fruit.
0:54:32 > 0:54:34Have a little taste, see what you think.
0:54:34 > 0:54:36It's very special.
0:54:36 > 0:54:40It doesn't really taste... Not the most exciting pear I've ever had!
0:54:40 > 0:54:42- Is that a bit disappointing? - A little bit.
0:54:42 > 0:54:45OK, well, to be fair, you have to wait for five months, right,
0:54:45 > 0:54:47and then THIS is the result.
0:54:47 > 0:54:48Ooh, magic!
0:54:48 > 0:54:51- Thank you.- Cheers.
0:54:54 > 0:54:57Ooh, now... That's what I'm talking about!
0:54:57 > 0:54:58That's delicious!
0:54:58 > 0:55:01Gets you there, doesn't it? Isn't it lovely?
0:55:01 > 0:55:02Well, that is perry.
0:55:02 > 0:55:05And I think we need to get the nation drinking perry.
0:55:05 > 0:55:07I think they'd enjoy it!
0:55:07 > 0:55:09You could drink it whilst watching our programme next week.
0:55:09 > 0:55:10- What are we doing?- You could.
0:55:10 > 0:55:13Well, it's a very, very special programme next week
0:55:13 > 0:55:14and it's all about your efforts.
0:55:14 > 0:55:16Everybody ready to ramble?
0:55:16 > 0:55:18- THEY CHEER - Let's go!
0:55:22 > 0:55:25'Thousands of you are joining us on Countryfile
0:55:25 > 0:55:28'as we stride out on the Countryfile Ramble for Children In Need.'
0:55:29 > 0:55:32You don't need me to tell you this, but your daughter is something else!
0:55:32 > 0:55:35'We'll be covering all corners of the UK
0:55:35 > 0:55:37'and meeting some truly inspiring young people.'
0:55:37 > 0:55:39A few more steps, Olivia.
0:55:39 > 0:55:42- And we've made it! - THEY CHEER
0:55:43 > 0:55:46'That's the Countryfile Ramble for Children In Need,
0:55:46 > 0:55:49'next Sunday on BBC One at 6pm.'
0:55:49 > 0:55:51Cheers to everyone who took part
0:55:51 > 0:55:55- and cheers to you. - And cheers.- See you next week!