0:00:30 > 0:00:33Just a few miles from the tranquil waters of the Dart estuary
0:00:33 > 0:00:36in South Devon is a very special place of learning.
0:00:37 > 0:00:41A place where agriculture and art, science and education,
0:00:41 > 0:00:44forestry and farming come together.
0:00:44 > 0:00:47This is the Dartington Estate.
0:00:47 > 0:00:48THEY BLEAT
0:00:48 > 0:00:51I'll be taking a closer look and getting my hands full.
0:00:51 > 0:00:53They're very friendly!
0:00:55 > 0:00:57Oh!
0:00:57 > 0:00:59Anita's in a bit of a lather.
0:00:59 > 0:01:03Oh, that is so satisfying!
0:01:05 > 0:01:09Tom's in Malta, on the trail of our migratory birds.
0:01:11 > 0:01:14There is a shotgun wound here.
0:01:14 > 0:01:16If it can heal, we'll
0:01:16 > 0:01:19probably take the bird. If it cannot,
0:01:19 > 0:01:21then we are going to euthanise the bird.
0:01:21 > 0:01:26And Adam and Charlotte are here to reveal Countryfile's Farming Hero
0:01:26 > 0:01:27for 2016.
0:01:27 > 0:01:30We decided that the winner had to be someone who had
0:01:30 > 0:01:32overcome a major challenge.
0:01:32 > 0:01:34But who will it be?
0:01:49 > 0:01:52We're exploring the Dartington Estate
0:01:52 > 0:01:56on the banks of the River Dart, near Totnes in South Devon.
0:01:56 > 0:02:00Dartington Hall and its estate were bought as a ruin by Leonard Elmhirst
0:02:00 > 0:02:04and his wealthy American wife, Dorothy, in 1925.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07They embarked upon an experiment in rural regeneration,
0:02:07 > 0:02:09creating jobs for the local community.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16With science and innovation at its heart,
0:02:16 > 0:02:20Dartington led the way in artificial insemination
0:02:20 > 0:02:22and large-scale poultry farming.
0:02:26 > 0:02:30Education and the arts also played a significant role in
0:02:30 > 0:02:32their approach to rural life.
0:02:32 > 0:02:34In recent years, though,
0:02:34 > 0:02:37Dartington found that it had drifted away from those early
0:02:37 > 0:02:39guiding principles.
0:02:39 > 0:02:43So, the decision was taken to get back to the Elmhirsts' vision.
0:02:46 > 0:02:51Parsonage Farm and dairy, seen here in the 1940s, fell into disrepair.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54With the Elmhirsts' pioneering vision in mind,
0:02:54 > 0:02:58the Dartington Hall Trust recently invited farmers to pitch for the
0:02:58 > 0:03:02tenancy. But they weren't just looking for the highest bidder.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05Jon Perkins was the successful applicant.
0:03:05 > 0:03:09Well, Jon, your pitch obviously involves a bit of dreaming.
0:03:09 > 0:03:11A bit of foresight!
0:03:11 > 0:03:14Yeah, this place has seen better days, hasn't it?
0:03:14 > 0:03:16This is where they used to do the processing of the milk.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19So, 35 years ago, this is where it happened.
0:03:19 > 0:03:20Are these cheese presses?
0:03:20 > 0:03:22These are the old cheese presses they actually used.
0:03:22 > 0:03:24I mean, collectors' items now.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27Yeah. So, why do you think the trust went for your bid?
0:03:27 > 0:03:30The trust was looking for something that was innovative and
0:03:30 > 0:03:32forward thinking.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35It involved education and diversification.
0:03:35 > 0:03:36And that's what they were looking for,
0:03:36 > 0:03:40and that's what we were looking for. It was a good marrying up of ideas.
0:03:40 > 0:03:44'The dairy was originally for cattle.
0:03:44 > 0:03:48'But Jon's plan is to produce artisan cheese and ice cream from
0:03:48 > 0:03:49'goats' milk.'
0:03:50 > 0:03:55The goats were something that I've always wanted to be involved in.
0:03:55 > 0:03:58- Right.- I lived in Greece for a short time and milked goats out there.
0:03:58 > 0:04:01- Ah, right.- And I've always had a hankering to get back to it.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04The good-looking ones with the droopy ears are the Anglo Nubians.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07I want to concentrate on the Anglo Nubians because they have a higher
0:04:07 > 0:04:09level of butter fat and protein in their milk,
0:04:09 > 0:04:12which makes more cheese and ice cream and so on and so forth.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15How's it going, then? How long have you been up and running with it?
0:04:15 > 0:04:17We haven't been up and running very long,
0:04:17 > 0:04:19we've only been on the farm for about a year, so it's not long.
0:04:19 > 0:04:22- OK, oh, right.- The nannies have only been kidding for about 10 days now.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25So, this is really early days for what we're doing.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31Aren't you just a delight?!
0:04:31 > 0:04:33They are, aren't they? I mean, they're so...
0:04:33 > 0:04:34Your heart just melts.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37You were talking about the Anglo Nubian ears.
0:04:37 > 0:04:38Look, gorgeous.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41- And, so, where's Dad, then? - Dad's just round the corner.
0:04:41 > 0:04:42He's got his own special pen.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45- Would you like to meet him? - Absolutely.
0:04:45 > 0:04:46Oh, my gosh!
0:04:46 > 0:04:48Oh, my word.
0:04:48 > 0:04:52Look at him. You are just magnificent.
0:04:52 > 0:04:54Gosh. And, so, what's his story, then?
0:04:54 > 0:04:57- Where did you find him? - So we bought him off a...
0:04:57 > 0:04:58He has been a show goat, originally.
0:04:58 > 0:05:00So he's been in the ring quite a bit.
0:05:00 > 0:05:02- I can see why. - So he's nice and friendly.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05- He is manageable. There you go, if you want to feed him?- Yeah.
0:05:05 > 0:05:06If he doesn't take it all!
0:05:07 > 0:05:09- So...- Did he cost you a fortune?
0:05:09 > 0:05:12Surprisingly, not as much as you would think.
0:05:12 > 0:05:16We paid £250 for him, which, compared to the value of a nanny,
0:05:16 > 0:05:19it would have been 450, £500.
0:05:19 > 0:05:21And he's a very important part of the herd.
0:05:21 > 0:05:22Yeah, of course.
0:05:22 > 0:05:24But what...
0:05:24 > 0:05:27I mean, he is just a phenomenal animal.
0:05:27 > 0:05:28Good lad.
0:05:30 > 0:05:32'In keeping with the Dartington ethos,
0:05:32 > 0:05:35'Jon will open the farm for educational visits.
0:05:35 > 0:05:39'When he does, these mischievous goats are bound to be a hit.'
0:05:40 > 0:05:42These were born sort of February, March time.
0:05:42 > 0:05:45So they're now sort of growing on and these will be the nannies for
0:05:45 > 0:05:48- next year... - Well, they're very friendly!
0:05:49 > 0:05:52- But this is...- Oh!
0:05:55 > 0:05:58'Visiting the milking parlour is a novel experience for these goats...
0:05:59 > 0:06:02'..as the brand-new equipment has only been up and running
0:06:02 > 0:06:04'for a matter of days.'
0:06:05 > 0:06:07- There we are.- There we go.
0:06:08 > 0:06:12'Jon and his wife, Lynne, milk the goats three times a day.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15'Morning, mid-afternoon and evening.'
0:06:15 > 0:06:18Do you get much more in the morning than you do midday?
0:06:18 > 0:06:19The bulk of it will be in the morning.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22But, pretty much, it's really fairly even.
0:06:22 > 0:06:24You're being dragged backwards!
0:06:25 > 0:06:28Well, goats are notorious for eating pretty much anything.
0:06:28 > 0:06:32You've obviously got a very tasty jumper on today, Jon.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38I mean, goat's milk is very much sought-after
0:06:38 > 0:06:39at the moment, isn't it?
0:06:39 > 0:06:42- It is, yeah.- Just for its kind of health benefits.
0:06:42 > 0:06:44It is. Because there's growing lactose intolerance in the country,
0:06:44 > 0:06:47more and more people are looking for goat's milk.
0:06:47 > 0:06:50There's a very interesting story why nannies are called nannies,
0:06:50 > 0:06:53because goat's milk is very similar to human's milk.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56Humans can actually process it a lot easier.
0:06:56 > 0:06:58Back in the sort of 1870s,
0:06:58 > 0:07:01if you had children that didn't have parents or were orphans or something
0:07:01 > 0:07:03like that, and they were given to the parish to look after,
0:07:03 > 0:07:05they were actually reared on nannies.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08As soon as milk comes out of the body of the goat,
0:07:08 > 0:07:10it's open to bacteria and bugs and so on.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13So the children would actually suckle off the goat.
0:07:13 > 0:07:14They came to be called nannies,
0:07:14 > 0:07:17- because they were rearing the children.- Wow!
