0:00:26 > 0:00:29Where the warm rays of the spring sun first hit our countryside,
0:00:29 > 0:00:34where puffins and other sea birds make their homes -
0:00:34 > 0:00:38this breathtaking group of islands are the Isles of Scilly...
0:00:39 > 0:00:41..outstandingly beautiful,
0:00:41 > 0:00:44attracting thousands of visitors a year,
0:00:44 > 0:00:47but not all of those visitors are most welcome.
0:00:47 > 0:00:50I'm talking about brown rats.
0:00:50 > 0:00:52They're thought to be partly responsible for the decline
0:00:52 > 0:00:57in sea bird numbers but on St Agnes, they think they've eradicated them.
0:00:57 > 0:00:58I'll be finding out how.
0:01:00 > 0:01:03Matt's on his way here from the mainland.
0:01:05 > 0:01:08And I'm hoping to be one of those welcome visitors,
0:01:08 > 0:01:10as are my VIP travelling companions.
0:01:10 > 0:01:13But to be honest with you, they're not the kind of passenger
0:01:13 > 0:01:16that you'd normally expect to sit next to on a plane...
0:01:16 > 0:01:18Thank you.
0:01:18 > 0:01:20..especially as they have wings of their own.
0:01:20 > 0:01:21CHEEPING
0:01:21 > 0:01:23Come on, then, let's get you on board.
0:01:23 > 0:01:27Tom's down on the farm.
0:01:27 > 0:01:29Hardly a week goes by without someone
0:01:29 > 0:01:32being killed or seriously injured on our farms.
0:01:32 > 0:01:33A couple of the culprits,
0:01:33 > 0:01:37things cut can spear you or things that can kick you.
0:01:37 > 0:01:40Why is farming quite such a dangerous business
0:01:40 > 0:01:42and how can we make it safer?
0:01:42 > 0:01:45I'll be investigating.
0:01:45 > 0:01:47And Adam's visiting a dairy farm
0:01:47 > 0:01:50where cows aren't the order of the day.
0:01:50 > 0:01:53Now goat's milk and cheese is very popular,
0:01:53 > 0:01:56and to get goats milking, they have to give birth to kids.
0:01:56 > 0:01:58Finding a home for the billy kids, up until now,
0:01:58 > 0:02:00has been a bit of a problem.
0:02:00 > 0:02:03One farmer may have the solution.
0:02:03 > 0:02:04Oi! Get off my ear!
0:02:21 > 0:02:25White sands, sparkling seas,
0:02:25 > 0:02:27exotic gardens
0:02:27 > 0:02:29and bursting hedgerows,
0:02:29 > 0:02:31a gentle place,
0:02:31 > 0:02:32timeless.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38A paradise they call the Isles of Scilly.
0:02:40 > 0:02:44The Isles of Scilly sit about 30 miles southwest of Cornwall.
0:02:44 > 0:02:48The biggest of the five inhabited islands is St Mary's,
0:02:48 > 0:02:51where I'm about to embark on a sea bird adventure.
0:02:54 > 0:02:5820,000 sea birds will soon be returning here to breed,
0:02:58 > 0:03:01amongst them, some of our rarest -
0:03:01 > 0:03:05endangered species like the Manx shearwater and the storm petrel.
0:03:05 > 0:03:08I'm hitching a ride with the children of the Five Islands School,
0:03:08 > 0:03:12hoping to catch a glimpse of some of these rare sea birds.
0:03:14 > 0:03:16What have we got there? Let's have a look.
0:03:16 > 0:03:17We've got some kittiwakes!
0:03:19 > 0:03:20It may be a bit early in the season
0:03:20 > 0:03:23for the shearwaters and storm petrels,
0:03:23 > 0:03:26but the kittiwakes are already here in good numbers.
0:03:26 > 0:03:30This is the first good day that teacher Lucy Greenlaw
0:03:30 > 0:03:32has been able to take the pupils out.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35There's that seal. Can you see?
0:03:35 > 0:03:37Lucy, do you find that they learn better out here
0:03:37 > 0:03:40- than they do in the classroom? - Absolutely, absolutely.
0:03:40 > 0:03:42We've been learning about sea birds for a couple of weeks now
0:03:42 > 0:03:44and just having this trip has really engaged them
0:03:44 > 0:03:46and really inspired them. They just love it.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49Why do you think they learn better in this environment?
0:03:49 > 0:03:53- It's first-hand experience, isn't it? Rather than looking in books.- Yeah.
0:03:53 > 0:03:55Just being out in the open air is just a fantastic opportunity.
0:03:55 > 0:03:58I've been really impressed by their sea bird knowledge.
0:03:58 > 0:04:00We've got to teach these children about the sea birds
0:04:00 > 0:04:02so they can look after the future.
0:04:04 > 0:04:08And that's important, because the sea birds here need protecting.
0:04:08 > 0:04:12Numbers have declined drastically in recent years.
0:04:12 > 0:04:13The reason?
0:04:13 > 0:04:15Brown rats - a legacy of
0:04:15 > 0:04:19the hundreds of shipwrecks in the waters down the centuries.
0:04:21 > 0:04:25Literally leaving the sinking ships, the rats scurried ashore,
0:04:25 > 0:04:29colonising all of the islands and threatening the native sea birds.
0:04:29 > 0:04:33But now, something is being done about it.
0:04:33 > 0:04:37Jacqueline Pearson heads up the Seabird Recovery Project,
0:04:37 > 0:04:40a project set up especially to save the sea birds
0:04:40 > 0:04:42by culling the brown rats.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47The reason they're such a problem is we've got really special sea birds.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50Particularly the burrow-nesting ones - the Manx shearwaters
0:04:50 > 0:04:54and the storm petrels, and the brown rats are the greatest threat
0:04:54 > 0:04:57to them on land because they eat their chicks and their eggs.
0:04:57 > 0:05:01What makes Manx shearwater and storm petrels so vulnerable
0:05:01 > 0:05:04is that they nest in burrows in the ground -
0:05:04 > 0:05:07easy for rats to get into and steal the eggs.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10We do have evidence of none of the chicks fledging
0:05:10 > 0:05:13on St Agnes and Gugh because they're predated by the rats.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16- So, there's been no fledging at all? - No.- That's disastrous.
0:05:16 > 0:05:17Not for a long time.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20I mean, it's nearly in living memory we've had no chicks
0:05:20 > 0:05:22fledge on these islands.
0:05:22 > 0:05:24So right now, we're excited because
0:05:24 > 0:05:26if we're keeping these islands rat-free now,
0:05:26 > 0:05:28we should have the chicks fledging.
0:05:28 > 0:05:32As far as they can tell, the rats have gone from St Agnes.
0:05:32 > 0:05:34It's looking good for the sea birds.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37One species' loss is another's gain.
0:05:37 > 0:05:38What about the thorny question
0:05:38 > 0:05:41of the ethics of killing one animal to protect others?
0:05:41 > 0:05:44To put it in perspective, the Manx shearwater only breeds
0:05:44 > 0:05:45in one more place in England,
0:05:45 > 0:05:48which is on the Isle of Lundy in the Bristol Channel.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51And the storm petrel, this is the only place it breeds in England.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54So, these are incredibly special places for these sea birds.
0:05:54 > 0:05:57Now, the rats were accidentally introduced and ethically,
0:05:57 > 0:05:59it's a challenge for the RSPB
0:05:59 > 0:06:01and their partners every day to make these decisions,
0:06:01 > 0:06:06but we need to in order to safeguard and protect our important sea birds.
0:06:06 > 0:06:07The community on St Agnes
0:06:07 > 0:06:14have played a big part in ridding the island of rats - 3,300 in total.
0:06:14 > 0:06:16Even though it looks like the rats have gone,
0:06:16 > 0:06:19islanders like Rosie Felton remain vigilant.
0:06:21 > 0:06:25Now the island has been rat-free since December
0:06:25 > 0:06:27and now we have a monitoring system.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30- So, these are stationed... - Can we look at inside?- Yes.
0:06:30 > 0:06:31They're stationed around the island.
0:06:31 > 0:06:35Ooh, what's that? That's really odd, it looks like a tea light.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38- It's chocolate wax. - I see. How does it work, then?
0:06:38 > 0:06:40Well, the rats really like the flavour of these,
0:06:40 > 0:06:42so they'll start gnawing away at these.
0:06:42 > 0:06:44And it's just evidence that they've been there.
0:06:44 > 0:06:47We have the Scilly shrew, which is native to Scilly,
0:06:47 > 0:06:51and the difference is they have a much smaller bite,
0:06:51 > 0:06:53so you can tell whether it's the shrew or the rat.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56So, fingers crossed, we'll just have little pinprick holes
0:06:56 > 0:06:59from the shrew and no big teeth marks from rats coming back.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03St Agnes is just the start -
0:07:03 > 0:07:05the bigger challenge remains,
0:07:05 > 0:07:08ridding the rest of the islands of their brown rats.
