0:00:28 > 0:00:30Worcestershire.
0:00:30 > 0:00:34It's got way more to offer than just its sauce.
0:00:34 > 0:00:36It's famed for its fruitful vales,
0:00:36 > 0:00:39but it's also got its fair share of farmland.
0:00:42 > 0:00:45And the reason I am in here, about to get covered in mud,
0:00:45 > 0:00:49is cos I'm going to bring you the curly "tail" of these little pigs!
0:00:51 > 0:00:54Ellie's discovering a blossoming elderflower industry.
0:00:56 > 0:00:58- CORK POPS - Ooh! It's, er...
0:00:58 > 0:01:01- It's certainly sparkling. - It's lively.- It's lively, it is!
0:01:01 > 0:01:05Tom's looking at the results of one of the biggest experiments ever -
0:01:05 > 0:01:07testing whether pesticides harm bees.
0:01:07 > 0:01:09Exposure to neonicotinoids, er,
0:01:09 > 0:01:13reduced the numbers of worker bees in the following spring
0:01:13 > 0:01:14by an average of about 25%,
0:01:14 > 0:01:18so it's quite a significant reduction, actually.
0:01:18 > 0:01:20Margherita Taylor goes in search of
0:01:20 > 0:01:22the mighty yet vulnerable stag beetle.
0:01:22 > 0:01:25- He's off to find a mate. - He's on a mission.- On a...
0:01:25 > 0:01:27Definitely on a mission!
0:01:30 > 0:01:34And Adam's meeting a cattle farmer who would never eat his own produce.
0:01:35 > 0:01:37I suppose giving away the cows...
0:01:39 > 0:01:41..isn't a very good business decision,
0:01:41 > 0:01:44but it seemed the moral thing to do.
0:01:56 > 0:01:57Worcestershire.
0:01:58 > 0:02:01A county brimming with scenes of rural charm that have
0:02:01 > 0:02:05inspired scriptwriters of The Archers for decades.
0:02:07 > 0:02:10But the stars of this particular yarn are these characters.
0:02:12 > 0:02:15What are you saying? I should have worn wellies.
0:02:15 > 0:02:19It's a tale of how an electrician, a game of skittles, and a love
0:02:19 > 0:02:23of sausages led to the birth of the Little Beckford Pig Association.
0:02:27 > 0:02:31Little Beckford is a tiny hamlet at the southern edge of Worcestershire.
0:02:35 > 0:02:39Well, the story begins here, in nearby Dumbleton, where the local
0:02:39 > 0:02:42electrician was having a pint and a game of skittles with his mates.
0:02:45 > 0:02:48Electrician Paul Hopkins had just bought
0:02:48 > 0:02:50four acres of land from his dad.
0:02:51 > 0:02:53But he didn't quite know what to do with it.
0:02:55 > 0:02:58But with a bit of persuasion from his farmer mates, Alistair
0:02:58 > 0:03:00and Roger, he hatched a plan.
0:03:01 > 0:03:03There we go.
0:03:03 > 0:03:05Ohhhhh, nearly!
0:03:05 > 0:03:08Stood chatting to this, er, dubious character to my left,
0:03:08 > 0:03:10and I said, Alistair, I said, erm,
0:03:10 > 0:03:12what am I going to do with a bit of land?
0:03:12 > 0:03:16So I thought, well, what do you know about farming?
0:03:16 > 0:03:19- Very little, really. - As an electrician.- Yeah.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22But to be fair, you do work - you do a lot of electrician work on farms.
0:03:22 > 0:03:24Exactly, I see how the farmers do it,
0:03:24 > 0:03:26it can't be that hard, you know, so...
0:03:26 > 0:03:28- Thank you! - THEY LAUGH
0:03:28 > 0:03:29So, I then turned to Rog and said,
0:03:29 > 0:03:31"Hey, why don't you sell him a few piglets?
0:03:31 > 0:03:34"He could do a few pigs on his farm."
0:03:34 > 0:03:35- So...- We did, yeah.
0:03:36 > 0:03:39Paul came here to Roger's farm and bought ten piglets.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45The plan was to start a pig-rearing scheme.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48People pay for a pig, help with the rearing of it and, after
0:03:48 > 0:03:52four months, take home their porky profits in the form of meat.
0:03:52 > 0:03:54Here they come.
0:03:54 > 0:03:56HE SINGS Dun-du-du-dun-dun-dun!
0:03:56 > 0:03:59Before long, the whole batch of piglets was spoken for.
0:04:00 > 0:04:04And with a bit of help and guidance from his farming mates,
0:04:04 > 0:04:08Paul's community pig-rearing scheme is now on its third batch of pigs.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12But it all starts and ends here, with Roger.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18These sows farrowed two weeks ago.
0:04:18 > 0:04:20And they'll stop out here till they're weaned,
0:04:20 > 0:04:22which will be about 12 weeks of age, and then they'll come inside
0:04:22 > 0:04:24and they'll be fattened inside on the hopper.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27- Great area for them to grow up in, though.- Oh, it is, yeah.
0:04:27 > 0:04:28You see the piglets down the bottom!
0:04:28 > 0:04:30They've got a wandering area down there, where the
0:04:30 > 0:04:32- pond overflow goes down.- Yeah.
0:04:32 > 0:04:34Erm, you can see the sows are grazing, they're quite happy.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37And as far as Paul is concerned, then, I mean, when does...?
0:04:37 > 0:04:39At what age does he take the pigs from here?
0:04:39 > 0:04:42He takes them when they're weaned - he takes them, again,
0:04:42 > 0:04:44- about 10, 12 weeks of age.- Right.
0:04:44 > 0:04:46He'll come up and have a look at them and decide what he wants.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49Yeah, yeah. They come back to you, though, don't they,
0:04:49 > 0:04:51- for the kind of...? - They come back to me when
0:04:51 > 0:04:52they're six months of age.
0:04:52 > 0:04:56They go off to the abattoir, and then they come back here
0:04:56 > 0:04:59and cut according what the customer wants.
0:04:59 > 0:05:02Sometimes they want sausages and joints,
0:05:02 > 0:05:03sometimes they want a bit of bacon,
0:05:03 > 0:05:05sometimes they want a gammon cured.
0:05:05 > 0:05:07So, you know, we're flexible, whatever they want.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10And, I mean, the quantity of meat that they must be receiving
0:05:10 > 0:05:12- must be pretty huge. - Oh, yeah, I mean,
0:05:12 > 0:05:15if you have a 70-kilo carcass you get a lot of meat off that.
0:05:15 > 0:05:16A lot of meat and sausages.
0:05:16 > 0:05:18Yeah, you need a big freezer at the other end.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21You do need a big freezer, yeah. A big appetite, as well!
0:05:21 > 0:05:23MATT LAUGHS Yes!
0:05:25 > 0:05:27And speaking of big appetites...
0:05:27 > 0:05:30Quick, quick, quick, come on, then!
0:05:30 > 0:05:33Over at Paul's place, ten hungry snouts are at the trough.
0:05:35 > 0:05:38What age are these? Cos they look quite meaty, these.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41Erm, they were 12 weeks, so they're about three months,
0:05:41 > 0:05:42three months old now.
0:05:42 > 0:05:45Erm, but they're all doing well, and obviously feeding well!
0:05:45 > 0:05:48- A bit of arguments going on! - And this is batch three, then, yeah?
0:05:48 > 0:05:49This is batch three, yes.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52OK, so what are you doing differently with batch three
0:05:52 > 0:05:53than you did with batch one, to start with?
0:05:53 > 0:05:56Er, I think I'm a little bit more relaxed than what
0:05:56 > 0:05:57I was with the first batch.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00Erm, got used to the feeding cycles and what they're all about.
0:06:00 > 0:06:02Erm, I've got more of a routine in looking after them,
0:06:02 > 0:06:04so in the morning and nights.
0:06:04 > 0:06:06And, of course, you've got kind of more of a purpose,
0:06:06 > 0:06:09because you know that this works, and you know that people want it.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12I mean, are you surprised at how popular it's been?
0:06:12 > 0:06:13I'm made up and surprised.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16People are absolutely thrilled to bits to have decent pork
0:06:16 > 0:06:18and enjoy breeding them through, as well.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21All the owners and trainers actually name them, so we've had, er,
0:06:21 > 0:06:24Rodney Trotter and Derek Trotter, erm,
0:06:24 > 0:06:27and we've had Peppa Pig and all sorts.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30- Kevin Bacon.- Kevin Bacon, Kevin Bacon was a classic!
0:06:30 > 0:06:33So it's good, it's really good. It gets people involved.
0:06:33 > 0:06:35And you've got this area kind of fenced off here
0:06:35 > 0:06:37at the moment. There's more land that you could be using.
0:06:37 > 0:06:41So, is ten enough for you? Are you stopping here, or...?