0:07:18 > 0:07:21'But these nannies are producing milk for a different purpose.
0:07:21 > 0:07:23'After being pasteurised on the farm,
0:07:23 > 0:07:26'artisan ice cream maker Mattei can get to work.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29'I'm looking forward to tasting the results later.'
0:07:33 > 0:07:34Hello!
0:07:38 > 0:07:41BIRDS SING
0:07:44 > 0:07:45The dawn chorus.
0:07:45 > 0:07:49Bursting at this time of year with the sound of birds who've returned
0:07:49 > 0:07:50to our shores to breed.
0:07:50 > 0:07:55But those that make it this far have already faced a baptism of fire
0:07:55 > 0:07:58on the way, as Tom's been finding out in Malta.
0:08:06 > 0:08:10Establishing the next generation of our protected birds
0:08:10 > 0:08:12has never been more urgent.
0:08:12 > 0:08:16And their long journeys across Europe to breed are crucial.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21But whereas in most European countries,
0:08:21 > 0:08:25hunting is banned during the spring migration season,
0:08:25 > 0:08:27Malta is one of the few countries that still allows it.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30And there's plenty of evidence of that around here,
0:08:30 > 0:08:32and it causes plenty of controversy.
0:08:35 > 0:08:39The controversy surrounds birds like the turtledove,
0:08:39 > 0:08:42Britain's fastest declining migrant bird.
0:08:43 > 0:08:44In Malta every April,
0:08:44 > 0:08:48hunters are allowed to shoot it on its migration north.
0:08:51 > 0:08:53They're allowed, because of an exemption
0:08:53 > 0:08:55to the Europe-wide ban, which is
0:08:55 > 0:08:57given on a country-by-country basis.
0:08:59 > 0:09:01Although hunting is not the main reason
0:09:01 > 0:09:03behind the turtledove's decline,
0:09:03 > 0:09:06its fate has focused the debate on Malta.
0:09:11 > 0:09:15I'm heading to Gozo, the smaller of Malta's two islands.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23Joseph Perici Calascione is the president of
0:09:23 > 0:09:26the Federation for Hunting and Conservation in Malta,
0:09:26 > 0:09:30which represents more than 12,000 hunters on the islands.
0:09:32 > 0:09:33On a day like today, how many
0:09:33 > 0:09:35hunters would you expect to be around?
0:09:35 > 0:09:38There would be 10,000 all over the island.
0:09:38 > 0:09:40The two islands. Right?
0:09:40 > 0:09:42It's being out there with your dogs and with your gun, you know?
0:09:42 > 0:09:44This is the whole thing.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47How important is hunting in Maltese culture?
0:09:47 > 0:09:49It's a vital part of our lives.
0:09:49 > 0:09:51It's something that you grow up into.
0:09:51 > 0:09:52It's part of our folklore.
0:09:52 > 0:09:58It's part of being passed on from generation to generation,
0:09:58 > 0:10:00and it's something we cherish.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03'For the hunters, the spring migration season
0:10:03 > 0:10:04'is crucial to this tradition.'
0:10:04 > 0:10:07We have no resident game species.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09Here, our arid summer conditions
0:10:09 > 0:10:13impede most species, most game species,
0:10:13 > 0:10:14from staying here.
0:10:14 > 0:10:18So, you have to respect the fact that we live in these conditions.
0:10:18 > 0:10:20So, to us,
0:10:20 > 0:10:25the turtledove and the quail, in spring, are part of our lives.
0:10:25 > 0:10:26So, do you still eat them?
0:10:26 > 0:10:29Of course. What do you think, the game gets thrown away here?
0:10:29 > 0:10:33Everything is eaten. Everything that's caught is eaten. Everything.
0:10:33 > 0:10:37'Licensed hunters are allowed to hunt 5,000 turtledoves and
0:10:37 > 0:10:42'5,000 quail in the two-week spring hunting season.
0:10:42 > 0:10:46'And no more than two birds a day, four birds per hunter in total.
0:10:46 > 0:10:49'Numbers that Joseph says do not make an impact
0:10:49 > 0:10:52'on the turtledove's overall population.'
0:10:52 > 0:10:54You feel persecuted?
0:10:54 > 0:10:58Definitely. Had I to believe that the impact of Maltese hunting on the
0:10:58 > 0:11:01turtledove or quail in spring is really,
0:11:01 > 0:11:03really causing such a negative impact
0:11:03 > 0:11:05that we're harming the population of
0:11:05 > 0:11:09the birds we are targeting, I mean, I would be the first to hold back.
0:11:12 > 0:11:14'But the spring hunting season makes
0:11:14 > 0:11:16'other protected birds vulnerable, too.
0:11:17 > 0:11:21'Just before our visit, a swift and a marsh harrier were shot down.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26'Eurydike Kovacs is a vet on Malta.
0:11:26 > 0:11:30'She treats dozens of birds with gunshot wounds every spring season.'
0:11:30 > 0:11:33- So, what have we got here? - A turtledove.
0:11:33 > 0:11:38- Wow.- So, they are on migration right now.
0:11:38 > 0:11:44- Yeah.- And, as you see, there is a shotgun wound here.
0:11:44 > 0:11:48If it can heal, we'll probably take the bird.
0:11:48 > 0:11:50If it cannot, then we are going to
0:11:50 > 0:11:53euthanise the bird because we are not here
0:11:53 > 0:11:56to keep the bird in a cage alive for the rest of his life.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02A quick X-ray and Eurydike can make her decision.
0:12:05 > 0:12:07So, I don't think that anything is broken.
0:12:07 > 0:12:09It's mostly swelling.
0:12:09 > 0:12:13Now we have to see what happens with this haemorrhage.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15But, for now, are you saying there's a chance...?
0:12:15 > 0:12:20Probably we are going to wait a little bit and see what happens.
0:12:20 > 0:12:24'Turtledoves aren't the only birds to be brought into the surgery.'
0:12:24 > 0:12:27I think we see practically everything.
0:12:27 > 0:12:32Cuckoos, marsh harriers, honey buzzard...
0:12:32 > 0:12:34We have seen eagles,
0:12:34 > 0:12:37then we have seen flamingos.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40And some of those are illegal to shoot?
0:12:40 > 0:12:42Most of them are illegal.
0:12:42 > 0:12:46Not some of them, most of these birds are illegal to shoot.
0:12:48 > 0:12:50So, what does Malta's official
0:12:50 > 0:12:53hunting body think about illegal hunting?
0:12:53 > 0:12:58We have a clear rule that anything you see that's illegal has to be
0:12:58 > 0:13:00reported immediately to the police.
0:13:00 > 0:13:05And we have cancelled memberships in the past just to prove our point.
0:13:05 > 0:13:09We do not want people who break our law because they're our worst enemy.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17Maltese hunters insist they've adapted
0:13:17 > 0:13:19their behaviour to fit in with the
0:13:19 > 0:13:22demands of present-day conservation.
0:13:22 > 0:13:26But many people, on this island and beyond, believe hunting should be
0:13:26 > 0:13:31stopped, especially as the hunters' principal quarry, the turtledove,
0:13:31 > 0:13:33is more endangered than ever.
0:13:34 > 0:13:38I'll be joining those determined to see a complete end to the hunting of
0:13:38 > 0:13:40turtledoves later.
0:13:50 > 0:13:55Dartmoor. One of southern England's last truly wild places.
0:13:55 > 0:14:03368 square miles of tors, marshes, remote villages and farms.
0:14:03 > 0:14:07This vast national park is home to an impressive variety
0:14:07 > 0:14:08of wildlife and plants.
0:14:08 > 0:14:13And I'm meeting a local who is making the most of nature's bounty.
0:14:13 > 0:14:15"Dartmoor, locally sourced" is her mantra
0:14:15 > 0:14:17and what started out as a hobby has
0:14:17 > 0:14:19turned into a booming business.
0:14:21 > 0:14:25This ancient longhouse is home to Sophie Goodwin-Hughes
0:14:25 > 0:14:29and her Dartmoor Soap Company. It's a true cottage industry.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33I had a little boy about four years ago and he had eczema.
0:14:33 > 0:14:37So, I thought I'd make a soap for him to clear the eczema.
0:14:37 > 0:14:38And it worked.
0:14:38 > 0:14:42And then I thought, "Well, I might try and make some more soaps
0:14:42 > 0:14:43"and use the Dartmoor name, too,"
0:14:43 > 0:14:46and see if I could build a business.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49- So, what are the secret ingredients? Can you tell me?- Beeswax.
0:14:49 > 0:14:52It comes from North Bovey which is about half an hour up the road in
0:14:52 > 0:14:56Dartmoor. And we also use goat's milk in our goat's milk soap,
0:14:56 > 0:14:59which comes from about two minutes that way.
0:14:59 > 0:15:01So, as locally sourced as it can be?
0:15:01 > 0:15:03Yeah, as it can be.
