0:00:28 > 0:00:31A sliver of land, cutting through mudflats and marsh.
0:00:31 > 0:00:35This is the Hoo Peninsula on the North Kent coast.
0:00:35 > 0:00:39It may look isolated but this landscape is full of life
0:00:39 > 0:00:40and I'm going to be finding out
0:00:40 > 0:00:43how it's shaped the working lives of people
0:00:43 > 0:00:45from salt shepherds to muddies.
0:00:46 > 0:00:48How are we doing, all right?
0:00:48 > 0:00:50- You can get aboard here.- Just here.
0:00:50 > 0:00:52- But you can only come aboard if you're coming to help.- All right!
0:00:54 > 0:00:57And I'll be seeing how fleece and feather can work together
0:00:57 > 0:01:01to help preserve some of the huge numbers of birds that flock here.
0:01:04 > 0:01:08I describe myself as a commercial farmer that farms nature reserves.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11- SHE CHUCKLES - A wildlife farmer.- Yes.
0:01:11 > 0:01:13CATTLE LOW
0:01:13 > 0:01:16Tom's looking into migrant labour on our farms
0:01:16 > 0:01:19and asking could we get by without a foreign workforce?
0:01:19 > 0:01:20Is it simply the case that
0:01:20 > 0:01:22vets from Europe are filling the jobs
0:01:22 > 0:01:24that British vets don't want to do?
0:01:24 > 0:01:26Exactly, that is what happens.
0:01:26 > 0:01:28- LAMBS BLEAT - Come on, then, ladies.
0:01:28 > 0:01:32And there is a real sense of spring down on Adam's farm.
0:01:32 > 0:01:33They're nice and safe in here.
0:01:33 > 0:01:35I'll just get them out in their pairs.
0:01:35 > 0:01:37It really helps having these numbers on their side,
0:01:37 > 0:01:39so you know who belongs to who.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44LAMBS BLEAT
0:01:51 > 0:01:53BIRDS CALL
0:01:53 > 0:01:56The Hoo Peninsula, Kent.
0:01:58 > 0:02:03Vast skies and open marshland - a paradise for birds.
0:02:05 > 0:02:09A rural outpost within earshot of London.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16DISTANT INDUSTRIAL HUM
0:02:16 > 0:02:18Can you hear that?
0:02:18 > 0:02:21That is the sound of the industry of the Thames
0:02:21 > 0:02:23blowing in on the wind.
0:02:23 > 0:02:27Now, this is an area you might not expect to find us on Countryfile,
0:02:27 > 0:02:31but it's a place that is steeped in rural heritage.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36It may only be around 30 miles from central London
0:02:36 > 0:02:39but the lives lived here are worlds apart.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42And a project is underway to capture those memories.
0:02:43 > 0:02:46My first job was as a ladder mover's mate.
0:02:46 > 0:02:48HE LAUGHS
0:02:48 > 0:02:50I'd get to move the ladders for the pickers
0:02:50 > 0:02:54and the girls would climb up with the baskets and pick the fruit.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00I was a shepherd on the marsh for a long, long time.
0:03:00 > 0:03:04Yeah, all by myself, yeah. Nobody else.
0:03:05 > 0:03:08And they said, "Don't never talk yourself",
0:03:08 > 0:03:10they said, "cos if you do, you'll go mad!"
0:03:10 > 0:03:12HE CHUCKLES
0:03:16 > 0:03:20If you were born in town, I don't understand you!
0:03:20 > 0:03:21SHE LAUGHS
0:03:21 > 0:03:25Never milking a cow? Gracious me!
0:03:29 > 0:03:31Honest and insightful,
0:03:31 > 0:03:33these are just a few of the voices
0:03:33 > 0:03:35of those who have lived and worked on the Hoo.
0:03:35 > 0:03:39The aim is to document the working life of the community,
0:03:39 > 0:03:41past and present.
0:03:44 > 0:03:48Rachel Lichtenstein is the historian behind it all.
0:03:48 > 0:03:50- Where we are now is the Hoo Peninsula...- Mm-hm.
0:03:50 > 0:03:52..which is this kind of spur of land
0:03:52 > 0:03:54that juts out into the Thames Estuary.
0:03:54 > 0:03:58This particular landscape looks quite desolate
0:03:58 > 0:04:00but I've started spending a lot of time here
0:04:00 > 0:04:02and getting to know local people
0:04:02 > 0:04:07and realising what a kind of rich and fascinating landscape it is.
0:04:07 > 0:04:09'And it's a landscape that has defined
0:04:09 > 0:04:12'the working lives of the people here.'
0:04:12 > 0:04:16It's been agricultural land for thousands of years
0:04:16 > 0:04:18and there's some amazing stories we've been gathering,
0:04:18 > 0:04:22like the salt shepherds who worked out on the marshes,
0:04:22 > 0:04:26as the industry developed here, particularly the cement works,
0:04:26 > 0:04:28connected to the river,
0:04:28 > 0:04:31lots of those shepherds started working in those industries
0:04:31 > 0:04:35and in the power stations, so there's all this mix of stories.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38It's a wonderful record which will be preserved for the future...
0:04:38 > 0:04:42- Yeah, yeah.- ..to really tell the story of this landscape.
0:04:46 > 0:04:50One vital part of the Hoo's heritage are the bargemen,
0:04:50 > 0:04:52who worked its creeks and rivers.
0:04:55 > 0:04:57Morning, all!
0:04:57 > 0:04:59'Dave Brooks and his dad, Tony,
0:04:59 > 0:05:02'are helping to record this part of the project.
0:05:02 > 0:05:04'Tony's father was a bargeman.'
0:05:04 > 0:05:07- You can only come aboard if you're going to help us, though.- Right!
0:05:07 > 0:05:09- No problem. No problem. - Nice to meet you.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12So, I understand that this barge has quite a claim to fame,
0:05:12 > 0:05:13so, what is so special about it?
0:05:13 > 0:05:18Well, this barge is the last British-registered sailing vessel
0:05:18 > 0:05:19to trade under sail alone.
0:05:19 > 0:05:24- OK.- She is really a unique piece of British maritime history.- Right.
0:05:24 > 0:05:26Built in 1906,
0:05:26 > 0:05:30the Cambria was used to heave coal from Lincolnshire to Kent.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33Being one of the biggest barges to plough the rivers,
0:05:33 > 0:05:35she could hold 170 tonnes
0:05:35 > 0:05:39and carried 5,000 square feet of sails.
0:05:41 > 0:05:43Well, there's plenty of room down here!
0:05:43 > 0:05:45Yes, this is the main cargo hold.
0:05:46 > 0:05:48But after her trading days were done,
0:05:48 > 0:05:50she fell into disrepair -
0:05:50 > 0:05:52that was, until 1996,
0:05:52 > 0:05:57when the Cambria Trust bought her for the bargain price of £1.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02So, now it's all hands on deck to keep her shipshape.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05- What is the job here, then? - What we're doing, mate,
0:06:05 > 0:06:07is we're going to scrape the tops of these seams off.
0:06:07 > 0:06:09- Yeah, OK. - And we want that cleared out,
0:06:09 > 0:06:11so we can get to the pitch.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14We're going to basically scrape the whole pitch out.
0:06:14 > 0:06:15We're getting a lot of rain
0:06:15 > 0:06:18going down in through into the barge,
0:06:18 > 0:06:19so we want to reseal this.
0:06:19 > 0:06:21And what you actually do with her these days?
0:06:21 > 0:06:23I mean, is she sailable, still?
0:06:23 > 0:06:25Oh, yeah, very much so, yeah, she's sailable.
0:06:25 > 0:06:29We use her quite extensively for young carers at weekends.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32It gives them a chance to get away from their everyday life
0:06:32 > 0:06:35and just come and relax aboard the barge.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38You've done a really good job there, mate. I'm really impressed.
0:06:38 > 0:06:41Really impressed. Are you available next weekend?
0:06:41 > 0:06:42MATT LAUGHS
0:06:44 > 0:06:49Dave's great-grandfather, George, was what the locals call a muddy -
0:06:49 > 0:06:53a tough breed, who literally transformed the shoreline.
0:06:53 > 0:06:58It's a history Dave's dad, Tony, has recorded for the project.
0:06:58 > 0:06:59He went out onto the mud,
0:06:59 > 0:07:02digging clay for the cement trade,
0:07:02 > 0:07:05and the clay was dug out by hand
0:07:05 > 0:07:10with this sort of tool, similar to this, the fly tool.
