:00:22. > :00:36.MUSIC: Sporting Occasion by Arnold Steck
:00:37. > :00:39.We are in the charming county of Kent.
:00:40. > :00:44.It's the tennis season, and to celebrate, I'm going to be on a farm
:00:45. > :00:46.that has provided Wimbledon with millions
:00:47. > :00:55.And I'll be visiting a wildlife rescue centre,
:00:56. > :01:00.helping to keep the creatures of Kent's countryside safe.
:01:01. > :01:05.No? We should finish this later on. Oh!
:01:06. > :01:10.I'll tell you what, you bring all the grit and determination
:01:11. > :01:14.and I'll go and get the strawberries.
:01:15. > :01:18.Also on the programme, Tom is on the trail of the invading insects
:01:19. > :01:21.and finding out why pot plants could be to blame.
:01:22. > :01:25.These species have the potential to transform our ecosystems
:01:26. > :01:28.and our gardens and cause economic damage
:01:29. > :01:33.that will be with us for generations.
:01:34. > :01:36.And Adam's meeting youngsters with the farming bug.
:01:37. > :01:52.Summertime in the British countryside.
:01:53. > :02:03.Long, lazy days, dappled sunlight and lush green hills.
:02:04. > :02:06.I'm in Kent, near Maidstone, the Garden of England,
:02:07. > :02:16.And during the British summer there is one fruit
:02:17. > :02:27.Strawberries are a quintessential part
:02:28. > :02:29.of our most famous tennis tournament, Wimbledon.
:02:30. > :02:34.23 tonnes of strawberries were consumed at Wimbledon last year.
:02:35. > :02:40.That's around two million individual berries.
:02:41. > :02:44.Hugh Lowe Farms near Maidstone is a family-run business.
:02:45. > :02:47.They've been the sole suppliers of strawberries to Wimbledon
:02:48. > :02:54.'Marion Regan is the managing director.'
:02:55. > :02:57.Well, Marion, just walking up here, it's mesmerising
:02:58. > :03:00.the amount of strawberry plants that you've got in here.
:03:01. > :03:04.What does the strawberry mean to you? It's a way of life for me.
:03:05. > :03:07.I couldn't imagine life without strawberries.
:03:08. > :03:09.I grew up on this farm and we've always grown strawberries,
:03:10. > :03:13.we've always shared our summers with a large number of super people
:03:14. > :03:15.who've come to help us pick the crops.
:03:16. > :03:17.I couldn't imagine anything different, really.
:03:18. > :03:20.And lots of people enjoying your strawberries at Wimbledon as well,
:03:21. > :03:24.when would those strawberries have started their life?
:03:25. > :03:27.We now find we get the best quality from a young plant,
:03:28. > :03:30.so we plant them early in the year,
:03:31. > :03:33.sometimes in January or February, to time them to crop
:03:34. > :03:38.Was it your dad who first started the relationship with Wimbledon?
:03:39. > :03:44.more than 25 years ago, and we've been very proud to be
:03:45. > :03:52.associated with the official caterers at Wimbledon.
:03:53. > :03:57.the art of producing strawberries has been refined over the years.
:03:58. > :04:01.Improved varieties and cultivation techniques
:04:02. > :04:04.means growers are now playing at the highest level.
:04:05. > :04:08.I think most people would think of strawberries being grown
:04:09. > :04:12.in the traditional way - on the ground surrounded by straw.
:04:13. > :04:16.We are growing them nowadays in gutters and in pots,
:04:17. > :04:18.so that the plants are actually at shoulder height
:04:19. > :04:20.which makes it much easier for people to pick,
:04:21. > :04:23.and it's a better growing environment for the plant.
:04:24. > :04:26.It's very good for the bees and other pollinators.
:04:27. > :04:32.Now, we actually pick strawberries from May all the way until October.
:04:33. > :04:38.One is we've got varieties now which flower and fruit
:04:39. > :04:41.at the same time... I see. Yeah. ..so they keep going all the way
:04:42. > :04:45.through the summer, and the other thing is we use polytunnels
:04:46. > :04:48.which advance the season at the beginning and at the end,
:04:49. > :04:55.keep the rain off and allow us to have a lovely long season.
:04:56. > :04:58.These days, the game of growing strawberries is more demanding.
:04:59. > :05:02.After Wimbledon, the farm continues to supply other markets
:05:03. > :05:06.so harvesting doesn't stop until the end of the season in October.
:05:07. > :05:16.And with everything that you're doing here, what are you actually
:05:17. > :05:20.aiming to do as far as the plant is concerned, to get the best crop?
:05:21. > :05:25.This plant has got to keep throwing out flowers and fruit
:05:26. > :05:32.so we want to see a very healthy plant, no pests and diseases,
:05:33. > :05:34.and we want to give it everything it needs
:05:35. > :05:37.to put its energy into growing fruit,
:05:38. > :05:41.and so we give it its own irrigation little system here
:05:42. > :05:49.Depending on what stage the plant is at, the feed programme changes,
:05:50. > :05:53.so really I'm very pleased with the way these plants look at this stage.
:05:54. > :05:57.We take off the runners because otherwise
:05:58. > :06:01.all the energy of the plant goes into growing leaves and runners,
:06:02. > :06:04.and not enough energy into the fruit. Yes.
:06:05. > :06:08.Beautiful, glorious, red, shiny fruit that just looks
:06:09. > :06:12.so appealing to the eye and my taste buds are tingling.
:06:13. > :06:15.Yes. Do you have to eat... I mean, in all seriousness,
:06:16. > :06:17.do you have to spend quite a bit of time eating these?
:06:18. > :06:21.I love eating strawberries. We're regularly testing them, for sure.
:06:22. > :06:23.Absolutely beautiful. Straight off the plant.
:06:24. > :06:34.Exactly. Straight off the plant. Oh, you can't beat it.
:06:35. > :06:37.Well, Kent may be the source of many of our strawberries,
:06:38. > :06:41.but every year the UK imports millions of pounds' worth
:06:42. > :06:47.There are calls to ban these imports, but why?
:06:48. > :06:56.There's a battle raging in our countryside
:06:57. > :07:04.as an invading army threatens the future of our landscape.
:07:05. > :07:08.Plants, animals and bugs from across the globe are heading here
:07:09. > :07:12.in ever-increasing numbers, threatening our native wildlife.
:07:13. > :07:19.Fighting off these unwanted visitors is a constant battle
:07:20. > :07:26.and one that some say we're not doing enough to win.
:07:27. > :07:29.These intruders cost us ?1.7 billion a year
:07:30. > :07:33.but the cost to the environment is even greater.
:07:34. > :07:38.They're seen as one of the biggest causes of biodiversity loss.
:07:39. > :07:43.But forget killer shrimp and rampant Himalayan balsam,
:07:44. > :07:47.there's another sinister threat on the horizon
:07:48. > :07:49.and it's the most difficult to fight.
