0:00:26 > 0:00:28The hop harvest is in full swing.
0:00:28 > 0:00:31The bines are being pulled.
0:00:31 > 0:00:34But these aren't the famous hop grounds of Kent.
0:00:34 > 0:00:38This is Surrey, a county which once had a hop industry to rival any,
0:00:38 > 0:00:42and if those guys have anything to do with, it soon will have again.
0:00:42 > 0:00:46I'll be looking at Surrey's hop revival and the part being
0:00:46 > 0:00:48played by one very special variety.
0:00:49 > 0:00:53I know it's not a competition but I prefer the Farnham White.
0:00:53 > 0:00:55- Do you?- Yes, yes. I love it.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58It's really... You could wear that as a perfume.
0:00:58 > 0:01:00Now, there's a thought.
0:01:00 > 0:01:03Tom's looking at how one predator is helping red squirrels
0:01:03 > 0:01:05win the war against greys.
0:01:05 > 0:01:08How did it emerge that grey squirrels didn't like to live
0:01:08 > 0:01:10where pine martens were present?
0:01:10 > 0:01:13Well, there was some work done in Ireland recently and that
0:01:13 > 0:01:16showed that where pine martens were recovering, the grey squirrels
0:01:16 > 0:01:20went into decline and red squirrels were able to come back.
0:01:20 > 0:01:24Adam's got his hands full on the farm.
0:01:27 > 0:01:30A wheelbarrow full of pigs.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33With just a week to go before the Countryfile ramble for
0:01:33 > 0:01:38Children in Need, Matt's meeting a truly inspiring young person.
0:01:38 > 0:01:42- That's a first for you, isn't it, today?- Yeah, it is.
0:01:42 > 0:01:45- How tough was that? - It was very tough.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48- But I made it.- You did. - So I'm happy.
0:01:50 > 0:01:52And John's here with some big news.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56Out of many thousands of entries,
0:01:56 > 0:02:00these are the final 12 pictures in our photographic competition.
0:02:00 > 0:02:03But which one of them has been voted the overall winner?
0:02:03 > 0:02:05That's what I'll be revealing.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16Surrey - England's most wooded county.
0:02:16 > 0:02:20Autumn sunlight spills through the trees and over meadows.
0:02:22 > 0:02:25And right now, there's one very important harvest going on.
0:02:25 > 0:02:27Hops.
0:02:29 > 0:02:32I've come to Farnham, in the west of the county,
0:02:32 > 0:02:35once the centre of Surrey's hop-growing industry.
0:02:40 > 0:02:42At the industry's height,
0:02:42 > 0:02:45there were nearly 3,000 acres of hop grounds throughout the county.
0:02:45 > 0:02:48But by the start of the 20th century,
0:02:48 > 0:02:51disease had all but wiped out hop-growing in Surrey.
0:02:51 > 0:02:56By the 1970s, there were fewer than 30 acres still in production.
0:02:59 > 0:03:03Hop plants have been used in brewing for more than 1,000 years.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06Its pungent flowers give flavour to our beer,
0:03:06 > 0:03:09and growing them takes age-old skills.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16This is the last commercial hop producer left in Farnham.
0:03:17 > 0:03:21Puttenham hop garden, managed by Bill Biddell.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24Well, I've never seen hops growing so...
0:03:24 > 0:03:26Well, they're very different to a field of barley
0:03:26 > 0:03:27or a field of wheat.
0:03:27 > 0:03:32- So, this is it? These are hops? - These are the real thing, yes.
0:03:32 > 0:03:34These are Fuggles hops, that's the variety we grow.
0:03:34 > 0:03:35This is what we're looking for.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38- OK.- That's a very small example.
0:03:38 > 0:03:40That's it. Grab it together.
0:03:40 > 0:03:42- Push around and sniff it.- Wow.
0:03:42 > 0:03:44And you'll get the bitterness coming through.
0:03:44 > 0:03:46Bitterness, but really fragrant as well.
0:03:46 > 0:03:48It's in the air, Bill. It's all around us.
0:03:48 > 0:03:49Yes, it's all around.
0:03:49 > 0:03:51And that's part of the drying process as well.
0:03:51 > 0:03:53How fast do they grow?
0:03:53 > 0:03:55Well, they grow very fast because in April,
0:03:55 > 0:03:58they're just starting down at the bottom in the ground.
0:03:58 > 0:04:00So they live in the ground all year round.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03Some of these plants, these are about 35 years old.
0:04:03 > 0:04:07And then, in April, they start growing very fast, and we want them
0:04:07 > 0:04:10on the top wire, up there, by 21st June.
0:04:10 > 0:04:12And if they're doing that, we're happy.
0:04:12 > 0:04:14In two months? They grow that high?
0:04:14 > 0:04:17- They're sort of supersonic runner beans.- That's incredible.
0:04:17 > 0:04:18And is it very difficult to grow?
0:04:18 > 0:04:20Lots of maintenance? Do you have to keep an eye...
0:04:20 > 0:04:22It's very much hands on, yes.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25We need to actually train each hop plant to go up the string.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28So we have handily put a string in here.
0:04:28 > 0:04:33There's a coir string with lots of fronds on it, so the young hops
0:04:33 > 0:04:36at an early stage can actually hang onto those fronds
0:04:36 > 0:04:38and they start moving and twiddling round.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41So somebody has to come and do that? This is quite labour intensive.
0:04:41 > 0:04:45It's hugely labour intensive at various times of the year.
0:04:56 > 0:04:58Once the picking is done,
0:04:58 > 0:05:01it's over to the shed, where the bines are plucked.
0:05:03 > 0:05:07So this is the next bit of the process? This is quite impressive.
0:05:07 > 0:05:09This is where the bines...
0:05:09 > 0:05:12This is called the bine track and this is where they're put up
0:05:12 > 0:05:14individually in order to go through the plucking machine.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17And how long have you had this piece of technology?
0:05:17 > 0:05:19This wonderful bit of technology
0:05:19 > 0:05:21has been with us since, I think, 1962.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24- Fantastic.- Would you like to have a go?- It would be rude not to.
0:05:24 > 0:05:26- Couple of gloves.- Come on.
0:05:26 > 0:05:30- So are you spending the whole summer doing this?- Just September.
0:05:30 > 0:05:31September.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34- Do you get any nice perks? Free beer?- Free beer.
0:05:34 > 0:05:36Free ice cream.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39Free ice cream? Done. I'm sold.
0:05:44 > 0:05:48The plucking machine separates the leaves from the hop flowers.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51Then the hops make their way along a series of conveyors,
0:05:51 > 0:05:55where they're sorted by hand and any waste picked out and discarded.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58Finally, they're bagged and transferred to an attic for
0:05:58 > 0:06:03probably the most important part of the process - drying.
0:06:03 > 0:06:05A gift of hops.
0:06:05 > 0:06:10- Do we just grab one?- We just pull the bags off and drag them along.
0:06:10 > 0:06:11OK.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14'The man in charge of drying is Paul Thompson.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17'His family has been involved in hop-growing
0:06:17 > 0:06:19'and drying for generations.'
0:06:19 > 0:06:21Whoa!
0:06:23 > 0:06:26And in they go. So how are they dried in here?
0:06:26 > 0:06:29Well, they're dried by hot air.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32The air gets blown through the floor, the slatted floor,
0:06:32 > 0:06:35and then it just goes through the hops and out the top.
0:06:35 > 0:06:36- And out the top there?- Yeah.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39So it's a system that works and has been doing for years and years.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42- Well, yes. - And how many hours does it take?
0:06:42 > 0:06:44Well, eight hours in here and it reaches
0:06:44 > 0:06:47a temperature of 140 Fahrenheit, and then they're cooled down
0:06:47 > 0:06:51outside because you can't put them in the pockets warm.
0:06:51 > 0:06:52What are the pockets?
0:06:52 > 0:06:55Well, they are the bags you press the hops into.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58Right. Well, let's see that bit of the process.
0:06:58 > 0:07:00'The pockets are filled in a traditional way,
0:07:00 > 0:07:03'using a wooden scuppit.'
0:07:03 > 0:07:04Here we go.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07Oh! This is satisfying.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10- And I think it's filled up. - Shut the door.
0:07:10 > 0:07:11Yeah.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16Right, and then push the green button on the side.