0:07:10 > 0:07:12- This isn't... - Let's have a look.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15Yeah, these spades were made of beech or apple.
0:07:15 > 0:07:16Yeah, I was going to say, it's very light.
0:07:16 > 0:07:21Yeah, cos these guys would load 100 tonnes of clay in a tide.
0:07:21 > 0:07:23- So, you'd have a gang of... - 100 tonnes in a tide?
0:07:23 > 0:07:26Yeah, you'd have a gang of about eight,
0:07:26 > 0:07:27normally eight to ten,
0:07:27 > 0:07:29and they would load one of these barges in the tide,
0:07:29 > 0:07:33so you've got about four, four-and-a-half, five hours
0:07:33 > 0:07:35and they'd load 100 tonnes of clay.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38The speed they must have been working at and digging at!
0:07:38 > 0:07:39They worked very, very fast.
0:07:39 > 0:07:43A good muddy would have...would dig in a spit,
0:07:43 > 0:07:46a spit would be in the air and another spit would be landing.
0:07:48 > 0:07:53In just over 20 years, more than half a million tonnes of clay
0:07:53 > 0:07:55were dug out of this creek alone,
0:07:55 > 0:07:59turning dry land into saltings, at the mercy of the tide.
0:08:00 > 0:08:05We always say London was built from bricks and clay from this area.
0:08:05 > 0:08:10I think we sometimes forget just how hard our ancestors worked
0:08:10 > 0:08:13to earn their living.
0:08:15 > 0:08:18The muddies have long since laid down their spades
0:08:18 > 0:08:20but thanks to this project,
0:08:20 > 0:08:24the way they and so many others worked this landscape
0:08:24 > 0:08:25will always be remembered.
0:08:28 > 0:08:32Now, agriculture is an industry that relies on migrant workers
0:08:32 > 0:08:34but with Brexit on the horizon,
0:08:34 > 0:08:38there are worries that we could be facing a severe labour shortage.
0:08:38 > 0:08:40Here's Tom.
0:08:45 > 0:08:49Growing, harvesting and processing our food is a big job.
0:08:52 > 0:08:55And even at this time of year, there is plenty to do.
0:09:02 > 0:09:06A small army are preparing for the summer strawberry harvest.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09The fruit may be quintessentially British,
0:09:09 > 0:09:12but most of the workers are not home-grown.
0:09:15 > 0:09:17And on farms across the UK,
0:09:17 > 0:09:21the changing seasons will bring thousands more European workers.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26Well, we're a sort of medium-sized soft fruit business.
0:09:26 > 0:09:28We grow about 1,000 tonnes of strawberries
0:09:28 > 0:09:30and about 300 tonnes of raspberries.
0:09:30 > 0:09:33At this time of the year,
0:09:33 > 0:09:35we have about 50 to 60 workers
0:09:35 > 0:09:39and they start arriving here in early February
0:09:39 > 0:09:42and then once we start picking, in early May,
0:09:42 > 0:09:45we'll boost up the workforce up to 300
0:09:45 > 0:09:49and then it gradually reduces during the autumn time.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54Herefordshire soft fruit grower Anthony Snell
0:09:54 > 0:09:56says it's a British success story,
0:09:56 > 0:10:01which could be derailed if migration restrictions are introduced.
0:10:03 > 0:10:06This isn't anything to do with migration or immigration -
0:10:06 > 0:10:11this is just seasonal workers coming over here, working hard,
0:10:11 > 0:10:13benefitting our economy and then going home.
0:10:13 > 0:10:17Put simply, would this farm, on anything like this scale, exist
0:10:17 > 0:10:19if you didn't have these workers?
0:10:19 > 0:10:22No, there's absolutely no doubt we'd be in serious trouble
0:10:22 > 0:10:25if we didn't have our seasonal workers coming here.
0:10:25 > 0:10:27We would be out of business.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30It would be absolutely catastrophic to our industry.
0:10:30 > 0:10:32Could we not go back to the way it used to be,
0:10:32 > 0:10:35when students and others used to work seasonally,
0:10:35 > 0:10:37you know, summer jobs in the fields?
0:10:37 > 0:10:41No - the horticulture industry is a very specialised industry.
0:10:41 > 0:10:44We can't just have people just turning up and picking.
0:10:44 > 0:10:46You know, we have to train our workforce,
0:10:46 > 0:10:49these are skilled seasonal workers
0:10:49 > 0:10:52and there just isn't the British people who want to do this work,
0:10:52 > 0:10:54although we'd love to employ all British people.
0:10:56 > 0:10:58His concerns about recruitment
0:10:58 > 0:11:01are backed up by a recent National Farmers' Union survey -
0:11:01 > 0:11:05it showed that this time last year, before the Brexit vote,
0:11:05 > 0:11:10about a quarter of farmers had problems filling seasonal vacancies.
0:11:10 > 0:11:13But by September, the ready supply of workers was drying up
0:11:13 > 0:11:16and all growers had recruitment problems.
0:11:17 > 0:11:21High numbers of overseas workers are present across farming
0:11:21 > 0:11:24and not just picking and harvesting.
0:11:24 > 0:11:27Highly qualified jobs like vets are affected too.
0:11:28 > 0:11:30At this Cotswold dairy farm,
0:11:30 > 0:11:33two vets are being trained to carry out TB tests -
0:11:33 > 0:11:36a vital part of modern cattle farming.
0:11:40 > 0:11:44- One, two, zero, one.- Yes.- 13 and 13.
0:11:47 > 0:11:51The trainees are Cristina from Spain and Olivio from Romania.
0:11:51 > 0:11:53Their tutor, Ana, is Spanish too.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02We have vets coming from Portugal, vets coming from Greece,
0:12:02 > 0:12:05vets coming from Czech Republic...
0:12:06 > 0:12:09In fact, nearly a third of all vets in the UK
0:12:09 > 0:12:11were trained overseas.
0:12:13 > 0:12:14And in public health work,
0:12:14 > 0:12:17like food safety and abattoir inspections,
0:12:17 > 0:12:20almost all the vets are from outside the UK.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25So, is it simply the case that vets from Europe
0:12:25 > 0:12:27are filling the jobs that British vets don't want to do?
0:12:27 > 0:12:29Exactly, that is what happens.
0:12:29 > 0:12:32The British vets don't want to work in those fields.
0:12:32 > 0:12:36For you personally, you've spent 17 years here,
0:12:36 > 0:12:37what do you feel about it?
0:12:37 > 0:12:39- Do you feel worried?- I am, yes,
0:12:39 > 0:12:43because I have a partner here with me
0:12:43 > 0:12:46and we are looking for a home to buy.
0:12:46 > 0:12:50And at the moment, we don't know if we can afford to have
0:12:50 > 0:12:52a mortgage for 20 years because we don't know
0:12:52 > 0:12:56if I can stay in this country for that long.
0:12:56 > 0:12:58CATTLE LOW
0:12:58 > 0:13:02Others we spoke to say the fall in the pound since the Brexit vote
0:13:02 > 0:13:05has put some people off coming to Britain.
0:13:07 > 0:13:10The poor exchange rate means the most skilled pickers
0:13:10 > 0:13:15will earn around 75 euros less each week than a year ago.
0:13:18 > 0:13:21According to the National Farmers' Union,
0:13:21 > 0:13:25the migrant worker situation is a crisis in waiting,
0:13:25 > 0:13:26so what's being done?
0:13:26 > 0:13:29Well, that's what I'll be finding out later.
0:13:32 > 0:13:34There are some parts of the British Isles that,
0:13:34 > 0:13:37unless you've got a really good reason to visit,
0:13:37 > 0:13:40might just pass you by altogether.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43Now, it does feel very isolated here,
0:13:43 > 0:13:46but there's also huge number of birds that flock to this area
0:13:46 > 0:13:50and that is largely down to a rather unusual way of farming.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56Here on the Hoo, some clever farming techniques are being used to help
0:13:56 > 0:13:59some of our most precious bird species to thrive.
0:14:01 > 0:14:04Keith Loveridge has been farming here for 20 years
0:14:04 > 0:14:07and is currently helping his herd through calving season.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12- Hello, Keith!- Hello there. - What a spot!
0:14:12 > 0:14:14Yeah, it is a bit unusual out here, isn't it?
0:14:14 > 0:14:16Yeah, I don't think I've ever been to a farm quite like this.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19You've got, well, you've got your sheep grazing here
0:14:19 > 0:14:21and then the odd ship sailing past!