:07:50. > :07:53.And that's bugs, which are said to be breaching our defences
:07:54. > :08:01.by hiding away in things like this, the humble pot plant.
:08:02. > :08:06.We spend more than ?300 million a year importing live plants.
:08:07. > :08:09.That's because generally it's cheaper to ship them in
:08:10. > :08:12.than it is to grow them here in the UK.
:08:13. > :08:16.What we've got here is a slug, called the green psylla slug.
:08:17. > :08:21.It's something Matt Shardlow from the conservation charity Buglife
:08:22. > :08:27.Here's another one. This is the little harlequin ladybird
:08:28. > :08:31.that's wiping out some of our native species of ladybirds.
:08:32. > :08:34.These invasive species have the potential to transform
:08:35. > :08:40.and cause economic damage that will be with us for generations.
:08:41. > :08:44.How much of a problem are pot plants?
:08:45. > :08:48.Pot plants, and particularly the earth in those pot plants,
:08:49. > :08:51.that is the biggest risk we've got for the importation of organisms
:08:52. > :08:55.because that earth hides all sorts of things in there.
:08:56. > :08:58.Laid buried even within the structure of the soil
:08:59. > :09:01.can be eggs - tiny, tiny eggs of all sorts
:09:02. > :09:06.Is there any real hard evidence for this or is it
:09:07. > :09:08.all a bit circumstantial and suspicious?
:09:09. > :09:13.when they look at the risk of other dangerous and damaging invertebrates
:09:14. > :09:23.With around 2,000 non-native species of plants, animals and bugs
:09:24. > :09:28.already living here, Matt thinks the current regulations aren't working.
:09:29. > :09:38.not about the invasive species that are threatening bio-security,
:09:39. > :09:50.not really covered by the current regulations.
:09:51. > :09:55.'Ed Burchill is an inspector with the Animal and Plant Health Agency.'
:09:56. > :09:58.What we are doing here is looking for various pests and diseases.
:09:59. > :10:04.Soil generally is prohibited from outside of the EU
:10:05. > :10:08.because it's one of the great ways of moving organisms around,
:10:09. > :10:11.and you can't see it because it's hidden away down in the depths
:10:12. > :10:14.and amongst the roots and in the soil.
:10:15. > :10:18.'But soil around plant roots can be imported as long as it has
:10:19. > :10:27.From outside of the EU, plants for planting such as this, with roots,
:10:28. > :10:31.would have to come with what is called a phytosanitary certificate
:10:32. > :10:37.which means it's healthy and it meets our import requirements.
:10:38. > :10:43.that mirrors it very closely called plant passports.
:10:44. > :10:47.Are all plants inspected at the border? Outside of the EU,
:10:48. > :10:50.all plants for planting are. Within the EU,
:10:51. > :10:54.we don't look at every plant moving because there are millions
:10:55. > :10:59.and millions of them, but we do some quarantine surveillance inspections.
:11:00. > :11:05.'additional restrictions are enforced.'
:11:06. > :11:08.We are constantly looking for these new pests and diseases.
:11:09. > :11:11.One example is sweet chestnut blight.
:11:12. > :11:14.That's a disease that we don't have in this country
:11:15. > :11:17.and so we've introduced a new measure which increases
:11:18. > :11:22.the level of security to the United Kingdom.
:11:23. > :11:25.That all sounds pretty rigorous, but is it enough
:11:26. > :11:28.when all it takes is one tiny egg or larvae lurking
:11:29. > :11:34.undetected in the soil to introduce a new species?
:11:35. > :11:37.And that's exactly what happened a few years ago
:11:38. > :11:40.when aloe plants were imported for the Chelsea Flower Show.
:11:41. > :11:43.They'd been through all the checks and controls
:11:44. > :11:49.but a few weeks later, a menagerie of non-native bugs crawled out.
:11:50. > :11:52.Luckily they were in the Royal Horticultural Society's
:11:53. > :11:57.quarantine greenhouse and were all safely destroyed.
:11:58. > :12:01.And it's the risk of that happening in a garden centre or garden
:12:02. > :12:05.that Matt Shardlow fears, so he's calling for radical action.
:12:06. > :12:07.We believe that this is just too big a risk.
:12:08. > :12:10.Millions of pot plants, thousands of tonnes of soil,
:12:11. > :12:15.The only solution we can see at the moment is a ban on
:12:16. > :12:21.the international trade in these dangerous products.
:12:22. > :12:27.There is no doubt invasive species are a threat. Just look at this.
:12:28. > :12:34.About a week's work for a few diamondback moth larvae.
:12:35. > :12:37.A direct link between imported plants
:12:38. > :12:41.and invasive bugs is yet to be scientifically proven
:12:42. > :12:46.but experts agree it's a very likely route, so how realistic is a ban?
:12:47. > :12:55.That's something I'll be finding out later.
:12:56. > :12:59.Kent - land of oast houses and rolling hills,
:13:00. > :13:04.hop growing and bountiful orchards...
:13:05. > :13:10.Known the world over, these unmistakable chalk faces
:13:11. > :13:16.soar over the Strait of Dover in the English Channel.
:13:17. > :13:19.The white cliffs have borne witness to countless departures
:13:20. > :13:25.but there is an elite band for whom this shoreline marks
:13:26. > :13:38.the beginning and sometimes even the end of an epic personal battle.
:13:39. > :13:45.Their challenge isn't just the 20 miles of open water between here
:13:46. > :13:50.and France, but testing their own physical and mental limits.
:13:51. > :13:53.Before I take the plunge, I can't help but ask,
:13:54. > :13:58.Why do you want to score a goal at Wembley?
:13:59. > :14:01.Why do you want to win Wimbledon? Why do you want to climb Everest?
:14:02. > :14:06.Why do anything? It is the human competitive instinct.
:14:07. > :14:11.Kevin Murphy has an astonishing 34 successful crossings
:14:12. > :14:14.to his name, including three doubles.
:14:15. > :14:19.That's swimming to France and straight back to the white cliffs,
:14:20. > :14:25.so Kevin's ideally placed to offer some encouragement.
:14:26. > :14:29.I don't actually enjoy it when I'm out. You don't? No, I hate it!
:14:30. > :14:32.When you're wild swimming in lakes and rivers and whatever,
:14:33. > :14:35.you are swimming for the sheer joy of it.
:14:36. > :14:37.Here, you are actually challenging nature.
:14:38. > :14:42.You're trying to get to the other side whatever nature throws at you.
:14:43. > :14:45.And can you describe the experience to me?
:14:46. > :14:50.What is it like just to swim and swim for hours and hours and hours?