0:07:16 > 0:07:18That's it.
0:07:19 > 0:07:21MACHINE WHIRS
0:07:24 > 0:07:27The Puttenham Garden pockets bear the emblem of a church bell,
0:07:27 > 0:07:30a sign that they're from the Farnham area.
0:07:30 > 0:07:32It's all part of a tradition
0:07:32 > 0:07:36that stretches back to Surrey's hop-growing heyday.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38But there's an even more important
0:07:38 > 0:07:40part of Surrey's brewing heritage.
0:07:40 > 0:07:42And it's making a return.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45I'll be telling you what that is a little later.
0:07:47 > 0:07:49The red squirrel,
0:07:49 > 0:07:52one of Britain's best-loved animals, has almost disappeared
0:07:52 > 0:07:56but as Tom's been finding out, they might be making a comeback.
0:08:08 > 0:08:09The red squirrel.
0:08:09 > 0:08:13Famous for its fluffy tail and tufty ears, it's the star of many
0:08:13 > 0:08:18children's books, and a nostalgic symbol of Britain's past.
0:08:20 > 0:08:22It's one of our rarest woodland mammals.
0:08:22 > 0:08:25In fact, most of us have never seen one,
0:08:25 > 0:08:27as it's been muscled out of much of the UK
0:08:27 > 0:08:29by the invasive grey squirrel.
0:08:31 > 0:08:35But now it's hoped another species under threat, the pine marten,
0:08:35 > 0:08:38could be about to come to its rescue.
0:08:38 > 0:08:43So, are we on the verge of a red resurgence?
0:08:43 > 0:08:46From a high of around 3½ million,
0:08:46 > 0:08:49there are now fewer than 150,000 red squirrels left in Britain,
0:08:49 > 0:08:53mostly found in Scotland, with smaller populations
0:08:53 > 0:08:55dotted across the rest of the UK.
0:08:55 > 0:08:59The dramatic decline is down to the loss of habitat, disease and,
0:08:59 > 0:09:04in particular, competition from the introduction in the 1870s
0:09:04 > 0:09:07of the larger American grey squirrel.
0:09:07 > 0:09:11As an non-native species, it is illegal to release a grey squirrel
0:09:11 > 0:09:16into the countryside and if you do catch one, you have to destroy it.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21- Something's triggered it.- Yes, they do sometimes trigger it.
0:09:21 > 0:09:24- Mice and things will trigger it. - No-one at home?- No-one's in.
0:09:24 > 0:09:29Dr Craig Shuttleworth is director of Red Squirrels Trust Wales.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32He also trains people how to kill greys humanely.
0:09:32 > 0:09:34This is a kill trap.
0:09:34 > 0:09:36Spring trap.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39'But today, his traps are empty.'
0:09:39 > 0:09:42That's presumably primed now, so you need to make that safe.
0:09:42 > 0:09:44Yes. I'll just do it on the ground here.
0:09:46 > 0:09:48Lucky for the grey squirrels today.
0:09:48 > 0:09:52Maybe less good luck for you, but how is it that greys harm reds?
0:09:52 > 0:09:56They do it in two different ways. I mean, we've known for a while
0:09:56 > 0:09:58that they have a competitive impact on them.
0:09:58 > 0:10:00They eat the same foods, they live in the same environment.
0:10:00 > 0:10:02There are more grey squirrels.
0:10:02 > 0:10:05It just simply finds it hard to survive.
0:10:05 > 0:10:07But now we have these viruses.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09Squirrel pox virus, for example.
0:10:09 > 0:10:11Grey squirrel carries it, causes it no harm,
0:10:11 > 0:10:15but when the red squirrel gets it, it's dead within three weeks.
0:10:15 > 0:10:17Grey squirrels have been here around 150 years.
0:10:17 > 0:10:20Don't they have the right to be considered native?
0:10:20 > 0:10:23I don't think they do. They are not part of our European fauna.
0:10:23 > 0:10:26They are putting immense pressure on forests.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29They're preventing red squirrel from being where it should be,
0:10:29 > 0:10:33which is distributed across the whole of the UK and instead
0:10:33 > 0:10:36of that, we have these isolated populations.
0:10:36 > 0:10:40Grey squirrels are blamed for causing up to £10 million worth
0:10:40 > 0:10:43of damage to our woodlands every year.
0:10:46 > 0:10:49But you won't find any grey squirrels running amok here
0:10:49 > 0:10:51on Anglesey in North Wales.
0:10:54 > 0:10:58Last year, the island declared itself a grey-squirrel-free zone
0:10:58 > 0:11:01after an 18-year-long battle.
0:11:01 > 0:11:05The reds, to use an anthropomorphic term, they are cute.
0:11:05 > 0:11:07There's no way round it, really.
0:11:07 > 0:11:09Local court artist Philip Snow
0:11:09 > 0:11:12has lived here on the island for 40 years.
0:11:12 > 0:11:14Give me a bit of the detail of the process of that,
0:11:14 > 0:11:17those years of getting rid of the greys.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20Well, the hard graft is the actual humane trapping.
0:11:20 > 0:11:21At the same time,
0:11:21 > 0:11:25they were putting red squirrels in huge cages in woodlands like this
0:11:25 > 0:11:29where they could breed and then gradually spread out.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32And the fact that it's worked in a controlled way in
0:11:32 > 0:11:36a relatively small area - Anglesey is about roughly 20 miles square -
0:11:36 > 0:11:40shows you that it can be done, which is tremendous.
0:11:40 > 0:11:44From being close to extinction, with just 40 red squirrels left
0:11:44 > 0:11:48on the island, today Anglesey is home to more than 700 and it's
0:11:48 > 0:11:51a success story the many want to see
0:11:51 > 0:11:53replicated across the rest of the UK.
0:11:53 > 0:11:57From early last year, landowners in some areas of England
0:11:57 > 0:12:01have been able to apply for EU funding to cull grey squirrels.
0:12:04 > 0:12:06And amongst other new schemes,
0:12:06 > 0:12:09the British Association for Shooting and Conservation are
0:12:09 > 0:12:14encouraging members in key areas to volunteer for free pest control.
0:12:16 > 0:12:20Critics of culling think it's a waste of time and money
0:12:20 > 0:12:23and say there's a big difference between eradicating squirrels
0:12:23 > 0:12:25from a small island like Anglesey
0:12:25 > 0:12:29and achieving the same result across the whole country.
0:12:30 > 0:12:33They say a woodland cleared of greys
0:12:33 > 0:12:36can be repopulated from the surrounding countryside
0:12:36 > 0:12:38within just ten weeks.
0:12:39 > 0:12:43It's always been thought that the grey squirrel was the nut
0:12:43 > 0:12:44that couldn't be cracked.
0:12:44 > 0:12:47But now there's hope - a way of controlling grey squirrels
0:12:47 > 0:12:50has been discovered which requires little expense and
0:12:50 > 0:12:53hardly any human intervention.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02Just gone six in the morning.
0:13:02 > 0:13:04The light is just coming up.
0:13:04 > 0:13:07I'm probably not quite as bright-eyed and bushy-tailed
0:13:07 > 0:13:09as some of the animals in this forest.
0:13:09 > 0:13:14But I'm waiting to be taken to a secret location to meet a creature
0:13:14 > 0:13:19that could be a great help in the recovery of the red squirrel.
0:13:31 > 0:13:34- So, what if we got in here? - A pine marten.
0:13:34 > 0:13:38'The precious cargo has been driven through the night by
0:13:38 > 0:13:41'Dr Jenny Macpherson from the Vincent Wildlife Trust.'
0:13:43 > 0:13:45Since the start of last year,
0:13:45 > 0:13:49Jenny has relocated 36 pine martens from Scotland in order to help
0:13:49 > 0:13:53reinforce the struggling population here in Wales.
0:13:53 > 0:13:55This really is a mystery site.
0:13:55 > 0:13:59- You wouldn't find this by mistake, would you?- That's the aim of it.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02So it's important that the animals aren't disturbed while they
0:14:02 > 0:14:05are getting used to the new surroundings.
0:14:05 > 0:14:08'The pine martens are put into individual holding pens
0:14:08 > 0:14:10'before being released.'
0:14:19 > 0:14:21(Absolutely amazing.
0:14:21 > 0:14:23(It's so beautiful, so agile.)