0:14:21 > 0:14:24Yeah! And we're just so close, 20 miles away from London as well.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27It's just a bit of an unusual landscape out here.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30And it feels quite exposed. Can it get quite harsh?
0:14:30 > 0:14:31Extremely harsh, yeah.
0:14:31 > 0:14:34The east wind's the worst thing here.
0:14:34 > 0:14:36We get that blowing straight up the river.
0:14:36 > 0:14:38So, you need the right sort of livestock
0:14:38 > 0:14:41and it is very cold and bleak out here, yeah, without a doubt.
0:14:41 > 0:14:44So, what type of sheep can withstand this sort of place?
0:14:44 > 0:14:47Romney sheep - they are all basically the traditional breed
0:14:47 > 0:14:49for this area in Romney Marsh.
0:14:49 > 0:14:52They've been bred to survive on this sort of grazing
0:14:52 > 0:14:54and they do it very, very well.
0:14:54 > 0:14:57And Keith's cattle don't fare too badly either.
0:14:57 > 0:15:00They graze out on the marsh in spring
0:15:00 > 0:15:02but spend the winter months on the farm,
0:15:02 > 0:15:06sheltered from the cold east winds beneath these nifty bale enclosures.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09And then they gradually go back out through the spring,
0:15:09 > 0:15:12we reintroduce them back to the reserves again.
0:15:12 > 0:15:14Well, this all seems pretty traditional so far.
0:15:14 > 0:15:16But here's the unusual bit.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19The fields that provide grazing for Keith's cattle in spring
0:15:19 > 0:15:22spend winter as wetland habitats for birds.
0:15:22 > 0:15:26Normally, all these low-lying spots would be full of water
0:15:26 > 0:15:31and then that's when we get all the wading birds that come in to nest.
0:15:31 > 0:15:34Obviously, we've had massively dry...
0:15:34 > 0:15:36The ditches are at summer level now,
0:15:36 > 0:15:39so, it's a pretty unusual year, really.
0:15:39 > 0:15:40So, how would you describe yourself?
0:15:40 > 0:15:45I describe myself as a commercial farmer that farms nature reserves.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48- SHE CHUCKLES - A wildlife farmer!- Yes.
0:15:48 > 0:15:51Our area that we farm is quite a large area
0:15:51 > 0:15:53with quite a low density of livestock,
0:15:53 > 0:15:56all aimed at trying to increase the wildlife.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59This area's probably one of the most important areas
0:15:59 > 0:16:03for breeding waders and wildfowl in the south-east of England,
0:16:03 > 0:16:07really, so it's important that it's maintained.
0:16:07 > 0:16:09The whole thing's interlinked.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12Obviously, the birds come because the grazing is right for the cattle
0:16:12 > 0:16:15and it's all part of the environment as a whole.
0:16:15 > 0:16:20Was it difficult to adapt to this landscape and farm the way you do?
0:16:20 > 0:16:24We spread the animals out and don't farm them too densely,
0:16:24 > 0:16:27so that they don't trample nests and so on.
0:16:27 > 0:16:31I have to say, it's a really beautiful spot you've got here.
0:16:31 > 0:16:33Well, I quite like it!
0:16:33 > 0:16:35- Yeah, it has a really strange beauty about it, doesn't it?- Yeah.
0:16:35 > 0:16:39Keith farms inside some of the eight protected conservation areas
0:16:39 > 0:16:42on this small but productive peninsula,
0:16:42 > 0:16:44working closely with the RSPB
0:16:44 > 0:16:48to help restore the balance of wetland and wildlife.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51'Julian Nash manages the Northward Hill reserve.'
0:16:52 > 0:16:53Another great spot.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56- It's lovely here, isn't it? - It really is.
0:16:56 > 0:16:58So, what are the RSPB doing here, Julian?
0:16:58 > 0:17:01So, what we're doing is maintaining a habitat
0:17:01 > 0:17:03for some of our rarest birds,
0:17:03 > 0:17:06species such as lapwing and redshank,
0:17:06 > 0:17:09and they have a particular habitat requirement, which,
0:17:09 > 0:17:13in the most simplest form, to call it, is a marsh.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16- So has this always been marshland? - In essence, yes.
0:17:16 > 0:17:18However, back in the '40s,
0:17:18 > 0:17:23it changed very, very dramatically due to our human activity.
0:17:23 > 0:17:28And that was based on the need for more and more agriculture,
0:17:28 > 0:17:30more and more food, for our population.
0:17:30 > 0:17:33So, how do you go from taking arable land
0:17:33 > 0:17:35and turning it back into a marsh?
0:17:35 > 0:17:38What we're doing is isolating ourselves
0:17:38 > 0:17:41from the main landscape drainage system,
0:17:41 > 0:17:44so that we can hold water higher
0:17:44 > 0:17:47and not see it disappear out to the sea.
0:17:47 > 0:17:51Because if there's one thing that wetland birds want, it's water.
0:17:51 > 0:17:53Is it working? Are birds flocking back to the area?
0:17:53 > 0:17:55Absolutely!
0:17:55 > 0:17:59We have lots and lots of duck, widgeon, teal, but also,
0:17:59 > 0:18:02this is a fantastic place for marsh harriers.
0:18:02 > 0:18:06We also have one of the biggest heronries in the country,
0:18:06 > 0:18:10which is not just a heronry now, it's an egretry as well.
0:18:10 > 0:18:12And how does it work with Keith? Because of course,
0:18:12 > 0:18:15he has to farm the land around what you are doing
0:18:15 > 0:18:17and you both have to be sensitive to each other's needs.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20So, Keith is vital, absolutely vital.
0:18:20 > 0:18:23To deliver what we need to deliver, we need water control,
0:18:23 > 0:18:26but we also need grass control.
0:18:26 > 0:18:31Now, grass is controlled very simply by our living lawnmowers,
0:18:31 > 0:18:34cattle and sheep.
0:18:34 > 0:18:35You could call Keith a farmer
0:18:35 > 0:18:39but he's just as much a conservationist as I am a farmer.
0:18:39 > 0:18:42That's fantastic to think that conservation and farming
0:18:42 > 0:18:43are working side-by-side.
0:18:43 > 0:18:47- So, how does the water pump work? - Very simply.
0:18:47 > 0:18:48It's the flick of a switch.
0:18:48 > 0:18:51- So, if you go to that box behind you...- Yeah.
0:18:51 > 0:18:53'The fish-friendly pump keeps the marshes topped up
0:18:53 > 0:18:56'through the all-important winter breeding season.'
0:18:56 > 0:19:00- Look at that! It works, Julian. - Fantastic, isn't it?
0:19:09 > 0:19:12'Both flock and feather are thriving here.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15'I'm joining local birder Terry Paternoster
0:19:15 > 0:19:18'for a closer look at the star attraction.'
0:19:18 > 0:19:21- What have you spotted? - Looking at the herons on the nests,
0:19:21 > 0:19:23sitting up there.
0:19:23 > 0:19:25- Can I have a look?- Yes.
0:19:25 > 0:19:26Let's see...
0:19:26 > 0:19:28Oh, yes! There's so many.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31Oh, something's happened, they're off.
0:19:31 > 0:19:33I've never seen that many heron before.
0:19:33 > 0:19:37The wetlands encourage the birds to feed locally
0:19:37 > 0:19:40and nest locally as well.
0:19:40 > 0:19:45Right, come on, one on one, heron-spotting lesson!
0:19:45 > 0:19:47It's not just the herons that are breeding.
0:19:47 > 0:19:51There's also a new arrival for Keith down on the farm.
0:19:51 > 0:19:56This cycle, turning spring grazing into winter wetlands,
0:19:56 > 0:19:58gives the Hoo the helping hand it needs
0:19:58 > 0:20:01to keep both the cattle fed and the wildlife flocking.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07From the Hoo Peninsula, we're heading west, where,
0:20:07 > 0:20:09in a special film for Comic Relief,
0:20:09 > 0:20:13comedian Jennifer Saunders shows us just what Devon means to her
0:20:13 > 0:20:18and how a charity there is making a real difference to people's lives.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33I think I first came to Dartmoor as a kid, actually.
0:20:33 > 0:20:36I think we probably did a family holiday
0:20:36 > 0:20:40in a hut somewhere on Dartmoor.
0:20:40 > 0:20:44All I remember is my mother standing every leg of the bed in paraffin
0:20:44 > 0:20:47so the cockroaches couldn't climb up into our beds.
0:20:47 > 0:20:52And, after that, we filmed all the Comic Strip series
0:20:52 > 0:20:57in the '80s in Devon and we filmed French And Saunders down here.