0:15:03 > 0:15:06'It began as one bar of soap for Sebastian.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09'But what is it about the finest Dartmoor ingredients that
0:15:09 > 0:15:12'have created a demand worldwide?
0:15:12 > 0:15:16'Time to find out, starting with beekeeper Peter Hunt.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19'He regularly provides Sophie with beeswax.'
0:15:21 > 0:15:24So, that's what you've pulled out of the beehive,
0:15:24 > 0:15:27and that's the honeycomb. So, in there, it would have had lovely,
0:15:27 > 0:15:29drippy honey oozing out of it?
0:15:29 > 0:15:30- Yes.- The good stuff.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33- And that's what's left behind? - Yes.- So, what is that?
0:15:33 > 0:15:34That's just wax.
0:15:34 > 0:15:37It's the wax, and it's made by the bees themselves.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40So, how does that go from there to what I want to take away with me?
0:15:40 > 0:15:44OK, when I've extracted the honey, I will cut that frame out.
0:15:44 > 0:15:48- Yep.- Then I put it in here, which is a honey melter.
0:15:48 > 0:15:53Oh, wow! Oh, it's warm and it smells delicious.
0:15:53 > 0:15:54It is.
0:15:54 > 0:15:57'Once melted, Peter's beeswax is filtered,
0:15:57 > 0:16:02'drained from the tank and then solidified into a golden nugget.'
0:16:02 > 0:16:03I mean, that's a lot of beeswax.
0:16:03 > 0:16:06- Is that what I'm taking away with me?- Some of it, yes.
0:16:07 > 0:16:10Time to get a chip off the old block.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13The wax is going to get whacked.
0:16:13 > 0:16:15I suggest you back off!
0:16:17 > 0:16:21Oh! That is so satisfying.
0:16:22 > 0:16:24- Do you think I've done it? - I reckon you have.
0:16:24 > 0:16:27I think the sack got it as well. Let's see what we've got in here.
0:16:27 > 0:16:29Yeah, I think this one's pretty good.
0:16:29 > 0:16:31Wonderful. Thank you for that.
0:16:31 > 0:16:33Right, I can tick beeswax off the shopping list.
0:16:33 > 0:16:36Now to find me some goats.
0:16:40 > 0:16:43Another local ingredient Sophie uses is rich goat's milk,
0:16:43 > 0:16:46which she gets from her neighbour Pat Stamford's flock.
0:16:46 > 0:16:48- Hello there.- Hello, Anita.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51- How are you doing? - I'm fine.- Lovely to see you.
0:16:51 > 0:16:52Come in and see my goats.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55I'd love to.
0:16:55 > 0:16:58Oh, Pat, they are so sweet.
0:16:58 > 0:16:59They are all right, aren't they?
0:16:59 > 0:17:02Yeah, they're lovely. What type of goats are they?
0:17:02 > 0:17:04They're Golden Guernsey rare breed.
0:17:04 > 0:17:05They're small, they're docile,
0:17:05 > 0:17:07they give a good amount of milk for family,
0:17:07 > 0:17:10and they have plenty of milk for their babies.
0:17:11 > 0:17:14'Luckily, there's enough left over for Sophie's soap.'
0:17:19 > 0:17:21Right, let the magic begin.
0:17:21 > 0:17:23- How do we make soap?- Right, OK.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26So, I need you to measure out some sunflower oil, please.
0:17:26 > 0:17:28OK. How much?
0:17:28 > 0:17:30660g.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34And then we're going to add our olive oil.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37- Olive oil.- And our beeswax.
0:17:37 > 0:17:38- Beeswax. - That you kindly sourced for me.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41Yeah. Natural ingredients.
0:17:41 > 0:17:43In goes the beeswax.
0:17:45 > 0:17:47Right, on it goes.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50'Peter's beeswax is melted down with the oils,
0:17:50 > 0:17:53'along with two ingredients you won't find on Dartmoor -
0:17:53 > 0:17:56'coconut oil and African shea butter.'
0:17:56 > 0:17:57So, I just keep stirring it?
0:17:57 > 0:17:59Yep. Basically,
0:17:59 > 0:18:02soap is a chemical reaction between an acid and an alkali.
0:18:02 > 0:18:06So, you are stirring the fats, which is the acid.
0:18:06 > 0:18:08And, when they've melted, we'll make the alkali solution,
0:18:08 > 0:18:11which is a caustic soda solution.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14'Caustic soda may sound off-putting,
0:18:14 > 0:18:17'but it's an essential ingredient in all soap.
0:18:17 > 0:18:19'Once it's been mixed with these fats,
0:18:19 > 0:18:20'it becomes completely harmless.'
0:18:21 > 0:18:24OK, so, we need to glove up, goggles on.
0:18:24 > 0:18:28- Yep, absolutely.- Because chemistry is about to happen.
0:18:28 > 0:18:32'Pat's goat's milk is carefully combined with the caustic soda.'
0:18:32 > 0:18:37So, we need to pour the goat's milk solution into the oils.
0:18:37 > 0:18:41'The mixture begins to thicken, and that, basically, is soap.'
0:18:41 > 0:18:44- It's quite a process, isn't it, making soap?- Yeah.
0:18:44 > 0:18:46We've been here for five days, you know!
0:18:48 > 0:18:49So, now, as you can see...
0:18:49 > 0:18:51- Oh, it's thickened up.- Yeah, yeah.
0:18:51 > 0:18:53So, it's ready.
0:18:54 > 0:18:56So, into the mould.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58Pour it up and down. Perfect.
0:18:58 > 0:19:00That's really good soap, you've done really well, there.
0:19:00 > 0:19:03It looks a lovely colour, a lovely consistency.
0:19:03 > 0:19:06It's already starting to solidify, isn't it?
0:19:06 > 0:19:08That's it.
0:19:08 > 0:19:09Done.
0:19:10 > 0:19:12This is ready to be cut.
0:19:13 > 0:19:14OK.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18Smells like soap. Feels like soap.
0:19:19 > 0:19:21Oh, that's so satisfying.
0:19:21 > 0:19:23Oh, yes! It's like fudge.
0:19:23 > 0:19:25My first bar of soap. Thank you, Sophie.
0:19:25 > 0:19:27And because I'm so generous, you know what?
0:19:27 > 0:19:29I'm going to give this away.
0:19:32 > 0:19:36Now, after weeks of deliberation and hundreds of nominations,
0:19:36 > 0:19:38we can finally reveal the winner of this year's
0:19:38 > 0:19:42Countryfile Farming Heroes Award. Here's Adam.
0:19:49 > 0:19:51Big names in cookery and food production
0:19:51 > 0:19:53have been gathering in Bristol.
0:19:55 > 0:19:58Here we are for the Oscars of the food world.
0:19:58 > 0:20:00The BBC Food And Farming Awards.
0:20:01 > 0:20:05It's time to celebrate everything that's good about the UK's food and
0:20:05 > 0:20:06farming industries.
0:20:06 > 0:20:09With categories for the best food producer,
0:20:09 > 0:20:11best takeaway and the cook of the year.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15What I love so much about the Food And Farming Awards
0:20:15 > 0:20:16is there are so many producers
0:20:16 > 0:20:19that I know personally that have benefited massively from
0:20:19 > 0:20:22winning the award. Kind of transforming their businesses
0:20:22 > 0:20:25and leading them on to some amazing opportunities.
0:20:25 > 0:20:29The smells are fantastic, the people are interesting and it tastes great.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34And my highlight, the Countryfile Farming Heroes Award,
0:20:34 > 0:20:37nominated by you.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39Let's remind ourselves of the finalists.
0:20:40 > 0:20:43'The first of our heroes emerged during
0:20:43 > 0:20:45'last December's storms in Cumbria.
0:20:45 > 0:20:48'The county's young farmers valiantly took their tractors into
0:20:48 > 0:20:51'Carlisle city to help flooded householders.'
0:20:51 > 0:20:54We'd heard said, "If you want something done, just ask a farmer,"
0:20:54 > 0:20:56and that was absolutely right on this occasion.
0:20:56 > 0:20:58From my mother, thank you very much.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03In Herefordshire, we met Julia Evans,
0:21:03 > 0:21:06a beef farmer whose life was turned upside down when she was diagnosed
0:21:06 > 0:21:11with cancer. She fought back and set up Longlands Care Farm to help
0:21:11 > 0:21:13struggling teenagers.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16It's changed me as a person, completely. I owe Julia a lot.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19If it weren't for Julia, I wouldn't be here.
0:21:19 > 0:21:22It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I've took it.
0:21:22 > 0:21:23She's an amazing woman.
0:21:26 > 0:21:30And our third finalist is from the remote community of Kintyre.
0:21:30 > 0:21:32John Armour is a busy sheep farmer,
0:21:32 > 0:21:34but he always has time to get things done.
0:21:35 > 0:21:37From setting up the local radio station
0:21:37 > 0:21:40to campaigning for a new ferry crossing.
0:21:40 > 0:21:41John is great.
0:21:41 > 0:21:44John's just one of these characters that doesn't give up.