:14:51. > :14:55.You think to yourself, "What's going to stop me putting one arm
:14:56. > :15:05.That's precisely what British sea captain Matthew Webb must have done
:15:06. > :15:09.when in 1875, he became the first person to successfully swim
:15:10. > :15:18.Since 1875, fewer than 2,000 successful solo crossings
:15:19. > :15:22.In fact, three times more people have summited Everest
:15:23. > :15:29.and I'm joining someone who's training for their first attempt.
:15:30. > :15:33.Anel Sitdikova has travelled more than 4,000 miles from her home
:15:34. > :15:37.in Kazakhstan to take on the challenge of swimming the Channel.
:15:38. > :15:40.She's training under Kevin's watchful eye
:15:41. > :15:45.and I'll be trying to keep up with her.
:15:46. > :15:54.It's a huge thing in Kazakhstan, like mounting Everest,
:15:55. > :15:59.and I wanted to challenge myself first of all.
:16:00. > :16:02.So I've been to the water for three days already.
:16:03. > :16:09.Under the rules of the Channel Federation,
:16:10. > :16:12.you're not allowed to wear a wetsuit or anything that warms you up.
:16:13. > :16:24.It's just your skin and that cold water. Yes, and a pair of goggles.
:16:25. > :16:30.I'm not acclimatising to these cold temperatures, thank you very much.
:16:31. > :16:36.So I am donning a wetsuit and gloves and boots and the works.
:16:37. > :16:39.Can't believe you're going in like that!
:16:40. > :16:45.Makes me cold just thinking about it.
:16:46. > :17:09.'The tide is relentlessly working against us.
:17:10. > :17:18.One stroke forward and four strokes back.
:17:19. > :17:22.'The water temperature is hovering around 13 degrees.
:17:23. > :17:28.The cold does hurt your face a little bit
:17:29. > :17:33.and I'm wearing a wetsuit so I can't imagine how Anel must be feeling.
:17:34. > :17:37.And Anel's got another five weeks of this training
:17:38. > :17:59.I've barely dipped a toe into the world of Channel swimming
:18:00. > :18:04.Swimming in the shadow of the cliffs.
:18:05. > :18:08.That was so fantastic, I really enjoyed it, but so, so tough.
:18:09. > :18:11.Even with a five-mil wetsuit on I was feeling chilled,
:18:12. > :18:15.after, what, just 15-20 minutes in the water?
:18:16. > :18:18.Seeing the cliffs from this vantage point was truly remarkable
:18:19. > :18:20.but massive respect to Anel and Kevin.
:18:21. > :18:43.taking on a Channel swim any time soon.
:18:44. > :18:47.Now what do you think could be the connection between this greenhouse
:18:48. > :18:50.and the fact that we as a nation love Chinese food?
:18:51. > :18:54.Other cuisines have come along to challenge it but it's still
:18:55. > :18:57.a top favourite, and this is one of the few places in the country
:18:58. > :19:06.specifically for Chinese restaurants.
:19:07. > :19:11.The farm near Maidstone was set up by Mau Chiping in 1986.
:19:12. > :19:17.Mau saw a gap in the market for home-grown Chinese vegetables.
:19:18. > :19:20.He started with only two acres but as the popularity
:19:21. > :19:28.he expanded the farm to more than 40.
:19:29. > :19:31.Mau took great pride in growing his produce
:19:32. > :19:38.which doesn't involve chemicals or pesticides.
:19:39. > :19:41.His son David inherited the farm and now grows everything
:19:42. > :19:48.from pak choi to mustard greens and Chinese broccoli.
:19:49. > :19:50.And what's being harvested today, David?
:19:51. > :19:54.We're going to harvest choy sum, a very traditional crop.
:19:55. > :20:03.They're growing in chicken manure mixed with soil.
:20:04. > :20:06.So that's traditional, is it, back in China? That's very traditional.
:20:07. > :20:15.You get some run off from the crop into the troughs.
:20:16. > :20:17.It's all been reused, the water, again and again?
:20:18. > :20:19.All the excess water will go back to the troughs.
:20:20. > :20:21.I suppose you get quite a lot of wildlife,
:20:22. > :20:30.We try to make it as natural as possible.
:20:31. > :20:34.So do you find that Chinese restaurants in this country
:20:35. > :20:37.prefer the vegetables to come from this country?
:20:38. > :20:50.and it's a lot more sort of healthier.
:20:51. > :21:01.but he's still using them to grow another traditional Chinese crop.
:21:02. > :21:05.As you can see, we've got a nice crop of chrysanthemum here.
:21:06. > :21:08.They are a very beautiful flower, aren't they?
:21:09. > :21:12.These are dried for chrysanthemum tea.
:21:13. > :21:16.Supposed to be very good for you, isn't it? Yes. What does it do?
:21:17. > :21:18.It wakes you up in the morning. Oh, right!
:21:19. > :21:20.Well, I'd better have some chrysanthemum tea in future.
:21:21. > :21:26.When they're young, you can use them like choy sum.
:21:27. > :21:32.As a vegetable. Yeah, a vegetable. Very, very tasty as well.
:21:33. > :21:36.Outside, David is also making use of ponds
:21:37. > :21:39.created to collect water for irrigation.
:21:40. > :21:46.living naturally, without any additional feed.
:21:47. > :21:48.But we won't be doing any fishing today.
:21:49. > :21:51.Instead, we're delivering the vegetables we've harvested
:21:52. > :21:59.Here's some choy sum we've just picked. Lovely.
:22:00. > :22:03.'I'm interested to know what the restaurant's manager, Chi Kwong Yau,
:22:04. > :22:07.'thinks of David's traditionally grown crop.'
:22:08. > :22:11.How important to you is it, Chi, to have fresh vegetables?
:22:12. > :22:13.I think it's incredibly important, really.
:22:14. > :22:16.The best thing has been David round the corner.
:22:17. > :22:18.It's going to be fresh, fresh greens.
:22:19. > :22:21.So freshness means delicious...tastiness.
:22:22. > :22:24.What do you have to do when it's out of season?
:22:25. > :22:28.It could come from China, there's places in Europe as well that do it.
:22:29. > :22:34.Well, I'm going to taste it in a minute.
:22:35. > :22:39.Choy sum with some oyster sauce, very traditional Chinese dish.
:22:40. > :23:03.Looking forward to eating it. Thank you.
:23:04. > :23:06.There you go, John. Thank you, Chi. Taste the freshness in that.
:23:07. > :23:12.I'm going to try some of these. You going to try...
:23:13. > :23:14.Choy sum that we picked this morning.
:23:15. > :23:18.I've always loved Chinese food, you know. Yes.
:23:19. > :23:29.How about that? Mmm, very good, very good.
:23:30. > :23:35.Wonderful. I'll have some more. Me too.
:23:36. > :23:38.Earlier, we heard about the threat invasive species pose
:23:39. > :23:43.But is a ban on importing live plants justified?