0:20:58 > 0:21:01Because the countryside is spectacular.
0:21:01 > 0:21:05You get these great, huge, massive views,
0:21:05 > 0:21:07which are very filmic.
0:21:07 > 0:21:09And then we just fell in love with it
0:21:09 > 0:21:11and we used to come down here at weekends.
0:21:11 > 0:21:12DOG WHINES
0:21:12 > 0:21:14You weren't even born, you don't even know.
0:21:14 > 0:21:16Come down here at weekends
0:21:16 > 0:21:18and eventually bought we a house down here and lived down here.
0:21:22 > 0:21:25People treat the countryside like an extension to the gym
0:21:25 > 0:21:27and I sort of don't.
0:21:27 > 0:21:29Go and find a squirrel.
0:21:29 > 0:21:30I'm trying to sleep.
0:21:32 > 0:21:36It's just a great place to sit and do nothing, actually.
0:21:36 > 0:21:38Do nothing.
0:21:39 > 0:21:43I can sit for hours, especially in the countryside,
0:21:43 > 0:21:46because you can poke about things, you can, with your stick.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49You know, you can have a look at how leaves grow
0:21:49 > 0:21:52and how the grass is growing and sometimes I just do nothing.
0:21:55 > 0:21:57Come on, Olive.
0:21:57 > 0:22:00Can't do nothing all day. Got to get on. Go to get on.
0:22:05 > 0:22:10I had a kind of idea that I'd quite like to present Countryfile
0:22:10 > 0:22:13but, to be honest, it's too cold.
0:22:13 > 0:22:15I don't know how Ellie does it.
0:22:15 > 0:22:17I mean, she does look cold, sometimes.
0:22:17 > 0:22:19I'm wearing so many layers I can't do my coat up.
0:22:19 > 0:22:21Look at my dog.
0:22:21 > 0:22:24She wants to go back to Hyde Park, she's got so many layers on.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31Oh, right! This is Kes Tor and...
0:22:31 > 0:22:32- DOG YELPS - Oops, sorry, Olive.
0:22:32 > 0:22:34Just trod on my dog.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37And this is the tor just up from our house,
0:22:37 > 0:22:39but it's quite a steep climb and, um...
0:22:40 > 0:22:46Uh, we used to do it mainly after Sunday lunches, to walk them off.
0:22:46 > 0:22:48Um, and it's always windy on top
0:22:48 > 0:22:52but, I swear to God, it's going to blow your head off.
0:22:57 > 0:22:59It's the best view from here.
0:22:59 > 0:23:03I mean, it's incredible because you can see right over to Exmoor
0:23:03 > 0:23:07and right across the moor that way.
0:23:07 > 0:23:08You can actually just see for miles
0:23:08 > 0:23:11and there's something quite nice about that.
0:23:17 > 0:23:19But the reason I've come to Devon today
0:23:19 > 0:23:21isn't to admire the beauty of the landscape.
0:23:25 > 0:23:27I've come to find out about a subject that,
0:23:27 > 0:23:30not matter how much we think about it, we rarely voice.
0:23:36 > 0:23:41Suicide is actually the biggest killer of young men in the UK.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44And the families left behind can often be desperate for help.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50I've come to meet young mother-of-two Zara Whig.
0:23:50 > 0:23:53She was married to her husband Leigh for four years.
0:23:55 > 0:23:57I met Leigh at work.
0:23:57 > 0:23:58He was a zookeeper and a musician,
0:23:58 > 0:24:01so he played in several bands down in Ilfracombe.
0:24:01 > 0:24:03When things were really good, we had the kids
0:24:03 > 0:24:05and things were really happy.
0:24:05 > 0:24:09- And he was a great dad?- Yes. Yeah, he was a very hands-on dad.
0:24:09 > 0:24:11Loved his girls.
0:24:11 > 0:24:12He had a child before,
0:24:12 > 0:24:14so Leigh showed me how to change nappies.
0:24:14 > 0:24:16Oh, OK!
0:24:17 > 0:24:20Had you got any inkling that something was up, or...?
0:24:20 > 0:24:23Yeah, he'd had a mental health breakdown
0:24:23 > 0:24:26and things had got really difficult between us
0:24:26 > 0:24:29- so we actually separated for a while.- OK.
0:24:29 > 0:24:30He was under a therapist,
0:24:30 > 0:24:33- through Devon Depression Anxiety Service.- OK.
0:24:33 > 0:24:34So he was reaching out
0:24:34 > 0:24:36but it just wasn't enough for Leigh, in the end.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43On Father's Day last year, Leigh took his own life.
0:24:49 > 0:24:51I just felt like I'd been crushed.
0:24:51 > 0:24:52The shock was just...
0:24:52 > 0:24:55- It takes the breath out of you. - Yeah.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58I felt incredibly guilty because we had separated
0:24:58 > 0:25:01- just before he committed suicide. - Of course, yeah.
0:25:02 > 0:25:04And I felt like, "This is all my fault."
0:25:04 > 0:25:07And then I felt angry with him. I was just, absolutely,
0:25:07 > 0:25:09- "How could you do this to me and the kids?"- Yeah.
0:25:09 > 0:25:15They'd made him Father's Day cards and those cards...had to go...
0:25:15 > 0:25:19You know... I had to put them in his coffin with him.
0:25:19 > 0:25:21And I just shouldn't have had to do that.
0:25:23 > 0:25:27I mean, it's an awful situation. How did you cope with the girls?
0:25:27 > 0:25:30They were going from being OK one minute
0:25:30 > 0:25:31to screaming for him the next minute,
0:25:31 > 0:25:33which is just heartbreaking.
0:25:34 > 0:25:36You know, it gets to the point where you're like,
0:25:36 > 0:25:38"I can't do this. I can't..." You know?
0:25:38 > 0:25:40It was just so impossibly difficult.
0:25:40 > 0:25:41I just didn't see a way out of it.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48Fortunately, in Devon, there is a project,
0:25:48 > 0:25:51that Comic Relief help fund, that supports families
0:25:51 > 0:25:53who are living through the suicide of a loved one.
0:25:58 > 0:25:59Come on, Ol.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02'I've come to Exmouth, to Pete's Dragons,
0:26:02 > 0:26:05'a UK charity that provides comfort to families after suicide loss.'
0:26:07 > 0:26:09- Hello!- Hi, Jennifer! Welcome to Pete's Dragons.
0:26:09 > 0:26:11'It was set up by Alison Hill.'
0:26:16 > 0:26:18Well, it's so lovely to meet you.
0:26:18 > 0:26:20Now, tell me why is it called Pete's Dragons?
0:26:20 > 0:26:23It's called Pete's Dragons because my brother was called Pete
0:26:23 > 0:26:24and he took his life seven years ago.
0:26:24 > 0:26:28And he loved dragons, so it was...
0:26:28 > 0:26:31It had to be, really, Pete's Dragons.
0:26:31 > 0:26:32What particularly inspired you to set this up,
0:26:32 > 0:26:36because there was nothing else to help people who were left behind?
0:26:36 > 0:26:39No, my family were in Devon and Cornwall, and at that point,
0:26:39 > 0:26:43there was no specific suicide bereavement support available
0:26:43 > 0:26:45and there are some complicated emotions
0:26:45 > 0:26:47that go with losing a loved on to suicide.
0:26:47 > 0:26:51- Yes.- And this has just grown out of that, really.
0:26:53 > 0:26:54'The charity helps families
0:26:54 > 0:26:57'with both practical and emotional support,
0:26:57 > 0:27:01'some in rural communities, where help is hard to find.'
0:27:01 > 0:27:05We do mindfulness classes, we have a counsellor,
0:27:05 > 0:27:10we have bereavement counsellors and I'm a grief recovery specialist.
0:27:10 > 0:27:15And how has the support you get from Comic Relief helped this happen?
0:27:16 > 0:27:18That's been crucial.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21We needed a very flexible and adaptable space
0:27:21 > 0:27:26so that we could cater for the very unique impact
0:27:26 > 0:27:29that suicide will have on each individual family member.
0:27:29 > 0:27:31And that's what it has enabled us to be,
0:27:31 > 0:27:35by furnishing and providing all the equipment for these rooms.
0:27:35 > 0:27:37Cos it's all ages, isn't it?
0:27:37 > 0:27:39- Yeah.- Yeah. - Suicide doesn't discriminate.
0:27:39 > 0:27:41It can be anyone. Could be you or me.
0:27:41 > 0:27:43- Yeah.- It was me.- Yeah.