0:06:41 > 0:06:45- Erm, ten is fine, ten is good, ten is controllable.- Yeah.
0:06:45 > 0:06:47So it's just a nice ongoing cycle, you know,
0:06:47 > 0:06:50and as long as people want to get involved then I will keep doing it.
0:06:53 > 0:06:57Later, we'll see how Paul's electrical expertise has allowed
0:06:57 > 0:07:00the owners to check in on their pigs any time of the day or night.
0:07:04 > 0:07:06Now, you might have heard of neonicotinoids.
0:07:06 > 0:07:07They're the insecticides
0:07:07 > 0:07:11banned across Europe for fear that they might harm bees.
0:07:11 > 0:07:15Well, the result of the first-ever large-scale experiment to see
0:07:15 > 0:07:17if that's true or not have been released -
0:07:17 > 0:07:19and Tom is already on the case.
0:07:30 > 0:07:34It's a battle many of us are familiar with - intensive farming
0:07:34 > 0:07:39versus wildlife, played out in a landscape shaped by agriculture.
0:07:41 > 0:07:46And one crop in particular is at the centre of this battlefield -
0:07:46 > 0:07:47oilseed rape.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53A few years ago, this colourful plant was
0:07:53 > 0:07:54a rare sight in Britain,
0:07:54 > 0:07:57but today it's one of our most popular crops
0:07:57 > 0:08:00and it's worth more than half a billion pounds a year.
0:08:01 > 0:08:05At this time of year, those vibrant yellow flowers have gone over,
0:08:05 > 0:08:09but it's the seeds in these pods that are the really useful bit.
0:08:10 > 0:08:14They can be used to make cooking oil, animal feed,
0:08:14 > 0:08:16and even biodiesel.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19It is an impressive crop, but it does have a nemesis.
0:08:24 > 0:08:27The tiny but insatiable cabbage stem flea beetle.
0:08:27 > 0:08:32This little beastie can destroy whole crops of oilseed rape.
0:08:32 > 0:08:34Until recently, farmers guarded against them
0:08:34 > 0:08:38using insecticides known as neonicotinoids.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41The trouble is, it's feared they not only kill pests
0:08:41 > 0:08:46but harm helpful insects, too - not least our bees.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49Bees love these yellow flowers, so, four years ago,
0:08:49 > 0:08:52"neonics" as they're known were banned on flowering crops
0:08:52 > 0:08:53while more research was done.
0:08:56 > 0:08:58Don't worry, this isn't deja vu,
0:08:58 > 0:09:02we have covered this story a number of times before on Countryfile -
0:09:02 > 0:09:06most recently in 2015, when both sides were at loggerheads.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09Farmers were saying neonics were a lifeline,
0:09:09 > 0:09:13wildlife groups were saying they wanted a permanent ban.
0:09:13 > 0:09:17Both sides were asking for real world trials.
0:09:17 > 0:09:21Well, now, those trials have been done, the results are in,
0:09:21 > 0:09:24and we've been granted unprecedented access to the data that
0:09:24 > 0:09:27everyone's been waiting for.
0:09:27 > 0:09:31These trials studied honey bees and wild bees in three countries -
0:09:31 > 0:09:33the UK, Hungary and Germany.
0:09:33 > 0:09:37They were led by the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology,
0:09:37 > 0:09:41and the results were revealed in the journal Science just a few days ago.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44Richard Pywell is the senior author.
0:09:44 > 0:09:49So the million-dollar question - do neonics harm bees?
0:09:49 > 0:09:51It does have a negative effect on honey bees,
0:09:51 > 0:09:54and we found similar negative effects on wild bees.
0:09:54 > 0:09:55In Hungary, for example,
0:09:55 > 0:09:59exposure to neonicotinoids reduced the numbers of worker bees
0:09:59 > 0:10:02in the following spring by an average of about 25%,
0:10:02 > 0:10:05so it's quite a significant reduction, actually.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10Neonicotinoids don't kill bees outright.
0:10:10 > 0:10:12But what these results show is that over time
0:10:12 > 0:10:16they can cause a steep decline in bee numbers.
0:10:16 > 0:10:18What will be the long-term effect of
0:10:18 > 0:10:20those kind of losses on a bee colony?
0:10:20 > 0:10:23Effectively, you know, it could wipe the colony out
0:10:23 > 0:10:27in a matter of years if you continue to lose bees at that rate.
0:10:29 > 0:10:34Of course, beekeepers could manage bee colonies to stop that happening,
0:10:34 > 0:10:38but it highlights the level of damage that neonics can cause.
0:10:38 > 0:10:42So they DO harm bees, but it's not that simple.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45In one of the countries there was a rogue result.
0:10:45 > 0:10:47In Germany, during the flowering period, there was
0:10:47 > 0:10:50a positive effect of neonicotinoids on the numbers of workers.
0:10:50 > 0:10:54- However, this effect...- Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt there.
0:10:54 > 0:10:56Not just an absence of a negative but an actual positive?
0:10:56 > 0:10:58It was positive.
0:10:58 > 0:11:02Positive in that bees placed in the fields treated with neonics produced
0:11:02 > 0:11:07more egg cells, so the colony actually grew - but not for long.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10But this effect only lasted for three to six weeks
0:11:10 > 0:11:11and then it disappeared,
0:11:11 > 0:11:14and it wasn't carried through to the fitness,
0:11:14 > 0:11:18the health of the colony going forward into the following year.
0:11:20 > 0:11:22Richard thinks that German bees did better
0:11:22 > 0:11:27because they foraged less on oilseed rape and more on wild flowers.
0:11:27 > 0:11:29He says planting more of them here
0:11:29 > 0:11:32could help offset the damage caused by neonics.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36More sustainable farming, really, that's what we're trying to
0:11:36 > 0:11:38get to, you know, and I think, you know, that would be what
0:11:38 > 0:11:41I'd like to look at going forward, would be, you know, more...
0:11:41 > 0:11:45Better ways of managing food production in a sustainable way
0:11:45 > 0:11:47with wildlife.
0:11:47 > 0:11:52So, the results are in - neonics DO harm bees.
0:11:52 > 0:11:53But is everyone ready to accept that?
0:11:55 > 0:11:59Making neonics is big business, worth billions of pounds.
0:11:59 > 0:12:03In the UK, two companies dominate the market - Syngenta and Bayer.
0:12:05 > 0:12:09They criticised previous research and actually paid for these trials.
0:12:10 > 0:12:14So, what does Julian Little from Bayer make of these results?
0:12:14 > 0:12:18So, Julian, you asked for field trials, you got field trials,
0:12:18 > 0:12:20and it suggests what you're producing is
0:12:20 > 0:12:21damaging to bees, doesn't it?
0:12:21 > 0:12:24Well, actually, it's a huge, interesting study, erm,
0:12:24 > 0:12:27and one that we've obviously just had a look at, started to
0:12:27 > 0:12:30have a look at, and our scientists are poring over the data.
0:12:30 > 0:12:34We understand that if you aggregate all of the data,
0:12:34 > 0:12:37put everything in there, you can see an effect.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40Now what we're interested in is to really tease that out
0:12:40 > 0:12:43and understand, are there differences in, er, in the UK,
0:12:43 > 0:12:46and if there are differences in Hungary, and if there are
0:12:46 > 0:12:49differences in Germany, understand those differences.
0:12:49 > 0:12:51But you accept, in aggregate,
0:12:51 > 0:12:53there appears to be a negative effect of the neonics.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56Yeah, if you put everything together, you can find,
0:12:56 > 0:12:58you know, a statistical, er, difference.
0:12:58 > 0:13:00It really matters, doesn't it? That's important.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02No, actually, it's really important
0:13:02 > 0:13:04what happens in individual countries.
0:13:04 > 0:13:07If oilseed rape never sees a neonicotinoid again
0:13:07 > 0:13:10as a seed treatment, that's bad news for farmers.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13It would be a real shame if we were to lose a chemistry that is
0:13:13 > 0:13:16extremely good at controlling pests.
0:13:16 > 0:13:20So your arguments are driven by science, not finance?
0:13:20 > 0:13:23Absolutely. You know, a company like Bayer has
0:13:23 > 0:13:25a huge portfolio of different products.
0:13:25 > 0:13:27This is but one of those products.
0:13:27 > 0:13:29We'll continue researching.
0:13:29 > 0:13:33It takes about £250 million and 12 years to find a new product,
0:13:33 > 0:13:34but we will find them.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40So, we've now got the science that everyone was waiting for,
0:13:40 > 0:13:43yet the debate still rages on,
0:13:43 > 0:13:48and the stakes for both sides are about to become even higher.
0:13:48 > 0:13:52But does it really have to be all about bees versus farming?