0:07:08 > 0:07:10But there's a problem -
0:07:10 > 0:07:13the thing about rats is that they're excellent swimmers
0:07:13 > 0:07:17and can easily cover two kilometres of open water.
0:07:17 > 0:07:20Because these islands are so tightly packed together,
0:07:20 > 0:07:22they can island hop.
0:07:24 > 0:07:25To stop this happening,
0:07:25 > 0:07:29you have to take out the rats from their outlying strongholds.
0:07:29 > 0:07:33My next stop is Samson Island -
0:07:33 > 0:07:35uninhabited, and beautiful.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38And I'm here to do my bit...
0:07:38 > 0:07:40Oh-h!
0:07:40 > 0:07:44..even if it means wading through freezing water little bit.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49'The island has its share of brown rats.
0:07:49 > 0:07:52'Up ahead, the orange hats are the Seabird Recovery team,
0:07:52 > 0:07:54'already hard at work.'
0:07:55 > 0:07:58- So, what's going on here, then? What's this?- This is an ink trap.
0:07:58 > 0:08:00Basically, it's biodegradable ink
0:08:00 > 0:08:02on a bit of card,
0:08:02 > 0:08:04and this we'll put into the tube.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07The rat enters one side and he'll walk into the tube,
0:08:07 > 0:08:08walk across the ink,
0:08:08 > 0:08:12and then we get his footprints on the other side as he comes out.
0:08:12 > 0:08:13We have them placed around.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16We can basically pull out the bits of card, examine it,
0:08:16 > 0:08:20- and see exactly what's passing in and out.- Amazing.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24'Only once they're sure it is rats they're dealing with,
0:08:24 > 0:08:26'then it's time to lay the traps.
0:08:26 > 0:08:28'New Zealander Elizabeth Bell
0:08:28 > 0:08:31'has done this kind of work all over the world.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34'She's going to show me how to bait a trap.'
0:08:34 > 0:08:36- Do I get one of those orange hats? - You do.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39- I'm now part of the orange hat team. - You're now part of the team.
0:08:39 > 0:08:41Oh, lovely!
0:08:41 > 0:08:44So, as you can see, we've got quite a lot of rat sign here,
0:08:44 > 0:08:46so we're going to put one of our bait stations here
0:08:46 > 0:08:47to be able to target the rats.
0:08:47 > 0:08:49So, you've kindly brought over the rodenticide.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52Also, because it's Easter, I've brought some choccy eggs
0:08:52 > 0:08:54- as I know they like chocolate. - They love chocolate.
0:08:54 > 0:08:56I know it's not going to fit in that square gap, though.
0:08:56 > 0:08:58You're the expert. How would I do this?
0:08:58 > 0:09:01The easiest thing to do is put the piece of chocolate
0:09:01 > 0:09:03onto the wire and if they don't eat the whole thing,
0:09:03 > 0:09:05they'll leave teeth marks on it,
0:09:05 > 0:09:07so you can detect a rat has been in the station.
0:09:09 > 0:09:13'Each station gets baited up with a bit of my chocolate egg -
0:09:13 > 0:09:16'a seasonal touch for a serious problem.
0:09:16 > 0:09:19'Maybe one day the rats will be gone forever.'
0:09:19 > 0:09:21Jacqueline, do you think there will ever be a time
0:09:21 > 0:09:24when the Isles of Scilly are completely free from rats?
0:09:24 > 0:09:25That's the hope.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28That is the dream for these islands, to protect our sea birds.
0:09:28 > 0:09:32- And this is actually a global first, isn't it?- Yes, if we could do this.
0:09:32 > 0:09:34I mean, so far, it's the largest community rat removal project
0:09:34 > 0:09:36that's happening right now on St Agnes.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39So, if we can move to the inhabited islands
0:09:39 > 0:09:41and work as a team to do it all,
0:09:41 > 0:09:44we'll be literally leading the way for the rest of the world,
0:09:44 > 0:09:45protecting our amazing sea birds.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58I'm hoping Matt's own little flock are ready
0:09:58 > 0:10:03to make the short journey over to Scilly from Cornwall.
0:10:05 > 0:10:08MUSIC: "Three Little Birds" by Bob Marley
0:10:10 > 0:10:12Forget the Caribbean.
0:10:12 > 0:10:13Warmed by the Gulf stream,
0:10:13 > 0:10:17the Isles of Scilly are our very own exotic island paradise.
0:10:17 > 0:10:21And just a short hop from Cornwall, they're the perfect getaway.
0:10:21 > 0:10:26But amongst the jet set today are a new breed of high-flyers.
0:10:26 > 0:10:28# Don't worry
0:10:28 > 0:10:32# About a thing
0:10:32 > 0:10:34# Cos every little thing... #
0:10:34 > 0:10:37All right, my little lovelies. Are you all right in there?
0:10:37 > 0:10:39We'll be getting ready for take-off.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42# Singing don't worry
0:10:42 > 0:10:45# About a thing... #
0:10:45 > 0:10:48Once a fortnight, the "cheep" seats on board the Newquay flight
0:10:48 > 0:10:53are fully booked for VIDs - very important ducklings -
0:10:53 > 0:10:56travelling in style to the Isles of Scilly's largest island
0:10:56 > 0:10:59and main hub, St Mary's.
0:10:59 > 0:11:0228 miles to go. Doing well.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07If anyone's feeling a little airsick, just give me a quack
0:11:07 > 0:11:10and I'll hand in the bag.
0:11:10 > 0:11:13The journey for these flying ducklings began
0:11:13 > 0:11:16just a few hours earlier on the Cornish peninsula.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19Come on! Come on, slowcoach!
0:11:19 > 0:11:21DUCKS QUACK
0:11:21 > 0:11:23Hello.
0:11:23 > 0:11:27Tanya Olver is a rare breed among duck farmers.
0:11:27 > 0:11:28She does everything herself
0:11:28 > 0:11:31at her free-range duck farm near St Austell -
0:11:31 > 0:11:34rearing, processing, and even hatching.
0:11:36 > 0:11:38DUCKLINGS CHEEP
0:11:43 > 0:11:46The majority hatch within 48 hours of each other,
0:11:46 > 0:11:49but you'll get one or two that take longer.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52Sometimes they need a bit of a hand.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55Luckily, the membrane... Oh, wow, look!
0:11:55 > 0:12:00Luckily the membrane is still pliable. So, he'll unfurl his head.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03But I won't take him all the way out of the shell.
0:12:03 > 0:12:04I don't like to do that.
0:12:04 > 0:12:07I let them do that for themselves.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10And I'll put him in the drawer with the others.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21Tanya has spent the last seven years developing her own breed,
0:12:21 > 0:12:24the renowned Terras duck.
0:12:25 > 0:12:29It's a cross of traditional breeds that gives it good growth,
0:12:29 > 0:12:33good flavour and a really good fat-to-meat ratio.
0:12:33 > 0:12:36Sorry, there's one running around on the floor there!
0:12:39 > 0:12:41Come here, you little devil.
0:12:41 > 0:12:42SHE CHUCKLES
0:12:44 > 0:12:45See you later.
0:12:45 > 0:12:49Tanya's Terras duck meat is flying out the door to chefs
0:12:49 > 0:12:52in all quarters of the British Isles.
0:12:52 > 0:12:54But she's recently hatched a plan
0:12:54 > 0:12:56to export some of her hours-old ducklings
0:12:56 > 0:12:58to be reared on the Isles of Scilly.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01# Singing, don't worry
0:13:01 > 0:13:03# About a thing... #
0:13:03 > 0:13:05'And it doesn't matter how cute you are,
0:13:05 > 0:13:07'there's no ducking out of airport security.'
0:13:07 > 0:13:10- Good morning, good morning!- Hello, Matt. Here are my ducklings for you.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13- Precious cargo.- Yes, please go after them for me.- I will.
0:13:13 > 0:13:17- How many are in here? - There's 30 in there.- Is there? OK.
0:13:17 > 0:13:20- Well, say goodbye. - Cheerio! Safe flying.
0:13:20 > 0:13:24- Don't worry, I've got loads of travel games sorted out.- Thank you!
0:13:24 > 0:13:27I can feel them all kind of puddling around inside.
0:13:27 > 0:13:29This one's nibbling on my finger.
0:13:29 > 0:13:31Morning! Do I just walk straight through?
0:13:31 > 0:13:33Yes, come straight through.
0:13:33 > 0:13:34SECURITY SCANNER BEEPS
0:13:34 > 0:13:36Here we are.
0:13:38 > 0:13:41- Right, and now, do we just reveal the cargo?- Yes.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46- Ahh!- Oh, look at them! Hello, guys!
0:13:46 > 0:13:48Oh, you're absolutely beautiful.
0:13:48 > 0:13:50Such a gorgeous, gorgeous golden yellow.
0:13:50 > 0:13:52Just got to check that there's nothing in the box
0:13:52 > 0:13:54that shouldn't be there.
0:13:54 > 0:13:55There we are.
0:13:55 > 0:13:58Can you just lift your little wing up and we'll have a look underneath?
0:13:58 > 0:14:00There we are, that's all fine.