0:27:44 > 0:27:46Since the charity started,
0:27:46 > 0:27:47they've helped more than 70 families
0:27:47 > 0:27:50come to terms with losing a loved one to suicide.
0:27:50 > 0:27:54And one of those families is Zara's.
0:27:54 > 0:27:56THEY LAUGH AND CLAP
0:27:56 > 0:28:01- When they got involved, it was just like, "There's some hope."- OK.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04"There's some hope. There are people here to help."
0:28:04 > 0:28:07They offered us mindfulness through play,
0:28:07 > 0:28:08which was amazing for the girls
0:28:08 > 0:28:09cos their emotions were running high.
0:28:09 > 0:28:11They'd never experienced death before.
0:28:11 > 0:28:13It has made a world of difference to us,
0:28:13 > 0:28:16having that support, Alison is always at the end of the phone.
0:28:16 > 0:28:18- Yeah.- The grief recovery has really helped me come to terms with it.
0:28:18 > 0:28:23- Yeah.- I don't think you ever get over suicide of a loved one.- Yeah.
0:28:24 > 0:28:26- But... - You can come to terms with it?
0:28:26 > 0:28:28Yes, you can come to terms with it and make your peace with it.
0:28:30 > 0:28:33- Your girls seem amazing. Well done. - Thank you.
0:28:35 > 0:28:37Oh, you've made me cry now.
0:28:39 > 0:28:41PLAYFUL SHOUTING
0:28:41 > 0:28:43And it's the great outdoors that the charity turns to,
0:28:43 > 0:28:46helping create new memories for all these families
0:28:46 > 0:28:49who've lost a loved one to suicide.
0:28:49 > 0:28:51SHOUTING
0:28:51 > 0:28:55So what is it about this madness, these kids going crazy in mud,
0:28:55 > 0:28:59and being outdoors that's important, do you think?
0:28:59 > 0:29:03First of all, it's important to bring the families out.
0:29:03 > 0:29:06This might be the first time they've come out on their own -
0:29:06 > 0:29:09and you can see there's some really small children here -
0:29:09 > 0:29:10to have fun, build new memories,
0:29:10 > 0:29:13but meet other people in a similar situation to themselves
0:29:13 > 0:29:17so they've got an extended network of support on top of Pete's Dragons.
0:29:17 > 0:29:20- This is Toby.- Hi, Toby!
0:29:20 > 0:29:24We do say to our families early on, eating, sleeping,
0:29:24 > 0:29:27getting out in nature, they are such simple things
0:29:27 > 0:29:29but when we're in distress, we forget about them.
0:29:30 > 0:29:32What do you like doing here?
0:29:32 > 0:29:35- What's your favourite thing? - Erm...- Is it just being out...?
0:29:35 > 0:29:38- Eating hot dogs. - Eating hot dogs?!
0:29:38 > 0:29:41That's my favourite thing too.
0:29:41 > 0:29:43CHILDREN SQUEAL
0:29:43 > 0:29:44You just want to get wet.
0:29:44 > 0:29:48To be around people that you know have been through the same thing
0:29:48 > 0:29:50without ever having to talk about it,
0:29:50 > 0:29:54it means so much, it's really invaluable.
0:29:55 > 0:29:57Days like this just make a massive difference,
0:29:57 > 0:29:58to Dawson especially,
0:29:58 > 0:30:00he just gets to have fun and play without
0:30:00 > 0:30:03having to explain himself, which is really nice.
0:30:03 > 0:30:06- Are you going help me with this one?- No.- No.
0:30:07 > 0:30:09But these are fun.
0:30:10 > 0:30:12On average in the UK,
0:30:12 > 0:30:15there are 17 deaths a day from suicide
0:30:15 > 0:30:18and it's the families left behind that need your help
0:30:18 > 0:30:21and here's how you can make a real difference.
0:30:21 > 0:30:24By donating to Comic Relief, you can help support the vital work
0:30:24 > 0:30:28of projects like Pete's Dragons all across the UK.
0:30:28 > 0:30:30To donate £5...
0:30:59 > 0:31:02We really appreciate your help. Thank you.
0:31:10 > 0:31:13Agriculture in the UK employs large numbers of overseas workers
0:31:13 > 0:31:16and with Brexit on the horizon,
0:31:16 > 0:31:19there are warnings of a severe labour shortage.
0:31:19 > 0:31:24But is it really as bad as some seem to think? Here's Tom.
0:31:26 > 0:31:30Every year, the UK horticulture industry employs
0:31:30 > 0:31:35around 75,000 seasonal workers, half of them coming from abroad.
0:31:41 > 0:31:45We're so reliant on workers from overseas to pick and process
0:31:45 > 0:31:47our produce that it's claimed that, without them,
0:31:47 > 0:31:50the horticulture business could collapse.
0:31:54 > 0:31:56And it's not just seasonal workers -
0:31:56 > 0:31:58farming employs plenty of foreign people
0:31:58 > 0:32:02who live here all year round, including many of our vets.
0:32:05 > 0:32:08The concern is that Brexit could mean restrictions
0:32:08 > 0:32:12on the number of foreign workers coming into the UK,
0:32:12 > 0:32:14so what can be done?
0:32:15 > 0:32:18Well, the minister responsible for farming, Andrea Leadsom,
0:32:18 > 0:32:22recently told farmers that technology has the answers.
0:32:22 > 0:32:25And for some labour-intensive fruit-and-veg jobs,
0:32:25 > 0:32:28we've already made great strides,
0:32:28 > 0:32:32from GPS-controlled tractors to robot weeders.
0:32:32 > 0:32:36But could machines replace thousands of seasonal workers?
0:32:36 > 0:32:37We're a medium-sized...
0:32:37 > 0:32:42'Earlier I met Herefordshire soft-fruit grower Anthony Snell.'
0:32:47 > 0:32:51This production line is processing frozen blackcurrants
0:32:51 > 0:32:52and, like his pickers,
0:32:52 > 0:32:56most of the workers are from across the European Union.
0:32:59 > 0:33:01- SHOUTING:- What's going on here?
0:33:01 > 0:33:05What we're doing now is sorting all the organic blackcurrants
0:33:05 > 0:33:08and they're going through their final process.
0:33:08 > 0:33:10They're picking out the duff ones?
0:33:10 > 0:33:12They're picking out all the bad ones.
0:33:14 > 0:33:17The whole horticultural industry is spending a lot of time
0:33:17 > 0:33:21looking at mechanisation and robotics and everything
0:33:21 > 0:33:23but there's only a certain amount we can do.
0:33:23 > 0:33:26You saw us processing organic blackcurrants
0:33:26 > 0:33:29through a stringing processing line.
0:33:29 > 0:33:30"Stringing", that's a good word.
0:33:30 > 0:33:33- Is that the machine that was shaking them all?- That's right.
0:33:33 > 0:33:36It's rapidly vibrating the frozen berries
0:33:36 > 0:33:39and knocking off the little bits of stalks and everything,
0:33:39 > 0:33:41clean and ready for your yoghurt.
0:33:41 > 0:33:44Yeah. Is there any more you could do in this packing side?
0:33:44 > 0:33:47Well, there is, we're looking all the time
0:33:47 > 0:33:50because we are very worried about the future
0:33:50 > 0:33:51with the availability of labour.
0:33:51 > 0:33:54But basically, for the main tasks in horticulture,
0:33:54 > 0:33:57for picking and in strawberry crops,
0:33:57 > 0:33:59we need seasonal workers to pick our crops
0:33:59 > 0:34:02and we can't just replace them all with robots
0:34:02 > 0:34:05because it's a very specialised job.
0:34:05 > 0:34:07It would be a pretty clever robot
0:34:07 > 0:34:10to really replicate all the skills that our staff have.
0:34:12 > 0:34:15So what is the solution for the fruit and veg industry?
0:34:15 > 0:34:18I've come to Barfoots in West Sussex,
0:34:18 > 0:34:21a huge UK-based international vegetable grower.
0:34:21 > 0:34:24Three-quarters of their workers are from overseas.
0:34:30 > 0:34:32OK, Ewa, what are we doing here?
0:34:32 > 0:34:35I need 24 strings to have for one plant, yeah?
0:34:35 > 0:34:37These are the strings for the chillies to grow up.
0:34:37 > 0:34:41Yes, it's for the chillies to grow up and I put the thing in the up...
0:34:42 > 0:34:46'Ewa is from Poland. She's been here six years.'
0:34:46 > 0:34:47You're very quick.