0:13:52 > 0:13:54Well, that's what I'll be finding out later.
0:14:01 > 0:14:02Worcestershire.
0:14:05 > 0:14:07Where the summer days bring the landscape to life.
0:14:10 > 0:14:15This is the heart of England, and when nature is in full flourish,
0:14:15 > 0:14:18you can almost hear that heart beating.
0:14:23 > 0:14:25A fragrant bounty hangs in the hedgerows.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32A heady scent fills the air.
0:14:34 > 0:14:36White blooms swell the banks.
0:14:39 > 0:14:41It's elderflower season.
0:14:43 > 0:14:47Nature's sweetest treasure is ripe for harvest,
0:14:47 > 0:14:49and the Rollett family are out to gather the goods.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55Mum Lucy and dad Andrew have taken their children
0:14:55 > 0:14:58elderflower-picking since Alfie...
0:15:02 > 0:15:03..and Lily were babies.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09And now they've turned the family pastime into a business.
0:15:11 > 0:15:15In her cottage kitchen, Lucy has been building a cottage industry.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20What was it that got you started?
0:15:20 > 0:15:22Erm, I was at home with two children,
0:15:22 > 0:15:26and always enjoyed picking the elderflowers, and I was made
0:15:26 > 0:15:31redundant from a job, so all of a sudden it was an opportunity to grow
0:15:31 > 0:15:36a bit of a hobby and an interest into a potential little business.
0:15:36 > 0:15:38How's the business growing?
0:15:38 > 0:15:40Pershore College had an open day,
0:15:40 > 0:15:43and I realised there was, on my doorstep,
0:15:43 > 0:15:47some bottling facilities, and the manager there said,
0:15:47 > 0:15:49"Small quantities, come and try it, come and have a look."
0:15:49 > 0:15:51So I first made 80 bottles,
0:15:51 > 0:15:56and I can't believe how proud I was to make that quantity.
0:15:56 > 0:16:00And, erm, now we're about 40,000 bottles that we sell locally.
0:16:00 > 0:16:02We have a few delis and farm shops
0:16:02 > 0:16:04and we work at music festivals as well.
0:16:04 > 0:16:08So we sell direct to customers who, er,
0:16:08 > 0:16:12might be a bit dehydrated or need a good refreshing drink.
0:16:12 > 0:16:16So we'll leave that now, we'll just cover that to keep anything off it.
0:16:16 > 0:16:18And then, from 12 to 24 hours,
0:16:18 > 0:16:21depending on how long you can last, that will be ready,
0:16:21 > 0:16:24and just straining it, and then you're ready for, erm, to drink it.
0:16:24 > 0:16:27How lovely. It doesn't get fresher than that.
0:16:29 > 0:16:33Lucy has special permission to gather her harvest from nearby
0:16:33 > 0:16:36farmland - but the season is short.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40The blooms typically last only a couple of weeks.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45But Lucy has another rather exclusive source
0:16:45 > 0:16:47for her key ingredient.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56Just down the road from Lucy's cottage are some extra
0:16:56 > 0:17:01special blooms - the UK's national collection of elderflowers.
0:17:05 > 0:17:08A place where old varieties are lovingly preserved,
0:17:08 > 0:17:10and new varieties are forged and furrowed.
0:17:14 > 0:17:18The man in charge of this floral wonderland is Edmund Brown,
0:17:18 > 0:17:21king of the elderflowers and horticultural wizard.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27Flowers and champagne, Ed! It's not even my birthday!
0:17:27 > 0:17:31Well, there you are. That's homemade champagne made from elderflowers.
0:17:31 > 0:17:33How lovely! So, everything in there is elder?
0:17:33 > 0:17:36They're all elder, bred at the national collection.
0:17:36 > 0:17:38There are 118 named varieties.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41And different, erm, different colours as well? Different smells?
0:17:41 > 0:17:45- Different smells. That one smells of almond, and almond flavour.- Wow.
0:17:45 > 0:17:49This is blackcurrant - blackcurrant scented and blackcurrant flavoured.
0:17:49 > 0:17:50Yeah, I get the fruitiness in that.
0:17:50 > 0:17:52But they don't all smell the same,
0:17:52 > 0:17:56so as you walk down the roads of varieties, some smell of citrus,
0:17:56 > 0:18:01some smell of fruit, some smell of old car tyres,
0:18:01 > 0:18:02some smell of ash.
0:18:02 > 0:18:04So, when you walk through a hedgerow in the countryside,
0:18:04 > 0:18:06actually they all smell different.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09So different elderflowers producing different products.
0:18:09 > 0:18:11What are these drinks?
0:18:11 > 0:18:15This is champagne, this is cordial, and Turkish delight.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18Now, this is all homemade, it's for me to do trials to find out
0:18:18 > 0:18:20whether the flavour of what I breed is coming
0:18:20 > 0:18:22through into a finished product.
0:18:22 > 0:18:26So I don't make any of this commercially, I just make it to try.
0:18:26 > 0:18:30- Would you like to try this white one?- Yeah.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33- CORK POPS - Ooh! It's, er...
0:18:33 > 0:18:36- It's certainly sparkling. - It's lively.- It's lively, it is!
0:18:36 > 0:18:40Let me just have a little... Ooh, thanks. Oh, it smells amazing!
0:18:40 > 0:18:42Just really rich elderflower smell.
0:18:44 > 0:18:46- Oh, it's lovely!- It's good.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48I could enjoy that on a picnic for a whole day,
0:18:48 > 0:18:49as long as I'm not driving home.
0:18:49 > 0:18:50Absolutely gorgeous!
0:18:54 > 0:18:56As custodian of this floral library,
0:18:56 > 0:19:00Ed realised there was hidden potential in his plants -
0:19:00 > 0:19:03a world of smells and flavours not yet explored.
0:19:06 > 0:19:10This field is the result of his latest cross-breeding experiments.
0:19:11 > 0:19:13There are 1,000 seedlings out here,
0:19:13 > 0:19:17it's 1,000 seedlings from two crosses, two parents.
0:19:17 > 0:19:22One with massive flowers and one with amazing scent, so the ultimate
0:19:22 > 0:19:25would be a massive-flowered plant with an amazing scent, with
0:19:25 > 0:19:31a longer flowering season, better production for the cordial industry.
0:19:31 > 0:19:36Planted three months ago, all these elders come from one head of seeds.
0:19:36 > 0:19:40But look closely and you'll realise that no two plants are alike.
0:19:41 > 0:19:43Elder is genetically unstable,
0:19:43 > 0:19:46which means the breeding possibilities are endless.
0:19:46 > 0:19:48AUGER REVS UP
0:19:54 > 0:19:55That is so quick.
0:19:56 > 0:20:00Time to plant out another one of Ed's experimental elders.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03How many of these thousand do you think you're going to keep?
0:20:03 > 0:20:05- Mm, maybe one or two. - Just one?!- Yeah.
0:20:05 > 0:20:10At the end of three years, what you need to do is single them out
0:20:10 > 0:20:13and decide which is the best. It's very difficult.
0:20:13 > 0:20:16So the first selection, first year, you might select 40.
0:20:16 > 0:20:18Second year, maybe of that 40, 20.
0:20:18 > 0:20:20And then just keep going
0:20:20 > 0:20:22until you get to the best of the best of the best.
0:20:22 > 0:20:25You never know, this one could be the one, right here?
0:20:25 > 0:20:26Yeah, absolutely.
0:20:28 > 0:20:32If Ed does succeed in finding the ultimate elderflower,
0:20:32 > 0:20:35that will be good news for producers like Lucy.
0:20:36 > 0:20:40In years to come, Lucy's customers could be tasting brand-new
0:20:40 > 0:20:44varieties in her drinks, but as festival season gets going,
0:20:44 > 0:20:46her hedgerow harvest will suffice for now.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55We're heading to the banks of the River Avon now,
0:20:55 > 0:20:58where Margherita Taylor is on the lookout for
0:20:58 > 0:21:00a very large but very rare creature.
0:21:06 > 0:21:09Worcestershire - a patchwork landscape of rolling fields,
0:21:09 > 0:21:13the winding rivers Severn and Avon...
0:21:14 > 0:21:16..and, of course, its orchards.
0:21:17 > 0:21:21And it's also an important location for one of our rarest
0:21:21 > 0:21:23and most spectacular creatures.
0:21:25 > 0:21:26The stag beetle.
0:21:27 > 0:21:32Our largest land beetle, and one with very specific habitat needs.
0:21:35 > 0:21:37To find out what's on their wish list,
0:21:37 > 0:21:39I've come to Rough Hill Nature Reserve,
0:21:39 > 0:21:43owned by the People's Trust For Endangered Species.
0:21:43 > 0:21:44Laura Bower is here to show me
0:21:44 > 0:21:48what makes the perfect stag beetle des res.