:23:44. > :23:56.There's no doubt these invaders can wreak havoc.
:23:57. > :24:00.Just have a look at the trail of this aggressive Japanese knotweed,
:24:01. > :24:09.But is this, the simple pot plant, really to blame?
:24:10. > :24:21.hiding an invading army of pests in its soil.
:24:22. > :24:23.Live imports are a cause for concern.
:24:24. > :24:25.Infected saplings brought into the UK
:24:26. > :24:28.are thought to have introduced ash dieback,
:24:29. > :24:33.the disease threatening ash trees across the country.
:24:34. > :24:35.'Dr Peter Thomas is a plant ecologist
:24:36. > :24:38.'who thinks pot plants are a problem.'
:24:39. > :24:41.A lot of the major diseases that have come into Britain
:24:42. > :24:46.They either come in on packing material,
:24:47. > :24:49.or they come in by being blown by the wind.
:24:50. > :24:53.So what do you think of the current system of plant passports?
:24:54. > :24:57.The plant inspectors in Britain do a really good job
:24:58. > :25:01.The trouble is, there's so much importation of material into Britain
:25:02. > :25:04.that there's no way that every plant could be inspected,
:25:05. > :25:06.and if you've got plants that are growing in soil,
:25:07. > :25:10.It's the most possible to detect until it's too late.
:25:11. > :25:13.So would you favour a pot-plant import ban?
:25:14. > :25:15.It would certainly help, but it won't solve the problem.
:25:16. > :25:18.There are so many ways that diseases and pests can come into Britain
:25:19. > :25:20.and the international trade rules are so complicated
:25:21. > :25:22.it's going to make it very difficult indeed,
:25:23. > :25:25.and it needs a lot of political will.
:25:26. > :25:32.we are still a member of the European Single Market
:25:33. > :25:40.and, as such, the UK is unable to introduce a national blanket ban.
:25:41. > :25:43.While there may be little doubt amongst scientists
:25:44. > :25:47.that live plants are responsible for bringing in bugs and pests,
:25:48. > :25:50.it's hard to prove and even harder to prevent,
:25:51. > :25:56.and that's partly because the organisms themselves are so small.
:25:57. > :25:58.Defra, the government body responsible,
:25:59. > :26:01.believes the controls already in place
:26:02. > :26:05.are adequate to tackle the majority of pests and bugs,
:26:06. > :26:07.and flexible enough to react to new threats.
:26:08. > :26:10.For instance, this year, since February,
:26:11. > :26:12.all Spanish potatoes have had to be washed
:26:13. > :26:17.to avoid the arrival of a flea beetle.
:26:18. > :26:19.And remember, only a small proportion -
:26:20. > :26:23.about 10-15% of invasive species already here -
:26:24. > :26:29.So, with no out-and-out ban immediately possible,
:26:30. > :26:36.what else could we do to further reduce the risk?
:26:37. > :26:41.thinks greater enforcement of the existing regulations
:26:42. > :26:48.I understand that it's quite a small percentage of stock that comes in
:26:49. > :26:50.that actually gets physically inspected and checked.
:26:51. > :26:55.that the Animal and Plant Health Agency
:26:56. > :26:58.have the resources and the funding that they need.
:26:59. > :27:02.'Carol Honeybun-Kelly is from the Woodland Trust,
:27:03. > :27:07.'which now only buy trees sourced and grown in the UK.'
:27:08. > :27:10.So would you support an import ban on pot plants?
:27:11. > :27:15.And there's a couple of reasons for that.
:27:16. > :27:18.It's an entire industry for the UK, it's very popular,
:27:19. > :27:21.Businesses only thrive when there's demand.
:27:22. > :27:24.You kind of think it's a bit too drastic?
:27:25. > :27:28.I think there's a number of other things that you can do
:27:29. > :27:31.to ensure that the risk is managed carefully and appropriately.
:27:32. > :27:34.Like what? Everyone can take a bit of responsibility.
:27:35. > :27:37.Talk to your local nursery, find out what their policies are.
:27:38. > :27:40.Make sure that the plants you're bringing to your garden
:27:41. > :27:47.'the Woodland Trust are launching an assurance scheme.'
:27:48. > :27:50.I don't think we're quite as glorious as your Red Tractor yet
:27:51. > :27:52.but we'd certainly be moving towards that,
:27:53. > :27:54.so that people know, when they're buying,
:27:55. > :27:56.they're buying safe, UK-sourced, grown stock,
:27:57. > :27:58.that's keeping business within the country
:27:59. > :28:01.and it's going to be safe to move to their garden.
:28:02. > :28:04.Could UK sourcing make our plants more expensive?
:28:05. > :28:08.Just because of labour and cost rates here.
:28:09. > :28:11.But it's like you make a choice for everything,
:28:12. > :28:14.be it free-range eggs, organic meat and other produce.
:28:15. > :28:17.You make the choice, you decide what you want,
:28:18. > :28:21.keeping other businesses and the environment safe, then...
:28:22. > :28:24.That's a price worth paying, I think.
:28:25. > :28:31.the choice is left in our, the consumer's, hands.
:28:32. > :28:34.As we stock up our gardens this summer,
:28:35. > :28:47.we can all ask, is buying British a price worth paying?
:28:48. > :28:51.Back in Kent, and pest control is happening on a more local level.
:28:52. > :28:54.We're not the only ones that are partial to the odd strawberry -
:28:55. > :29:01.Some are great for the plants and some aren't.
:29:02. > :29:03.Managing director Marion Regan explains
:29:04. > :29:05.that it's all about encouraging good insects
:29:06. > :29:11.We're increasingly using natural pest control
:29:12. > :29:14.to help us with the pests that attack strawberries.
:29:15. > :29:17.So it's very important to have good field margins
:29:18. > :29:23.that we want to encourage into the crops.
:29:24. > :29:26.And we also have grass underneath in the tunnels,
:29:27. > :29:28.which encourages a sort of green network.
:29:29. > :29:31.And in previous years we've had very severe crop losses,
:29:32. > :29:41.until we discovered how to use natural pest control.
:29:42. > :29:47.Farm manager Tom Pearson constantly checks the crop for signs of pests.
:29:48. > :29:50.With such a vast number of plants it's a huge job,
:29:51. > :29:55.He's currently monitoring the plants for aphids -
:29:56. > :30:00.and also aphid-eating beneficial insects.
:30:01. > :30:02.Well, the aphids, the reason why they're a problem,
:30:03. > :30:04.is that the can actually build up in numbers really quick,
:30:05. > :30:08.What they do is they excrete a honeydew,
:30:09. > :30:10.and also they're sap-sucking insects,
:30:11. > :30:13.and then that obviously weakens the plant.
:30:14. > :30:17.You have to be incredibly meticulous with your checking. Yes, yeah.