0:34:47 > 0:34:50Can I have a go?
0:34:50 > 0:34:51Yes. You can.
0:34:51 > 0:34:54Once round... Oops.
0:34:54 > 0:34:57- Yeah.- Then where next? - Second time...
0:34:57 > 0:35:00- I'm getting the hang of this. - Yes. Very good.
0:35:00 > 0:35:02It'll be done by Christmas if I carry on like that.
0:35:02 > 0:35:04SHE LAUGHS
0:35:04 > 0:35:07Given the choice, she'd like to stay.
0:35:07 > 0:35:10It's a nice job and no stress.
0:35:10 > 0:35:13- Good money?- Yes, for me, it's better money
0:35:13 > 0:35:16than I was in Poland. Yes, yes.
0:35:16 > 0:35:19Are you worried about anything in the future?
0:35:19 > 0:35:25Sometimes I worry about Brexit, yes, because I stay here.
0:35:25 > 0:35:27- You want to stay here?- Yes, yes.
0:35:29 > 0:35:33There is hope for permanent workers like Ewa,
0:35:33 > 0:35:37but at the moment, their future here still remains uncertain.
0:35:39 > 0:35:43There's also a sense that the penny is starting to drop in government
0:35:43 > 0:35:45regarding seasonal workers too.
0:35:45 > 0:35:49Brexit Minister David Davis recently said...
0:35:55 > 0:35:58And the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond,
0:35:58 > 0:35:59said just last week...
0:36:05 > 0:36:09'Ewa's boss is Barfoot's MD Julian Marks.
0:36:09 > 0:36:12'He says growers and all their workers need a solution
0:36:12 > 0:36:14'and they need it soon.'
0:36:16 > 0:36:20How worried is the whole horticulture industry about labour?
0:36:20 > 0:36:23I think the industry is worried in the short term -
0:36:23 > 0:36:28for 2017 and in general, there is some uncertainty
0:36:28 > 0:36:30as to whether we'll be able to source enough people
0:36:30 > 0:36:33to meet the requirements for the 2017 harvest.
0:36:33 > 0:36:36Really? Even for this year, there's already a worry?
0:36:36 > 0:36:37Even for this year, we're seeing
0:36:37 > 0:36:41the number of applications from individuals falling,
0:36:41 > 0:36:43and falling rapidly, as they make choices
0:36:43 > 0:36:45about where they go to work.
0:36:45 > 0:36:48The industry is suggesting its own solution -
0:36:48 > 0:36:51a new visa system to allow seasonal workers
0:36:51 > 0:36:54to come to the UK in a controlled way.
0:36:54 > 0:36:57But again, it's needed quickly.
0:36:57 > 0:37:01A seasonal permit system is absolutely critical.
0:37:01 > 0:37:03We need, in 2017,
0:37:03 > 0:37:06a trial of the scheme which could be applied in 2018.
0:37:06 > 0:37:10That would then, at least, create certainty for returners
0:37:10 > 0:37:12and for individuals coming in 2019.
0:37:12 > 0:37:14Do you think government get the urgency?
0:37:14 > 0:37:17I think they're constantly battling
0:37:17 > 0:37:21the political requirements of immigration
0:37:21 > 0:37:23and the issues surrounding that
0:37:23 > 0:37:29and often, perhaps, the economic importance falls away.
0:37:29 > 0:37:32It sounds like they don't get it. You're being too polite to say so.
0:37:32 > 0:37:34Am I being too polite?
0:37:34 > 0:37:37Well, they need to get on and do something in 2017.
0:37:37 > 0:37:392018 will be too late.
0:37:41 > 0:37:44Despite Julian's concerns, the government this week said
0:37:44 > 0:37:48there will be no workers' scheme in 2017
0:37:48 > 0:37:51as employers still have access to EU labour,
0:37:51 > 0:37:54though it will keep the situation under review.
0:37:54 > 0:37:57But as for when we leave the European Union,
0:37:57 > 0:38:00the future still remains uncertain.
0:38:02 > 0:38:04In a few moments,
0:38:04 > 0:38:07I'll be meeting world-famous photographer Nadav Kander,
0:38:07 > 0:38:10whose seriously impressive portfolio includes royalty,
0:38:10 > 0:38:14presidents and A-list celebrities, but for his latest project,
0:38:14 > 0:38:16he's swapping Hollywood for the Hoo.
0:38:16 > 0:38:18But first, Adam is on the farm
0:38:18 > 0:38:21and he's got his hands full with plenty of new arrivals.
0:38:31 > 0:38:34It only seems like yesterday I was getting the ewes into the shed
0:38:34 > 0:38:36for the start of lambing.
0:38:36 > 0:38:40Now we've had about 150 give birth, we've got another 400 to go.
0:38:40 > 0:38:43I'm just bringing the latest batch out into the field here
0:38:43 > 0:38:46to make the most of this lovely grass.
0:38:48 > 0:38:50Turning out ewes and lambs onto pasture
0:38:50 > 0:38:52is one of my favourite jobs -
0:38:52 > 0:38:55A real sign that spring is truly on its way.
0:38:58 > 0:39:01I put the lambs in the front part of the trailer
0:39:01 > 0:39:05so that they don't get trampled on by the ewes as we're driving along.
0:39:05 > 0:39:06They're nice and safe in here.
0:39:06 > 0:39:09I'll just get them out in their pairs.
0:39:09 > 0:39:11Number 25s.
0:39:11 > 0:39:13I don't bring too many out at once,
0:39:13 > 0:39:15in case of mismothering,
0:39:15 > 0:39:18which means the lambs get lost in the crowd
0:39:18 > 0:39:20and then don't get a feed and get hungry.
0:39:20 > 0:39:23Lambs with an empty belly will die.
0:39:23 > 0:39:26So it's really important they stay together.
0:39:30 > 0:39:32I'll just let the ewes out now.
0:39:32 > 0:39:34BLEATING
0:39:34 > 0:39:36Come on, ladies.
0:39:36 > 0:39:39LAMB BLEATS
0:39:39 > 0:39:41Come on, then.
0:39:43 > 0:39:47Right, there we go, the 25s have got sorted straight away.
0:39:49 > 0:39:51'You'd have thought twins would stick close together
0:39:51 > 0:39:54'but with all this new space to play in,
0:39:54 > 0:39:56'they have a habit of going walkabout.'
0:39:56 > 0:39:59That's it. It really helps having these numbers on their sides,
0:39:59 > 0:40:02so you know who belongs to who.
0:40:02 > 0:40:04So, 25.
0:40:12 > 0:40:14And 32.
0:40:14 > 0:40:16BLEATING
0:40:16 > 0:40:19Out here now, these ewes will start to graze on the grass,
0:40:19 > 0:40:21which they're doing already,
0:40:21 > 0:40:25and it's full of sugars and proteins and will produce lots of rich milk.
0:40:25 > 0:40:27It's essential these lambs get plenty of it.
0:40:27 > 0:40:30You can see that little lamb suckling away now.
0:40:30 > 0:40:31As long as they've got a full tummy,
0:40:31 > 0:40:35it doesn't matter whether we get snow or rain,
0:40:35 > 0:40:36they're tough little creatures.
0:40:36 > 0:40:39They'll survive out here. They can get under the wall.
0:40:39 > 0:40:42We've got a shelter there for them to get into if it gets really bad.
0:40:45 > 0:40:47It's not just the ewes and lambs
0:40:47 > 0:40:50that benefit from all this new spring grass -
0:40:50 > 0:40:52I'll be turning out some of my young cattle too.
0:40:52 > 0:40:55Just wait till you see what happens when I do.
0:40:58 > 0:41:01This is one of my Gloucester cows, her name is Illy.
0:41:01 > 0:41:03She gave birth back in October to twins
0:41:03 > 0:41:06and usually, cattle only have one calf,
0:41:06 > 0:41:07but she's got the two.
0:41:07 > 0:41:10They're two boys, so we called them Billy and Willy.
0:41:10 > 0:41:12She gave birth in here.
0:41:12 > 0:41:14We kept them in during the winter months,
0:41:14 > 0:41:16when it's cold and wet and horrible.
0:41:16 > 0:41:19Now I'm going to turn out onto the grass.
0:41:19 > 0:41:22Of course, Illy hasn't seen grass for six or eight months,
0:41:22 > 0:41:25but the calves have never been out, so they could get quite excited.
0:41:29 > 0:41:31Right, come on then, lovely.
0:41:38 > 0:41:43Don't get left behind, come on. Go on. Follow your mum.