0:14:27 > 0:14:31- Well, how does that feel? - That's a nice feeling.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35The reason pine martens like this one could help the fortunes
0:14:35 > 0:14:39of our native red squirrel is that there is evidence to suggest
0:14:39 > 0:14:42they have a real appetite for greys.
0:14:42 > 0:14:44How did it emerge that grey squirrels didn't like to live
0:14:44 > 0:14:46where pine martens were present?
0:14:46 > 0:14:49Well, there was some work done in Ireland recently and that
0:14:49 > 0:14:52showed that where pine martens were recovering, the grey squirrels
0:14:52 > 0:14:55went into decline and red squirrels were able to come back.
0:14:55 > 0:14:58Do we know what it is about pine martens that grey squirrels
0:14:58 > 0:15:00don't like, so they scram?
0:15:00 > 0:15:03One theory is that pine martens will eat grey squirrels, and we've
0:15:03 > 0:15:07got some camera trap footage from earlier this year of one of
0:15:07 > 0:15:10- our martens eating a grey squirrel. - Really? Is that one of the
0:15:10 > 0:15:13first times that's actually been seen, conclusively?
0:15:13 > 0:15:16Yes, it's the first time we've seen footage of it.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19Why don't pine martens affect red squirrel populations?
0:15:19 > 0:15:21Grey squirrels are much heavier,
0:15:21 > 0:15:24they spend more time feeding on the ground, so they're an easier prey.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27Red squirrels are smaller and lighter and able to escape
0:15:27 > 0:15:30along much finer branches that pine martens can't follow them on to.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33Could pine martens be the red squirrel's champion,
0:15:33 > 0:15:35that allows it to recover across England and Wales?
0:15:35 > 0:15:39I think it's a bit early to say for certain but, yeah, watch this space.
0:15:39 > 0:15:41- Optimistic?- Quietly.
0:15:42 > 0:15:46Promoting one of Britain's most beautiful native species,
0:15:46 > 0:15:49the pine marten, in order to preserve another is easy to
0:15:49 > 0:15:52appreciate and the news has got many excited.
0:15:52 > 0:15:56But Dr Craig Shuttleworth remains cautious of the fanfare that
0:15:56 > 0:16:00some have made about this story. Are you slightly sceptical about
0:16:00 > 0:16:03some of the big claims for pine martens?
0:16:03 > 0:16:06I think that the headline writers have done science
0:16:06 > 0:16:09no favours whatsoever when they say that pine martens are going to drive
0:16:09 > 0:16:12grey squirrels into the sea without us having to do anything else.
0:16:12 > 0:16:13That's wrong.
0:16:13 > 0:16:17What we have is a very complicated ecological system that we
0:16:17 > 0:16:19don't really fully understand.
0:16:19 > 0:16:21So you don't think we should immediately jump on the cheerleading
0:16:21 > 0:16:25bandwagon for the pine marten, shouting, "The hero has returned"?
0:16:25 > 0:16:28Pine martens may have an impact in certain areas.
0:16:28 > 0:16:30Is the pine marten going to get rid of the grey squirrel from
0:16:30 > 0:16:33inner-city London, from inner-city Birmingham? Probably not.
0:16:33 > 0:16:36Remember that the pine marten's been missing from the landscape
0:16:36 > 0:16:40for decades, sometimes a century, and that landscape has changed,
0:16:40 > 0:16:44so there is a possibility that in some areas this animal's return
0:16:44 > 0:16:47may have some impact on other species,
0:16:47 > 0:16:51including barn owls and perhaps too on some local businesses.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54A pine marten resurgence isn't going to please everyone.
0:16:54 > 0:16:56There are going to be losers.
0:16:56 > 0:17:00But is that the price worth paying to see our native reds thrive
0:17:00 > 0:17:02once again?
0:17:02 > 0:17:06There is a fairy-tale quality about this story.
0:17:06 > 0:17:10Heroic protector returns to defeat a foreign foe and save
0:17:10 > 0:17:12a species in distress.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15The truth will probably be a little more complex,
0:17:15 > 0:17:19involving compromise and argument, but there's definitely a sense
0:17:19 > 0:17:24that we're turning a page towards a happy ending for the red squirrel.
0:17:31 > 0:17:35Right. That's it. All the votes are in and we have our winner.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38So, here's John to reveal who you voted top in this year's
0:17:38 > 0:17:40Countryfile photographic competition.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50The theme for this year's photographic competition is
0:17:50 > 0:17:52From Dawn Till Dusk.
0:17:52 > 0:17:56The challenge - to capture on camera the British countryside in
0:17:56 > 0:17:58all its ever-changing glory.
0:18:01 > 0:18:05We had more than 21,000 entries and, as always, the standard was
0:18:05 > 0:18:10incredibly high, but eventually, it came down to these final 12 and
0:18:10 > 0:18:15each one will have its own page on the Countryfile calendar for 2017.
0:18:15 > 0:18:17To choose them,
0:18:17 > 0:18:20I was joined by wildlife cameraman and presenter Simon King,
0:18:20 > 0:18:23and Deborah Meaden, from Dragons' Den,
0:18:23 > 0:18:26and we all had our particular favourites.
0:18:26 > 0:18:29- It's a really dramatic image.- It is.
0:18:29 > 0:18:34- But I'm not sure I would want that on my kitchen wall.- I would!
0:18:34 > 0:18:37I'd like to see something with a bit of human intervention.
0:18:37 > 0:18:39"I love bees"?
0:18:39 > 0:18:41No? Oh, all right.
0:18:43 > 0:18:45But we got there in the end.
0:18:45 > 0:18:49And the favourite of all three judges was this one,
0:18:49 > 0:18:54for the month of February, Twilight Hunter by Tony Howes from Norwich.
0:18:54 > 0:18:58And Tony gets to choose £500 worth of photographic equipment,
0:18:58 > 0:19:01so many congratulations to you, Tony.
0:19:02 > 0:19:06But it was up to you at home to pick the overall winner,
0:19:06 > 0:19:10the photograph that stars on the cover of our 2017 calendar.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16And it is this one.
0:19:18 > 0:19:21Berry Brunch, the picture for October, of a water vole,
0:19:21 > 0:19:24taken by Dean Mason from Wareham in Dorset.
0:19:24 > 0:19:29Now, Dean gets to choose £1,000 worth of photographic equipment,
0:19:29 > 0:19:31but he doesn't yet know that he's won.
0:19:31 > 0:19:35I'm off to see him now, but I'm not going to tell him straight away.
0:19:43 > 0:19:47Dean's an amateur photographer with a passion for wildlife.
0:19:47 > 0:19:51Earlier this year, he quit his job in the timber industry and
0:19:51 > 0:19:52set up a little business,
0:19:52 > 0:19:57hiring out a hide he'd built to other wildlife photographers.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00What we've told him is that I'm filming background pieces with some
0:20:00 > 0:20:05of our finalists, finding out how they came to take their pictures.
0:20:07 > 0:20:11- Hello, Dean.- Hello.- Look what I've got here for you. How about that?
0:20:11 > 0:20:14- Oh, wow! Fantastic!- A blown-up version of your fantastic photo.
0:20:14 > 0:20:17It looks good large, I've got to admit.
0:20:17 > 0:20:19And what have we got here, then?
0:20:19 > 0:20:22Well, this is our wildlife reflection tool.
0:20:22 > 0:20:25We allow other photographers to come in, take photographs.
0:20:25 > 0:20:29From inside that hide there, it must look incredibly natural.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32I try and make it as natural as possible, so it looks like
0:20:32 > 0:20:36you're actually out in the wild, taking images of woodland birds.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39And this picture, did you take this around here, then?
0:20:39 > 0:20:42No, that was taken at a water vole site in Kent.
0:20:42 > 0:20:47I spent approximately 24 hours over a period of two days,
0:20:47 > 0:20:51- sitting in the water, full chest waders.- Right.
0:20:51 > 0:20:55But well worth the effort, and when he eventually turned up, I took...
0:20:55 > 0:20:59It's an amazing picture because he's peeping around the corner
0:20:59 > 0:21:01to have a look at you.
0:21:01 > 0:21:03When he actually appeared,
0:21:03 > 0:21:05his face was hidden behind the berries themselves,
0:21:05 > 0:21:09so what I did, I just clicked the shutter button once and the noise
0:21:09 > 0:21:14attracted him, and I managed three or four images of this expression.