:30:18. > :30:21.Yeah, what we do on this farm, we have precision monitoring,
:30:22. > :30:24.and every 20 metres we do spot checks.
:30:25. > :30:28.Right. Because we need to know what pests we've got in the crop,
:30:29. > :30:32.and then also we need to know the level of beneficials.
:30:33. > :30:35.Although beneficial bugs occur naturally,
:30:36. > :30:37.sometimes they need to be given a hand.
:30:38. > :30:40.So the farm introduces additional, helpful insects.
:30:41. > :30:44.Conventionally, if you just sprayed the crop, we'd go over,
:30:45. > :30:47.we'd spray it and you would slowly kill the aphid
:30:48. > :30:49.and, while it's dying, it would have the chance
:30:50. > :30:54.So, in the short term, you'd deal with the problem.
:30:55. > :30:57.In the long term, you'd have an actually escalated problem,
:30:58. > :30:59.because you'd kill all of your beneficials,
:31:00. > :31:03.and then the actual population of aphids would start to explode.
:31:04. > :31:05.'Spraying with chemicals isn't a solution,
:31:06. > :31:09.'so we're introducing an insect that eats a whole host of pests.'
:31:10. > :31:13.So these are your new friends, then? Yes, this is a beneficial insect.
:31:14. > :31:18.And there's 2,000 of those in each bottle. Right.
:31:19. > :31:22.And we've found a low level of two pests - spider mite and also aphids.
:31:23. > :31:26.OK. So these will feed on soft-bodied insects,
:31:27. > :31:30.so they'll search them out and start to set to work.
:31:31. > :31:33.And how long will you expect them to work for you?
:31:34. > :31:36.They last the whole season, so they'll start to breed.
:31:37. > :31:38.So you've just got to do one bottle per tunnel.
:31:39. > :31:42.All that stuff. That's enough. Just give them a tap. There he goes.
:31:43. > :31:45.Do you put any chemicals at all on now?
:31:46. > :31:48.No, we don't use any insecticides at all.
:31:49. > :31:50.It's really important to monitor the crops
:31:51. > :31:53.And then sometimes you just have to hold your nerve
:31:54. > :31:55.and let the beneficials do the work for you.
:31:56. > :31:58.Why would you not just put them on at the start of the season, then?
:31:59. > :32:03.some of these predators like at least 16 degrees.
:32:04. > :32:05.We can get some really good populations,
:32:06. > :32:11.You go and get your chops into them aphids
:32:12. > :32:27.so that we can get our teeth into the strawberries!
:32:28. > :32:31.make wonderful subjects for keen photographers,
:32:32. > :32:33.and if you think you've got what it takes,
:32:34. > :32:42.this year's Countryfile Photographic Competition.
:32:43. > :32:46.and the very best entries will feature
:32:47. > :32:57.As always, we'll have an overall winner
:32:58. > :33:04.Not only will their picture take pride of place
:33:05. > :33:12.they'll also get to choose photographic equipment worth ?1,000.
:33:13. > :33:14.Whoever takes the judges' favourite photo
:33:15. > :33:17.will be able to pick photographic equipment
:33:18. > :33:29.please write your name, address and a daytime and evening phone number
:33:30. > :33:34.with a note of where it was taken, which must be in the UK.
:33:35. > :33:48.Countryfile Photographic Competition...
:33:49. > :33:51.The competition isn't open to professionals
:33:52. > :33:54.and your photos mustn't have won any other national prize.
:33:55. > :33:57.We can only accept hard copies, not computer files,
:33:58. > :34:04.and I'm sorry but we won't be able to return any of your entries.
:34:05. > :34:15.of the BBC's Code Of Conduct for competitions.
:34:16. > :34:18.The competition closes at midnight on July 22nd.
:34:19. > :34:21.So that means you've got just under two weeks to get your entries in.
:34:22. > :34:34.and capture it with your cameras from dawn till dusk.
:34:35. > :34:37.Now, the best way to get into farming is to start young -
:34:38. > :34:39.something Adam is always keen to encourage.
:34:40. > :34:43.There's another big saddleback - coming here, look.
:34:44. > :34:48.offering advice and support to the young handlers
:34:49. > :34:57.The Royal Three Counties agricultural show in Malvern
:34:58. > :34:59.celebrates the very best of British farming.
:35:00. > :35:05.The highlight for me is the livestock showcased at the event.
:35:06. > :35:08.The showing of any animal takes a lot of hard work and dedication.
:35:09. > :35:14.The preparation can start years before the event.
:35:15. > :35:17.18 months ago, Aimee Hansford came to my farm
:35:18. > :35:21.How about there's a little filly in there that's passed,
:35:22. > :35:25.Aimee can have Amy. How does that work? Yeah, sounds really good.
:35:26. > :35:30.'so I never imagined she'd enter the show ring.
:35:31. > :35:37.'But Aimee saw something special in her.'
:35:38. > :35:39.It's the day before the judging at the show,
:35:40. > :35:43.and I'm catching up with them on a farm in Rugby.
:35:44. > :35:49.It's not Amy any more, it's Autumn - got a little bit confusing!
:35:50. > :35:52.Oh, because of the two Amys - so you've changed her name!
:35:53. > :36:00.And she's now going to run off. She's a bit naughty!
:36:01. > :36:04.she was absolutely bonkers, wasn't she?
:36:05. > :36:07.She was a wild little foal. Yes, so we had her in the pen
:36:08. > :36:10.and just encouraged her to be inquisitive,
:36:11. > :36:15.and she just got rewarded every time she came over.
:36:16. > :36:17.So she's quite a confident little girl,
:36:18. > :36:22.Is that the other one you had off me? That's Edward. Wonderful.
:36:23. > :36:25.Let's see him. He's looking great, isn't he?
:36:26. > :36:29.Yes. Some of the judges really like him,
:36:30. > :36:33.but it's because he's such a big-built Exmoor.
:36:34. > :36:37.So, boyfriend Gary - who's favourite horses or Gary?
:36:38. > :36:40.Probably the horses, to be honest. I'm second-best.
:36:41. > :36:43.Aw! And you're taking them both to the Three Counties?
:36:44. > :36:47.Wonderful. How do you fancy your chances? I don't know.
:36:48. > :36:59.Let's go and get them sorted, then, shall we?
:37:00. > :37:04.So just some washing-up liquid and water.
:37:05. > :37:08.Very similar to washing a bull or washing your own hair -
:37:09. > :37:12.just get the soap suds in and then rinse it out. Yeah.
:37:13. > :37:16.Once we've washed Autumn, we put her in a special jacket.
:37:17. > :37:22.but it does a good job of keeping her clean.
:37:23. > :37:26.Well, I'm really impressed by the way you've got these ponies going.
:37:27. > :37:29.They're looking wonderful. How confident are you with the show?