0:21:44 > 0:21:46He is an asset to the community, I think.
0:21:50 > 0:21:52So, those are our three finalists and, shortly,
0:21:52 > 0:21:55one of them will be named our winner.
0:21:55 > 0:21:57They're inside enjoying all the hospitality,
0:21:57 > 0:22:00amongst the other award hopefuls and our celebrity chefs.
0:22:00 > 0:22:03So, I'll go in and see how they're getting on.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06There's my fellow judge, Charlotte, tottering in her high heels.
0:22:06 > 0:22:08- Hello, Charlotte. - I keep sinking into the grass!
0:22:08 > 0:22:11- You look very smart.- Let's go and meet the finalists, shall we?
0:22:13 > 0:22:17- Hello.- Here they all are. - There's John.- Hello, hello.
0:22:17 > 0:22:19- Hi, Julia. Lovely to see you. - So, how're you finding it?
0:22:19 > 0:22:22Very exciting to be here. It's all a bit surreal.
0:22:22 > 0:22:23Esther's got out of her jodhpurs.
0:22:23 > 0:22:26Ryan took the day off to have a bath.
0:22:26 > 0:22:30It's great to be here with everybody else,
0:22:30 > 0:22:32and meet you and find out more about what you do.
0:22:32 > 0:22:34I'm really looking forward to tonight.
0:22:34 > 0:22:36Have a really good night.
0:22:36 > 0:22:39- Oh, we'll try!- We've got to go and find the Cumbrian Young Farmers now,
0:22:39 > 0:22:41but they're probably at the bar.
0:22:41 > 0:22:43See you in a bit.
0:22:47 > 0:22:50There they are. All looking very smart.
0:22:50 > 0:22:53It's a great honour to be here, so, yes,
0:22:53 > 0:22:55- enjoying it so far. - Are you looking forward to it?
0:22:55 > 0:22:58- Very much so, very much so. - What do you think to it all?
0:22:58 > 0:22:59Overwhelming at the moment.
0:22:59 > 0:23:01But, yeah, looking very good.
0:23:01 > 0:23:04Enjoy the awards, enjoy the food and the party afterwards.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07- See you at the bar later.- You will!
0:23:07 > 0:23:08He's buying!
0:23:17 > 0:23:19So, with tension building nicely,
0:23:19 > 0:23:22it's the moment they've been waiting for.
0:23:22 > 0:23:26Our host for the evening is Radio 4's Food Programme presenter,
0:23:26 > 0:23:30- Sheila Dillon.- Well, good evening and welcome again to this,
0:23:30 > 0:23:34our third year of award celebrations in Bristol.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37'The awards are being handed out by some impressive celebrity chefs.'
0:23:37 > 0:23:39Please welcome Yotam Ottolenghi.
0:23:44 > 0:23:48That's Tony Hall, the director-general of the BBC.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51I'd better be on my best behaviour.
0:23:51 > 0:23:55Now, to the Countryfile Farming Hero Award.
0:23:55 > 0:23:57Adam Henson and Charlotte Smith.
0:23:57 > 0:23:59WHOOPING AND APPLAUSE
0:24:08 > 0:24:12Well, after much debate and deliberation,
0:24:12 > 0:24:16we decided that the winner had to be someone who had overcome a major
0:24:16 > 0:24:21- challenge.- We had an inspirational day with her and her team.
0:24:21 > 0:24:25The winner of the Countryfile Farming Hero Award is Julia Evans.
0:24:38 > 0:24:40Congratulations.
0:24:40 > 0:24:42Congratulations, Julia.
0:24:43 > 0:24:48Most people in your situation, recovering from some awful illness,
0:24:48 > 0:24:50would have concentrated on the illness.
0:24:50 > 0:24:53What was it that actually made you do what you did?
0:24:53 > 0:24:55Well, I guess I started feeling better!
0:24:55 > 0:24:58So, I thought, I'd better get out there and get on.
0:24:59 > 0:25:03What general difference do you see that working
0:25:03 > 0:25:04with animals and the land
0:25:04 > 0:25:07does to people who have had troubled lives?
0:25:07 > 0:25:09It's just that connection, isn't it?
0:25:09 > 0:25:12Just that connection with the animals, out on the land,
0:25:12 > 0:25:14stuff that needs doing.
0:25:14 > 0:25:16APPLAUSE
0:25:27 > 0:25:28So behind the scenes,
0:25:28 > 0:25:32all the winners come back and are interviewed for the radio,
0:25:32 > 0:25:35for television, to celebrate their success.
0:25:35 > 0:25:37It's really lovely that Julia has won.
0:25:41 > 0:25:44- How does it feel?- Very exciting.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47Congratulations!
0:25:47 > 0:25:49I feel overwhelmed.
0:25:49 > 0:25:51Speechless, for once!
0:25:55 > 0:25:58What will this mean to the students and people who come to your farm,
0:25:58 > 0:26:00- do you think? - It's huge. It's huge.
0:26:00 > 0:26:04I mean, I've just had so much good wishes from everyone.
0:26:04 > 0:26:07I just feel it's just so great for the team back at the farm.
0:26:07 > 0:26:09Health-wise, dare I ask how you are?
0:26:09 > 0:26:11- Great.- Are you? You're doing all right?
0:26:11 > 0:26:12Yes. Doing very well.
0:26:12 > 0:26:14Signed off.
0:26:14 > 0:26:16- Wonderful.- Getting on with it. - Congratulations.
0:26:16 > 0:26:17Yeah.
0:26:22 > 0:26:24Yeah, I'm all for that. Fantastic.
0:26:24 > 0:26:26Some goat meat. Lovely.
0:26:26 > 0:26:28Well, looks like the party has started.
0:26:28 > 0:26:30It's been a great evening,
0:26:30 > 0:26:32and all the finalists should be really proud
0:26:32 > 0:26:34of what they've achieved.
0:26:34 > 0:26:40And hats off to Julia. She's our 2016 Countryfile Farming Hero.
0:26:40 > 0:26:41Lovely.
0:26:48 > 0:26:52Now, Tom has been in Malta, investigating the risks posed to
0:26:52 > 0:26:54turtledoves on their migration through Europe.
0:26:56 > 0:26:58For many, the hunting of the species
0:26:58 > 0:27:00needs to be banned to completely halt
0:27:00 > 0:27:02its decline. Here's Tom.
0:27:06 > 0:27:10The turtledove - once a familiar bird on our farmland,
0:27:10 > 0:27:13its call the sound of summer.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16But now, its numbers in the UK are plummeting.
0:27:19 > 0:27:21As well as habitat loss,
0:27:21 > 0:27:25it's hunting across Europe which is hitting the population.
0:27:25 > 0:27:28But Malta is the only country where hunting the birds
0:27:28 > 0:27:31during their spring migration is still allowed.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36GUNSHOTS
0:27:36 > 0:27:39It's dawn, and the sound of gunshots already fill the air.
0:27:41 > 0:27:44- What are you looking at there? - So just looking at
0:27:44 > 0:27:48a marsh harrier. With the type of gunshot
0:27:48 > 0:27:50rhythm, sometimes you can determine
0:27:50 > 0:27:51whether it's being shot at.
0:27:53 > 0:27:56I'm with Mark Sultana from Birdlife Malta,
0:27:56 > 0:28:00that patrol popular hunting spots across the island.
0:28:00 > 0:28:02Is it illegal to shoot at this time of year?
0:28:02 > 0:28:03Definitely.
0:28:03 > 0:28:06The only two birds they can shoot at the moment is the turtledove and
0:28:06 > 0:28:10- the quail.- And how sure are you that they were shooting at that?
0:28:10 > 0:28:13I would put my hand on my heart that it was being targeted at the moment,
0:28:13 > 0:28:16so... But I can't prove it.
0:28:17 > 0:28:20Though illegal hunting has decreased recently,
0:28:20 > 0:28:24every morning, the conservationists monitor the shooting of turtledoves.
0:28:24 > 0:28:28But just the team's presence here silences the guns.
0:28:30 > 0:28:33We monitor the number of shots we hear, the number of hunters,
0:28:33 > 0:28:35the number of turtledoves we see.
0:28:35 > 0:28:38And of course, if they are being shot, we also account for that.
0:28:38 > 0:28:42Then we try to correlate with what is being declared by the hunters.
0:28:42 > 0:28:45But it is the hunters that declare what they catch,
0:28:45 > 0:28:50and therefore there is a motive or reason to under-declare.
0:28:53 > 0:28:57Last year, turtledoves were moved up the international endangered list
0:28:57 > 0:28:59and are now classed as vulnerable.
0:29:02 > 0:29:06What does that change in status of the turtledove mean, do you think?
0:29:06 > 0:29:10I mean, it means that the turtledove needs to be protected,
0:29:10 > 0:29:14needs to have all conservation measures in place to make
0:29:14 > 0:29:17sure that the human impact on the turtledove is drastically reduced.