0:14:00 > 0:14:02Just mind your little heads.
0:14:02 > 0:14:06# Every little thing's Gonna be all right
0:14:06 > 0:14:09# Singing, don't worry
0:14:09 > 0:14:11# About a thing... #
0:14:11 > 0:14:14Back up in the sky, we're making our descent
0:14:14 > 0:14:16towards Britain's most southwesterly point,
0:14:16 > 0:14:18the Isles of Scilly.
0:14:18 > 0:14:22# Rose up this morning
0:14:22 > 0:14:25# Smiled at the rising sun
0:14:25 > 0:14:28# Three little birds
0:14:28 > 0:14:32# Each by my doorstep
0:14:32 > 0:14:35# Singing sweet songs
0:14:35 > 0:14:38# Melodies pure and true
0:14:38 > 0:14:40# Singing... #
0:14:40 > 0:14:43Welcome to your new home.
0:14:44 > 0:14:46Gosh, it's sunny!
0:14:47 > 0:14:50- Right, here we are. Morning!- Morning.
0:14:50 > 0:14:53- How are you doing, all right?- All right, Matt. You all right?- I'm good.
0:14:53 > 0:14:55Now, you're not just here for the luggage, are you?
0:14:55 > 0:14:57- Not just for the luggage. - These are yours.
0:14:57 > 0:15:00- Lovely, thank you very much. - Good lad.
0:15:00 > 0:15:01Now, where is the farm from here?
0:15:01 > 0:15:04It's just past that hangar there, and down through the gap, and we're home.
0:15:04 > 0:15:08- Great, so we can walk? - Yeah, we can walk.- Perfect, let's go.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11Part-time baggage handler and fireman Dave
0:15:11 > 0:15:15and his partner Kylie run Salakee Farm on St Mary's,
0:15:15 > 0:15:18the final destination for this precious cargo.
0:15:18 > 0:15:22Right, so you work here at the airport, then, and you farm?
0:15:22 > 0:15:23Yeah, I do three days up here.
0:15:23 > 0:15:27It frees me up to do four days down the farm, so it works quite well.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30Morning, all!
0:15:30 > 0:15:34- This is a great little route home, this.- It's ideal.
0:15:36 > 0:15:40- And this is your place, is it? - This is our place here now.- Oh, wow.
0:15:40 > 0:15:42It's beautiful with all the daffodils.
0:15:42 > 0:15:43It's idyllic, Dave.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46Not so nice when it's blowing a gale, but it's not bad today.
0:15:50 > 0:15:54- Kylie, all right?- Hi!- Hello. - This is Matt.- Hi, nice to meet you.
0:15:54 > 0:15:56- Hi, Kylie.- How are you doing? - I'm good.
0:15:56 > 0:15:58DUCKLINGS CHEEP
0:16:00 > 0:16:02They are just the most delightful things to hold.
0:16:02 > 0:16:04They're all right at this age.
0:16:04 > 0:16:08There, you can stretch your little wings now, and your little legs.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11So, how did this all start for you? Where did the idea come from?
0:16:11 > 0:16:14We looked into milking cows, we looked into veg.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17You name it, we looked into it, really.
0:16:17 > 0:16:19But this seemed to be the only manageable one
0:16:19 > 0:16:21we could fit in around work, really.
0:16:21 > 0:16:25And also this is something that's not done on the Isles of Scilly,
0:16:25 > 0:16:28- so it's a real niche thing. - What do you do with them, then?
0:16:28 > 0:16:30You receive them here. What happens from this stage?
0:16:30 > 0:16:33Once they kind of grow up, they go outside and live a nice
0:16:33 > 0:16:37- free-range life, taking in the lovely views for eight weeks...- OK.
0:16:37 > 0:16:39..which is two weeks longer than commercial ducks.
0:16:39 > 0:16:41Commercial ducks have six weeks.
0:16:41 > 0:16:45They then go to a big processing room and then they get delivered
0:16:45 > 0:16:47to the general public or restaurants,
0:16:47 > 0:16:50so they stay on the islands. So, nothing leaves the island.
0:16:50 > 0:16:54Which is very different if you are, let's say, a cattle farmer?
0:16:54 > 0:16:56A few people send animals away.
0:16:56 > 0:16:58They go to the abattoir, they get processed on the mainland,
0:16:58 > 0:17:02packaged, and then come back. But I just think you lose your control.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05I mean, it's fine, but doing it this way,
0:17:05 > 0:17:09we've got complete control of what happens to the meat.
0:17:09 > 0:17:12And I presume you've had quite a bit of feedback from your customers?
0:17:12 > 0:17:14Yeah, some really, really good feedback.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17- On a winner here, then, Dave? - Hopefully, yeah. I better had!
0:17:21 > 0:17:25It's proving a real plus for the inhabitants of these islands
0:17:25 > 0:17:27to be able to get their hands on meat reared
0:17:27 > 0:17:31and readied for the table right here on the Isles of Scilly.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34But it's not just the self-sufficiency
0:17:34 > 0:17:38of these Cornish expats that's proving an attractive proposition.
0:17:38 > 0:17:43Their taste is making waves among the island's foodie circles.
0:17:43 > 0:17:45The moment of truth...
0:17:46 > 0:17:50Just seems slightly weird, having just dropped off the latest batch...
0:17:50 > 0:17:54- Don't think of it like that. - Yeah, yeah, I know!
0:17:56 > 0:17:58Wow.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02I mean, if you like duck, it doesn't come much better than this.
0:18:02 > 0:18:06- I know!- Dave, do you have tea like this every night?- I wish!
0:18:06 > 0:18:08LAUGHTER
0:18:08 > 0:18:11- Get a couple from the cold store and...- We can't eat the profits.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14Oh, my word. Thank you for a lovely, lovely time.
0:18:14 > 0:18:17- I've thoroughly enjoyed myself. - Thank you for coming.- No problem.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20But as Tom has been finding out, it's all too easy to forget
0:18:20 > 0:18:24the potential dangers of working in the business of agriculture.
0:18:32 > 0:18:36For many of us, farms are a picture of rural tranquillity.
0:18:38 > 0:18:43But this picturesque scene masks a disturbing truth -
0:18:43 > 0:18:47that agriculture is Britain's most hazardous industry.
0:18:49 > 0:18:51In the last ten years, on average,
0:18:51 > 0:18:54almost one farmer a week has died at work
0:18:54 > 0:18:57and thousands have been seriously injured.
0:18:57 > 0:18:58One of those was Darren Taylor.
0:18:58 > 0:19:03Last October he was working on a farm in Yorkshire when the worst happened.
0:19:03 > 0:19:06A farm worker's got caught in a potato harvester machine.
0:19:06 > 0:19:08Initially we were told he'd been caught by his arm
0:19:08 > 0:19:10but the crew's got to the scene now
0:19:10 > 0:19:13and we've been told he's actually been caught by an arm and both legs.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16The man on the ground that day was paramedic
0:19:16 > 0:19:19Graham Pemberton from the Yorkshire Air Ambulance Service.
0:19:19 > 0:19:23When we landed and approached the harvester, it was a bit graphic.
0:19:23 > 0:19:28We could see Darren's leg protruding through the machinery underneath.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31- Has that leg been in there since 6.30?- Yes.
0:19:31 > 0:19:33'It was fairly obvious we needed to give him
0:19:33 > 0:19:35'some good painkillers straightaway.'
0:19:35 > 0:19:37Hi, Darren, I'm Graham. We're going to get you out of here.
0:19:37 > 0:19:39Everything's going to be good.
0:19:39 > 0:19:41'We got his pain under control.'
0:19:41 > 0:19:43We need some more oxygen, please.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46'And then we started the process of getting him out of the machinery.
0:19:46 > 0:19:48'It took about an hour.
0:19:48 > 0:19:52'Darren's injuries were probably the most serious I've ever seen.'
0:19:52 > 0:19:53I don't think I've ever seen anybody
0:19:53 > 0:19:56who was as badly injured as Darren was who's survived.
0:19:56 > 0:20:00Walk either side of the stretcher, yeah? Walk down. Just walk down.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03'He's got life-changing injuries there.
0:20:03 > 0:20:07'He's almost certainly going to lose two, maybe three limbs there'
0:20:07 > 0:20:12of varying degrees. It's shocking, really, but these things happen.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15Darren spent several weeks in hospital.
0:20:15 > 0:20:20He lost one leg, the lower part of the other and half his left arm.
0:20:20 > 0:20:23You work on them machines all the time so it's second nature,
0:20:23 > 0:20:26but this particular day I just slipped, and it got me.
0:20:26 > 0:20:28I mean, at the end of the day, I'm here.
0:20:28 > 0:20:30It could have been a lot worse.
0:20:30 > 0:20:34Six months on, Darren is still being treated for his injuries.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37It's going to be a long road to recovery.
0:20:37 > 0:20:41But the events of that day have stayed with everyone involved.