:37:30. > :37:33.It's also my birthday, so a little bit of pressure there as well.
:37:34. > :37:35.Well, we're going to have to get you a rosette.
:37:36. > :37:38.I'll be on the sidelines cheering you on, so good luck.
:37:39. > :37:49.The gates have opened, the public have arrived,
:37:50. > :37:56.people are busy preparing to show their animals.
:37:57. > :38:00.with the Royal Three Counties Show for years,
:38:01. > :38:02.and I've been coming here since I was about eight.
:38:03. > :38:04.And it's so exciting coming to the show,
:38:05. > :38:06.with all this preparation going on with the livestock,
:38:07. > :38:13.but as a youngster, it's quite daunting too.
:38:14. > :38:18.'You may remember three-year-old Lilly Nicholas.
:38:19. > :38:29.'posted a video online of her delivering her first lamb.'
:38:30. > :38:39.'I couldn't believe her confidence and natural farming instinct.'
:38:40. > :38:42.Hi, guys, how you getting on? Hi. How's it going?
:38:43. > :38:45.and now you're into the showing season.
:38:46. > :38:48.Yes, this is our fourth now, isn't it? Yeah, yeah.
:38:49. > :38:51.So we've had a good day here and we've had a good season up till now.
:38:52. > :38:56.Very much so, very much a big team effort.
:38:57. > :38:58.And you girls are doing well, are you? How you getting on, Lilly?
:38:59. > :39:02.Who won that rosette? Forest. Forest.
:39:03. > :39:06.Forest's the boar. And is this the way to get them going?
:39:07. > :39:08.Yes, it's very much the way to get them going.
:39:09. > :39:10.You've got to encourage them from the word go
:39:11. > :39:14.and help them out and push them in the right direction. Wonderful.
:39:15. > :39:16.'I can't wait to see Lilly in the show ring,
:39:17. > :39:23.'Something tells me this isn't going to be easy.'
:39:24. > :39:28.'They do say never work with children or animals.'
:39:29. > :39:34.You stay there, pig. PIG OINKS
:39:35. > :39:40.'Once the pig is clean, Lilly adds some wood flour,
:39:41. > :39:46.'a fine flour used to help dry the pig and whiten the coat and skin.'
:39:47. > :40:11.Over at the equine circuit, Amy is about to enter the show ring
:40:12. > :40:17.with Autumn, the Exmoor pony I sold her 18 months ago.
:40:18. > :40:27.A judge looking at the locomotion, the way the pony covers the ground.
:40:28. > :40:31.And Autumn is behaving beautifully. She is really looking good.
:40:32. > :40:39.They look like her favourite three, which is brilliant.
:40:40. > :40:42.Now she's checking them over individually.
:40:43. > :40:44.She has just called up Amy and Autumn.
:40:45. > :40:49.She's standing her nice and square, that's nice. Come on.
:40:50. > :40:54.Keep her head up, keep her head up, Amy. That's lovely.
:40:55. > :41:01.With Amy in the final line-up, the judge makes her decision.
:41:02. > :41:04.And she is walking towards Amy with a blue rosette which is
:41:05. > :41:08.second prize. Well done, her. That's really great. She's a second.
:41:09. > :41:11.Amy's other pony, Eddie, also picks up a rosette,
:41:12. > :41:16.Well done, Team Amy. Thank you. I'm delighted.
:41:17. > :41:19.We also got best two-year-old with Autumn
:41:20. > :41:23.and best gelding with Eddie, which is a castrated male.
:41:24. > :41:25.What a scoop of rosettes! Happy birthday.
:41:26. > :41:30.I'll catch up with you soon. See you later. Bye.
:41:31. > :41:31.At the pig show ring the judging has started
:41:32. > :41:34.and lots of youngsters are getting involved.
:41:35. > :41:38.The pigs aren't easy to control so it can be good fun to watch.
:41:39. > :41:42.What breed of pig is that one over there? That is...
:41:43. > :41:47.It's a black and white. A saddleback that's called.
:41:48. > :41:54.How do they move them around, those pigs? With a board and stick.
:41:55. > :41:58.OK. See, that's a board and that's a stick.
:41:59. > :42:01.You put the board against their heads, don't you? Yeah.
:42:02. > :42:06.and then you just tap them along gently with a stick, do you? Yeah.
:42:07. > :42:16.Lilly's class is next and she's up against one another competitor.
:42:17. > :42:19.They are being judged on their handling skills.
:42:20. > :42:22.The aim is to move the pigs around the show ring
:42:23. > :42:26.It's important they keep control and guide them
:42:27. > :42:33.The two competitors are very confident
:42:34. > :42:35.and the judge makes a quick decision.
:42:36. > :42:39.They both receive the winning rosette. It's a great result.
:42:40. > :42:45.Shake my hand? Just going to have it. Go on. Yeah, well done!
:42:46. > :42:55.First prize. Congratulations. That was really good.
:42:56. > :42:58.I love the way you were moving the pig around the ring.
:42:59. > :43:04.Congratulations. Very good pig handler.
:43:05. > :43:07.To me, this is the future of the industry.
:43:08. > :43:10.It's great to see so many young people here.
:43:11. > :43:15.The Royal Three Counties is a great event for showcasing British farming
:43:16. > :43:18.and encouraging young people to get into culture.
:43:19. > :43:21.If they can start off with small animals, then one day,
:43:22. > :43:25.they will get a handle great big brutes like this.
:43:26. > :43:38.I've travelled deep into the Kent countryside to find
:43:39. > :43:46.Folly Wildlife Rescue Trust is the county's only animal hospital,
:43:47. > :43:49.where large or small, feathered or furred,
:43:50. > :44:01.This small charity takes in around 3,500 casualties every year,
:44:02. > :44:08.We've got a dear rescue on the Broadwater Forest Lane,
:44:09. > :44:12.All right, brilliant. Thanks, Chris. Bye.
:44:13. > :44:14.So, you're getting in touch with someone
:44:15. > :44:17.because someone else has phoned in about a dear. Exactly, yes.
:44:18. > :44:21.And Annette is receiving a call... Yes. That's another injured animal.
:44:22. > :44:26.And then we have a gentleman here who is bringing something in.
:44:27. > :44:31.As you can see, it's all go. A normal day for you. Yes!
:44:32. > :44:35.After intensive fundraising, the charity opened this impressive,
:44:36. > :44:47.and Annette Risley tolerated less ideal conditions.
:44:48. > :44:51.In fact, initially we ran it from the back bedroom.
:44:52. > :44:54.So you had a house full of animals. Yes. We did. More or less.
:44:55. > :44:56.It started with a hedgehog, a baby hedgehog that somebody
:44:57. > :45:00.had found in a bonfire, so he was the only survivor, sadly.
:45:01. > :45:04.And then it literally snowballed from there, didn't it, really?