0:21:48 > 0:21:51It's such a beautiful orchard. How old is it?
0:21:51 > 0:21:55It's actually over 100 years old. We've got really old trees here.
0:21:55 > 0:21:58It's great for invertebrates, it's great for stag beetles.
0:21:58 > 0:22:02We've got standing deadwood, which will have part of the trunk
0:22:02 > 0:22:05and the roots underground, which is perfect for stag beetles.
0:22:05 > 0:22:09They need that wood in contact with the soil in order to provide
0:22:09 > 0:22:11the right conditions for their larvae to eat.
0:22:13 > 0:22:17This is because the female lays her eggs in decaying trunks or
0:22:17 > 0:22:18branches below the surface.
0:22:20 > 0:22:24The egg hatches into a grub, which spends five years munching away on
0:22:24 > 0:22:28this rotting wood, building up the energy it needs to become a beetle.
0:22:29 > 0:22:33When they finally emerge from this subterranean life,
0:22:33 > 0:22:36they only have a matter of weeks to find a mate
0:22:36 > 0:22:40and start the cycle over again, before they themselves die.
0:22:41 > 0:22:44- Laura, why are stag beetles so rare now?- There isn't as much dead wood.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47People don't like to retain dead tree stumps,
0:22:47 > 0:22:50they get rid of them cos they're unsightly.
0:22:50 > 0:22:52We need lots of untidiness in our gardens.
0:22:54 > 0:22:55No-one knows why,
0:22:55 > 0:22:59but nearby Upton-upon-Severn is a stag beetle hotspot.
0:23:00 > 0:23:01It's a well-kept town,
0:23:01 > 0:23:05but the stag beetles have managed to find its rough side,
0:23:05 > 0:23:09and John Ayers was more than happy to oblige in his back garden.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12- You have a beautiful garden, John.- Thank you.
0:23:12 > 0:23:15And then this is the stag beetle haven.
0:23:15 > 0:23:18What have you got in here? Because this kind of...
0:23:18 > 0:23:22- Well, we've just got a general mess, if that... We had...- The big...
0:23:22 > 0:23:24There's some big sleepers down there,
0:23:24 > 0:23:26which are set in the ground, so they tend to like them.
0:23:26 > 0:23:29But we just chop down trees, we cut things down and we leave them.
0:23:29 > 0:23:32And having them in your garden, I'm guessing your wife isn't
0:23:32 > 0:23:35going to see this area tidied up any time soon.
0:23:35 > 0:23:37They're here to stay, the stag beetles and their habitat?
0:23:37 > 0:23:38Now that you've actually
0:23:38 > 0:23:41acknowledged that it is worthwhile, I think they should be...
0:23:41 > 0:23:43Put a preservation order on here.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46I don't think I should change this now.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49- Erm...- She'll be delighted to hear that, won't she?- Absolutely.
0:23:50 > 0:23:53Before we fully endorse John's untidiness,
0:23:53 > 0:23:56I've called in Harry Green from the Wildlife Trust.
0:23:56 > 0:24:00He's spent 20 years encouraging Upton's gardeners to create
0:24:00 > 0:24:04habitats for stag beetles. So, what's his verdict?
0:24:04 > 0:24:08So these are dead stumps, and if you see down here, er,
0:24:08 > 0:24:11where it's rotting away, the females can get in there
0:24:11 > 0:24:14and lay their eggs, and then the larvae can chew away at the
0:24:14 > 0:24:19decaying wood and go down into the old roots, so it couldn't be better.
0:24:19 > 0:24:22He's created a perfect garden, really, for stag beetles.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27In an attempt to lure a stag beetle or two from the dense undergrowth,
0:24:27 > 0:24:31Harry has laid out a bit of a picnic.
0:24:33 > 0:24:36So this sort of looks like half my shopping list for the week!
0:24:36 > 0:24:38These are stag beetle favourites?
0:24:38 > 0:24:41Yes, this is based on some real experiments, where people put
0:24:41 > 0:24:46out various fruits and chemicals to see what would attract stag beetles.
0:24:46 > 0:24:50Top of the list came avocado and ginger and mango,
0:24:50 > 0:24:54but as you can see here, they don't seem to have attracted much yet.
0:24:54 > 0:24:58There's the occasional black ant but no stag beetles so far.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01So, am I going to see a stag beetle in the garden today?
0:25:01 > 0:25:04Well, by luck, here's one that John found yesterday,
0:25:04 > 0:25:07so we've got it in here.
0:25:07 > 0:25:09- Oh, he's a size, isn't he?- Yes.- Wow!
0:25:11 > 0:25:15But will our stunt stag be tempted by any of the snacks on offer?
0:25:18 > 0:25:20Well, he doesn't seem to be too interested in
0:25:20 > 0:25:22our food offerings, the smorgasbord.
0:25:22 > 0:25:26Maybe he's more interested in breeding than ginger at the moment.
0:25:26 > 0:25:28Love is in the air, as they say,
0:25:28 > 0:25:31and it's just the right time of year, and there may be things
0:25:31 > 0:25:35on the air we can't appreciate, so he's off to find a mate.
0:25:35 > 0:25:37- He's on a mission. - Definitely on a mission!
0:25:39 > 0:25:41Well, I suppose time is of the essence
0:25:41 > 0:25:44when you're a stag beetle looking for love.
0:25:48 > 0:25:50Earlier, we heard brand-new evidence that
0:25:50 > 0:25:53neonicotinoids are harming our bees.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56The results might be in, but as Tom's been finding out,
0:25:56 > 0:25:58the debate is far from over.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10It's being hailed as the defining piece of research
0:26:10 > 0:26:15into the effect of the insecticides known as neonicotinoids on bees.
0:26:15 > 0:26:18This week's report by the Centre for Ecology
0:26:18 > 0:26:22and Hydrology concluded that the use of them on flowering
0:26:22 > 0:26:26crops like oilseed rape does indeed harm both wild and honey bees.
0:26:28 > 0:26:32Now, neonics aren't just used on crops that flower, like rape.
0:26:32 > 0:26:36In fact, many of our arable crops, like sugar beet, barley
0:26:36 > 0:26:38and rye, are treated with them.
0:26:38 > 0:26:42But does it follow that we should ban neonicotinoids on all crops,
0:26:42 > 0:26:46including those that don't flower, like wheat for instance?
0:26:46 > 0:26:49Well, that's something the European Union is looking at right now.
0:26:49 > 0:26:53So, how would our arable farmers cope without something that
0:26:53 > 0:26:57many of them have come to regard as a guardian angel?
0:26:57 > 0:27:00The latest figures suggest that the existing ban has cost
0:27:00 > 0:27:05the European oilseed rape industry about £800 million,
0:27:05 > 0:27:08because without them, pests like the cabbage stem flea beetle
0:27:08 > 0:27:10have run out of control.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13That's something that doesn't surprise NFU Vice President
0:27:13 > 0:27:16and arable farmer Guy Smith.
0:27:16 > 0:27:20Countryfile visited Guy back in 2015.
0:27:20 > 0:27:24He claimed then that without neonics his oilseed rape was suffering.
0:27:24 > 0:27:29It looks to me like I am in a high pressure flea beetle year,
0:27:29 > 0:27:33and so I'm concerned that I won't be able to grow oilseed rape
0:27:33 > 0:27:35on this farm next year.
0:27:35 > 0:27:39So, two years on, how is his oilseed rape doing now?
0:27:39 > 0:27:43Well, this year, for the first time since 1972, I've got none.
0:27:43 > 0:27:48It was partly due to drought but partly due to insect pressure,
0:27:48 > 0:27:50because I didn't have this neonicotinoid seed dressing
0:27:50 > 0:27:52to protect the plants.
0:27:52 > 0:27:54And so, in its place, sugar beet.
0:27:56 > 0:28:00But Guy's worried that even his sugar beet may not survive
0:28:00 > 0:28:04if the European Commission decides to extend the ban on neonics
0:28:04 > 0:28:06to non-flowering crops.
0:28:06 > 0:28:09If it is brought in, then crops like this, sugar beets,
0:28:09 > 0:28:12they need that neonicotinoid protection at their early
0:28:12 > 0:28:16stage of growth, and without it, many sugar beet farmers feel that...
0:28:16 > 0:28:19Give up the ghost, it's not worth bothering with any more.
0:28:19 > 0:28:21You've lost your rapeseed and you'd think,
0:28:21 > 0:28:24- if that went, you'd lose at least the sugar beet as well?- Yep.
0:28:24 > 0:28:28There's... You know, we are running out of crops.
0:28:28 > 0:28:31So, Guy feels the ban is a disaster for his crops.
0:28:31 > 0:28:33But what about the bees?