0:20:41 > 0:20:43I think for every paramedic,
0:20:43 > 0:20:48there are a number of jobs that accumulate over the years
0:20:48 > 0:20:55that live with you and you'll never forget, and he's one of mine.
0:20:55 > 0:21:00The Yorkshire Air Ambulance and paramedics like Graham
0:21:00 > 0:21:03deal with at least one incident like this every month.
0:21:03 > 0:21:07Farming accidents represent a reasonable proportion
0:21:07 > 0:21:11of the work that we do, because of the nature of farm accidents.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14The injuries tend to be quite severe,
0:21:14 > 0:21:17so air ambulances are more likely to get sent.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20The plant machinery they use is quite heavy,
0:21:20 > 0:21:24so if you get caught up in it, it's going to inflict serious injuries.
0:21:24 > 0:21:26Farmers work in places like barns and that,
0:21:26 > 0:21:29which are very big, tall buildings
0:21:29 > 0:21:31and so they fall off them fairly regularly.
0:21:31 > 0:21:35When you go to a farming incident, you know you're almost certainly
0:21:35 > 0:21:38going to somebody who's been quite seriously injured.
0:21:39 > 0:21:43It's not just machinery that can kill or maim.
0:21:43 > 0:21:45Farmers face a variety of dangers
0:21:45 > 0:21:49from toxic chemicals to unpredictable livestock,
0:21:49 > 0:21:52and all these add up to some horrifying statistics.
0:21:52 > 0:21:57Agriculture employs less than 2% of Britain's labour force,
0:21:57 > 0:22:02yet farming accounts for almost 20% of all workplace deaths each year.
0:22:04 > 0:22:08The problem isn't getting worse, but it's not getting any better either.
0:22:08 > 0:22:12And whilst death rates in other industries like construction
0:22:12 > 0:22:14have fallen in recent years,
0:22:14 > 0:22:15in the last decade,
0:22:15 > 0:22:19the number of fatalities in farming has remained pretty much the same.
0:22:19 > 0:22:23So, just what is the problem with farming?
0:22:23 > 0:22:26The National Farmers' Union is extremely concerned
0:22:26 > 0:22:29about the safety record of the industry.
0:22:29 > 0:22:31Ben Ellis is their policy adviser.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34We, as the NFU, think that the accident rate is too high
0:22:34 > 0:22:37and we're doing our best to try and tackle the issue.
0:22:37 > 0:22:39We see that a low accident record
0:22:39 > 0:22:42is an indication of a professional and modern industry.
0:22:42 > 0:22:47Why do you think it is that accident rates in farming are so high?
0:22:47 > 0:22:49Well, it's a combination of factors, really.
0:22:49 > 0:22:53Certainly, farmers are doing an inherently hazardous task -
0:22:53 > 0:22:56be it handling livestock, using machinery,
0:22:56 > 0:23:01doing maintenance on high roofs or moving heavy objects around.
0:23:01 > 0:23:03And also, using chemicals as well.
0:23:03 > 0:23:06So, there's a range of different tasks that they're doing
0:23:06 > 0:23:07which are inherently dangerous.
0:23:07 > 0:23:10Is there something also about the culture of farmers and farming
0:23:10 > 0:23:13that they're quite sort of independent,
0:23:13 > 0:23:16can-do, self-reliant types?
0:23:16 > 0:23:18Absolutely right.
0:23:18 > 0:23:21I think farmers, certainly, there's not a culture
0:23:21 > 0:23:24of being reckless to health and safety by any means,
0:23:24 > 0:23:27but there's certainly a can-do attitude.
0:23:27 > 0:23:33Sometimes that can mean that they try to get the job done at any cost.
0:23:33 > 0:23:36What we're trying to do is make sure that they don't do that
0:23:36 > 0:23:39at a risk to themselves or others.
0:23:39 > 0:23:43For the NFU, this is a problem that the industry
0:23:43 > 0:23:46must urgently get to grips with.
0:23:46 > 0:23:50But with no significant improvement in the last ten years,
0:23:50 > 0:23:54the question is, can things change?
0:23:54 > 0:23:58That's what I'll be finding out later.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11I'm at one of the farthest-flung corners of Britain,
0:24:11 > 0:24:15an archipelago of sand and rock, encircled by a turquoise sea.
0:24:18 > 0:24:2128 miles adrift of the rest of the country,
0:24:21 > 0:24:24the Isles of Scilly are further from the British mainland
0:24:24 > 0:24:25than the coast of France.
0:24:28 > 0:24:31Blissfully secluded they may be, but how do the islanders
0:24:31 > 0:24:35cast away on these remote outcrops make a living?
0:24:36 > 0:24:39Just 73 people call the Isles of Scilly's
0:24:39 > 0:24:43least populated island, St Agnes, home.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46Among them are Tim and Sam Hicks.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49Their 14 acres, or around five and half acres,
0:24:49 > 0:24:53make up the only dairy farm on the whole of the Isles of Scilly.
0:24:55 > 0:24:56So, you've got Jerseys, then?
0:24:56 > 0:25:00Yep, six Jerseys around on the farm and a couple of Ayrshires.
0:25:00 > 0:25:03- OK.- The Ayrshire's give us a nice creamy whole milk,
0:25:03 > 0:25:05that's the blue top we sell.
0:25:05 > 0:25:07The Jerseys' is pretty rich
0:25:07 > 0:25:11and the people that don't like the rich Jersey milk buy a pot of cream.
0:25:11 > 0:25:15In their miniature parlour, with room for two,
0:25:15 > 0:25:18Sam and Tim's small herd produce just enough milk
0:25:18 > 0:25:21to meet the demand for everyone on St Agnes,
0:25:21 > 0:25:23with a few pints to spare.
0:25:23 > 0:25:26And have you always been a dairy farmer?
0:25:26 > 0:25:28No, I started off the farm 30 years ago
0:25:28 > 0:25:31doing early potatoes and narcissi.
0:25:31 > 0:25:37The potato market died off, so we were down to just the narcissi.
0:25:37 > 0:25:41But then the demand for dairy came in
0:25:41 > 0:25:45and I've now given over completely to the dairy side of things.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47And what a spot you've got here!
0:25:47 > 0:25:50I mean, this is just extraordinary, isn't it?
0:25:50 > 0:25:51Every day is different.
0:25:51 > 0:25:55You've either got a rough sea or it's beautiful blue or whatever,
0:25:55 > 0:25:57and it's changing all the time.
0:25:57 > 0:25:58I don't get fed up with it.
0:26:00 > 0:26:02'It may look idyllic,
0:26:02 > 0:26:05'but being a dairy farmer on an island like this
0:26:05 > 0:26:07'doesn't come without its challenges.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10'It requires a fair bit of multitasking.'
0:26:10 > 0:26:15- Am I doing your job here, Sam? - Mostly this is Mum's domain, really.
0:26:15 > 0:26:18Wow, now that is the definition of full cream.
0:26:18 > 0:26:20It's extraordinary, isn't it,
0:26:20 > 0:26:24that your family do absolutely everything.
0:26:24 > 0:26:26No tanker that's going to come and collect the milk
0:26:26 > 0:26:28and take it off to a big central dairy.
0:26:28 > 0:26:30So in the fact that we've got the cows,
0:26:30 > 0:26:33we've got to take it all the way through
0:26:33 > 0:26:34and pasteurise it, bottle it,
0:26:34 > 0:26:37and then distribute it out to whoever wants it.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40Sometimes there's not much left over for the pigs.
0:26:40 > 0:26:43There's pigs involved as well? Hang on, where do they come into it all?
0:26:43 > 0:26:46Yeah, through the winter we do have a surplus on the milk,
0:26:46 > 0:26:49because there's less people around on this little island
0:26:49 > 0:26:51and so what we do is we get some pigs in
0:26:51 > 0:26:52and fatten them up on the surplus,
0:26:52 > 0:26:56and then they're sausages for summer when our tourist market kicks in.
0:26:56 > 0:27:00- So, nothing goes to waste.- We try not to.- It's great. What a system!
0:27:08 > 0:27:12The dairy industry is part of what makes the British countryside tick.
0:27:12 > 0:27:16The sight of cattle grazing happily on spring grass
0:27:16 > 0:27:18is a reminder of where our milk comes from.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21But this week, Adam's at a dairy with a difference.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26It's producing milk from another four-legged friend.
0:27:31 > 0:27:35Goats are one of our oldest domesticated breeds of livestock.
0:27:35 > 0:27:37They're farmed all over the world because they're versatile
0:27:37 > 0:27:40and can cope in a variety of conditions.
0:27:42 > 0:27:45Not only that, they're a dual-purpose animal,
0:27:45 > 0:27:48which means they produce milk and meat.
0:27:48 > 0:27:52In fact, almost three-quarters of the world's population eat goat meat.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55So in places like Nigeria, China and India,
0:27:55 > 0:27:57it's part of their staple diet.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00But it's not so commonly eaten here in the UK,
0:28:00 > 0:28:02although that might be about to change.
0:28:05 > 0:28:09'Will Frost farms 2,500 goats for both milk and meat
0:28:09 > 0:28:12'on this farm near Thorncombe in Dorset.'