0:21:14 > 0:21:16I mean, I just couldn't believe it.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19- Sticking his tongue out at you. - Well, that's how it appears.
0:21:19 > 0:21:22- That's how it appears. - Shall we go into the hide and see if
0:21:22 > 0:21:25- we can see anything arriving? - Certainly. After you, John.
0:21:27 > 0:21:31It took Dean almost a whole day to get his winning shot,
0:21:31 > 0:21:34but I don't have to wait long at all before the birds start to arrive.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40And a blue tit just dropped on the back, there.
0:21:40 > 0:21:45So your technique is to let it come to you, rather than you go to it.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48For me, personally, with photography,
0:21:48 > 0:21:50I want to see them at eye level.
0:21:52 > 0:21:54And here we are. Two of them.
0:21:54 > 0:21:56- A pair of green finches. - And the reflection as well.
0:21:56 > 0:21:59- Maybe I should take a picture. - And the reflection's there.
0:22:01 > 0:22:03CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS
0:22:03 > 0:22:05- Did you get it?- No.
0:22:05 > 0:22:07No. THEY CHUCKLE
0:22:07 > 0:22:08That's what I mean.
0:22:08 > 0:22:10'This is the first photographic competition Dean
0:22:10 > 0:22:13'has ever entered, urged on by his wife Steph,
0:22:13 > 0:22:16'who works for a charity for the disabled.
0:22:16 > 0:22:19'She knows just how vital is the grant it gets from
0:22:19 > 0:22:24'Children in Need, but what she too doesn't know is that he's won.'
0:22:24 > 0:22:26- Hello, Steph.- Hi.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29I hear that you were responsible for Dean sending in his picture.
0:22:29 > 0:22:30Yes, I am.
0:22:30 > 0:22:34Well, you've got a lot to thank Steph for, because I've got
0:22:34 > 0:22:36a big surprise for you.
0:22:36 > 0:22:41- Revealed for the first time is the Countryfile calendar.- Wow!- For 2017.
0:22:41 > 0:22:46- With your image on the front!- You've got to be joking!- How about that?!
0:22:46 > 0:22:51You've got to be joking! Oh, my gosh! That's your fault!
0:22:51 > 0:22:54THEY LAUGH
0:22:54 > 0:22:59- That's a fantastic moment.- Oh, that's just rotten. That's rotten.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02Does that mean that's actually won the competition?
0:23:02 > 0:23:04It has won the competition. You are the overall winner.
0:23:04 > 0:23:06- Have I got to pay for it?- No, no.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09It's Children in Need, so we should be paying for it.
0:23:09 > 0:23:11- You can pay for it if you like. - I'll pay for it, whatever it is.
0:23:11 > 0:23:15- That's wonderful!- That looks fantastic! Absolutely fantastic!
0:23:15 > 0:23:17Palpitations now!
0:23:20 > 0:23:23Whether you sent in photos, persuaded someone else to,
0:23:23 > 0:23:25or voted for your favourite,
0:23:25 > 0:23:28we'd like to thank everyone who's been part of this year's
0:23:28 > 0:23:32photographic competition, and especially those whose
0:23:32 > 0:23:34wonderful images make up the calendar.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39And if you'd love to buy a copy, hot off the presses,
0:23:39 > 0:23:41here's how to do it.
0:23:41 > 0:23:45It costs £9.50, including free UK delivery.
0:23:45 > 0:23:47You can go to our website,
0:23:47 > 0:23:50where you'll find a link to the order page.
0:23:50 > 0:23:53Or you can phone the order line on...
0:24:00 > 0:24:04If you'd prefer to order by post, then send your name,
0:24:04 > 0:24:06address and a cheque to...
0:24:14 > 0:24:17And please make your cheques payable to...
0:24:18 > 0:24:22A minimum of £4 from the sale of each calendar will be donated
0:24:22 > 0:24:25to BBC Children in Need.
0:24:26 > 0:24:28Thanks to your generosity,
0:24:28 > 0:24:32the 2016 calendar raised more than £2 million for Children in Need,
0:24:32 > 0:24:36that's the highest total in the history of our competition.
0:24:36 > 0:24:40So, let's make the 2017 calendar an even bigger hit and that in turn
0:24:40 > 0:24:43will mean that even more children in need can be
0:24:43 > 0:24:45helped throughout the country,
0:24:45 > 0:24:48and you're going to have some glorious pictures to brighten up
0:24:48 > 0:24:50your wall throughout the year.
0:24:50 > 0:24:52Time to get buying.
0:24:56 > 0:25:00Deep in the Surrey countryside, something is stirring.
0:25:00 > 0:25:03You'll find them in harvest fields,
0:25:03 > 0:25:06in hedgerows and by riverbanks,
0:25:06 > 0:25:08IF you're lucky.
0:25:08 > 0:25:11I'm talking about harvest mice,
0:25:11 > 0:25:14one of our smallest and best-loved creatures.
0:25:16 > 0:25:18Golden in colour, lighter than a penny,
0:25:18 > 0:25:22the little harvest mouse will tell us big things about our environment.
0:25:22 > 0:25:24I just have to find one now.
0:25:25 > 0:25:28Here, beside the River Wey, the Surrey Wildlife Trust is
0:25:28 > 0:25:32working with local volunteers in a pioneering study
0:25:32 > 0:25:36that's looking for genetic links between harvest mice populations.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39Jim Jones from the Trust is leading the project.
0:25:39 > 0:25:42We're looking for disused harvest mice nests,
0:25:42 > 0:25:45the best proof that mice are around.
0:25:46 > 0:25:50If we come down here, what you're looking for...
0:25:50 > 0:25:52Does it have a little red door?
0:25:52 > 0:25:54It doesn't have a little red door,
0:25:54 > 0:25:58but what you'll find is, it's a tennis ball sized nest.
0:25:58 > 0:26:01Commonly in this... what we call the stalk zone.
0:26:05 > 0:26:07If it's there, your eyes will see it.
0:26:09 > 0:26:10Anything there?
0:26:10 > 0:26:14Patience is the key with this one.
0:26:17 > 0:26:19- Ha-ha!- Have you got something?
0:26:19 > 0:26:21Anita, I've got one over here.
0:26:21 > 0:26:24It's a bit old, but nevertheless we can really see it.
0:26:24 > 0:26:26Oh, look at that!
0:26:26 > 0:26:28- Isn't that wonderful? - That's fantastic.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31So this is a harvest mouse nest.
0:26:31 > 0:26:33You can just see actually there is a front door.
0:26:33 > 0:26:36It's not usually like that, and it's not red.
0:26:36 > 0:26:39It's not red, but there is a little space.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42There is a little space for the animal to get in.
0:26:42 > 0:26:45'Fur samples are sent for DNA analysis.
0:26:45 > 0:26:49'The results are helping build a picture of genetic similarities
0:26:49 > 0:26:52'between spread-out populations.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55'And this matters because closely related populations
0:26:55 > 0:26:59'show that important wildlife corridors are doing their job.
0:26:59 > 0:27:01'To collect fur samples,
0:27:01 > 0:27:05'Jim's team have placed live traps at various points along the river.'
0:27:08 > 0:27:12So it's up high. I was expecting to see it on the ground.
0:27:12 > 0:27:14Well, what we have here is we've got
0:27:14 > 0:27:17- a trapping station and two traps. - Oh, yeah, there's one there.
0:27:17 > 0:27:20So there's one on the floor and one on the post.
0:27:20 > 0:27:24What we normally do first is check if the trap is open or closed.
0:27:24 > 0:27:27So you can just look in there, and if the door's down,
0:27:27 > 0:27:29- that means you've got an animal inside.- No, it's open.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32- If you want to look at the bottom one.- The door is down!
0:27:32 > 0:27:33You can just pick it up
0:27:33 > 0:27:36and we can take it back to the processing station
0:27:36 > 0:27:38because it's so wet out here,
0:27:38 > 0:27:42we need to get all the traps right back to the processing station.
0:27:42 > 0:27:45What's in there? That's the question.
0:27:45 > 0:27:49So, this is live trapping. We're using Longworth traps,
0:27:49 > 0:27:51this doesn't hurt the mammal at all inside.