0:29:17 > 0:29:21But do you really believe what happens here in Malta has an impact
0:29:21 > 0:29:24on the populations of these birds, compared to shooting elsewhere,
0:29:24 > 0:29:25or habitat loss in Europe,
0:29:25 > 0:29:28which surely are much bigger hits for these birds?
0:29:28 > 0:29:31Yes, I agree, but there is no way anyone can convince me that killing
0:29:31 > 0:29:35a bird in spring, whether it's one, 10,000 or more,
0:29:35 > 0:29:36doesn't affect the population.
0:29:39 > 0:29:43And it's not just conservationists who oppose it.
0:29:43 > 0:29:47Last year saw a referendum on the islands over whether spring hunting
0:29:47 > 0:29:49should continue at all.
0:29:51 > 0:29:53The result was incredibly close.
0:29:53 > 0:30:00Those in favour won by under 1%, a difference of just 2,200 votes.
0:30:00 > 0:30:04But in the light of the increased risk to the turtledove across
0:30:04 > 0:30:07Europe, is it time that hunting was stopped altogether?
0:30:10 > 0:30:12Earlier this year, the European Commission
0:30:12 > 0:30:14asked the Maltese government
0:30:14 > 0:30:17why they had allowed this year's hunting season,
0:30:17 > 0:30:21in light of the increased threat to the turtledove.
0:30:22 > 0:30:24Sergei Golovkin
0:30:24 > 0:30:27is the head of the government's Wild Birds Regulation Unit.
0:30:28 > 0:30:31The European Commission has now written to Malta,
0:30:31 > 0:30:34in light of the fact that the turtledove
0:30:34 > 0:30:36is now on the endangered list,
0:30:36 > 0:30:39asking you to justify why you still hunt it in the migration season.
0:30:39 > 0:30:41Can you justify it?
0:30:41 > 0:30:43Yes, we have taken special measures in Malta
0:30:43 > 0:30:45to reduce any potential impact
0:30:45 > 0:30:48that hunting in Malta can have on this species.
0:30:48 > 0:30:50We have reduced the hunting effort,
0:30:50 > 0:30:53we've published legislation to reduce our quota,
0:30:53 > 0:30:57to reduce the length of hunting season, to reduce the hunting hours.
0:30:57 > 0:31:01And also introduce other restrictions and measures, as well.
0:31:01 > 0:31:04But it will have some impact on the species, which is endangered?
0:31:04 > 0:31:08Yes, but there are two things that have to be considered in particular.
0:31:08 > 0:31:12One is that the species still remains huntable across the EU.
0:31:12 > 0:31:16And there are ten EU member states that allow hunting of turtledoves.
0:31:16 > 0:31:18But not in the critical spring migration season.
0:31:18 > 0:31:21Not in the critical spring migration season,
0:31:21 > 0:31:24but there are other major factors
0:31:24 > 0:31:28that contribute to the decline of the turtledove in Europe.
0:31:28 > 0:31:32Since we filmed, pressure on the Maltese government has stepped up.
0:31:32 > 0:31:35Just days ago, the IUCN,
0:31:35 > 0:31:37the organisation that monitors species numbers,
0:31:37 > 0:31:41called for the European Commission to stop the spring hunting season
0:31:41 > 0:31:44immediately. And though the season is now over,
0:31:44 > 0:31:47the government in Malta is yet to respond.
0:31:47 > 0:31:52Conservationists see the more endangered status of the turtledove
0:31:52 > 0:31:55as an argument to totally silence the guns.
0:31:55 > 0:31:59The survival of Maltese hunting is on a knife edge.
0:32:09 > 0:32:13The Dartington Estate was set up by Leonard and Dorothy Elmhirst in the
0:32:13 > 0:32:161920s as a place for innovative farming.
0:32:19 > 0:32:22John Channon, the estate's current manager,
0:32:22 > 0:32:25recently carried out a review of the way the land is used today.
0:32:27 > 0:32:30What was going wrong, then, with the way that you were using the land,
0:32:30 > 0:32:33and why did you feel the need to review it?
0:32:33 > 0:32:37We felt that the land was being farmed very conventionally.
0:32:37 > 0:32:40And was certainly not being used in the way
0:32:40 > 0:32:43that Leonard and Dorothy Elmhirst had envisaged.
0:32:43 > 0:32:46So we are looking for much more sustainable practices,
0:32:46 > 0:32:50but also trying to get more people working on the land and earning
0:32:50 > 0:32:51a living from it.
0:32:51 > 0:32:52What have you come up with?
0:32:52 > 0:32:55Well, the field we are standing in at the moment
0:32:55 > 0:32:58is planned for an agroforestry experiment.
0:32:58 > 0:33:00So that's about 48 acres,
0:33:00 > 0:33:03and we'll be planting it with rows of trees,
0:33:03 > 0:33:06between which we can still grow arable crops if we want to,
0:33:06 > 0:33:10or have grass so the cattle could graze there.
0:33:12 > 0:33:15Agroforestry is when trees and crops
0:33:15 > 0:33:17are grown together in the same space.
0:33:17 > 0:33:21The planting is diverse, but is designed to be easy to maintain.
0:33:21 > 0:33:24Although true to the Elmhirsts' ideals,
0:33:24 > 0:33:27it's at odds with the mainstream farming method of growing fields of
0:33:27 > 0:33:30single crops. However, in France,
0:33:30 > 0:33:357,500 acres a year have been converted to this way of farming.
0:33:37 > 0:33:42Martin Crawford of the Agroforestry Research Trust first planted this
0:33:42 > 0:33:46forest garden in a bare two-acre field at Dartington 20 years ago.
0:33:48 > 0:33:50- Right, this is it, is it?- Yeah.
0:33:50 > 0:33:53I was expecting something a little bit more uniform than this,
0:33:53 > 0:33:57to be honest with you, Martin. It looks like an overgrown garden.
0:33:57 > 0:33:58Yeah, it can look like that.
0:33:58 > 0:34:00But, actually, everything is here for a reason.
0:34:00 > 0:34:02Everything has been planted deliberately.
0:34:02 > 0:34:05Although it has a semi-wild feel to it.
0:34:05 > 0:34:08We've stopped here because this is a patch of a fantastic perennial
0:34:08 > 0:34:10vegetable called fiddlehead.
0:34:10 > 0:34:11- You going to eat it?- Yeah.
0:34:11 > 0:34:13You can have a taste of it raw.
0:34:13 > 0:34:15They're actually very nice raw.
0:34:15 > 0:34:16- Crunchy.- Very, very tasty.
0:34:16 > 0:34:18It's worth reminding everybody, actually,
0:34:18 > 0:34:20that all of this has been planted for a reason.
0:34:20 > 0:34:22I wouldn't advise going into a wood
0:34:22 > 0:34:23or a forest and just chewing anything.
0:34:23 > 0:34:25You can't eat any old fern.
0:34:25 > 0:34:28And all the trees there, now, they're serving a purpose, as well?
0:34:28 > 0:34:31Yeah, they are all crops of one kind or another.
0:34:31 > 0:34:34Those are Italian alders.
0:34:34 > 0:34:36Their crop, if you like, is nitrogen.
0:34:36 > 0:34:38To keep everything else growing.
0:34:42 > 0:34:44This is periwinkle, isn't it?
0:34:44 > 0:34:47- That is right, yeah.- Right, but we wouldn't be able to eat that?
0:34:47 > 0:34:49We can't. There's nothing edible about periwinkle.
0:34:49 > 0:34:51But it's here for the bees.
0:34:51 > 0:34:54Very good winter flowering bee plant.
0:34:54 > 0:34:55Right. Keep the labourers happy.
0:34:55 > 0:34:57Keep the labourers happy.
0:35:02 > 0:35:06- Right, so we're in the bamboo section, Martin.- We are.
0:35:06 > 0:35:09I grow bamboos for the canes, of course, for garden uses.
0:35:09 > 0:35:12But also for edible bamboo shoots,
0:35:12 > 0:35:15which are a perennial vegetable through the spring.
0:35:16 > 0:35:18See, if I cut it down the middle...
0:35:19 > 0:35:21..like that. And open it up.
0:35:21 > 0:35:24- Oh, isn't that lovely? - It's actually very pretty inside.
0:35:24 > 0:35:27And then all this white or pale green flesh is edible.
0:35:30 > 0:35:32You must have the most incredible diet.
0:35:32 > 0:35:34- It's fairly diverse.- Yeah!
0:35:47 > 0:35:50It's at this time of year most farm animals will be out in the fields,
0:35:50 > 0:35:53fattening up on rich pastures.
0:35:53 > 0:35:56But grazing animals also play an increasingly important role
0:35:56 > 0:35:59in conserving some of the country's rarest habitats.
0:35:59 > 0:36:03Adam has travelled to Surrey to find out more.