0:41:50 > 0:41:52Away she goes - it's great watching cattle
0:41:52 > 0:41:55when you turn them out for the first time in the spring.
0:41:55 > 0:41:58She's got her tail in the air, she's kicking out.
0:42:01 > 0:42:04The calves are in hot pursuit. They're not sure what's going on.
0:42:04 > 0:42:06Lovely to watch.
0:42:09 > 0:42:12She seems very content. If the weather does turn nasty,
0:42:12 > 0:42:15she's next to the shed, so we can always get them back in.
0:42:15 > 0:42:16She's looking at Dougie there,
0:42:16 > 0:42:18he's the bull, the father of these calves.
0:42:18 > 0:42:20First time he's ever seen his sons.
0:42:20 > 0:42:24The Gloucester is known as being a dual-purpose breed
0:42:24 > 0:42:25so both for beef and milk,
0:42:25 > 0:42:29producing single and double Gloucester cheese.
0:42:29 > 0:42:31She's got double trouble there with Billy and Willy.
0:42:31 > 0:42:34Anyway, I'll leave them to it.
0:42:35 > 0:42:37ILLY LOWS
0:42:41 > 0:42:45As well as all the lambs and calves, we've also had some new piglets.
0:42:49 > 0:42:51There's a lot of farmers around the country
0:42:51 > 0:42:54that are very fond of the breed that come from their district.
0:42:54 > 0:42:56We've got the Gloucester cattle, but our other county breed
0:42:56 > 0:42:59is, of course, the Gloucestershire Old Spot pig.
0:42:59 > 0:43:00They're similar to cattle in a way
0:43:00 > 0:43:03because they'll give birth all year round,
0:43:03 > 0:43:05but pigs, because they've got a shorter gestation period,
0:43:05 > 0:43:07can have two litters.
0:43:07 > 0:43:09This one has had ten here in this litter
0:43:09 > 0:43:12and she'll give birth in another six or so months' time
0:43:12 > 0:43:15and could have another ten, so that's 20 young in one year,
0:43:15 > 0:43:18whereas a cow will just have one or two.
0:43:18 > 0:43:20So she's doing really well, a lovely sow.
0:43:20 > 0:43:23The Gloucestershire Old Spot are such a beautiful, docile breed,
0:43:23 > 0:43:25I love working with them.
0:43:25 > 0:43:27Right, come on then, missus, have your breakfast.
0:43:39 > 0:43:41With all the new arrivals to look after,
0:43:41 > 0:43:44we really do need all the help we can get.
0:43:47 > 0:43:50So it's good to be able to call on
0:43:50 > 0:43:53a young farmer like Richard Strudwick.
0:43:53 > 0:43:56It's a great way for youngsters like him to get paid experience
0:43:56 > 0:44:00and a valuable extra pair of hands for us, just when we need it.
0:44:05 > 0:44:07And whilst Rich is bedding up,
0:44:07 > 0:44:11I can get the next batch of twins ready to take out into the field.
0:44:13 > 0:44:15BLEATING
0:44:15 > 0:44:19It's such a busy time of year and it's great having some help about.
0:44:19 > 0:44:20Rich has been really useful.
0:44:20 > 0:44:24It's so important to encourage young people into farming
0:44:24 > 0:44:27for the future of agriculture, the countryside and rural life,
0:44:27 > 0:44:29which is why I'm in search
0:44:29 > 0:44:31of Countryfile's Young Farmer of the Year.
0:44:31 > 0:44:33Right, you two can stay in the warm.
0:44:36 > 0:44:40Countryfile's Young Farmer of the Year is a brand-new award,
0:44:40 > 0:44:42celebrating the best young British farmers
0:44:42 > 0:44:45and the deserving winner will receive their prize
0:44:45 > 0:44:48at the glittering BBC Food and Farming Awards in June.
0:44:50 > 0:44:53Over the years, I've met some brilliant individuals,
0:44:53 > 0:44:56young farmers who really stand out from the crowd.
0:44:58 > 0:44:59Every single house was flooded
0:44:59 > 0:45:01and every piece of furniture had to be taken out
0:45:01 > 0:45:04and the young farmers came in to help the council.
0:45:04 > 0:45:07Well done, you. Well done, young farmers.
0:45:08 > 0:45:10So we need your nominations.
0:45:10 > 0:45:12Maybe you know a young farmer
0:45:12 > 0:45:15dedicated to preserving our countryside -
0:45:15 > 0:45:17perhaps a great livestock breeder
0:45:17 > 0:45:19or an agricultural innovator.
0:45:21 > 0:45:22But whoever you choose,
0:45:22 > 0:45:25they should have a real passion for farming.
0:45:26 > 0:45:30After all, the future of our farming industry depends on them.
0:45:30 > 0:45:32- You're very good at this.- Yeah.
0:45:32 > 0:45:36They are the lifeblood of our rural landscape,
0:45:36 > 0:45:38working it,
0:45:38 > 0:45:40nurturing it,
0:45:40 > 0:45:41preserving it.
0:45:41 > 0:45:43It's great to hear young farmers like yourselves
0:45:43 > 0:45:47being so passionate and open-minded about the industry.
0:45:47 > 0:45:51We've featured many inspirational young farmers here on Countryfile...
0:45:53 > 0:45:56..and it's surprising just how young some of those farmers have been.
0:45:56 > 0:46:00Now then, Lily, I was about eight when I lambed my first sheep,
0:46:00 > 0:46:02but you were only three - what was it like?
0:46:02 > 0:46:04Slimy and hot.
0:46:04 > 0:46:06What position is it born in?
0:46:07 > 0:46:12That's it. Forward. Wonderful. That's very clever.
0:46:16 > 0:46:19So please get in touch and let us know about young farmers
0:46:19 > 0:46:21who are passionate about the countryside,
0:46:21 > 0:46:24and you can go to our website after the programme for all the details.
0:46:24 > 0:46:26Come on, missus.
0:46:26 > 0:46:28But you'll have to be quick.
0:46:28 > 0:46:31Nominations close at midnight on 26 March.
0:46:31 > 0:46:35Please don't e-mail or send postal nominations after that date
0:46:35 > 0:46:36as they will not be considered.
0:46:36 > 0:46:39Remember, if you're watching us on demand,
0:46:39 > 0:46:41nominations may already have closed.
0:46:41 > 0:46:43All the details are on our website,
0:46:43 > 0:46:46along with full terms and conditions.
0:46:49 > 0:46:51We're on the Hoo Peninsula in Kent,
0:46:51 > 0:46:55where I've been finding out how our feathered friends are being
0:46:55 > 0:46:58helped to thrive in this wild landscape.
0:46:58 > 0:47:01But it's not just farmers and birders who appreciate
0:47:01 > 0:47:04the strange beauty that this place offers.
0:47:04 > 0:47:08Photographer Nadav Kander has captured some of the biggest names
0:47:08 > 0:47:10of the world stage.
0:47:10 > 0:47:12His work takes him all over the globe,
0:47:12 > 0:47:15but this is one place he returns to time and time again.
0:47:16 > 0:47:19And his latest project is based right here,
0:47:19 > 0:47:23on the easternmost point of the Hoo Peninsula.
0:47:30 > 0:47:34Why choose to photograph the Hoo Peninsula?
0:47:34 > 0:47:35It's the ending of the river,
0:47:35 > 0:47:40it's the beauty in the contemplation of a journey ending,
0:47:40 > 0:47:43being absorbed into a bigger whole
0:47:43 > 0:47:46that attracts me here to the estuary.
0:47:46 > 0:47:49And the Hoo Peninsula has just been richest for me
0:47:49 > 0:47:51in the landscapes that I've found,
0:47:51 > 0:47:54the man-made influence on landscape and on water.
0:47:57 > 0:48:00You could have picked any glamorous location.
0:48:00 > 0:48:01You've shot in China,
0:48:01 > 0:48:03all the photographs of the Yangtze River.
0:48:03 > 0:48:05Why the Thames?
0:48:05 > 0:48:06It's my local river.
0:48:06 > 0:48:08The Thames is my local river.
0:48:08 > 0:48:12The Yangtze... The Yangtze was a big endeavour of wanting to know
0:48:12 > 0:48:16how it felt to be in China at a time of such...what seemed to me
0:48:16 > 0:48:21to be the most unnatural, fast pace of change.
0:48:23 > 0:48:27And I suppose I'm trying to show much more what is inside me.
0:48:27 > 0:48:29What is the poetry of the river?