0:28:12 > 0:28:14- Hi, Will.- Hi, Adam.
0:28:14 > 0:28:16What a lovely sight, all these goats.
0:28:16 > 0:28:18Yes, it's one of the larger ones in the country,
0:28:18 > 0:28:22- one of the larger herds. - And why goats, not cows?
0:28:22 > 0:28:24We were milking cows, actually,
0:28:24 > 0:28:28and in 1996 we decided to go into goat milk production.
0:28:28 > 0:28:30And how common is that in Britain?
0:28:30 > 0:28:32How many people are milking goats now?
0:28:32 > 0:28:35What we produce in a year in the UK,
0:28:35 > 0:28:39it's about half of the cow's milk production in a day.
0:28:39 > 0:28:41- Really?- Yeah, yeah.
0:28:41 > 0:28:44What are their temperaments like?
0:28:44 > 0:28:47- Do you have to manage them very differently?- We do a little bit.
0:28:47 > 0:28:50They do get stressed quite easily,
0:28:50 > 0:28:54so everyone's got to be quite quiet with them and gentle.
0:28:54 > 0:28:58But if you handle them well, then they're lovely animals to work with.
0:28:58 > 0:29:01Goats are sociable animals and like living together.
0:29:01 > 0:29:03Will keeps his herd indoors all year round.
0:29:03 > 0:29:07But wouldn't they prefer to spend some of their time outdoors?
0:29:07 > 0:29:09They hate the rain, actually.
0:29:09 > 0:29:13They're a sort of goat which traditionally comes from
0:29:13 > 0:29:17more of an arid sort of background and warmer climates.
0:29:17 > 0:29:21- Can we go and see them in the parlour?- That would be great, yeah.
0:29:24 > 0:29:26Will has an amazing rotary parlour
0:29:26 > 0:29:30that can milk an astonishing 800-900 goats an hour.
0:29:30 > 0:29:34But even with all this technology, it's still hard work.
0:29:34 > 0:29:37They milk three times a day at 5am, 1pm and 9pm.
0:29:41 > 0:29:43This is pretty impressive, Will.
0:29:43 > 0:29:45This is the main milking parlour.
0:29:45 > 0:29:47This is an 80 point rotary milking parlour.
0:29:47 > 0:29:50How many minutes to get the goats all the way around the rotary?
0:29:50 > 0:29:54It takes about a minute and a half to go right the way round.
0:29:54 > 0:29:57How many litres of milk would you get from a goat in a day?
0:29:57 > 0:30:01- About 3.5 litres.- OK. - We're aiming for four at peak.- Yeah.
0:30:01 > 0:30:03And what are they eating in the trough, here?
0:30:03 > 0:30:06Yeah, well, they're eating just some pellets.
0:30:06 > 0:30:10So they get a little enticer, just helps them come on every milking.
0:30:10 > 0:30:13But they seem to enjoy it. It's not like they have to be forced on.
0:30:13 > 0:30:16No, absolutely. It wouldn't go very well
0:30:16 > 0:30:19if they didn't enjoy it because they need to flow well.
0:30:19 > 0:30:21And it's part of their daily routine, I suppose.
0:30:21 > 0:30:24Yeah, absolutely. They love their daily routine.
0:30:27 > 0:30:30The goats know exactly what to do in this rotary parlour.
0:30:33 > 0:30:36The idea is to keep things moving.
0:30:36 > 0:30:40The nannies enter the system just like on a theme park ride.
0:30:40 > 0:30:43And while they're happily munching on some nuts,
0:30:43 > 0:30:45Will and his team harvest the milk.
0:30:45 > 0:30:50So, unlike a cow, a goat is like a sheep. It only has two teats.
0:30:50 > 0:30:53So they've got these cups or clusters to put on
0:30:53 > 0:30:56and you can see the teat is getting squeezed by a plastic sleeve
0:30:56 > 0:31:01and the milk is running down the tube, into a central pipe
0:31:01 > 0:31:04and then it goes into a cool fridge tank out the back.
0:31:06 > 0:31:09'It's this milk that's turned into a range of products
0:31:09 > 0:31:12'and Will's invited me into his house to taste some.'
0:31:12 > 0:31:14Right, we've got a test for you here.
0:31:14 > 0:31:18We've got goat's milk in one of those glasses,
0:31:18 > 0:31:20the other's got cow's milk.
0:31:20 > 0:31:22- So see if you can tell the difference.- OK.
0:31:26 > 0:31:28That tastes like cow's.
0:31:32 > 0:31:35Mm! This tastes very similar, but a slight difference.
0:31:35 > 0:31:37I'd guess that this one is goat's milk,
0:31:37 > 0:31:38but there's not a lot of difference.
0:31:38 > 0:31:41Well done. You got it right, actually.
0:31:41 > 0:31:43A lot of people can't tell the difference,
0:31:43 > 0:31:45but, I mean, the great thing about goat's milk,
0:31:45 > 0:31:49it's fantastic for kids with eczema or allergies.
0:31:49 > 0:31:51- Try some cheese.- Mm!
0:31:52 > 0:31:56- It's probably about 12 months old. - Mm!
0:31:56 > 0:31:58- That's got a good flavour. It's lovely, isn't it?- Mm.
0:31:58 > 0:32:00- Not too strong. Delicious.- No.
0:32:00 > 0:32:04- And this is a softer one. - Eight weeks' old.
0:32:06 > 0:32:09Mm! This is really creamy. It's delicious, isn't it?
0:32:09 > 0:32:11- Yeah.- Lovely.- Really good.
0:32:11 > 0:32:15With all these goats producing milk, presumably they have to give birth,
0:32:15 > 0:32:17so half of the kids born will be male.
0:32:17 > 0:32:21- What do you do with them?- Well, we're finding a home for all the males now
0:32:21 > 0:32:25into the meat market, actually. So we rear those on another site.
0:32:25 > 0:32:29- Come and have a look at them. - OK. A bit of cheese for the road.
0:32:30 > 0:32:33'The kids are raised in a kind of goat creche.
0:32:33 > 0:32:35'First I'm going to see the nanny kids,
0:32:35 > 0:32:37'the young females that'll be used
0:32:37 > 0:32:39to replenish the older milking stock.'
0:32:39 > 0:32:44- How do you feed these, then? With a little bit of these pellets.- Yeah.
0:32:44 > 0:32:48So they sort of have a little bit of pellets ad lib all the time.
0:32:48 > 0:32:50And they're on these milk machines.
0:32:50 > 0:32:52I see. It's mixed in the machine and comes out of the teat?
0:32:52 > 0:32:54- Yeah, that's right. - Oh, there we go.- Yeah.
0:32:54 > 0:32:57And how difficult is it to teach them how to use that?
0:32:57 > 0:33:00You have to train them. They'll get the hang of it in 48 hours.
0:33:00 > 0:33:03- Really? So quite quickly.- Yeah.
0:33:03 > 0:33:06So these are the female kids to replace the nannies in the herd.
0:33:06 > 0:33:07What about the male kids?
0:33:07 > 0:33:10That's been a bit of a problem finding a home for them, hasn't it?
0:33:10 > 0:33:14It has done in the past, but it's fantastic now.
0:33:14 > 0:33:17We're using a guy called James Whetlor, who's actually here today,
0:33:17 > 0:33:23but we found a really good meat market for the billy kids.
0:33:23 > 0:33:27'Former chef James Whetlor is a kind of middleman.
0:33:27 > 0:33:29'And he's here to check out the latest billy stock.
0:33:29 > 0:33:32'He buys goat meat from farms like Will's
0:33:32 > 0:33:34'to supply top-end restaurants.'
0:33:34 > 0:33:36So, what are you doing here?
0:33:36 > 0:33:39We're just weighing them to see they're up to 35 kilos,
0:33:39 > 0:33:41which is about what we want for slaughter weight.
0:33:41 > 0:33:45- And how old are these goats? - About five or six months.
0:33:45 > 0:33:47How did the goat meat thing come about?
0:33:47 > 0:33:50I moved back to Devon after being a chef in London for 12 years
0:33:50 > 0:33:53and I got a job working for Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.
0:33:53 > 0:33:56We had four goats of our own, the time came to slaughter them,
0:33:56 > 0:33:58I thought, "I'll put them on the menu at Hugh's
0:33:58 > 0:34:01"and see what happens." And they flew out of the door.
0:34:01 > 0:34:03And suddenly, a light went off in my head,
0:34:03 > 0:34:06maybe I can bring the two together and I can sell goat meat in London.
0:34:06 > 0:34:09Now, goat meat doesn't have a great reputation.
0:34:09 > 0:34:11You think it can only be curried.
0:34:11 > 0:34:15Yeah, well, we're not selling goat, we're selling kid.
0:34:15 > 0:34:18Some of the people that use it say it is just like using a spring lamb.
0:34:18 > 0:34:19They're much more versatile.
0:34:19 > 0:34:21I understand you've got some deliveries.