0:36:06 > 0:36:11Much of the UK has been grazed by livestock for centuries,
0:36:11 > 0:36:13so farming has played a crucial role,
0:36:13 > 0:36:15not only in shaping the landscape,
0:36:15 > 0:36:18but also our wildlife habitats.
0:36:18 > 0:36:20It's no surprise, then,
0:36:20 > 0:36:23that, when people decide to restore certain habitats,
0:36:23 > 0:36:26they turn to the farmer for help.
0:36:29 > 0:36:32Pond Farm is a specially managed plot of land
0:36:32 > 0:36:35next to Wisley Common in Surrey.
0:36:35 > 0:36:38Here, they not only breed animals for conservation grazing,
0:36:38 > 0:36:42they also train them to be calm around people on open land.
0:36:43 > 0:36:47James Adler is the Surrey Wildlife Trust's grazing manager.
0:36:49 > 0:36:51- Hi, James.- Hi.- Good to see you.
0:36:51 > 0:36:53- And you.- A lovely herd of belties.
0:36:53 > 0:36:55- They're not bad, are they? - They're looking great.
0:36:55 > 0:36:58- Yeah.- So how did the idea of conservation grazing come about?
0:36:58 > 0:37:00It was one of the missing links that we had
0:37:00 > 0:37:02from our management portfolio, really.
0:37:02 > 0:37:04We've obviously got tractors, we've got strimmers,
0:37:04 > 0:37:06we've got chainsaws - every other bit of kit.
0:37:06 > 0:37:09But what we don't have, what we didn't have in 2007,
0:37:09 > 0:37:12was a herd of livestock who could actually go out and manage the land
0:37:12 > 0:37:14in the way that we really wanted them to do.
0:37:14 > 0:37:17What is it that you are hoping the cattle will achieve for you?
0:37:17 > 0:37:19It's about maximising biodiversity, really.
0:37:19 > 0:37:22We put the animals out into the landscape and they interact with it
0:37:22 > 0:37:26in a different way to the way that a tractor or a strimmer goes through.
0:37:26 > 0:37:30So one area, the cow will take one tussock, leave the next,
0:37:30 > 0:37:33lightly graze the next one, and then create some bare ground by its
0:37:33 > 0:37:35grazing action, and also by its footprints, as well.
0:37:35 > 0:37:38And when they do that, we create the maximum biodiversity on this site.
0:37:38 > 0:37:42What are the attributes of these traditional British breeds that
0:37:42 > 0:37:44suit what you're trying to achieve?
0:37:44 > 0:37:45They're incredibly placid.
0:37:45 > 0:37:47And very, very hardy as well.
0:37:47 > 0:37:50They thrive on this rough pasture.
0:37:50 > 0:37:52They're able to put weight on, look after themselves,
0:37:52 > 0:37:54and survive outdoors year-round.
0:37:54 > 0:37:57In comparison to some of the big Continental breeds, they're
0:37:57 > 0:37:59- quite small, as well, aren't they? - Very small.
0:37:59 > 0:38:02Absolutely. And that's great for us in a whole range of different
0:38:02 > 0:38:04reasons. They are less intimidating to the public.
0:38:04 > 0:38:07But thereafter, we can actually fit more of them in a trailer.
0:38:07 > 0:38:08And that's pure economics, really.
0:38:08 > 0:38:12Get more in a trailer, you can move them around, use less diesel.
0:38:12 > 0:38:15- Takes less time.- So the cattle are doing a really good job for you.
0:38:15 > 0:38:17Do you have any other livestock that you use?
0:38:17 > 0:38:19Yeah, we've got some sheep and goats, as well.
0:38:19 > 0:38:21- Can we go and see them?- Of course.
0:38:23 > 0:38:26Goats have a reputation for eating anything going.
0:38:26 > 0:38:30But actually, given the option, they'll pick and choose.
0:38:30 > 0:38:32If you are managing solely for grazing purposes,
0:38:32 > 0:38:34this makes them very useful.
0:38:36 > 0:38:39It's interesting, James, you've got hay and grass in here,
0:38:39 > 0:38:42but these goats are really going for the branches you're feeding them.
0:38:42 > 0:38:44Absolutely, yeah, they adore it, don't they?
0:38:44 > 0:38:46We use the hay to keep them going through the winter months,
0:38:46 > 0:38:49but this is the reason we actually have the animals.
0:38:49 > 0:38:52You're holding on to silver birch, there in your left hand.
0:38:52 > 0:38:54Got some gorse in the middle, and some Scots pine.
0:38:54 > 0:38:57These are the three weed species, for want of a better word,
0:38:57 > 0:38:59that we have out on the heathland.
0:38:59 > 0:39:01We don't use cattle to control scrub,
0:39:01 > 0:39:05we use the goats as that tool for our toolkit.
0:39:05 > 0:39:07You wouldn't imagine anything being able to eat this gorse.
0:39:07 > 0:39:09It's quite prickly, isn't it?
0:39:09 > 0:39:11They've got incredible, dextrous lips
0:39:11 > 0:39:13and mouth parts, and good teeth,
0:39:13 > 0:39:15as well. They can really work around the spines.
0:39:15 > 0:39:18When they get through it, when they actually get past the spikes,
0:39:18 > 0:39:20the leaves are incredibly nutritious.
0:39:20 > 0:39:22Full of good things for a goat, and they thrive on it.
0:39:22 > 0:39:24So how many goats have you got out there working for you?
0:39:24 > 0:39:26Only got 53 at the moment.
0:39:26 > 0:39:28It's a far smaller operation than the cattle.
0:39:28 > 0:39:30It's... It's nowhere near the same scale.
0:39:30 > 0:39:31It's incredibly targeted.
0:39:31 > 0:39:34We hold them in small paddocks and move them from place to place.
0:39:34 > 0:39:36- Can we go and have a look at the sheep?- Absolutely.
0:39:36 > 0:39:39Let's leave these for the goats. There you go.
0:39:43 > 0:39:46Sheep take a lot of flak from ecologists about the damage
0:39:46 > 0:39:48they can do to some environments.
0:39:48 > 0:39:51But on Surrey's chalk grassland, it's thought their type of
0:39:51 > 0:39:53grazing could help plant diversity.
0:40:01 > 0:40:03- That's very good, James. - That went well, didn't it?
0:40:03 > 0:40:06- So what have we got here, then? - We've got Hill Radnor sheep.
0:40:06 > 0:40:09Yeah. They are very much a work in progress, as you can see.
0:40:09 > 0:40:11They are still quite lively.
0:40:11 > 0:40:13They are, yeah, we're training them to the bucket.
0:40:13 > 0:40:15We've only had them a couple of months.
0:40:15 > 0:40:18They are testing everything that we're working on at the moment.
0:40:18 > 0:40:19But, yes, they're a lot of fun.
0:40:19 > 0:40:21- We're enjoying them. - With sheep, James,
0:40:21 > 0:40:24they're known for grazing swards really tight.
0:40:24 > 0:40:25Do they work for you?
0:40:25 > 0:40:27We think they will. Yeah,
0:40:27 > 0:40:30we think they'll occupy that middle ground between goats and cattle.
0:40:30 > 0:40:33So we're using them for a bit of fine grazing.
0:40:33 > 0:40:36So still creating tussocks and areas like that.
0:40:36 > 0:40:37It's all about grazing them extensively,
0:40:37 > 0:40:39and not grazing them too tight on the ground.
0:40:39 > 0:40:42And is there much difficulty between the public and animals?
0:40:42 > 0:40:45When it comes to the smaller animals like this, the sheep and the goats,
0:40:45 > 0:40:47there can be. There's definitely more of a risk.
0:40:47 > 0:40:50They are more vulnerable to a dog attack than the cattle are.
0:40:50 > 0:40:52And that's why, for the moment,
0:40:52 > 0:40:55cattle are going to form the mainstay of our grazing operation.
0:40:58 > 0:41:01Steve Proud manages the day-to-day running of the farm.
0:41:02 > 0:41:05Many of the places the cattle are sent to are used by the public.
0:41:05 > 0:41:09And although dogs might not be an immediate threat to the cows,
0:41:09 > 0:41:12the cattle still need to be well-behaved.
0:41:13 > 0:41:15I see you've brought the dog with you today?
0:41:15 > 0:41:18Yeah, this is my pet dog, Flynn. My black lab cross springer.
0:41:18 > 0:41:20He's got a job to do today.
0:41:20 > 0:41:22He'll assess the behaviour and temperament of some of the cattle
0:41:22 > 0:41:25we're going to put on some of the conservation sites.
0:41:25 > 0:41:26So what are you looking for?
0:41:26 > 0:41:28What we want from the animal is a non-excited response,
0:41:28 > 0:41:31we want the animal to back away calmly, quietly, kind of thing.
0:41:31 > 0:41:33And just look at the dog.
0:41:33 > 0:41:35And not behave in a negative way towards it.
0:41:35 > 0:41:39But sometimes, dogs will be chased by cattle, won't they?