0:27:51 > 0:27:54It's important to have this bedding in there.
0:27:54 > 0:27:56- And you can just see...- Oh!
0:27:56 > 0:28:00So, this is... You can see this animal has got a very wiffly nose.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03We like to call it "wiffly" anyway.
0:28:03 > 0:28:05So this is a shrew.
0:28:05 > 0:28:09This is an insectivore and he's absolutely beautiful.
0:28:09 > 0:28:13Very common for this part of... for this kind of wetland habitat.
0:28:13 > 0:28:15What we're going to do now is weigh him.
0:28:15 > 0:28:19Can you read off a number there if you just let him go?
0:28:19 > 0:28:21- 19.- Yeah, 19, fantastic.
0:28:21 > 0:28:25So then I hand it over to Lucy, who's going to go and release that.
0:28:25 > 0:28:28- Right, thank you, Lucy. - Then we'll process the next one.
0:28:35 > 0:28:37'The rain hasn't dampened the spirits
0:28:37 > 0:28:39'of these two young volunteers.
0:28:39 > 0:28:42'They've just caught another riverbank resident.'
0:28:42 > 0:28:44- What did you find in your trap? - A wood mouse.
0:28:44 > 0:28:46Shall we have a good look?
0:28:46 > 0:28:49- There we go.- Isn't that fantastic? - Really fantastic.
0:28:49 > 0:28:51You can really tell that this is different from the shrew.
0:28:51 > 0:28:53Look at those massive great ears.
0:28:53 > 0:28:56We need to release the mouse as quickly as possible,
0:28:56 > 0:28:58so we'll process it, get it out,
0:28:58 > 0:29:01the welfare of the animal is really important to us.
0:29:01 > 0:29:06'The creatures found today all offer valuable data.
0:29:06 > 0:29:09'But it's the elusive harvest mouse that's key to the study.'
0:29:10 > 0:29:13Should we be worried that we didn't find any harvest mice?
0:29:13 > 0:29:15I don't think we should be worried this time.
0:29:15 > 0:29:17We've monitored this site before,
0:29:17 > 0:29:21we know there are good harvest mice populations on the site.
0:29:21 > 0:29:25What could be happening is that populations this time
0:29:25 > 0:29:27may not have established over winter.
0:29:27 > 0:29:30The big die-off over winter,
0:29:30 > 0:29:32difficult to come back this year,
0:29:32 > 0:29:35but next year, we'll have harvest mice coming into the site
0:29:35 > 0:29:38and we'll have a new site re-established.
0:29:38 > 0:29:40I'm leaving Jim and his team now
0:29:40 > 0:29:42to head to the British Wildlife Centre,
0:29:42 > 0:29:46where there's a special harvest mice breeding programme.
0:29:46 > 0:29:49The centre's Matt Binstead will tell me more.
0:29:50 > 0:29:53Matt, it's absolutely adorable. Is it a he or a she?
0:29:53 > 0:29:55This one's a little male.
0:29:55 > 0:29:57He's one that we use for photographic sessions and things,
0:29:57 > 0:30:00so he's perfectly used to being in front of the camera.
0:30:00 > 0:30:02I wasn't expecting the tail to be quite so elaborate.
0:30:02 > 0:30:05- And the feet look quite big as well. - They really are amazing animals.
0:30:05 > 0:30:07And for such a small size,
0:30:07 > 0:30:10there's so much adaptation packed into this one.
0:30:10 > 0:30:12So the tail you mentioned there is prehensile,
0:30:12 > 0:30:15so they can use that tail almost like a fifth limb to help
0:30:15 > 0:30:18anchor themselves as they climb through the barley,
0:30:18 > 0:30:19such as he is here.
0:30:19 > 0:30:22And those hind feet, the thumbs, the toes, on those hind feet,
0:30:22 > 0:30:25are opposable, so just like we'd use our thumbs to grip onto things,
0:30:25 > 0:30:26they can use that as well.
0:30:26 > 0:30:30- Why breed them?- Well, they're very important for biodiversity.
0:30:30 > 0:30:32We have a 26-acre nature reserve here
0:30:32 > 0:30:34that we created from redundant farmland.
0:30:34 > 0:30:37So we breed over 200 of these mice every year,
0:30:37 > 0:30:41release them out there, and they are a good indicator species.
0:30:41 > 0:30:45- Why should we care about the harvest mouse?- Because they're lovely.
0:30:45 > 0:30:46They're lovely little things!
0:30:46 > 0:30:50We find here, even with people that have a slight fear of mice,
0:30:50 > 0:30:53they still fall in love with the harvest mouse cos it's smaller,
0:30:53 > 0:30:56it's arguably cuter, softer features, nicer colour.
0:30:56 > 0:30:58So it's lovely to be able
0:30:58 > 0:31:01to do something with them and put them back.
0:31:03 > 0:31:07An incredible little creature, isn't it? And this one's so cute.
0:31:07 > 0:31:09And I just think it's wonderful
0:31:09 > 0:31:12that they are part of our great British countryside.
0:31:12 > 0:31:14Hello.
0:31:20 > 0:31:22The saying "a farmer's work is never done"
0:31:22 > 0:31:26couldn't be more true as the harvest comes to an end
0:31:26 > 0:31:27up and down the country.
0:31:27 > 0:31:30Many farmers have been working double-time to get crops in
0:31:30 > 0:31:34whilst the sun shines. And the same goes for Adam.
0:31:34 > 0:31:37It's been a tense time waiting for the ideal conditions
0:31:37 > 0:31:39to bring in the last of the harvest.
0:31:44 > 0:31:46My day starts just like anyone else's.
0:31:46 > 0:31:50A quick breakfast and a cuppa before heading out to work.
0:31:50 > 0:31:54It's very easy for people to forget about where their food comes from.
0:31:54 > 0:31:56But not for me as a farmer.
0:31:56 > 0:31:59I'm very aware of the ingredients and where it's been sourced.
0:31:59 > 0:32:01Take my breakfast, for example.
0:32:01 > 0:32:02The cereal, made from wheat,
0:32:02 > 0:32:05the toast from flour, from wheat as well.
0:32:05 > 0:32:08So what I'm consuming is a constant reminder
0:32:08 > 0:32:10of what we're trying to achieve out in the fields.
0:32:14 > 0:32:16We grow 300 acres of wheat at home
0:32:16 > 0:32:20that our arable team have been nurturing for the past 12 months.
0:32:21 > 0:32:24All we need now are the perfect conditions
0:32:24 > 0:32:26to finish bringing in the harvest.
0:32:26 > 0:32:30We've already got about 700 tonnes of winter wheat
0:32:30 > 0:32:32safely in the shed back at the farm.
0:32:32 > 0:32:35And it's good-quality milling wheat, so it's going for making bread.
0:32:35 > 0:32:38Ideally, we want to be harvesting this crop
0:32:38 > 0:32:40at about 16% or 17% moisture.
0:32:40 > 0:32:42We then take it back to our grain-drier
0:32:42 > 0:32:45and then bring that moisture down to 14%,
0:32:45 > 0:32:48so it can be stored safely in the shed without going rotten.
0:32:48 > 0:32:50Anything over 16% or 17%
0:32:50 > 0:32:53and it costs us a fortune to dry it down.
0:32:53 > 0:32:56So what I'll do is just pick a few heads here
0:32:56 > 0:33:00and then I can rub the grain out and test the moisture.
0:33:05 > 0:33:09I've got this machine here that will measure the moisture of the grain.
0:33:09 > 0:33:11I've got a cupful now.
0:33:11 > 0:33:13Pour it into the top.
0:33:14 > 0:33:16And then, very cleverly,
0:33:16 > 0:33:20it allows it to trickle over the top of it.
0:33:21 > 0:33:23OK.
0:33:23 > 0:33:24On.
0:33:24 > 0:33:27Measures all sorts of different crops, so this one's wheat.
0:33:29 > 0:33:31And we want the moisture.
0:33:32 > 0:33:35There we go, that's come up at 18.6%,
0:33:35 > 0:33:38so that's just a little bit too wet.
0:33:38 > 0:33:40But the forecast is good, the sun is shining,
0:33:40 > 0:33:43there's hardly a cloud in the sky and the wind is blowing,
0:33:43 > 0:33:47so hopefully nature will dry this crop out a little bit more
0:33:47 > 0:33:48and we should be able to get
0:33:48 > 0:33:51the combine harvesters in this afternoon.