0:28:33 > 0:28:35I know you don't like being tarred as a farmer who
0:28:35 > 0:28:38doesn't like wildlife, and you're proud of your birds here
0:28:38 > 0:28:40and your insects, you know, you've got good numbers.
0:28:40 > 0:28:42Given that, isn't it time for you to say,
0:28:42 > 0:28:45it's time to nail down the coffin lid on neonicotinoids?
0:28:45 > 0:28:49Look, we've always said that we want to understand better the way
0:28:49 > 0:28:53neonicotinoids in the wider farm landscape have an impact on bees,
0:28:53 > 0:28:57and this report does suggest that there is some damage,
0:28:57 > 0:29:01but the report also clearly says that farmers will be able to
0:29:01 > 0:29:05mitigate some of that problem with neonicotinoids with this
0:29:05 > 0:29:09extra work on the boundaries of the field, making sure there's plenty of
0:29:09 > 0:29:11pollen-rich habitat there for bees, which is
0:29:11 > 0:29:13exactly what I'm doing over there.
0:29:13 > 0:29:16So we've got oxeye daisies, vetch,
0:29:16 > 0:29:18and other sort of pollen-rich plants.
0:29:18 > 0:29:20So there could be a trade-off there, you think?
0:29:20 > 0:29:23Carry on using the neonics in the field as long as we provide
0:29:23 > 0:29:25more habitat on the margin?
0:29:25 > 0:29:28I think that would be a fair deal that most farmers would be up for.
0:29:29 > 0:29:31So a breakthrough of sorts.
0:29:31 > 0:29:35Guy admits that farming practices can change, but he's going to
0:29:35 > 0:29:39take some persuading that a complete ban is a good idea.
0:29:39 > 0:29:42For now, it's a nervous wait for the decision from Europe, which is
0:29:42 > 0:29:44due at the end of this year.
0:29:45 > 0:29:49Now, I hate to mention the B-word - Brexit, actually -
0:29:49 > 0:29:51but I know what you're thinking.
0:29:51 > 0:29:56Even if the EU does vote on a blanket ban on neonics,
0:29:56 > 0:29:59given that we're about to leave, we don't have to follow suit.
0:29:59 > 0:30:04But with the evidence against neonics mounting, it may be
0:30:04 > 0:30:08difficult for UK policy-makers in future to just ignore it.
0:30:08 > 0:30:11Whichever way you turn this, there's a sting in the tail.
0:30:14 > 0:30:16And there's another reason to be wary of neonics -
0:30:16 > 0:30:19one of their selling points is that they're applied direct to the seeds,
0:30:19 > 0:30:23containing the insecticides within the plant.
0:30:23 > 0:30:26But evidence suggests that not all of the chemicals actually
0:30:26 > 0:30:28stay put in the crop.
0:30:28 > 0:30:33It's said that up to 95% can spread into the surrounding environment.
0:30:36 > 0:30:39Sandra Bell from Friends of the Earth thinks
0:30:39 > 0:30:41that's even more reason to ban them.
0:30:41 > 0:30:45The evidence is increasing now that residues of neonics
0:30:45 > 0:30:48have been found in wild flowers next to arable crops,
0:30:48 > 0:30:51they're turning up in our water courses,
0:30:51 > 0:30:54so, really, no matter what crop they're used on, they are
0:30:54 > 0:30:57turning up in the environment and posing a risk to our wildlife.
0:30:57 > 0:31:00But without neonics, won't farmers end up using more of other
0:31:00 > 0:31:03types of pesticides like pyrethroids,
0:31:03 > 0:31:07which are sprayed on crops and could be even worse for wildlife?
0:31:07 > 0:31:08Yes, and in some cases,
0:31:08 > 0:31:12farmers probably have increased the use of pyrethroids.
0:31:12 > 0:31:14The fact that farmers are using that response is another
0:31:14 > 0:31:17reason that we really need to make sure that the government
0:31:17 > 0:31:21puts in place, and the NFU actually puts in place good advice to farmers
0:31:21 > 0:31:25on how to farm without increasing the use of other insecticides.
0:31:25 > 0:31:28We've already spoken to some amazing farmers around the country,
0:31:28 > 0:31:30including Hill Farm here,
0:31:30 > 0:31:33who are farming quite successfully without neonics.
0:31:33 > 0:31:36There are solutions out there - it can be done - and that needs to be
0:31:36 > 0:31:40absolutely part of the government's post-Brexit policy for farming.
0:31:41 > 0:31:44With so much hanging in the balance for arable farmers,
0:31:44 > 0:31:47agri-chemical companies and, of course, the bees,
0:31:47 > 0:31:49it seems we're at a stand-off once again.
0:31:50 > 0:31:53The evidence against neonics is stacking up,
0:31:53 > 0:31:57but the arguments over the merits of a ban rage on, not least
0:31:57 > 0:32:00because there's been little research into the impact of how
0:32:00 > 0:32:04farmers would manage pests without neonics.
0:32:04 > 0:32:07But in the meantime both sides are agreed that planting
0:32:07 > 0:32:11more of this wild food would be great for bees.
0:32:20 > 0:32:21I'm in Worcestershire,
0:32:21 > 0:32:26where electrician-turned-farmer Paul Hopkins runs a community
0:32:26 > 0:32:29pig-rearing scheme known as the Little Beckford Pig Association.
0:32:33 > 0:32:35Well, as I've been hearing, the owners of these pigs want to be as
0:32:35 > 0:32:38involved as possible, whether or not that's popping by to feed them
0:32:38 > 0:32:40or just to see how they're getting on,
0:32:40 > 0:32:43but they've got to be careful what they get up to, this lot,
0:32:43 > 0:32:47because their owners can keep an eye on them 24 hours a day, can't they?
0:32:48 > 0:32:52Our livewire Paul has used his skills as a sparky to install
0:32:52 > 0:32:55cameras overlooking the pens.
0:32:55 > 0:32:58Members can log on from home and keep tabs on their pigs.
0:32:58 > 0:32:59It's a real Pig Brother.
0:33:03 > 0:33:04And how much is this being used, then?
0:33:04 > 0:33:06Erm, it's being used on a regular basis.
0:33:06 > 0:33:08Quite a lot of the owners and trainers, erm,
0:33:08 > 0:33:10will actually speak to me in the evenings,
0:33:10 > 0:33:12or I could be down here and the phone'll go,
0:33:12 > 0:33:14or they'll be down here and the phone'll go.
0:33:14 > 0:33:16And there's quite a lot of people just generally sit there
0:33:16 > 0:33:17and look at their piggies.
0:33:17 > 0:33:20You can log on at two o'clock in the morning if you want
0:33:20 > 0:33:21to see what's going on in the pig ark.
0:33:21 > 0:33:23They tend to be in bed at that stage.
0:33:23 > 0:33:24And if you're down in there doing something,
0:33:24 > 0:33:26do they get in contact and go,
0:33:26 > 0:33:28"What have you been up to? What have you been doing?"
0:33:28 > 0:33:30There's been the odd occasion, I've had a phone call saying,
0:33:30 > 0:33:33"It doesn't look good on the camera, Paul. What are you doing?"
0:33:45 > 0:33:46Well, what with Pig Brother
0:33:46 > 0:33:49and all that, these pigs are very used to being on camera.
0:33:49 > 0:33:52But it is time to see what you have been capturing on film,
0:33:52 > 0:33:55because guess what, everyone? It is that time of year again.
0:33:55 > 0:33:57Please send in your photos for this year's
0:33:57 > 0:33:59Countryfile Photographic Competition.
0:33:59 > 0:34:02Here's John with all the details.
0:34:07 > 0:34:10The call of the wild can be found almost everywhere
0:34:10 > 0:34:13in our countryside, and it's up to you to interpret that theme.
0:34:13 > 0:34:17What we're looking for, though, are stunning photographs.
0:34:17 > 0:34:20No matter what the weather, no matter what the season.
0:34:20 > 0:34:24Be it wild landscapes, adventurous animals,
0:34:24 > 0:34:27or wildlife in the wilderness.
0:34:29 > 0:34:32We'll be looking at every one of the many thousands of entries that you
0:34:32 > 0:34:36send in, and picking the very best for our Countryfile calendar,
0:34:36 > 0:34:40which goes on sale later this year in aid of Children In Need.
0:34:40 > 0:34:44Buy one and you'll get some amazing photos to look at on your wall
0:34:44 > 0:34:46throughout 2018.
0:34:46 > 0:34:47And, of course, as usual,
0:34:47 > 0:34:52we'll have an overall winner, voted for by you, our Countryfile viewers.
0:34:55 > 0:34:59Not only will that picture grace the cover of our calendar, the winner
0:34:59 > 0:35:04will receive a voucher for £1,000, to be spent on photographic kit.