0:41:39 > 0:41:42So this steer here, as we walk towards him,
0:41:42 > 0:41:45what happens if he was more aggressive
0:41:45 > 0:41:46and went for you or the dog?
0:41:46 > 0:41:49We don't often get much levels of aggressiveness.
0:41:49 > 0:41:52But if he did, we might put him in a quieter herd.
0:41:52 > 0:41:55But in the end, if he wasn't suitable, we'd just send him away
0:41:55 > 0:41:59- for slaughter.- Well, you're doing all the right things, fella,
0:41:59 > 0:42:01so you're here for another day. Lucky you.
0:42:06 > 0:42:09The animals Steve farms are carefully graded.
0:42:09 > 0:42:12And depending on how they respond to tests like this,
0:42:12 > 0:42:16only the calmest animals make it to sites where there is public access.
0:42:17 > 0:42:21Today, we're loading several cattle to take them to a special location.
0:42:25 > 0:42:27It's not often cattle load that easily.
0:42:27 > 0:42:29Particularly when you've got the cameras out,
0:42:29 > 0:42:31they usually start misbehaving.
0:42:31 > 0:42:35But it's clear that the work the wildlife trust has been doing to
0:42:35 > 0:42:38quieten these animals down is really paying off.
0:42:38 > 0:42:41And it's important, because they go into a public area where there will
0:42:41 > 0:42:43be lots of visitors with dogs and that sort of thing.
0:42:43 > 0:42:46Right, let's get these things on the road.
0:42:48 > 0:42:52The steers' new home is a site just up the road in Richmond upon Thames.
0:42:52 > 0:42:55A few miles from the centre of London,
0:42:55 > 0:42:58Petersham Meadows are managed by the National Trust.
0:42:58 > 0:43:01They've been using cattle for conservation grazing here
0:43:01 > 0:43:02for several years.
0:43:02 > 0:43:06Steve's cattle will munch their way across this field all summer.
0:43:06 > 0:43:09But it's not just the ecology they are helping to preserve.
0:43:10 > 0:43:13Naomi Campbell is part of the National Trust management team
0:43:13 > 0:43:15who look after the site.
0:43:15 > 0:43:19We've got planes overhead, London buses, Richmond just over there.
0:43:19 > 0:43:21What do the locals think about having cattle here?
0:43:21 > 0:43:22They absolutely adore it.
0:43:22 > 0:43:24They look forward to it every year.
0:43:24 > 0:43:27People actually commute across this meadow to work every morning.
0:43:27 > 0:43:31And it's just hundreds and hundreds of people coming across this meadow,
0:43:31 > 0:43:33stopping to take a snap of the cows.
0:43:33 > 0:43:36I think they are perhaps the most Instagram-ed cows on the whole of
0:43:36 > 0:43:37the British Isles.
0:43:37 > 0:43:41Why is it the National Trust want them on this specific site?
0:43:41 > 0:43:45Well, partially, it's about increasing the richness of the sward
0:43:45 > 0:43:47here in the meadow. And equally as important,
0:43:47 > 0:43:51it's about upholding the spirit of place of this magnificent site.
0:43:53 > 0:43:56It's been immortalised in Turner's landscape paintings,
0:43:56 > 0:44:01so he painted cows, cattle, on the meadow here.
0:44:01 > 0:44:04And that's part of the history that we love to uphold.
0:44:04 > 0:44:06Well, that's just wonderful to think of such a lovely,
0:44:06 > 0:44:09traditional breed having a great job to do.
0:44:09 > 0:44:12Having cattle like these has really shaped the landscape here.
0:44:12 > 0:44:13It's made Petersham what it is.
0:44:13 > 0:44:16And it's part of the landscape history of Britain.
0:44:24 > 0:44:28On the southern slopes of Dartmoor lies Buckfast Abbey.
0:44:29 > 0:44:34The monks there have kept sheep for 800 years or more.
0:44:34 > 0:44:36And nearby, the town of Buckfastleigh
0:44:36 > 0:44:39became Devon's centre of the wool trade.
0:44:39 > 0:44:43In medieval times, there were 700 weavers in Buckfastleigh.
0:44:43 > 0:44:47It was the one-stop shop for all things wool and sheepskin in Devon.
0:44:47 > 0:44:49And guess what? It still is.
0:44:49 > 0:44:53In the town is Britain's last remaining large sheepskin tannery.
0:44:53 > 0:44:55It handles fleeces from local flocks,
0:44:55 > 0:44:58like these Greyface Dartmoors.
0:45:00 > 0:45:03That's it! They are fantastic-looking.
0:45:04 > 0:45:07This historic rare breed flock is
0:45:07 > 0:45:10owned by Paula and her son Lewis Steer.
0:45:10 > 0:45:12They're in full fleece at the moment.
0:45:12 > 0:45:14Right. They're due for a haircut, then.
0:45:14 > 0:45:16Yeah, the next sort of three or four weeks,
0:45:16 > 0:45:19we'll probably get the shears out, we'll shear them all.
0:45:19 > 0:45:21The Dartmoors don't just provide wool.
0:45:21 > 0:45:24The meat we get back is a nice succulent, slow-grown meat.
0:45:24 > 0:45:27We have the meat back and then we also have the by-product,
0:45:27 > 0:45:28which is the sheepskin.
0:45:28 > 0:45:33Which are totally and utterly amazing, they're just so sumptuous.
0:45:33 > 0:45:35As well as the Greyface Dartmoors,
0:45:35 > 0:45:37Paula and Lewis keep other rare breeds
0:45:37 > 0:45:40for their spectacular fleeces, too.
0:45:40 > 0:45:43We have here the Greyface Dartmoor.
0:45:43 > 0:45:46This is the Whiteface Dartmoor and then, here,
0:45:46 > 0:45:48we have the Devon and Cornwall Longwool.
0:45:48 > 0:45:50So tactile and soft.
0:45:50 > 0:45:52So there's obviously a marked difference -
0:45:52 > 0:45:54very tight little curls,
0:45:54 > 0:45:56whereas this is a lot shaggier...
0:45:56 > 0:45:57- Yeah.- And longer.
0:45:57 > 0:45:59And the Devon and Cornwall, again,
0:45:59 > 0:46:01it is normally more of a lustrous coat,
0:46:01 > 0:46:03lustrous finish to those, as well.
0:46:03 > 0:46:05More like a clotted cream curl, we like to say!
0:46:05 > 0:46:07That would make a great wig!
0:46:08 > 0:46:11It takes time and skill to turn a muddy,
0:46:11 > 0:46:15knotted sheepskin into a lovely soft fleece.
0:46:17 > 0:46:19So let's see where the magic happens.
0:46:23 > 0:46:28This is the Devonia sheepskin tannery, run by Geoff Woods.
0:46:31 > 0:46:33So tell me what the process is.
0:46:33 > 0:46:36I mean, actually, this is one of the cleaner sheepskins we'll get,
0:46:36 > 0:46:41but we will put it through a series of processes, it will clean it up,
0:46:41 > 0:46:44we'll obviously convert the raw skin into leather,
0:46:44 > 0:46:45we'll tan it and hopefully it will
0:46:45 > 0:46:48end up as a very attractive sheepskin
0:46:48 > 0:46:50- rug at the end of the day. - And one that I'll be leaving with?
0:46:50 > 0:46:53Unfortunately not - it'll take at least three to four weeks
0:46:53 > 0:46:55to go right through the process.
0:46:55 > 0:46:56Why does it take so long, Geoff?
0:46:56 > 0:46:58Obviously, a fleece, or a sheepskin
0:46:58 > 0:47:00as we would call it, has two parts to it -
0:47:00 > 0:47:02it has the wool and it has the skin itself,
0:47:02 > 0:47:06so we have to treat the two different parts separately
0:47:06 > 0:47:08and that's why it
0:47:08 > 0:47:11obviously is a complicated and quite long process.
0:47:23 > 0:47:26Right, we're going to put the sheepskin into the first stage of
0:47:26 > 0:47:28the process, which is washing,
0:47:28 > 0:47:32so we need to put these aprons and gloves on, so we don't get wet.
0:47:32 > 0:47:34So the sheepskin will go in here
0:47:34 > 0:47:37and, with warm water and a liquid soap,
0:47:37 > 0:47:40we'll hopefully get all the dirt and salt out of the sheepskin.
0:47:40 > 0:47:41Oh, it is warm, isn't it?
0:47:41 > 0:47:44- Yeah.- It's a nice, big lovely bath for the sheepskin to go in.
0:47:44 > 0:47:47Well, you know what? It could do with a wash,
0:47:47 > 0:47:48because it absolutely reeks!
0:47:48 > 0:47:50- Yes, it does.- In she goes.
0:47:56 > 0:47:57Once the wool's washed,
0:47:57 > 0:48:02the skin of the fleece needs treating just like any other hide.
0:48:02 > 0:48:04This is looking at the leather.
0:48:04 > 0:48:08We're turning it from its raw state, so the raw sheepskin,
0:48:08 > 0:48:11and we're turning it into leather.