0:33:51 > 0:33:52Fingers crossed.
0:33:54 > 0:33:58So work on the arable land is on hold for the moment.
0:33:58 > 0:34:01But our livestock need constant attention, come rain or shine.
0:34:01 > 0:34:04Most of our animals are raised out in the fields,
0:34:04 > 0:34:06and today, some piglets are about to get
0:34:06 > 0:34:08their first taste of the great outdoors.
0:34:09 > 0:34:11There's a good girl.
0:34:11 > 0:34:14This is one of my Gloucestershire Old Spot sows
0:34:14 > 0:34:16and she's had a lovely litter of ten piglets.
0:34:16 > 0:34:19They're about three or four days old now,
0:34:19 > 0:34:22so what I'm going to do is load the sow up into the trailer first
0:34:22 > 0:34:24because if I catch them while she's still in here,
0:34:24 > 0:34:27they'll squeal and she'll probably try and bite me.
0:34:28 > 0:34:30I'll try and tempt her with this food.
0:34:39 > 0:34:41There's a good girl.
0:34:41 > 0:34:43Made that look easy!
0:34:46 > 0:34:50It might look amusing, but moving lively piglets in a wheelbarrow
0:34:50 > 0:34:52is my tried and tested technique.
0:34:52 > 0:34:53Whenever you pick piglets up,
0:34:53 > 0:34:56they always squeal like that, calling for their mum.
0:34:56 > 0:34:59It's not hurting them, they're just a little bit frightened.
0:34:59 > 0:35:02'It's far easier than trying to carry them.'
0:35:02 > 0:35:03I've lost one!
0:35:05 > 0:35:07SQUEALING
0:35:07 > 0:35:09There, that's it.
0:35:11 > 0:35:13A wheelbarrow full of pigs.
0:35:29 > 0:35:32It's just a quick drive to their new home.
0:35:36 > 0:35:39But in this short time, the piglets have managed to escape
0:35:39 > 0:35:42and make their way into the compartment with their mother.
0:35:42 > 0:35:44Go on, then. Go on.
0:35:44 > 0:35:47The sow needs little encouragement to leave the trailer,
0:35:47 > 0:35:50but the piglets need more of a helping hand.
0:35:54 > 0:35:56The sow is so busy grazing,
0:35:56 > 0:36:00she's not worried about her squeaking piglets, thankfully.
0:36:06 > 0:36:08She's such a lovely, quiet sow.
0:36:08 > 0:36:10She's lived out in this field before with piglets,
0:36:10 > 0:36:13this is about her sixth litter in her life.
0:36:13 > 0:36:14So, in a day or two,
0:36:14 > 0:36:17the piglets will come out and venture round the field.
0:36:17 > 0:36:20They'll stay on the sow until they're about eight weeks old,
0:36:20 > 0:36:23then they'll be weaned off and be ready to go to market
0:36:23 > 0:36:25when they're about six months old.
0:36:25 > 0:36:27There you go, they're in there, missus.
0:36:30 > 0:36:33We have a flock of 500 breeding ewes that I need to get
0:36:33 > 0:36:35into the handling pens.
0:36:36 > 0:36:38We've had sheep on this farm all my life.
0:36:38 > 0:36:41And sheep farming, as far as profitability goes,
0:36:41 > 0:36:44is a bit of a rollercoaster, it has its ups and downs.
0:36:44 > 0:36:46And last year, the prices weren't very good
0:36:46 > 0:36:49and we were thinking about downsizing the flock.
0:36:49 > 0:36:51This year, lamb prices have lifted, and now,
0:36:51 > 0:36:54with the pound being weak, our export opportunities are
0:36:54 > 0:36:57better than they usually are and the price is holding up well.
0:36:57 > 0:37:01I'm just putting these ewes in the pens to do some work on them.
0:37:07 > 0:37:09These are our breeding ewes.
0:37:09 > 0:37:11And with the day length getting shorter,
0:37:11 > 0:37:13the ewes come into season,
0:37:13 > 0:37:16ready to accept the ram to get pregnant for next year's lambing,
0:37:16 > 0:37:19and we want the ewes to be in really good condition.
0:37:19 > 0:37:23And what Ellen is doing is scanning their ears,
0:37:23 > 0:37:26they've got an electronic chip in their ears, and she can tell
0:37:26 > 0:37:29which ewes give birth to just a single lamb last year.
0:37:29 > 0:37:33We want every ewe, ideally, to give birth to twins.
0:37:33 > 0:37:36They've got two teats, so they can feed two lambs.
0:37:36 > 0:37:39And for the ewes that just gave birth to a single,
0:37:39 > 0:37:41we're giving them this mineral drench.
0:37:41 > 0:37:42That should boost their energy,
0:37:42 > 0:37:44make them feel in really good condition,
0:37:44 > 0:37:47then they'll ovulate well and have plenty of eggs
0:37:47 > 0:37:49for the rams to fertilise.
0:37:49 > 0:37:52We did it last year and it worked really well.
0:37:52 > 0:37:54So we're trying it again this year.
0:37:56 > 0:37:58That's you done.
0:38:01 > 0:38:03Back out in the arable fields,
0:38:03 > 0:38:06the combine has started to make progress.
0:38:06 > 0:38:08But unfortunately, not with the wheat.
0:38:08 > 0:38:12We were really keen to get into the winter wheat.
0:38:12 > 0:38:14But it just wasn't dry enough.
0:38:14 > 0:38:18Unfortunately, if it gets rained on again, it'll start to lose quality.
0:38:18 > 0:38:21But the barley is dry enough.
0:38:21 > 0:38:24And Dave up there, with his 35-foot header here,
0:38:24 > 0:38:26is just eating it up.
0:38:26 > 0:38:29And this spring barley is grown on contract.
0:38:29 > 0:38:32It's a malting barley for producing lager.
0:38:43 > 0:38:45Well, the clouds are building again,
0:38:45 > 0:38:47there's a danger that rain might stop play.
0:38:47 > 0:38:49But at least at the moment the combine's cracking on
0:38:49 > 0:38:52and getting through the barley harvest.
0:38:52 > 0:38:55And the sample it's producing is really lovely,
0:38:55 > 0:38:56there's no rubbish in here.
0:38:56 > 0:38:59The combine cuts the plant off, thrashes it up,
0:38:59 > 0:39:02all the straw and chaff falls out the back,
0:39:02 > 0:39:05the straw will be used for animal feed and bedding,
0:39:05 > 0:39:07and then the seeds, the berries of grain,
0:39:07 > 0:39:10end up in the tank that we put in the shed.
0:39:10 > 0:39:13Hopefully it'll make the grade and make very good quality malting.
0:39:22 > 0:39:25There's only a few more fields of wheat and barley to combine
0:39:25 > 0:39:29and then this year's harvest is over, which is a great feeling.
0:39:29 > 0:39:32But we've already started planting crops for next year
0:39:32 > 0:39:34and thinking about lambing in the spring.
0:39:34 > 0:39:36There's not a spare moment.
0:39:36 > 0:39:38No time to stand still.
0:39:44 > 0:39:48I've been visiting the last commercial hop-grower in Surrey.
0:39:48 > 0:39:50Hop-growing was a big industry in the county
0:39:50 > 0:39:53during the 18th and 19th centuries.
0:39:53 > 0:39:56Now only a few acres remain.
0:39:56 > 0:40:00But that could all be about to change because of this.
0:40:00 > 0:40:02Now, it might look like an ordinary hop,
0:40:02 > 0:40:04but this is the stuff of legends -
0:40:04 > 0:40:06the Farnham White Bine.
0:40:08 > 0:40:11The Farnham White Bine was once considered
0:40:11 > 0:40:13the finest of all English hops.
0:40:13 > 0:40:16It was the most sought-after and commanded the highest price,
0:40:16 > 0:40:19and it made Farnham the hop capital of the country.
0:40:20 > 0:40:22But it was prone to disease,
0:40:22 > 0:40:27and in the 1920s had all but disappeared from its native soil.
0:40:27 > 0:40:29Now it's growing again.