0:35:04 > 0:35:07The person who takes the judges' favourite photo will receive
0:35:07 > 0:35:11a voucher for £500, also to be spent on equipment.
0:35:13 > 0:35:16If you fancy a shot, why not send us your photos?
0:35:18 > 0:35:21We need your name, address, and a contact number, written
0:35:21 > 0:35:25on the back of the print, with a note of where the picture was taken.
0:35:26 > 0:35:28Send your entries to...
0:35:37 > 0:35:41Or you can enter online on our website.
0:35:46 > 0:35:50The full terms and conditions are on our website, where you'll
0:35:50 > 0:35:54also find details of the BBC's Code of Conduct for competitions.
0:36:05 > 0:36:07We're off to the Peak District now, where Adam is visiting
0:36:07 > 0:36:11a cattle farm that's about to undergo a radical transformation.
0:36:23 > 0:36:24COWS LOW
0:36:27 > 0:36:31Farming is a business that's always changing - new technologies
0:36:31 > 0:36:34and environmental pressure means things are changing as fast as ever.
0:36:34 > 0:36:36But the reasons for the change on this
0:36:36 > 0:36:39farm in Derbyshire are strictly personal.
0:36:42 > 0:36:46Jay Wilde took on his dad's organic beef farm six years ago.
0:36:49 > 0:36:52His intention had been to run it just as his father had.
0:36:52 > 0:36:54But now his plans have changed.
0:36:58 > 0:37:00They're lovely and quiet, Jay, aren't they?
0:37:00 > 0:37:03- How many have you got here?- 63 here.
0:37:03 > 0:37:07And what was the farm like when you took it over from your father?
0:37:07 > 0:37:13The same as it is now, organic beef, extensive hay meadows.
0:37:13 > 0:37:15And you've been a vegetarian for many years.
0:37:15 > 0:37:19I have, yes, for about 25 years.
0:37:19 > 0:37:21I've always had a problem with eating animals.
0:37:21 > 0:37:24The more you get to know them, the more you realise that, erm,
0:37:24 > 0:37:30each individual cow has its own personality and its own life.
0:37:30 > 0:37:33Quite difficult, though, being a vegetarian and a beef farmer?
0:37:33 > 0:37:35Very difficult.
0:37:35 > 0:37:36You become a vegetarian
0:37:36 > 0:37:40because you don't like the idea of eating animals, and yet
0:37:40 > 0:37:45I was trying to raise animals to be sold into the food chain.
0:37:45 > 0:37:47And now you've decided to change things?
0:37:47 > 0:37:49Yes. A very big change.
0:37:49 > 0:37:52We are getting rid of the cows, and, er, hoping to grow
0:37:52 > 0:37:56some market garden produce and maybe some arable crops.
0:37:59 > 0:38:01Jay wrestled with his conscience for years,
0:38:01 > 0:38:05then a chance conversation led him to contact the Vegan Society.
0:38:05 > 0:38:09Over a veggie cooked breakfast, Jay explains how they helped him
0:38:09 > 0:38:11come up with a new vision for the farm.
0:38:13 > 0:38:17They came to visit, told us about vegan organic farming,
0:38:17 > 0:38:21which involves growing vegetable crops, arable crops,
0:38:21 > 0:38:24without any animal input whatsoever.
0:38:25 > 0:38:28And, for you, was that a light-shining moment?
0:38:28 > 0:38:31It was, it was what I'd been looking for -
0:38:31 > 0:38:33a way to keep the farm going
0:38:33 > 0:38:36and not be compromised by raising cattle for food.
0:38:36 > 0:38:39So quite a change from your farming practices.
0:38:39 > 0:38:42A massive change, a complete turnaround -
0:38:42 > 0:38:43something completely new.
0:38:46 > 0:38:49The new vision goes way beyond merely turning pasture over
0:38:49 > 0:38:51to organic crops.
0:38:51 > 0:38:53Jay plans to convert the farm buildings
0:38:53 > 0:38:56into a vegan kitchen and cookery school
0:38:56 > 0:38:58with on-site accommodation.
0:39:00 > 0:39:03And do you think, when it all comes together -
0:39:03 > 0:39:07I'm sure it will - will you feel happier inside?
0:39:07 > 0:39:09Yes, much happier.
0:39:09 > 0:39:15At last, I'll be doing something that I really want to do, yeah.
0:39:15 > 0:39:18This is the big day - after 60 years,
0:39:18 > 0:39:21these are the last animals that will ever be farmed here.
0:39:21 > 0:39:23CATTLE LOW
0:39:23 > 0:39:28Jay could have gained about £50,000 if he sold them for beef production.
0:39:28 > 0:39:32Instead, he's giving them away to an animal sanctuary.
0:39:32 > 0:39:33Go on, then.
0:39:33 > 0:39:35Go on, then, girls.
0:39:37 > 0:39:39Expertly done.
0:39:44 > 0:39:47Although these animals will get to live out their natural lives,
0:39:47 > 0:39:50it's still an emotional moment as Jay says goodbye.
0:39:55 > 0:39:57Are you sad to see the herd go?
0:39:57 > 0:40:04Yes, I am, because we've looked after cattle for all my life
0:40:04 > 0:40:06and it's what we've done.
0:40:06 > 0:40:12I suppose giving away the cows isn't a very good business decision,
0:40:12 > 0:40:15but it seemed the moral thing to do.
0:40:15 > 0:40:19So do you feel this is the end or the beginning, Jay?
0:40:19 > 0:40:23Um...I think it's very much the beginning.
0:40:23 > 0:40:27It's a new life for the farm, a new life for me.
0:40:27 > 0:40:30Yes, it's a good thing all round. It ticks a lot of boxes for me.
0:40:33 > 0:40:36But has Jay let his heart rule his head?
0:40:36 > 0:40:39Or does his plan make business sense?
0:40:40 > 0:40:43Charlotte's looking at the pros and cons of making the switch.
0:40:46 > 0:40:47I'm on my way to Berkshire
0:40:47 > 0:40:50to meet a chap called Iain Tolhurst.
0:40:50 > 0:40:51Now, he advises farmers
0:40:51 > 0:40:54who, like Jay, want to switch from livestock
0:40:54 > 0:40:57to growing organic vegetables or other organic crops,
0:40:57 > 0:41:01so he can tell me a bit more about the challenges that Jay is facing.
0:41:04 > 0:41:07Iain grows more than 100 types of crop.
0:41:07 > 0:41:09He's been so successful,
0:41:09 > 0:41:13he now runs courses showing other farmers how to grow organically.
0:41:17 > 0:41:19- Morning, Iain.- Hello, Charlotte. Welcome to the farm.
0:41:19 > 0:41:21Thank you very much. What a beautiful day.
0:41:21 > 0:41:23Oh, fantastic day. Couldn't be better.
0:41:23 > 0:41:28So, how long will it be, then, before Jay's farm looks like this?
0:41:28 > 0:41:30Well, I'd like to say a couple or three years.
0:41:30 > 0:41:32But in reality, it's going to be much longer.
0:41:32 > 0:41:36You know, with a proper plan and a good marketing structure,
0:41:36 > 0:41:39you could create this in maybe five years.
0:41:39 > 0:41:42So what sort of crops, then, should Jay be starting off with?
0:41:42 > 0:41:45Potatoes, like the ones we have here, would be a good start.
0:41:45 > 0:41:49It's an easy crop to grow, gives good yield, organically.
0:41:49 > 0:41:52Easy to sell, doesn't take any specialist equipment,
0:41:52 > 0:41:54he's got most of the equipment already.
0:41:54 > 0:41:56It's not so fussy about soil type.
0:41:56 > 0:41:58His land is a little bit acid,
0:41:58 > 0:42:00so potatoes would benefit from that acidity.
0:42:00 > 0:42:03And then, maybe, progressing onto more specialist crops
0:42:03 > 0:42:07once the initial conversion had taken place.
0:42:07 > 0:42:11In Jay's position - honestly, now - would you do it?
0:42:11 > 0:42:13Of course. I have done it.
0:42:13 > 0:42:17I was dairy farming 40 years ago and I gave that up to do this.
0:42:17 > 0:42:20Yes, knowing what I know now, I'd be even more inclined to do it.
0:42:20 > 0:42:22- Really?- Absolutely.
0:42:22 > 0:42:25Why would I want to go backwards when I could go forwards?
0:42:25 > 0:42:28So maybe Jay's decision could pay dividends,
0:42:28 > 0:42:32even without the 50 grand he could have made selling his cattle.
0:42:33 > 0:42:37Their new home is the Hillside Animal Sanctuary in Norfolk,
0:42:37 > 0:42:40a place that homes hundreds of other farm animals
0:42:40 > 0:42:42from all over the country.
0:42:42 > 0:42:45I'm meeting John Watson from the sanctuary.
0:42:46 > 0:42:48So, these are Jay's cattle?