:45:05. > :45:06.Year-on-year, we took in more animals.
:45:07. > :45:09.What was your house like? Was what was it like when you were living
:45:10. > :45:14.Interesting to say the least, when you've got your house
:45:15. > :45:17.with animals in. You've got volunteers, members of the public.
:45:18. > :45:21.We realised we'd have to make provision
:45:22. > :45:25.As the need arose, we sort of rose to the occasion,
:45:26. > :45:33.Four years on and the wildlife hospital is well-established,
:45:34. > :45:37.with a team of dedicated staff and volunteers.
:45:38. > :45:42.Supervisor Kaylee Parks has been involved for five years.
:45:43. > :45:47.So, we've got four tawny owls in here. Ah!
:45:48. > :45:52.They are at the fledgling age so they will be going out to
:45:53. > :45:54.an aviary soon where they can practise flying
:45:55. > :45:56.and acclimatise, before they'll be ready for release.
:45:57. > :46:00.You can see his head moving around. He's actually focusing on us.
:46:01. > :46:06.He was actually brought into us as a nestling, just a couple of days old.
:46:07. > :46:10.so it's really lucky that he came in.
:46:11. > :46:13.Is that the right thing to do if you find an owlet?
:46:14. > :46:18.So, if sometimes they look healthy and they are in a safe environment,
:46:19. > :46:21.then that's OK but if they are near a busy road,
:46:22. > :46:24.if there's dogs around, I think it's always better to
:46:25. > :46:30.phone your local rescue centre and always err on the side of caution.
:46:31. > :46:36.Oh, I can't get over how gorgeous they are.
:46:37. > :46:38.Like Casper and the other tawny owlets,
:46:39. > :46:44.most animals are brought in by the public.
:46:45. > :46:46.Annette is caring for a family of hedgehogs,
:46:47. > :46:49.after their home was disturbed by building work.
:46:50. > :46:54.This is a mum and four of her babies.
:46:55. > :46:59.They're all snuggled up. How old are the babies?
:47:00. > :47:05.What are the main reasons that hedgehogs are brought in to you?
:47:06. > :47:10.They get strimmed, which is quite awful.
:47:11. > :47:13.So if you're going to strim your garden, check first.
:47:14. > :47:16.It's not just for hedgehogs but toads, frogs and slowworms.
:47:17. > :47:19.They get caught in garden netting. They fall in ponds.
:47:20. > :47:22.But if you see a hedgehog in the day,
:47:23. > :47:27.It is, yeah. Pick it up and put it in a sturdy box
:47:28. > :47:31.and then phone for advice or help, because if you see it in the garden,
:47:32. > :47:37.and then you go and make that phone call, it could have got away.
:47:38. > :47:40.'Small mammals and birds aren't the only wildlife
:47:41. > :47:46.'The five-acre site means larger, former patients often drop by.'
:47:47. > :47:53.Yes, these two are two fallow deer that were probably born last year.
:47:54. > :47:56.They were reared by fosterers off-site and then they came back
:47:57. > :47:59.last autumn and were released onto the reserve and now they've
:48:00. > :48:03.And they like to come and revisit you?
:48:04. > :48:05.Yeah, every a few days they seem to pop back again
:48:06. > :48:08.but luckily they are wild, so if we got too close, they would run away.
:48:09. > :48:11.Good to see them is doing so well, isn't it? Yeah, that's right,
:48:12. > :48:15.because obviously they came in injured and it was touch-and-go.
:48:16. > :48:21.They have pulled through so it's a really nice story.
:48:22. > :48:25.'Successfully releasing animals back into their natural habitat is
:48:26. > :48:30.'These jackdaws and magpies are next in line.'
:48:31. > :48:35.These guys have all been hand-reared from babies
:48:36. > :48:39.They've been in this aviary for a couple of weeks, so we are
:48:40. > :48:42.going to open the door and let them out and provide food for them.
:48:43. > :48:45.So it's my babies. That must be quite sad. Happy day, sad day.
:48:46. > :48:51.Right then, shall we do it? OK. Bye, then.
:48:52. > :48:58.Feel the fresh air. It just takes one to go.
:48:59. > :49:02.This must give you great satisfaction. It does.
:49:03. > :49:05.It's very satisfying because none of these guys would have survived
:49:06. > :49:08.if people hadn't found them and brought them into us.
:49:09. > :49:14.The window's open. Off you go. Over there.
:49:15. > :49:18.He's looking at you as if to say, "I'm all right, thank you."
:49:19. > :49:23.We'll leave the door open till nightfall, so if anybody wants
:49:24. > :49:26.to come back, they can come back and then we'll try again tomorrow,
:49:27. > :49:32.The birds seem reluctant to fly the coop
:49:33. > :49:36.but having received such good care, I'm not surprised.
:49:37. > :49:39.Kent's wildlife will continue to be in safe hands
:49:40. > :49:44.thanks to the charity's hard-working team.
:49:45. > :49:46.Well, let's hope the weather stays fine
:49:47. > :50:05.Here's the Countryfile five-day weather forecast.
:50:06. > :50:10.This weekend has been all over the place on the weather front.
:50:11. > :50:14.Sunshine, a bit of cloud and rain, back to sunshine and to be honest,
:50:15. > :50:18.over the next few days, there is not a lot of change. But there are hints
:50:19. > :50:23.that as we head into next weekend, things could turn better. Here are
:50:24. > :50:28.some nice pictures from weather watchers from this weekend. Sunshine
:50:29. > :50:35.and cloud, back to cloud and sunshine. A messy picture across the
:50:36. > :50:40.UK this weekend. The next three or four days will be quite showery and
:50:41. > :50:44.a bit fresher. It has been very humid in the last couple of days.