0:40:29 > 0:40:31Just down the road from the commercial hop farm,
0:40:31 > 0:40:34Rupert Thompson, owner of the Hogs Back Brewery,
0:40:34 > 0:40:38is on a mission to bring this piece of Surrey's heritage back.
0:40:42 > 0:40:44Rupert, why White Bine? Why grow it here?
0:40:44 > 0:40:47White Bine has a particular characteristic
0:40:47 > 0:40:51which I'd say is quite earthy and it's kind of...
0:40:51 > 0:40:53would be described as grassy perhaps,
0:40:53 > 0:40:55but it's got a lovely gentle aroma
0:40:55 > 0:40:58and it's got good, gentle bitterness.
0:40:58 > 0:41:02I use the comparison with French wines
0:41:02 > 0:41:04and their sense of terroir.
0:41:04 > 0:41:08And hops do reflect very much the land in which they're grown.
0:41:08 > 0:41:12And so there is a distinction between each hop,
0:41:12 > 0:41:15just like there is between grapes.
0:41:15 > 0:41:17- This is Farnham White Bine.- OK.
0:41:17 > 0:41:20And these are actually quite small ones, but if we take one of these,
0:41:20 > 0:41:25- just open it up first of all, and you see the yellow powder?- Yes.
0:41:25 > 0:41:27That is what we're after, that's actually an oil.
0:41:27 > 0:41:29And it's a very complex oil, in fact.
0:41:29 > 0:41:32- It's so fragrant and lovely, isn't it?- It is.
0:41:32 > 0:41:34OK, so that's the Farnham White Bine.
0:41:34 > 0:41:36And then you have another variety.
0:41:36 > 0:41:40Yes, we have. In fact, over here, let me just...just around here.
0:41:40 > 0:41:43- This is the English Cascade hop. - Well, it feels different.
0:41:43 > 0:41:46- It's smaller, it's a bit tighter. - Still got yellow powder.
0:41:46 > 0:41:48Open it up again, it looks similar,
0:41:48 > 0:41:51but smell that and then actually what you do, really, Anita,
0:41:51 > 0:41:55is rub your hands like that and then... Do you want to just...?
0:41:55 > 0:41:57- Yeah, it's really different.- It is.
0:41:57 > 0:42:00And actually, Cascade will be more aromatic.
0:42:00 > 0:42:02But this hop, the Farnham White,
0:42:02 > 0:42:05gives a beautifully balanced, traditional ale.
0:42:05 > 0:42:09I know it's not a competition, but I prefer the Farnham White.
0:42:09 > 0:42:11- Do you?- Yes, I love it. It's really...
0:42:11 > 0:42:13You could wear that as a perfume.
0:42:14 > 0:42:17- Now, there's a thought. - Attract all the wrong characters.
0:42:17 > 0:42:19I think you might do. I think you might do.
0:42:19 > 0:42:22But the real proof is the tasting,
0:42:22 > 0:42:25which is just what I'll be doing later.
0:42:28 > 0:42:30The walking boots are broken in
0:42:30 > 0:42:32and the blister packs are at the ready.
0:42:32 > 0:42:34It can only mean one thing.
0:42:34 > 0:42:37On Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th October,
0:42:37 > 0:42:40our aim is to fill the countryside with Countryfile viewers,
0:42:40 > 0:42:46all walking together to raise money for a cause close to our hearts.
0:42:46 > 0:42:49We'll be leading the way on our own rambles,
0:42:49 > 0:42:52which will celebrate the best our countryside has to offer,
0:42:52 > 0:42:54forest to hills,
0:42:54 > 0:42:58coastline to countryside on the edge of our cities.
0:42:58 > 0:42:59But we are not alone.
0:42:59 > 0:43:03Thousands of you have already downloaded sponsorship forms,
0:43:03 > 0:43:06worked out your route and are getting ready to ramble.
0:43:09 > 0:43:10I'll be doing my ramble
0:43:10 > 0:43:13through the rugged landscape of the Lake District
0:43:13 > 0:43:17with a remarkable girl who had the toughest of starts to life.
0:43:20 > 0:43:24Every year, Children in Need help thousands of young people
0:43:24 > 0:43:25throughout the UK.
0:43:25 > 0:43:27I've come to Tewkesbury
0:43:27 > 0:43:31to meet my walking partner on this year's Countryfile ramble.
0:43:31 > 0:43:33I'm just about to meet Levana,
0:43:33 > 0:43:37who, at the age of 15, has already achieved an incredible amount.
0:43:37 > 0:43:39And as she just also happens to be an accomplished swimmer
0:43:39 > 0:43:41who represents her county,
0:43:41 > 0:43:44this seems like a pretty good place to start.
0:43:45 > 0:43:49What's even more incredible is that since Levana was six months old,
0:43:49 > 0:43:52she's been a double lower leg amputee.
0:44:02 > 0:44:05Look at that, straight into butterfly.
0:44:05 > 0:44:08I find butterfly just the most exhausting stroke.
0:44:08 > 0:44:12And look at her just cutting through the water.
0:44:13 > 0:44:16The charity Meningitis Now paid for Levana's swimming lessons
0:44:16 > 0:44:18and supported of the whole family,
0:44:18 > 0:44:21with vital funding from Children in Need.
0:44:21 > 0:44:22That was impressive.
0:44:23 > 0:44:26Very good. Very good. I'm delighted I have
0:44:26 > 0:44:28a very determined partner to go rambling with.
0:44:28 > 0:44:31HE LAUGHS
0:44:31 > 0:44:34Levana went through a huge trauma as an infant,
0:44:34 > 0:44:38so it's even more impressive how much this young athlete
0:44:38 > 0:44:40has achieved in her life already.
0:44:40 > 0:44:44Mum Glenda remembers the night her little girl became ill.
0:44:45 > 0:44:48I put her to bed as normal.
0:44:48 > 0:44:50And in the morning, Levana had slept in
0:44:50 > 0:44:53and I thought that's not like her, she's always an early riser,
0:44:53 > 0:44:57so I just went in and took her out of her cot
0:44:57 > 0:45:01and she was all floppy and she had blotches all over her body.
0:45:02 > 0:45:05And by the time I got to the hospital,
0:45:05 > 0:45:0820 minutes, if that, she was black,
0:45:08 > 0:45:11she was just dying in front of me.
0:45:11 > 0:45:13And that's when they took me to the room and said
0:45:13 > 0:45:16she's really, really ill and just be prepared,
0:45:16 > 0:45:18she's really not going to make it.
0:45:20 > 0:45:22Levana had contacted a life-threatening form
0:45:22 > 0:45:24of meningitis B.
0:45:24 > 0:45:26The infection caused permanent damage
0:45:26 > 0:45:29to the blood vessels in Levana's skin.
0:45:29 > 0:45:31And although thankfully she survived,
0:45:31 > 0:45:34she paid a very heavy price.
0:45:34 > 0:45:36Her legs were...were dead.
0:45:36 > 0:45:39So the doctor did suggest amputation.
0:45:39 > 0:45:45Levana needed dozens of operations to reconstruct her damaged skin,
0:45:45 > 0:45:47leaving her with extensive scarring.
0:45:47 > 0:45:52As she's got older, Levana has become an expert in the water,
0:45:52 > 0:45:54but used to find getting around difficult
0:45:54 > 0:45:57on her old prosthetic legs.
0:45:57 > 0:46:01'She's recently been fitted with a new pair that have more flexibility.
0:46:01 > 0:46:04'So we're going to practise walking off road together
0:46:04 > 0:46:06'before she takes on the big challenge
0:46:06 > 0:46:08'of our ramble in the Lake District.'
0:46:08 > 0:46:11- Right, how does that feel?- Good.
0:46:11 > 0:46:15'But as I'm about to find out, nothing seems to hold her back.'
0:46:15 > 0:46:19Is this your first off-road walking experience in those legs?
0:46:19 > 0:46:21Yes. It's very different.
0:46:21 > 0:46:25- It's a good different, though. - Is it?- Yeah.
0:46:25 > 0:46:29Beforehand, how far would you walk before you wanted to stop
0:46:29 > 0:46:31and sit down or find something to grab hold of?
0:46:31 > 0:46:34Well, with my old legs,
0:46:34 > 0:46:37I could usually walk for about five to ten minutes.
0:46:37 > 0:46:39- Right.- So this is all new.- Yeah.