0:48:11 > 0:48:14Let's see how that happens. What do you put into the river water?
0:48:14 > 0:48:17We add some salt. That's the first stage of the process.
0:48:17 > 0:48:18A sort of pickling process?
0:48:18 > 0:48:21Yeah, pretty much, just like a pickled egg.
0:48:21 > 0:48:26'The skins take five days to cure in this chemical and salt bath.
0:48:26 > 0:48:29'Cleverly, it doesn't damage the wool.'
0:48:29 > 0:48:32It really does feel as though we've stepped back in time,
0:48:32 > 0:48:35there's something really satisfying about doing something that feels
0:48:35 > 0:48:38really ancient. There's nothing modern, newfangled,
0:48:38 > 0:48:40this is how it's been done for 200 years.
0:48:42 > 0:48:46Last stop on the ground floor is this massive dryer,
0:48:46 > 0:48:49handling dozens of fleeces at a time.
0:48:49 > 0:48:51Right...
0:48:51 > 0:48:53And in it goes.
0:48:54 > 0:48:56The top floors of the factory are where the washed,
0:48:56 > 0:49:00tanned and dried sheepskins receive their final TLC.
0:49:01 > 0:49:05This machine is called an ironing machine, but it acts like a comb.
0:49:15 > 0:49:17It's a hair straightener.
0:49:17 > 0:49:18That's what it's doing!
0:49:19 > 0:49:22That is so soft and lovely - look at the difference!
0:49:22 > 0:49:24That's incredible.
0:49:24 > 0:49:29So here it is matted and a bit knotted and that is soft and smooth.
0:49:31 > 0:49:34Right, I think my work here is done!
0:49:39 > 0:49:42How wonderful to experience this age-old process,
0:49:42 > 0:49:44still being done in a way it's always been done
0:49:44 > 0:49:47and I suppose this is where I should give you
0:49:47 > 0:49:49a thoughtful conclusion about sheepskins.
0:49:49 > 0:49:51Actually, all I want to do is...
0:49:53 > 0:49:55It's so soft and lovely!
0:49:55 > 0:49:58Now of interest to shepherds, their flocks and the rest of us,
0:49:58 > 0:50:02here's the Countryfile five-day weather forecast.
0:51:08 > 0:51:12We have been exploring South Devon and the Dartington Estate.
0:51:14 > 0:51:16Leonard and Dorothy Elmhirst
0:51:16 > 0:51:19established a school here in the 1920s.
0:51:19 > 0:51:21Thanks to a great emphasis upon the arts,
0:51:21 > 0:51:24it became a magnet for creative people.
0:51:27 > 0:51:29Even the staff accommodation was
0:51:29 > 0:51:31at the cutting edge of modernist architecture.
0:51:33 > 0:51:35What was it like here, back then?
0:51:35 > 0:51:37What was the vibe like?
0:51:37 > 0:51:39I imagine it was quite mad.
0:51:39 > 0:51:43I think you can imagine, in the early 1930s,
0:51:43 > 0:51:45amazing buildings being built in Devon,
0:51:45 > 0:51:51amazing artists and writers and thinkers and craftspeople all coming
0:51:51 > 0:51:54together to contribute to this experiment.
0:51:54 > 0:51:55It must have been an amazing place.
0:51:55 > 0:51:57Yeah. There's a perfect example here -
0:51:57 > 0:51:59this was the headmaster's residence.
0:51:59 > 0:52:03Yeah. This house was designed for the head teacher of the school,
0:52:03 > 0:52:06William Curry, by one of the leading modernist architects in America,
0:52:06 > 0:52:07called William Lescaze.
0:52:07 > 0:52:10Right, so this is a very special property.
0:52:10 > 0:52:13This is a very important modernist building in Britain.
0:52:15 > 0:52:20And having a landscape around like this offers that connection and that
0:52:20 > 0:52:23practicality, as opposed to it being very metropolitan.
0:52:23 > 0:52:25Yeah. When the experiment came forward,
0:52:25 > 0:52:27farming was in massive decline,
0:52:27 > 0:52:31so, for them, the ideas of bringing together land and farming and new
0:52:31 > 0:52:36science and technology and farming with education, with arts,
0:52:36 > 0:52:39with enterprise, was part of that concept.
0:52:39 > 0:52:40They really did want to create
0:52:40 > 0:52:43a sustainable future for the countryside.
0:52:45 > 0:52:50How confident are you that there is still a place, here in Britain, for
0:52:50 > 0:52:52this kind of idealism?
0:52:52 > 0:52:55We think now is the right time to reconnect with that whole ethos of
0:52:55 > 0:52:59experimentation. The Elmhirsts set up this place as a centre in the
0:52:59 > 0:53:03countryside where a many-sided life could be expressed and, for us,
0:53:03 > 0:53:05we think the idea of wholeness,
0:53:05 > 0:53:08where arts, social justice, the land,
0:53:08 > 0:53:11learning, enterprise, all comes together
0:53:11 > 0:53:13is a really remarkable thing.
0:53:14 > 0:53:19The Elmhirsts were great enthusiasts for learning by doing.
0:53:19 > 0:53:21Although the school has now closed,
0:53:21 > 0:53:23the estate still hosts a summer music school
0:53:23 > 0:53:25and various crafts are taught here.
0:53:25 > 0:53:28You're aiming for something that size, so...
0:53:29 > 0:53:31Quite a long way to go!
0:53:33 > 0:53:37Out amongst the Californian redwoods planted by Leonard himself,
0:53:37 > 0:53:41furniture maker Ambrose Vevers is teaching students how to craft
0:53:41 > 0:53:42a traditional stool.
0:53:42 > 0:53:45Do you know, this is obviously such a tactile process,
0:53:45 > 0:53:47you're working so closely with the wood,
0:53:47 > 0:53:49but when you know where it's come from,
0:53:49 > 0:53:51you can literally see the spot it's come out of,
0:53:51 > 0:53:52and you're sort of fashioning it
0:53:52 > 0:53:54into something you're going to be able to
0:53:54 > 0:53:58use in your life, it's quite an experience.
0:53:58 > 0:54:02Yes, and ash is such a nice wood to work with.
0:54:02 > 0:54:04And what would you say, Ambrose,
0:54:04 > 0:54:08you get out of teaching people to reconnect?
0:54:08 > 0:54:10It's just the expression on their face
0:54:10 > 0:54:13when they finally finish the stool
0:54:13 > 0:54:17and they can't believe that they've made this stool from a tree.
0:54:17 > 0:54:20People get really emotional about it, actually.
0:54:22 > 0:54:24'It's certainly hot work.
0:54:24 > 0:54:28'Just as well, then, that goat's milk from the farm has been turned
0:54:28 > 0:54:32'into something cool and refreshing. And, right on cue, here is Anita.'
0:54:32 > 0:54:34Hello! Here we are, look at this.
0:54:34 > 0:54:37This is goat's milk ice cream.
0:54:37 > 0:54:40- Mm! What flavour is that? - That one, I think, is...
0:54:41 > 0:54:43..Mexican caramel ripple.
0:54:45 > 0:54:47Do you know...
0:54:47 > 0:54:48- That's delicious. - I grew up on goat's milk
0:54:48 > 0:54:52and I have never tried this and I am pleasantly surprised.
0:54:52 > 0:54:55- It's absolutely delicious. - It's so creamy, full of flavour.
0:54:55 > 0:54:59- Yeah.- That's really good.
0:54:59 > 0:55:02One of the best ice creams I've ever tried, actually.
0:55:02 > 0:55:03I've got something goaty for you, too.
0:55:03 > 0:55:05Have you got more goat gifts?!
0:55:05 > 0:55:09That is a natural goat's milk soap, great for your complexion, Matt,
0:55:09 > 0:55:12- not that you need it.- I have had quite an encounter with a billy goat
0:55:12 > 0:55:15today, so this may well come in handy!
0:55:15 > 0:55:17- Thank you.- I was wondering what the smell was!
0:55:19 > 0:55:23Next week, we'll be travelling the length and breadth of Britain
0:55:23 > 0:55:25to bring you a celebration of spring.
0:55:25 > 0:55:28Right, my dear, you are number 395.
0:55:28 > 0:55:30We'll keep an eye out for you in the future.
0:55:30 > 0:55:32I'm in Cornwall,
0:55:32 > 0:55:34where the warmer waters of spring
0:55:34 > 0:55:36herald the start of shellfish season.
0:55:36 > 0:55:38- Is there one in there?- Yes.
0:55:38 > 0:55:39Yes!
0:55:42 > 0:55:46Spring is such a lovely time of year and there's new life
0:55:46 > 0:55:47everywhere on the farm.
0:55:50 > 0:55:52Hope you'll join us then. Bye!
0:55:52 > 0:55:55They told me, today, a story that I actually couldn't believe.
0:55:55 > 0:55:58- Mm-hm.- About why nannies are called nannies.