0:42:48 > 0:42:50They are, yes. Settling in well, aren't they?
0:42:50 > 0:42:52- Yeah, they look very content, don't they?- They do, they do.
0:42:52 > 0:42:53What will happen to them now?
0:42:53 > 0:42:56They'll be free to live out their natural lives at the sanctuary.
0:42:56 > 0:42:58But this isn't all you've got, here.
0:42:58 > 0:43:00No - we've got nearly 400 cows in total at the sanctuary.
0:43:00 > 0:43:03And horses, and goats, and chickens, and dogs, and...
0:43:03 > 0:43:05- Let's go and have a look. - Let's have a look.
0:43:06 > 0:43:10For John, giving farm animals a home for life
0:43:10 > 0:43:11is the right thing to do,
0:43:11 > 0:43:14but this sort of compassion doesn't come cheap.
0:43:15 > 0:43:18I've done a back-of-the-envelope calculation, here,
0:43:18 > 0:43:21and I've worked out, for Jay's herd, for their lifetime,
0:43:21 > 0:43:25you're looking at roughly £1 million.
0:43:25 > 0:43:27Yes, you could well be right, you could well be right.
0:43:27 > 0:43:30It's going to be very hard work for us to fundraise that
0:43:30 > 0:43:32and we do rely on donations to do that.
0:43:33 > 0:43:35Why do you rescue farm animals, though?
0:43:35 > 0:43:37Well, we believe they're just as intelligent,
0:43:37 > 0:43:40and they display as wide a range of emotions,
0:43:40 > 0:43:43as other animals that we think of as pets, so, you know,
0:43:43 > 0:43:45we try our best to give them a happy life at the sanctuary.
0:43:45 > 0:43:48But farmers would say they give them a happy life
0:43:48 > 0:43:50before an inevitable death, at which point,
0:43:50 > 0:43:53they're eaten, so why the need to rescue them?
0:43:53 > 0:43:55Lots of farmers keep their animals very well
0:43:55 > 0:43:57and with a great deal of care and compassion.
0:43:57 > 0:44:00But we think that inevitable death
0:44:00 > 0:44:01involves a trip to the slaughterhouse,
0:44:01 > 0:44:04which is a terrifying place for animals,
0:44:04 > 0:44:07and the journey there isn't often very pleasant, either.
0:44:07 > 0:44:10Jay wanted his cows to live a long life without that end,
0:44:10 > 0:44:12and we agree with him that's the way they should live.
0:44:15 > 0:44:18I'm not sure I'd have made the same call as Jay.
0:44:18 > 0:44:21The £50,000 he could have achieved by selling his cattle
0:44:21 > 0:44:23would have come in handy,
0:44:23 > 0:44:26especially given the scale of the changes he is making.
0:44:26 > 0:44:28But you could say that makes his decision
0:44:28 > 0:44:33to switch from farming beef to veg even more courageous.
0:44:33 > 0:44:36Jay has recognised the opportunity
0:44:36 > 0:44:38the land and buildings on this farm offer him
0:44:38 > 0:44:43as an alternative to cattle farming, and whatever your views on veganism,
0:44:43 > 0:44:46you have to admire him for sticking to his principles
0:44:46 > 0:44:50and maintaining his connection to the land and farming heritage.
0:45:02 > 0:45:04BELL TOLLS
0:45:04 > 0:45:07At the heart of Worcestershire lies its cathedral city...
0:45:11 > 0:45:13..once home to a Benedictine monastery.
0:45:15 > 0:45:17The monks have long gone,
0:45:17 > 0:45:21but the 800-year-old ruins now home a very different community.
0:45:27 > 0:45:31This undercroft, with its beautiful vaulted ceiling,
0:45:31 > 0:45:34would have been a general storage area for the monastery
0:45:34 > 0:45:36and up above it was the toilet block.
0:45:36 > 0:45:41It's now the roost site for a rare colony of bats,
0:45:41 > 0:45:45tiny, plum-sized lesser horseshoe bats,
0:45:45 > 0:45:47and it's thought to be the only inner-city population
0:45:47 > 0:45:49in the country.
0:45:51 > 0:45:54Joining me in this unlikely batcave
0:45:54 > 0:45:57is the council's principal ecologist, Cody Levine.
0:45:58 > 0:46:00He holds all the relevant licenses
0:46:00 > 0:46:02to check if there are any bats in here today.
0:46:04 > 0:46:05Where are the bats, Cody?
0:46:05 > 0:46:07Well, we think that large numbers of them
0:46:07 > 0:46:09will probably be in their maternity roost,
0:46:09 > 0:46:11which is a separate roost, not too far away from here.
0:46:11 > 0:46:14We might find occasional ones tucked up in here.
0:46:14 > 0:46:17So, the maternity roost would be females and young.
0:46:17 > 0:46:19Where would the males be during this time?
0:46:19 > 0:46:21With most bat species, it is just the girls together
0:46:21 > 0:46:23in the maternity roost and their pups.
0:46:23 > 0:46:24They boot the males out.
0:46:24 > 0:46:26So the males would come back to other roosts they know,
0:46:26 > 0:46:28and there's some evidence of bats just here.
0:46:28 > 0:46:30Bat poo - guano.
0:46:30 > 0:46:32This is mostly bits of crushed-up insect,
0:46:32 > 0:46:35so, unlike mouse poo, what you're going to see
0:46:35 > 0:46:36is bits of insect wing
0:46:36 > 0:46:39that's just going to turn to dust as you crumble it.
0:46:39 > 0:46:40It's super dry.
0:46:40 > 0:46:42Why would they have different roosts,
0:46:42 > 0:46:44maternity roosts and hibernation roosts?
0:46:44 > 0:46:47Well, they need different things from each of their roosts,
0:46:47 > 0:46:49much the same way that we need different things
0:46:49 > 0:46:50from the rooms in our house.
0:46:50 > 0:46:52The roost space where they give birth to their young
0:46:52 > 0:46:54has to be quite warm.
0:46:54 > 0:46:57In hibernation time, they're looking for very similar conditions
0:46:57 > 0:46:59all the way through the daytime, so nice and cool, but not frosty.
0:46:59 > 0:47:01- Mm.- Steady temperature, steady humidity.
0:47:01 > 0:47:03So this is perfect for a hibernation roost,
0:47:03 > 0:47:05but less so for a maternity roost.
0:47:06 > 0:47:08Despite being in a city,
0:47:08 > 0:47:11the roost sites are surrounded by riverside meadows -
0:47:11 > 0:47:15perfect habitat for the lesser horseshoes to fly and forage.
0:47:19 > 0:47:23When night falls over the city, the bats head out to feed,
0:47:23 > 0:47:27and for the lesser horseshoe, it's that distinctive nose
0:47:27 > 0:47:29that helps them track down their prey.
0:47:30 > 0:47:33The horseshoe shape acts like a megaphone,
0:47:33 > 0:47:36amplifying and directing high-pitched frequencies.
0:47:36 > 0:47:38BATS CALL
0:47:38 > 0:47:42Those echolocation calls then bounce off their prey,
0:47:42 > 0:47:45allowing the bat to home in on a potential meal.
0:47:47 > 0:47:52In one night, a bat can catch up to 3,000 insects.
0:47:53 > 0:47:56The habitat where they hunt and forage
0:47:56 > 0:47:58is absolutely key to their survival
0:47:58 > 0:48:01and, for that reason, it needs protecting.
0:48:05 > 0:48:09Luckily, the bats have the support of this lot -
0:48:09 > 0:48:10the Worcestershire Bat Group.
0:48:13 > 0:48:15Mike Glyde is the club secretary.
0:48:15 > 0:48:18- Bat box.- Bat detector - I shall show you how to use that in a moment.
0:48:18 > 0:48:21- Cool.- And there's the radio to call in the bats.
0:48:21 > 0:48:24- Fantastic. Anything else I need? Or is that my kit?- That's your kit.
0:48:24 > 0:48:26- If it gets dark, we've got a head torch for you as well.- Wonderful.
0:48:26 > 0:48:28Just in case it gets a bit darker.
0:48:28 > 0:48:30Night-time is when the bats come into their own.
0:48:30 > 0:48:34All the volunteers are assigned positions along the riverside
0:48:34 > 0:48:37with the aim of tracking the bats' movements
0:48:37 > 0:48:39and where they're feeding.
0:48:40 > 0:48:44With the light fading fast, it's time to get into position.
0:48:45 > 0:48:47So, frequency 108.
0:48:47 > 0:48:49108.
0:48:49 > 0:48:51And you need to point the detector in the direction...
0:48:51 > 0:48:53- CHIRRUPING - There we go.- Oh!- Straightaway!
0:48:53 > 0:48:55- Sounds like an alien communicating with us!- It does.