:50:45. > :50:49.This is what the jet stream is doing right now. There is a bit of a dip
:50:50. > :50:52.here. When we get this sort of pattern, low pressures tend to live
:50:53. > :51:02.there. This is where the low pressure is for Monday. It is here
:51:03. > :51:08.around now. It is moving at a painfully slow pace. On Monday, if
:51:09. > :51:11.you are out all day, expect a lot of dry weather, but occasional
:51:12. > :51:16.sprinkles of rain, maybe the odd downpour. Most of the showers will
:51:17. > :51:19.be across northern areas. Additionally, it will be quite
:51:20. > :51:25.breezy, especially in the central areas of the UK. There will be some
:51:26. > :51:32.sunshine further south. This is Monday night into Tuesday. The wind
:51:33. > :51:38.is both Westerly, so this is fresh North Atlantic air setting in. It is
:51:39. > :51:42.drifting in the direction of Scandinavia, so it is only slowly
:51:43. > :51:48.taking its weather with it. On Tuesday, we still have that
:51:49. > :51:52.relatively unsettled pattern. There will still be a few showers left
:51:53. > :51:59.over, particularly across the Midlands and south-eastern areas. On
:52:00. > :52:02.Tuesday, most of the UK is not looking bad. Lots of sunshine across
:52:03. > :52:08.the Western and Northern areas, but if we do get showers, they are more
:52:09. > :52:13.than likely to fall across the Midlands, East Anglia and the
:52:14. > :52:18.south-east. It will be quite a fresh week, on the cool side. We would
:52:19. > :52:21.like temperatures to be a bit higher at this time of year. This high
:52:22. > :52:27.pressure will be a player later in the week. It tries to squeeze in,
:52:28. > :52:31.but we are still under the influence of that flabby looking low across
:52:32. > :52:36.Scandinavia. So on Wednesday, again a risk of showers. If anything, the
:52:37. > :52:41.indication is that they will become more frequent on Wednesday, possibly
:52:42. > :52:46.heavy as well. Wednesday into Thursday, finally, this high
:52:47. > :52:58.pressure starts to build across the UK. The winds will be light. Across
:52:59. > :53:03.most of the UK, it is not looking bad. Thursday will be fine day for
:53:04. > :53:06.most of us, bar the odd sprinkle here and there. Towards the end of
:53:07. > :53:11.the week, that high pressure starts to build across the UK. But the
:53:12. > :53:17.north-west of the country still hangs on to cooler and showery
:53:18. > :53:20.weather conditions, because the weather fronts will be nibbling on
:53:21. > :53:24.western Scotland and Northern Ireland. I have hinted that there is
:53:25. > :53:26.a change on the way towards the end of the week. It looks as though
:53:27. > :53:37.things will and whilst Naomi's been getting up
:53:38. > :53:42.close with the county's wildlife, I've been finding out about that
:53:43. > :53:45.great Wimbledon favourite - the strawberries are now
:53:46. > :53:58.being harvested. Well, I understand that strawberry
:53:59. > :54:01.picking is quite a competitive business and there's a real
:54:02. > :54:03.technique to it all, Marion, there's a real skill to
:54:04. > :54:08.this, then? if not months, to learn how to pick
:54:09. > :54:12.strawberries properly. We have several hundred people
:54:13. > :54:17.helping with the harvest this year and this is Iglika, who's one
:54:18. > :54:20.of our team leaders for the harvest. Iglika, hello.
:54:21. > :54:23.Hello, nice to meet you, I'm Iglika. So come on, then,
:54:24. > :54:27.show us around a strawberry plant and the perfect strawberry and how
:54:28. > :54:30.you actually go about picking them. Er, the first, it's very,
:54:31. > :54:35.very important - the colour, You have to pick with stalks,
:54:36. > :54:41.one-centimetre stalks. Mm-hm. So we're picking everything that's
:54:42. > :54:44.bright red. And this one looks like a beautiful
:54:45. > :54:47.strawberry here. Yeah. So, finger in, centimetre,
:54:48. > :54:50.pull down. Exactly. Now, it obviously needs to go into
:54:51. > :54:54.a punnet. Yeah. In first class, yeah.
:54:55. > :54:56.So I'll get... So this goes through there
:54:57. > :55:00.and we just go along... OK? Perfect. Well,
:55:01. > :55:04.it's very important to separate. In one punnet you have to put small
:55:05. > :55:08.strawberries like this and here you have to put big
:55:09. > :55:10.strawberries. First class, first grade here.
:55:11. > :55:15.Look at that. Perfect. Imagine sitting on Centre Court
:55:16. > :55:18.with a mouthful of that. 'After my picking lesson, it's
:55:19. > :55:26.time to see how the experts do it.' This is George, he's my best picker
:55:27. > :55:34.in the group. I'm not surprised. 'but George is careful the fruit is
:55:35. > :55:39.not damaged.' I've literally stopped and he's
:55:40. > :55:43.gone. It's absolutely extraordinary. So what speed is he picking at here,
:55:44. > :55:47.then? 17 kilos per hour. 'George's record is a tonne
:55:48. > :55:52.of strawberries in a single day.' is we're going
:55:53. > :55:56.to have a picking competition. Will you be on my team? OK! Yes!
:55:57. > :56:01.THEY LAUGH Thank you for invitation. Great!
:56:02. > :56:04.Oh, well, listen... 'So I've picked the best man
:56:05. > :56:07.for the job 'and now it's time
:56:08. > :56:10.for the competition.' Are you ready to pick with me?
:56:11. > :56:14.I am. OK, don't disappointing me! I'll try not to! It's early
:56:15. > :56:18.days for me, though, George. 'The winning team will be
:56:19. > :56:21.the first to fill ten punnets. 'The teams are George and me
:56:22. > :56:29.versus Nikoleta and Lubor. That's a nice one there.
:56:30. > :56:40.That's, er, one. First class. 'but it's obvious I am no match
:56:41. > :56:48.for the experienced pickers.' I've just about covered the bottom
:56:49. > :56:56.of two punnets. OK, I will help you,
:56:57. > :56:58.but only this time. How many have you done, George? I
:56:59. > :57:11.have nine. Oh, hang on, we're done. We're done. We're done!
:57:12. > :57:14.Ah, but we was the first. Let's have a look also at
:57:15. > :57:18.the quality, so come in, everybody. I think they edged it on the speed,
:57:19. > :57:26.I'm afraid. I think this team just pipped you at
:57:27. > :57:30.the post. Sorry. No. I'm sorry. Yes! Huge congratulations.
:57:31. > :57:35.Thank you! Well done. Thank you very much indeed.
:57:36. > :57:37.Lovely stuff. Well done, everybody,
:57:38. > :57:42.that was magic. Well, this intensive
:57:43. > :57:45.level of harvesting will be going on until October, but as far
:57:46. > :57:48.as my strawberries are concerned, they're now going to go
:57:49. > :57:50.off to the fridge, where they'll be chilled, checked
:57:51. > :58:02.again and delivered within 24 hours. Oof! Just getting a bit of cheeky
:58:03. > :58:08.practice in, were you? Yeah, even though I don't need it.
:58:09. > :58:11.Look at this for a trophy. Ooh! The incentive on there. Delicious!
:58:12. > :58:14.Shall we say winner takes all? All the strawberries?
:58:15. > :58:17.There's about 500 there, Naomi. Yeah, make it a match worth playing.
:58:18. > :58:20.OK. 500 minus two. Let's just have one each before
:58:21. > :58:23.we start. Oh, that's a good idea. Oh! Don't drip strawberry juice
:58:24. > :58:28.down your whites. Oh, no. They're beautiful, aren't they?
:58:29. > :58:31.That is lovely. So delicious. OK. That's all we've got time for
:58:32. > :58:34.for this week. Next week we're going to be
:58:35. > :58:37.exploring all things meadow. 'Lights...'
:58:38. > :59:17.PHONE RINGS