0:34:21 > 0:34:24Actually, I'm doing one this afternoon if you want to come along.
0:34:24 > 0:34:26- Brilliant. Will we get to try some? - Yes, you will.- Fantastic!
0:34:30 > 0:34:32'It's a nearby delivery to a restaurant in Bristol.
0:34:35 > 0:34:39'Chef Matthew Williamson is going to be preparing some special dishes.'
0:34:41 > 0:34:45- So, goat on the menu.- Yeah. We love having goat on the menu.
0:34:45 > 0:34:47It cooks really well and it's really versatile.
0:34:47 > 0:34:51And how would you break this down? What sort of cuts do you use?
0:34:51 > 0:34:54Well, from the foot to the head there,
0:34:54 > 0:34:57we've got the shanks there which we'll cook traditionally.
0:34:57 > 0:34:59The legs, we sort of barbecue those.
0:34:59 > 0:35:02The loins on the other side, we sometimes like to cure them,
0:35:02 > 0:35:05make a sort of ham-type product, which is really popular.
0:35:05 > 0:35:09The breast, we tend to either roast or braise, a bit slower.
0:35:09 > 0:35:11And then there's... The neck, we really love.
0:35:11 > 0:35:13It's got really succulent meat.
0:35:13 > 0:35:16And the shoulder, as well, we'll tend to slow cook.
0:35:16 > 0:35:19- I'll prepare some of this and you guys can have some.- Lovely!- Great.
0:35:30 > 0:35:34Here we've got some of the goat leg that's been seared off
0:35:34 > 0:35:37and some of the breast that's been roasted.
0:35:37 > 0:35:39Thank you very much.
0:35:42 > 0:35:45Now, it's not as strong as I thought it was going to be.
0:35:45 > 0:35:48I've eaten goat before, but it must have been adult goat
0:35:48 > 0:35:51because I always tell people, "If you like strong lamb, you'll like goat."
0:35:51 > 0:35:54- But actually, this is quite subtle in flavour.- It's really light.
0:35:54 > 0:35:57I think that reflects the young animal.
0:35:57 > 0:35:59- This is a little bit of breast. - That's some of the breast,
0:35:59 > 0:36:03which has got quite a lot of fat on it. But it's not greasy fat.
0:36:03 > 0:36:05That's lovely. That's got lots of flavour, hasn't it?
0:36:07 > 0:36:10Congratulations, guys. It's just fantastic, isn't it?
0:36:10 > 0:36:13Finding a use for an animal that is otherwise going to waste,
0:36:13 > 0:36:16which is a travesty.
0:36:16 > 0:36:19And here you are, creating a delicious, wonderful dish.
0:36:28 > 0:36:31Luckily, Adam's never suffered a serious injury on his farm,
0:36:31 > 0:36:33but as we heard earlier,
0:36:33 > 0:36:36farming is one of the most hazardous industries to work in.
0:36:36 > 0:36:38So, can anything be done to change that?
0:36:45 > 0:36:48'Beautiful though they are, farms can be dangerous.
0:36:51 > 0:36:54'In recent years, accident rates on British farms
0:36:54 > 0:36:57'have remained stubbornly high.
0:36:57 > 0:37:01'On average, someone is seriously injured every day.
0:37:01 > 0:37:05'And last year, 29 people lost their lives.
0:37:08 > 0:37:11'So, what can be done to make the industry safer?
0:37:13 > 0:37:14'James Chapman is a young farmer
0:37:14 > 0:37:18'who knows exactly how easily things can go wrong.
0:37:18 > 0:37:24'At just 23 years old, he lost his arm while operating a slurry tanker.'
0:37:24 > 0:37:26Without turning it off, I went straight in to check
0:37:26 > 0:37:29the machine was running the right direction.
0:37:29 > 0:37:31This bit here was unguarded.
0:37:31 > 0:37:34As I leaned over it, it grabbed hold of my jumper
0:37:34 > 0:37:37and it sucked me into the rotating shaft.
0:37:37 > 0:37:39- It tore your arm off there and then? - Yeah, ripped it straight off.
0:37:39 > 0:37:42You must have been aware before and since
0:37:42 > 0:37:45that this is a very dangerous business.
0:37:45 > 0:37:48Like all these things, you think it'll happen to other people,
0:37:48 > 0:37:50that it doesn't actually happen to you.
0:37:50 > 0:37:52Unfortunately, it did happen to me.
0:37:52 > 0:37:55'For James, one of the main reasons why farming is dangerous
0:37:55 > 0:37:58'is the culture itself.'
0:37:58 > 0:38:01In farming, there's a lot of people that are quite rufty-tufty.
0:38:01 > 0:38:06There is that culture of, "Yeah, I work in a dangerous industry,
0:38:06 > 0:38:09"but I quite like the fact I work in a dangerous industry.
0:38:09 > 0:38:11"I like people to think of me
0:38:11 > 0:38:15"as quite a masculine chap, if you like."
0:38:15 > 0:38:17'Today, he's talking about his accident
0:38:17 > 0:38:20'with students from Warwickshire College.'
0:38:20 > 0:38:21Look at the machinery you're going to use
0:38:21 > 0:38:24or the livestock you're going to be working with
0:38:24 > 0:38:27and think, "Is this the safest it can be? Can I...?"
0:38:27 > 0:38:30'Thanks to James and the focus on safety here,
0:38:30 > 0:38:33'the message is getting through.'
0:38:33 > 0:38:36It's a huge part. And it doesn't feel like it's a chore
0:38:36 > 0:38:38because you're just told to do it from day one.
0:38:38 > 0:38:41Last year, we had a full set of lessons all about it
0:38:41 > 0:38:44and we watched videos of tractors falling down hills and stuff,
0:38:44 > 0:38:48which was all quite scary and made you think a lot about it.
0:38:48 > 0:38:50Usually, during the summer when you're busy,
0:38:50 > 0:38:53you haven't got time to think as much because you're out working.
0:38:53 > 0:38:57But it pays dividends to make the effort to ensure what you're doing
0:38:57 > 0:39:00is done safely, because you may make a decision you may regret
0:39:00 > 0:39:01for the rest of your life.
0:39:01 > 0:39:07'These future farmers seem to have no illusions about potential dangers.'
0:39:07 > 0:39:09But what about those who've spent their lives in the business?
0:39:09 > 0:39:12The average farmer is in their mid 50s
0:39:12 > 0:39:15and their attitude to health and safety
0:39:15 > 0:39:19can be very different to students like these.
0:39:19 > 0:39:22'The Health and Safety Executive is the regulatory body
0:39:22 > 0:39:24'that monitors safety in the workplace.'
0:39:24 > 0:39:25I gather you're advising on a way
0:39:25 > 0:39:29- of stopping people being killed so much by these.- Absolutely.
0:39:29 > 0:39:32A remarkable number of people are injured by their own tractors.
0:39:32 > 0:39:34'Rick Brunt is their Head of Agriculture.'
0:39:34 > 0:39:37Why do you think farming is such a dangerous business?
0:39:37 > 0:39:38I don't think it's dangerous,
0:39:38 > 0:39:41I think it's an industry where the risk isn't well managed.
0:39:41 > 0:39:44And people are so familiar with what they're doing every day,
0:39:44 > 0:39:47they do it the way they've always done it and don't think about it.
0:39:47 > 0:39:50So you think there no reason why it has to be inherently dangerous,
0:39:50 > 0:39:52given the variety of risks we're talking about?
0:39:52 > 0:39:55The variety of risks is there, but the ways people end up being killed
0:39:55 > 0:39:57are exactly the same as they've been for decades.
0:39:57 > 0:40:00They fall off roofs, they get run over by vehicles.
0:40:00 > 0:40:02There's nothing difficult about tackling those problems
0:40:02 > 0:40:06- other than attitude. - You say, "other than attitude" -
0:40:06 > 0:40:08- that is a difficult thing to change. - Absolutely.
0:40:08 > 0:40:12And all we're doing, everything we're geared up to do
0:40:12 > 0:40:15is to inform farmers and support them and help them
0:40:15 > 0:40:18so that they can understand those risks and deal with them.
0:40:18 > 0:40:20'But have they got their approach right?
0:40:20 > 0:40:24'18 months ago, the HSE began to charge for investigations
0:40:24 > 0:40:27'where faults are found. That's led to concerns that
0:40:27 > 0:40:33'people are less likely to report accidents, or even seek advice.'
0:40:33 > 0:40:36One of the reasons farmers have told us they're not reporting
0:40:36 > 0:40:39is that they fear you will come and fine them
0:40:39 > 0:40:41or make them have to pay a lot of money,
0:40:41 > 0:40:43so they'd rather not report it.
0:40:43 > 0:40:46There's a multitude of reasons people don't report.
0:40:46 > 0:40:49A belief they don't have to, that it doesn't apply to them,
0:40:49 > 0:40:51or, as you say, a fear.
0:40:51 > 0:40:53From our point of view,
0:40:53 > 0:40:56if what they've been doing is complying with the law,
0:40:56 > 0:40:58then there's not going to be any prosecution.