0:48:29 > 0:48:33So I'm trying to work, really, with states of mind rather than,
0:48:33 > 0:48:37"This is the river and on that bank is so-and-so crane."
0:48:37 > 0:48:39I'm not that interested in it.
0:48:40 > 0:48:43It's a idea of what is known being in front of you
0:48:43 > 0:48:46and the immensity of the universe and how small we are,
0:48:46 > 0:48:49what pinpricks we are and the short lives we have,
0:48:49 > 0:48:53that always recurs in my work, and nothing...nothing sums that up
0:48:53 > 0:48:55as beautifully as an estuary.
0:48:57 > 0:48:59I find that always alluring and that's the reason that I'm here.
0:48:59 > 0:49:02That's the reason I'm here at the Hoo.
0:49:02 > 0:49:03What's remarkable about your photos
0:49:03 > 0:49:06is that they look like oil paintings.
0:49:06 > 0:49:09They are so beautiful and they really draw you in.
0:49:09 > 0:49:10Particularly the portraits.
0:49:10 > 0:49:13How different is it taking a photo of a person
0:49:13 > 0:49:16from sitting out in the landscape on your own?
0:49:16 > 0:49:19Obviously, the timescale is very different
0:49:19 > 0:49:21and the energy in the room is very different.
0:49:21 > 0:49:25Sometimes you don't have much time, sometimes you have a lot of time.
0:49:25 > 0:49:28If the person's just got off the plane,
0:49:28 > 0:49:30if they've had a terrible night,
0:49:30 > 0:49:32all of those things come into a picture.
0:49:37 > 0:49:38And one's research here...
0:49:38 > 0:49:42I can't come and look on a fine day and think, "Oh, I'll stand here."
0:49:42 > 0:49:44I just have to come on the days I come.
0:49:46 > 0:49:48I arrive here in the dark and I leave in the dark.
0:49:50 > 0:49:54I come in the mist, I come when it's raining,
0:49:54 > 0:49:57I come when the atmosphere's already begun forming
0:49:57 > 0:50:00and try and then add to that.
0:50:00 > 0:50:03And I kick stones around for a while and there's nothing there
0:50:03 > 0:50:04and other times I get out the car
0:50:04 > 0:50:07and it's all happening and it's very fruitful.
0:50:22 > 0:50:24This is Kent's Hoo Peninsula,
0:50:24 > 0:50:27where I've been exploring a project to preserve and celebrate
0:50:27 > 0:50:30the working lives of the people here.
0:50:31 > 0:50:33Many of the stories told by the locals
0:50:33 > 0:50:35are of a bygone era,
0:50:35 > 0:50:38yet the modern tales of life here are also being recorded.
0:50:40 > 0:50:4316 years ago, the peaceful North Kent marshes
0:50:43 > 0:50:46became a battlefield for the first of several campaigns
0:50:46 > 0:50:50to prevent the building of an airport on the marshes.
0:50:50 > 0:50:52It was the ambition of big business
0:50:52 > 0:50:55versus the passion of local community.
0:50:59 > 0:51:02Gill Moore, Joan Darwell and George Crozer
0:51:02 > 0:51:04may look like a friendly bunch
0:51:04 > 0:51:06but when it came to protecting
0:51:06 > 0:51:08the northern landscape of the peninsula,
0:51:08 > 0:51:09the gloves were off.
0:51:10 > 0:51:12The whole area around here
0:51:12 > 0:51:15is protected under local, national and international law.
0:51:15 > 0:51:17It's so important for wildlife.
0:51:17 > 0:51:21We get around 300,000 overwintering and migratory birds come here.
0:51:21 > 0:51:24It would've destroyed everything.
0:51:24 > 0:51:27It would just have been awful, absolutely awful.
0:51:27 > 0:51:3026,000 people and nine villages
0:51:30 > 0:51:32- would have been gone, wouldn't it? - Yeah.
0:51:32 > 0:51:34So we did our Vicar Of Dibley thing with all the parish councils,
0:51:34 > 0:51:37got together, "How are we going to fight this?" sort of thing.
0:51:40 > 0:51:42Along with many others in the community,
0:51:42 > 0:51:47Gill, Joan and George picked up their banners and went to work.
0:51:47 > 0:51:50I understand that you came up with some quite creative ways
0:51:50 > 0:51:53of making them listen and getting your message across.
0:51:53 > 0:51:54It's the Dickens country,
0:51:54 > 0:51:56so George is a great one for dressing up,
0:51:56 > 0:51:59- so George dressed... - As you do.
0:51:59 > 0:52:01George dressed up as Fagin
0:52:01 > 0:52:03and we made this huge, great Christmas card
0:52:03 > 0:52:05and we took it round to schools
0:52:05 > 0:52:07and we had the children writing their name,
0:52:07 > 0:52:08messages to Alistair Darling,
0:52:08 > 0:52:11who was the Transport Secretary at the time, and we wrote on it,
0:52:11 > 0:52:13"Merry Christmas, Darling.
0:52:13 > 0:52:15"No airport at Cliffe," I think it was.
0:52:15 > 0:52:19The movers and shakers behind the airport plan
0:52:19 > 0:52:20even visited the village,
0:52:20 > 0:52:23so the determined trio wasted no time
0:52:23 > 0:52:25in getting their points across.
0:52:26 > 0:52:29We gave them tea and cakes and we tried to get over
0:52:29 > 0:52:32how special our communities are within the peninsula.
0:52:32 > 0:52:34We did say to them,
0:52:34 > 0:52:39"You may be rich but, believe me, we are far richer than you.
0:52:39 > 0:52:43"You may be powerful, but what we have here is so special,
0:52:43 > 0:52:47"it is just so important for wildlife and for people."
0:52:49 > 0:52:52It was two years before they finally got the news
0:52:52 > 0:52:55they were desperate to hear.
0:52:55 > 0:52:58'I have concluded that, taking all relevant factors into account,
0:52:58 > 0:52:59'that we do not support...'
0:52:59 > 0:53:02CHEERING
0:53:02 > 0:53:05- NEWS READER:- 'The moment they were all waiting for.
0:53:05 > 0:53:06'The relief clear to see.'
0:53:06 > 0:53:08- GILL:- It's not the rolling hills of Kent.
0:53:08 > 0:53:10- GEORGE:- No, it's not.
0:53:10 > 0:53:12- But it's got a uniqueness. - Like I said, it's our...
0:53:12 > 0:53:15- It's our Serengeti. - It's our Serengeti.
0:53:15 > 0:53:17- Our rainforest.- Our rainforest.
0:53:21 > 0:53:25Their campaign has been recorded as part of the Oral History Project
0:53:25 > 0:53:28to celebrate the roles of local people here,
0:53:28 > 0:53:33adding to more than 100 years of history of this intriguing place.
0:53:43 > 0:53:46A collection of histories worth celebrating.
0:53:49 > 0:53:51Well, Rachel is here, Anita's turned up,
0:53:51 > 0:53:53and basically everybody in this church
0:53:53 > 0:53:55has been involved in the project in some way
0:53:55 > 0:53:58and I have the honour of capturing this lovely scene
0:53:58 > 0:53:59with my camera, so...
0:53:59 > 0:54:01If you'll excuse me, everyone,
0:54:01 > 0:54:03shall we all head outside and get a lovely photograph?
0:54:03 > 0:54:05- Yes, let's do it. - Bring coats if you need to.
0:54:07 > 0:54:09That's good.
0:54:09 > 0:54:10Perfect. Just checking.
0:54:10 > 0:54:12Yeah, your framing's right. It's all good.
0:54:12 > 0:54:14LAUGHTER
0:54:15 > 0:54:16Cheese.
0:54:18 > 0:54:20Lovely.
0:54:22 > 0:54:24Well, that is all we've got time for this week.
0:54:24 > 0:54:26Next week, we're going to be in Denbighshire,
0:54:26 > 0:54:29where I'll be meeting a lady with an MBE for services to agriculture.
0:54:29 > 0:54:31She's very much into Welsh lamb, apparently,
0:54:31 > 0:54:33a real LAMB-bassador for farming.
0:54:33 > 0:54:34That was bad.
0:54:34 > 0:54:36And please send us your nominations
0:54:36 > 0:54:38for Countryfile's Young Farmer 2017.
0:54:38 > 0:54:41All the details of how to do it are on the website.
0:54:41 > 0:54:43- Yes. See you next week. - See you.- Bye.- Bye-bye.
0:54:43 > 0:54:46Actually, from all of us here, just say, bye-bye, everyone.
0:54:46 > 0:54:48- ALL:- Bye!