0:46:39 > 0:46:42Well, we'll take it very steady.
0:46:44 > 0:46:48When did you first realise that you were a little bit different?
0:46:48 > 0:46:51I think it was at school, at my primary school.
0:46:51 > 0:46:56All the people in my class used to have their friendship groups
0:46:56 > 0:46:58and used be running around playing.
0:46:58 > 0:47:00And that's something I couldn't do,
0:47:00 > 0:47:04so I was kind of just sat on my own in the corner of the playground.
0:47:04 > 0:47:08I used to question, why am I different, why am I not like them?
0:47:08 > 0:47:13- A lot to cope with, then, for a little girl?- Yeah, definitely.
0:47:14 > 0:47:16Your mum was telling me, Levana,
0:47:16 > 0:47:19that you've had a lot of operations in your life.
0:47:19 > 0:47:21- I have. - How many are we talking about?
0:47:21 > 0:47:24Probably round about...
0:47:24 > 0:47:2560?
0:47:25 > 0:47:28And do you envisage that you are just going to keep
0:47:28 > 0:47:31having more operations throughout your life?
0:47:31 > 0:47:34That's a possibility. I don't think it's ever going to stop.
0:47:34 > 0:47:37'Today, we've walked maybe a quarter of a mile,
0:47:37 > 0:47:40'just a fraction of the distance that we'll be attempting
0:47:40 > 0:47:42'in the hills of the Lake District.
0:47:42 > 0:47:45'This short walk is a massive milestone in itself.
0:47:45 > 0:47:49'And I'm blown away that after everything Levana has been through,
0:47:49 > 0:47:52'she's so determined. What an inspiration.'
0:47:52 > 0:47:55That's it. We're done.
0:47:55 > 0:47:56You're back.
0:47:56 > 0:47:58Let me get the boot, love.
0:47:59 > 0:48:01Very good work. High five.
0:48:01 > 0:48:03Look at where we've come from.
0:48:03 > 0:48:05Oh, my God!
0:48:07 > 0:48:10What is your mum going to say when she sees that?
0:48:10 > 0:48:13- She won't believe it, will she? - No, I don't think she will.
0:48:13 > 0:48:16- That's a first for you, isn't it, today?- Yeah. It is.
0:48:16 > 0:48:19- How tough was that? - It was very tough.
0:48:19 > 0:48:23- But I made it.- You did. - So I'm happy.
0:48:28 > 0:48:31Before I had Levana, "proud" is just a word
0:48:31 > 0:48:34because I couldn't achieve what she's done,
0:48:34 > 0:48:36half of what she's done.
0:48:36 > 0:48:40You know, the people staring at her, the people pointing at her.
0:48:40 > 0:48:44You know, she's been bullied on the park, she's been pushed around.
0:48:44 > 0:48:47Sometimes I get annoyed and she'll put her hand on my leg
0:48:47 > 0:48:51and she'll go, "Don't worry about it, Mum, it's fine."
0:48:51 > 0:48:56There's something special about that girl. She's lovely.
0:49:03 > 0:49:06Well, as you've just seen, meningitis is devastating.
0:49:06 > 0:49:09And often, cruelly, it's children who are most at risk.
0:49:09 > 0:49:13The funding that Children in Need provide through Meningitis Now
0:49:13 > 0:49:17is vital in giving families the support when they need it most.
0:49:17 > 0:49:20Now, even if you can't take part in a ramble,
0:49:20 > 0:49:23you can still help others, like Levana and her family,
0:49:23 > 0:49:26by donating right now.
0:49:57 > 0:49:59Thank you.
0:50:07 > 0:50:09I'm in Surrey, where I've been looking at
0:50:09 > 0:50:12the revival of the county's hop-growing industry.
0:50:12 > 0:50:15And here at the Hogs Back Brewery near Farnham,
0:50:15 > 0:50:19each new season's beer is greeted in time-honoured fashion,
0:50:19 > 0:50:21with a grand tasting.
0:50:21 > 0:50:23And today is the big day.
0:50:23 > 0:50:26All these people have gathered here to drink tea.
0:50:27 > 0:50:29Yep, that's right, tea.
0:50:29 > 0:50:33Rupert Thompson, the brewery owner, is going to tell me all about it.
0:50:35 > 0:50:39- So, Rupert, what's tea? - Tea is traditional English ale.
0:50:39 > 0:50:42And this is traditional English ale with green hops added,
0:50:42 > 0:50:45so they came from Puttenham, we picked them in the morning
0:50:45 > 0:50:47and we added them straight into the boil.
0:50:47 > 0:50:50- Do you want to try it?- I'd love to. So you don't dry it?
0:50:50 > 0:50:55No, what this gives it is, it gives it a lovely, softer, slightly...
0:50:55 > 0:50:57There we go.
0:50:57 > 0:51:00- There we go. I think you should have one too.- No, I'm going to try one.
0:51:00 > 0:51:03- Yeah, definitely. So, you don't dry the hops.- We don't dry them.
0:51:03 > 0:51:06They've come from Puttenham where I was this morning.
0:51:06 > 0:51:08- It smells lovely, it smells really fruity, doesn't it?- Yes, it does.
0:51:08 > 0:51:11- Cheers.- Cheers, good health. - Good health.
0:51:11 > 0:51:14- Mmm! It's good, it's really good. - Good.
0:51:14 > 0:51:17- It's really easy to drink, isn't it? - Yes.
0:51:17 > 0:51:20There's a kind of slightly lilac-y character to it.
0:51:20 > 0:51:23It's very easy to drink...
0:51:23 > 0:51:26A little bit too easy. That's delicious. And is it popular?
0:51:26 > 0:51:29Well, this is the first time we've brewed this,
0:51:29 > 0:51:31- so you'll have to find out. - Oh! Well, I will.
0:51:31 > 0:51:33Also sampling this new release
0:51:33 > 0:51:36are members of the Tongham Traditional English Ale Club.
0:51:36 > 0:51:39So what do they make of this brand-new brew?
0:51:39 > 0:51:42- Does it taste good? - It tastes very good, yeah.
0:51:42 > 0:51:44And are you saying that because you're biased?
0:51:44 > 0:51:46I'm not biased, I'm local.
0:51:50 > 0:51:52It just has a nice fresh taste to it.
0:51:52 > 0:51:55- It's very easy to drink, isn't it? - I know, that's the trouble!
0:51:55 > 0:52:00'The green tea is a hit. But it's another I'm keen to try -
0:52:00 > 0:52:04'the Farnham White - made from the fabled White Bine hop,
0:52:04 > 0:52:08'the plants they hope will put Surrey back on the hop-growing map.'
0:52:08 > 0:52:12- It's got a nice head on it. - Yeah, it does.- Lovely.
0:52:13 > 0:52:15Good colour. Golden.
0:52:18 > 0:52:20- Cheers.- Good health, Anita.
0:52:20 > 0:52:23- Nice to see you.- Yeah, love this...
0:52:25 > 0:52:29- Mmm! I like it.- What do you think?
0:52:29 > 0:52:31It is delicious, but the question is,
0:52:31 > 0:52:34is it as tasty at the bottom as it is at the top?
0:52:34 > 0:52:37Whilst I out find out, here's John with a reminder of how you can
0:52:37 > 0:52:40get your hands on a Countryfile calendar for 2017.
0:52:43 > 0:52:46It costs £9.50, including free UK delivery.
0:52:46 > 0:52:48You can go to our website
0:52:48 > 0:52:51where you'll find a link to the order page.
0:52:51 > 0:52:55Or you can phone the order line on...
0:53:02 > 0:53:05If you prefer to order by post, then send your name, address
0:53:05 > 0:53:07and a cheque to...
0:53:16 > 0:53:19And please make your cheques payable to BBC Countryfile Calendar.
0:53:19 > 0:53:23A minimum of £4 from the sale of each calendar will be donated
0:53:23 > 0:53:24to BBC Children in Need.
0:53:26 > 0:53:29That's it, and I seem to have found myself at the end of the day
0:53:29 > 0:53:32in a drink-up in a brewery. Fancy that!
0:53:32 > 0:53:35Hope you can join us next week where we'll be discovering
0:53:35 > 0:53:38how our waterways have shaped our life and land.
0:53:38 > 0:53:40- Cheers, everyone! ALL:- Cheers!