0:40:58 > 0:41:01What they get is an honest view of what went wrong.
0:41:02 > 0:41:04'The National Farmers' Union
0:41:04 > 0:41:06'feels that this is a policy that isn't working.
0:41:06 > 0:41:11'But they do agree with the HSE that high accident rates are mainly
0:41:11 > 0:41:15'a cultural problem and something that still needs to be addressed.'
0:41:15 > 0:41:19The fact is, the number of fatalities on farms has remained
0:41:19 > 0:41:22stubbornly high for the last decade. How frustrated are you by that?
0:41:22 > 0:41:24Incredibly frustrated.
0:41:24 > 0:41:27And certainly, the number of accidents needs to come down.
0:41:27 > 0:41:30That's what we're working towards.
0:41:30 > 0:41:32But we are looking at a culture change
0:41:32 > 0:41:35which will take time to feed through.
0:41:35 > 0:41:37Is this a culture change you want to see happen or something you can
0:41:37 > 0:41:40actually see evidence that things are beginning to change?
0:41:40 > 0:41:43Certainly, health and safety profile
0:41:43 > 0:41:46has been raised a lot with our members.
0:41:46 > 0:41:49And we're hearing more and more of farmers
0:41:49 > 0:41:51wanting to improve safety on their farm.
0:41:51 > 0:41:54We're giving a lot more guidance out to members.
0:41:54 > 0:41:58I think we are starting to see the green shoots of a culture change.
0:41:58 > 0:42:02But I think it will take time for that to be seen in the statistics.
0:42:07 > 0:42:11There is a lot of agreement that the attitude of farmers
0:42:11 > 0:42:16is a key stumbling block to making this a safer business.
0:42:16 > 0:42:20So in a farming industry that's so steeped in heritage
0:42:20 > 0:42:25and history, this is surely one tradition that has to change.
0:42:26 > 0:42:29We've seen that for the younger generation, safety is a priority,
0:42:29 > 0:42:32but for the hundreds of thousands of people
0:42:32 > 0:42:34already working on British farms,
0:42:34 > 0:42:39a significant cultural transformation could be some time coming.
0:42:47 > 0:42:50I'm in the Isles of Scilly, where earlier, I heard how the island
0:42:50 > 0:42:55of St Agnes had dealt with its brown rat problem once and for all.
0:42:57 > 0:43:00Here on Tresco, it's all about a quite different animal.
0:43:00 > 0:43:02Not one they're trying to get rid of,
0:43:02 > 0:43:04but one they're trying to encourage.
0:43:06 > 0:43:10'These are the world-famous Abbey Gardens on Tresco.
0:43:10 > 0:43:14'All sorts of weird and wonderful plants thrive here.
0:43:14 > 0:43:17'As habitats go, it's about the last place you'd expect to find
0:43:17 > 0:43:19'one of our best-loved animals.
0:43:19 > 0:43:23'Gardener Dave Hamilton has promised me a sighting.'
0:43:23 > 0:43:26Oooh, it's empty. They're hungry.
0:43:30 > 0:43:33'These nuts are a bit of a clue as to who's going to be stopping by.'
0:43:35 > 0:43:38- Right, there you go, Dave. How long now, then?- Not very long.
0:43:38 > 0:43:42I reckon they'll be pretty hungry by now, so it's just a case of waiting.
0:43:43 > 0:43:46'And waiting.
0:43:46 > 0:43:48'And waiting a bit more.
0:43:49 > 0:43:50'And then...'
0:43:50 > 0:43:53There's something up there! Right in the background. Can you see?
0:43:54 > 0:43:57'A red squirrel.
0:43:57 > 0:43:59'One of our most beloved creatures,
0:43:59 > 0:44:01'right here in the most exotic setting imaginable.'
0:44:03 > 0:44:07Right there! Oh, in the sunlight. What a beaut!
0:44:08 > 0:44:11'Red squirrels are not native to the Isles of Scilly.
0:44:11 > 0:44:13'These were brought from the mainland.
0:44:13 > 0:44:17'The first red squirrels ever to set a furry foot on the islands.'
0:44:17 > 0:44:19What was the thinking behind bringing them in?
0:44:19 > 0:44:23We know the red squirrel is threatened on the mainland
0:44:23 > 0:44:25by the more aggressive grey squirrel,
0:44:25 > 0:44:29so these islands could become a nice safe haven for the red squirrel.
0:44:29 > 0:44:31We've got no predators, an abundance of food on the island.
0:44:31 > 0:44:34So we can offer these squirrels a safe haven
0:44:34 > 0:44:37and the plan really is for the numbers to increase here,
0:44:37 > 0:44:40then the success story would be one day to introduce them
0:44:40 > 0:44:43back to the mainland.
0:44:49 > 0:44:51They tend to get them from the feeder
0:44:51 > 0:44:53and bury the nut underneath the pine needles.
0:45:00 > 0:45:03And how do they cope with all the flora here?
0:45:03 > 0:45:05There are these firs, which is wonderful, but it's quite tropical.
0:45:05 > 0:45:08There are some very unusual plants here.
0:45:08 > 0:45:10We have got these plants from the southern hemisphere
0:45:10 > 0:45:12and I'm sure a lot of them
0:45:12 > 0:45:14would become a food source for the red squirrels.
0:45:14 > 0:45:17We've got the proteas here and they're full of sugary sap,
0:45:17 > 0:45:21so it's possible the squirrels might have a bit of a sugary tooth
0:45:21 > 0:45:25- and perhaps start having a go at the proteas.- Amazing!
0:45:27 > 0:45:32'Sweet tooth or no, hazelnuts will do for now.
0:45:33 > 0:45:35'Here's an unwelcome visitor.'
0:45:35 > 0:45:39- There's a rat there now, there. - Oh, yes.- Just disappearing.
0:45:41 > 0:45:42'A brown rat -
0:45:42 > 0:45:45'scourge of the island's sea bird populations,
0:45:45 > 0:45:46'as I found out earlier.
0:45:46 > 0:45:49'Does this spell trouble for the squirrels?'
0:45:49 > 0:45:53On this thorny issue of getting rid of rats using the rodenticide,
0:45:53 > 0:45:55how would that impact the squirrels?
0:45:55 > 0:45:58There are ideas. One idea, for instance
0:45:58 > 0:46:00we could try with the bait boxes,
0:46:00 > 0:46:04is to lengthen the actual piping that leads to the bait box.
0:46:04 > 0:46:07The red squirrel might be reluctant to enter that dark hole,
0:46:07 > 0:46:12purely because natively, that's where its predators are hiding.
0:46:12 > 0:46:15Another idea would be to perhaps introduce
0:46:15 > 0:46:17humane traps over parts of the island.
0:46:17 > 0:46:20But I'm positive there's always solutions to any problem.
0:46:23 > 0:46:26'This must be like paradise to the reds.
0:46:26 > 0:46:32'The gardens at Tresco are unlike anywhere else they'll have seen.
0:46:32 > 0:46:35'There's all sorts here - plants, trees and shrubs
0:46:35 > 0:46:37'from all over the world.'
0:46:37 > 0:46:41The climate is mild.
0:46:41 > 0:46:45There is hardly ever snow and even frost is pretty unheard of.
0:46:45 > 0:46:48There are plants here that would fail in Cornwall,
0:46:48 > 0:46:51just 30 miles that way.
0:46:55 > 0:46:58'And the colour doesn't stop with the plants.'
0:46:58 > 0:47:00These are beautiful golden pheasants.
0:47:00 > 0:47:04I don't think I've ever seen a more beautiful plumage on any bird.
0:47:06 > 0:47:08'Keeping everything in tip-top condition
0:47:08 > 0:47:10'is head gardener Andy Lawson.
0:47:10 > 0:47:14'It's a varied job and you've got to have a head for heights.'
0:47:14 > 0:47:16What a view, I'm telling you!
0:47:16 > 0:47:18'It's a good workout, too.'
0:47:18 > 0:47:20Oh, yeah, that was good!
0:47:20 > 0:47:23So you've clearly got your work cut out here, then, Andy.
0:47:23 > 0:47:25Yeah. We don't try to do this too often.
0:47:25 > 0:47:30It's one of the less common jobs. But the garden grows so fast,
0:47:30 > 0:47:34even new year, this year, 234 different species in flower.
0:47:34 > 0:47:36- At new year?- Yeah.
0:47:36 > 0:47:38That must keep you cheery at that dark time of year.
0:47:38 > 0:47:40It makes it feel like spring is always here.
0:47:40 > 0:47:42I've got a favour to ask you.
0:47:42 > 0:47:45I know these are all very special plants, but I wondered
0:47:45 > 0:47:50if I could take a very particular Tresco bouquet as a gift for Easter.
0:47:50 > 0:47:52Certainly.
0:47:52 > 0:47:55We'll find you some from different parts of the world.
0:47:55 > 0:47:59Perhaps a bit of Madeira, a bit of South Africa, a bit of New Zealand.
0:48:00 > 0:48:03That's gorgeous. Thank you so much. I really appreciate it.
0:48:03 > 0:48:05- No problem at all.- Good stuff.
0:48:06 > 0:48:09The flowers are my contribution to a special Easter garden
0:48:09 > 0:48:12on the nearby island of St Agnes.
0:48:16 > 0:48:18These are the children of St Agnes School
0:48:18 > 0:48:22also gathering bits and pieces for their Easter garden -
0:48:22 > 0:48:25a quiet little corner outside the church.
0:48:29 > 0:48:33Can I have a look at this garden? Wow, look at this!
0:48:33 > 0:48:37What is it about the garden that means it's all about Easter?
0:48:37 > 0:48:41It's about around the time when Jesus was crucified.
0:48:41 > 0:48:44What's the stones all about? Who knows what they're for?
0:48:44 > 0:48:48That's the tomb where Jesus was put into after he died.
0:48:48 > 0:48:50And some ladies who were following him
0:48:50 > 0:48:53came to have one last look at him
0:48:53 > 0:48:58and the stone was already rolled back and he was gone.
0:48:58 > 0:49:02And the angel said that he's risen from the dead.
0:49:02 > 0:49:05I've got one thing to add to it that I got from nearby...
0:49:05 > 0:49:08Let me go and get it. It's not small, I'm afraid.
0:49:08 > 0:49:11I've got a giant bouquet from the gardens at Tresco.
0:49:11 > 0:49:13- Can I put this down in here?- Yep.
0:49:13 > 0:49:17- Who's going to have one of these at their house?- ALL: Me!
0:49:17 > 0:49:21- Are you going to have chocolate eggs in it?- ALL: Yes!
0:49:21 > 0:49:24- Can I come to your house?- ALL: No!
0:49:27 > 0:49:32Chocolate eggs or not, you've got to admire the children's handiwork.
0:49:32 > 0:49:35The Easter story told in sticks and stones
0:49:35 > 0:49:38and shells from this picture-perfect island.
0:49:49 > 0:49:52'We're being treated to the Isles of Scilly -
0:49:52 > 0:49:55'a dazzling collection of gem-like islands
0:49:55 > 0:49:57'at Britain's southwest extremity.
0:50:00 > 0:50:02'I've already delivered some high-fliers
0:50:02 > 0:50:04'from the Cornish peninsula
0:50:04 > 0:50:07'to the island's main hub, St Mary's,
0:50:07 > 0:50:11'to be reared from farm to fork on the archipelago.
0:50:11 > 0:50:16'Now I'm on the diminutive island of St Agnes, population, 73,
0:50:16 > 0:50:19'with the Isles of Scilly's only dairy farmer, Sam Hicks,
0:50:19 > 0:50:22'for a milk round with a difference.'
0:50:22 > 0:50:25Now, as a young lad, I used to do a milk round.
0:50:25 > 0:50:27It was my first paid job.
0:50:27 > 0:50:29I have to say, it was quite different to this.
0:50:29 > 0:50:32- I used to deliver a lot more crates. - Ah, right. In a place like this?
0:50:32 > 0:50:35Not in a place like this, no. Didn't have the scenery.
0:50:35 > 0:50:38- Mind you, I did used to get a fiver a morning.- A fiver?- Yeah.
0:50:38 > 0:50:41- And my rates have gone up since then.- Have they?
0:50:41 > 0:50:45LAUGHTER I'm still on a fiver.
0:50:45 > 0:50:48- Come on, I'll give you a hand. - Let's get these on.
0:50:48 > 0:50:53# In the street just after dawn when you can't hear a sound
0:50:53 > 0:50:58# With me milk cart every morn I go upon me round... #
0:50:58 > 0:51:00- Right, some whole milk for these guys.- OK.
0:51:00 > 0:51:03- These are the people who run the boat service.- Oh, right.
0:51:03 > 0:51:06- Got to look after these people, then.- Yeah.
0:51:06 > 0:51:08- One large?- Yeah, one large.
0:51:10 > 0:51:11Your milk's here!
0:51:11 > 0:51:14- Do you need anything else? - No, I'm fine, thank you.
0:51:14 > 0:51:18- Are you the milkman today?- Well... Yes, if that's all right with you.
0:51:20 > 0:51:23- Right.- All good? - Yeah, all set.- Great.
0:51:23 > 0:51:26The good thing with plastic bottles, you don't have to get the empties.
0:51:26 > 0:51:28No glass either.
0:51:30 > 0:51:32OK, so there's two big greens here
0:51:32 > 0:51:34and two big blues around the corner, OK?
0:51:34 > 0:51:36- Yep.- I'll pick you up there.
0:51:36 > 0:51:41# In the streets just after dawn when you can't hear a sound
0:51:41 > 0:51:45# With me milk cart every morn I go upon me round... #
0:51:49 > 0:51:51It's just like the good old days.
0:51:51 > 0:51:54- What do we need for the lighthouse? - Two pints of semi-skimmed.
0:52:01 > 0:52:05'With St Agnes' deliveries done, there's one last drop-off to go.'
0:52:05 > 0:52:07So, I grab the whole crate and take the whole crate?
0:52:07 > 0:52:09- Yeah, the whole crate on board, please.- OK.
0:52:11 > 0:52:13Right.
0:52:13 > 0:52:15Onwards. We'll see you when we do.
0:52:15 > 0:52:18OK. Cheers, Matt.
0:52:18 > 0:52:20How are you doing, all right?
0:52:20 > 0:52:23- Good. And you? Shall I have that? - Yeah.
0:52:23 > 0:52:25This brings a whole new meaning to the term "milk float".
0:52:33 > 0:52:36'The smallest populated Scillonian island of Bryher
0:52:36 > 0:52:39'measures in at a mere mile and a half long
0:52:39 > 0:52:41'by half a mile wide at its widest point.
0:52:43 > 0:52:47'This is the most westerly inhabited place in England.'
0:52:47 > 0:52:51I see a sign that says, "Here." That'll do me.
0:52:51 > 0:52:54End of the milk round. Oh!
0:52:56 > 0:52:59- Hello!- Hi!- Is this for you?
0:52:59 > 0:53:03- Oh, it is! Fantastic!- All of it? - Yes.- Wow!
0:53:03 > 0:53:05It's not just for me to have. It's for making fudge.
0:53:05 > 0:53:07MUSIC: "Pure Imagination"
0:53:07 > 0:53:10'Issy Taylor runs, unsurprisingly,
0:53:10 > 0:53:13'Brier's only fudge kitchen, with her mum, Kristine.
0:53:13 > 0:53:16'They make the fudge to a secret family recipe
0:53:16 > 0:53:19'that they refuse to divulge.'
0:53:19 > 0:53:21It's milk, butter and clotted cream,
0:53:21 > 0:53:25sugar, condensed milk, syrup,
0:53:25 > 0:53:28but there's another ingredient you haven't seen.
0:53:30 > 0:53:33I won't tell anyone the recipe.
0:53:33 > 0:53:36Not even my son-in-laws.
0:53:37 > 0:53:40'Issy discovered the recipe in an old family cookbook
0:53:40 > 0:53:42'when she was just 11 years old.
0:53:42 > 0:53:45'She made the fudge to earn some pocket money,
0:53:45 > 0:53:48'selling it from a table at the farm gate.
0:53:48 > 0:53:50'20 years on and believe it or not,
0:53:50 > 0:53:52'there's still an honesty stall here.
0:53:54 > 0:53:57Scilly sea salt. That looks delicious!
0:53:59 > 0:54:04Well, that's my rounds done and dusted. And it's been a real treat.
0:54:07 > 0:54:09- That's a good manoeuvre. - How are you doing?
0:54:09 > 0:54:10That's a really good manoeuvre.
0:54:12 > 0:54:15- Permission to come aboard, my dear. - There you go. How are you doing?
0:54:15 > 0:54:18- Good. What have you been doing? - All sorts of things!
0:54:18 > 0:54:19But look, happy Easter to you!
0:54:19 > 0:54:22I've remembered to bring you something, too.
0:54:22 > 0:54:24There you are. This is...
0:54:24 > 0:54:27- Well, it's Scilly sea salt, but it's fudge.- I can't wait for it.
0:54:27 > 0:54:29What a wonderful way to end the programme.
0:54:29 > 0:54:31That is all we've got time for from the Isles of Scilly.
0:54:31 > 0:54:34Next week, we're going to be in the Yorkshire Dales,
0:54:34 > 0:54:37celebrating what has been voted as 75 icons of Yorkshire.
0:54:37 > 0:54:40- And I will be both in Whitby and on the Moors.- Yes.
0:54:40 > 0:54:43- And I'll be in the Dales, no doubt wearing a flat cap.- Course you will.
0:54:43 > 0:54:46- Hope you can join us then. - See you then.- Right.- Dig in!
0:54:46 > 0:54:48- Do you want half of this egg? - I want all of it!
0:54:48 > 0:54:50Because I definitely want to try some of that fudge.
0:54:50 > 0:54:52Salt and sweet. What a mix!