0:48:55 > 0:48:57It's one of the best bats
0:48:57 > 0:48:59to actually introduce people to bats with.
0:48:59 > 0:49:00It's such an exciting and engaging sound,
0:49:00 > 0:49:02and it's unmistakable.
0:49:02 > 0:49:05- So, I'm calling that one in? - Call that one in.- Bat out.
0:49:05 > 0:49:08By radioing the other volunteers,
0:49:08 > 0:49:11they'll be primed and ready to detect any bats coming their way.
0:49:12 > 0:49:16The lesser horseshoes make a fantastic, kind of, musical sound,
0:49:16 > 0:49:18- it's sort of... - SHE WHISTLES
0:49:18 > 0:49:20BATS CHIRRUP
0:49:20 > 0:49:22- That was one, that was one. - Call that one out.
0:49:22 > 0:49:23Hang on a minute - bat out.
0:49:25 > 0:49:28And what we're hearing is the bats echolocating
0:49:28 > 0:49:30as they go out to hunt for their prey.
0:49:32 > 0:49:35Lesser horseshoes are particularly light-sensitive,
0:49:35 > 0:49:39so in Worcester, they're getting a little extra help.
0:49:39 > 0:49:43The council actually switches off street lighting in some areas
0:49:43 > 0:49:45to create darker flight paths for the bats.
0:49:48 > 0:49:49CHIRRUPING
0:49:49 > 0:49:51- There it is, tuning in, tuning in. - There you go.
0:49:51 > 0:49:55- Count that one out. - That one, I think, got past.
0:49:55 > 0:49:56Yeah, definitely.
0:49:56 > 0:49:58Bat out.
0:49:58 > 0:49:59SHE CHUCKLES
0:49:59 > 0:50:02- OVER RADIO:- OK, folks, we're going to wrap it up, here,
0:50:02 > 0:50:04so we'll bring our surveyors back in, now.
0:50:04 > 0:50:05- That's us done here, then.- OK.
0:50:05 > 0:50:07We'll get the volunteers all together and...
0:50:07 > 0:50:11- Find out what everyone's found out. - Exactly. Thank you for your help.
0:50:14 > 0:50:15Cody, how did you get on?
0:50:15 > 0:50:17What have you found this evening, do you think?
0:50:17 > 0:50:20It was a good night - lots of help, lots of really good volunteers.
0:50:20 > 0:50:22- Yeah.- What have we found?
0:50:22 > 0:50:23Well, the first good news story,
0:50:23 > 0:50:26- I suppose, is the bats are still here.- Yeah!
0:50:26 > 0:50:27We have seen some changes in the way
0:50:27 > 0:50:30that they are moving around the local landscape.
0:50:30 > 0:50:32The numbers seem to be quite good -
0:50:32 > 0:50:34we're going to go away and compare them
0:50:34 > 0:50:36to what they were like last year, and keep surveying.
0:50:36 > 0:50:37Wonderful work.
0:50:37 > 0:50:40Right, fun's over, everybody - back to your beds!
0:50:40 > 0:50:42LAUGHTER
0:50:46 > 0:50:49Well, it's been a perfectly still night
0:50:49 > 0:50:50for us out here bat-watching.
0:50:50 > 0:50:54But what will the weather bring in the morning? Time to find out,
0:50:54 > 0:50:56with the Countryfile forecast for this week.
0:52:12 > 0:52:14I'm in Worcestershire,
0:52:14 > 0:52:18where an idea sparked by electrician Paul Hopkins over beer and skittles
0:52:18 > 0:52:22has inspired a community of non-farmers to rear their own pigs.
0:52:25 > 0:52:29Well, Paul has also bought a few Dexters for the farm,
0:52:29 > 0:52:32and he's offering the community a stake in these, too.
0:52:33 > 0:52:37Alistair Albutt is one of the original skittle gang.
0:52:37 > 0:52:40As a farmer himself, he's given the new additions the once-over.
0:52:41 > 0:52:44How often are you down here, then?
0:52:44 > 0:52:47Oh, I'm down here at least once a week, sometimes more.
0:52:47 > 0:52:48And the Dexters, then -
0:52:48 > 0:52:50I mean, how did they get thrown into the mix?
0:52:50 > 0:52:52They wanted to do something with the land.
0:52:52 > 0:52:55We had the pigs, had the rest of the field to do something with,
0:52:55 > 0:52:57and some cattle were talked about, and, sort of...
0:52:57 > 0:52:59"Well, what breed are we going to have?"
0:52:59 > 0:53:02We wanted something that was very easy to keep,
0:53:02 > 0:53:04not going to get too big - Dexters were the obvious choice.
0:53:04 > 0:53:06When you think back to that conversation you had
0:53:06 > 0:53:09at the end of that skittle alley, and you now look at the reality...
0:53:09 > 0:53:13- I know.- I mean, here, we've got... We've got public coming up as well,
0:53:13 > 0:53:15cos they're here to have a good look and what have you.
0:53:15 > 0:53:17- Yeah.- I mean, what do you see, here?
0:53:17 > 0:53:20I'm amazed - to be fair to Paul, he's done a great job,
0:53:20 > 0:53:21he really has.
0:53:21 > 0:53:23I didn't ever think it would get as far as it has.
0:53:23 > 0:53:25It's a success story.
0:53:25 > 0:53:29If the land is available and the farmer is amenable to it,
0:53:29 > 0:53:32there's no reason why this couldn't be rolled out on a bigger scale.
0:53:32 > 0:53:35For little local communities, 8, 10, 12 people to get together,
0:53:35 > 0:53:37have a few pigs, have a couple of cattle,
0:53:37 > 0:53:39I don't see why it wouldn't work.
0:53:41 > 0:53:44One of the first to buy into the scheme was Kate Marchant,
0:53:44 > 0:53:48who often brings her nursery school pupils to see the pigs,
0:53:48 > 0:53:51and Ellie has joined us to help look after the children
0:53:51 > 0:53:52while I chat with Kate.
0:53:55 > 0:53:57So, Kate, I understand that you were in this thing
0:53:57 > 0:53:59right from the very beginning, so...
0:53:59 > 0:54:01- Yeah.- Did Paul have to give you the hard sell?
0:54:01 > 0:54:04No, not really - I was up for it, up for having a pig.
0:54:04 > 0:54:06OK, and obviously, it's become a big thing,
0:54:06 > 0:54:08as far as the nursery school is concerned.
0:54:08 > 0:54:11But initially, was this about you just eating pork?
0:54:11 > 0:54:14Or was it about a teaching experience for the children?
0:54:14 > 0:54:17- Initially, it was for me at home. - Right.
0:54:17 > 0:54:21Knowing where the meat had come from, that sort of thing,
0:54:21 > 0:54:23but it was just a perfect opportunity
0:54:23 > 0:54:24to get the children involved.
0:54:24 > 0:54:26And how much meat do you get, then?
0:54:26 > 0:54:28- A whole pig.- You go for the whole...? Right!
0:54:28 > 0:54:29Yeah. Yeah.
0:54:29 > 0:54:30Have you got a large freezer?
0:54:30 > 0:54:33- What's the storage situation? - I have now.
0:54:33 > 0:54:36I've got a large freezer now, but my husband said, "No more pork."
0:54:36 > 0:54:38So I've got half a cow on order.
0:54:38 > 0:54:41MATT LAUGHS
0:54:41 > 0:54:44I love that! Have you got another freezer on order, as well, then?
0:54:44 > 0:54:46- I think I might have to, yeah. - That's tremendous.
0:54:46 > 0:54:49Well, you just have to look at some of the faces here, don't you?
0:54:49 > 0:54:53And actually, I just think that for these children, that whole concept
0:54:53 > 0:54:56of knowing where your food comes from is just not an issue.
0:54:56 > 0:55:00- No, and it's brilliant that we can start from such a young age.- Yes.
0:55:00 > 0:55:01Their understanding of it.
0:55:01 > 0:55:05Watching the journey from piglet to cutlet
0:55:05 > 0:55:10could be challenging if there's an emotional attachment to the animal.
0:55:10 > 0:55:12How does it feel for you when you get to know the pigs
0:55:12 > 0:55:15and then you know that they're going off to be killed
0:55:15 > 0:55:17and they're going to be on somebody's plate next?
0:55:17 > 0:55:18How is that for you?
0:55:18 > 0:55:22I feel sad, but then, not really, because they...
0:55:22 > 0:55:24You know that they've had a happy life,
0:55:24 > 0:55:29cos you know that they've been in here and they've been outdoors.
0:55:29 > 0:55:31- So you've seen them have a good time here.- Yeah.- Yeah.
0:55:31 > 0:55:34- And you know that... - Some pigs are kept inside
0:55:34 > 0:55:35and they don't go outside.
0:55:35 > 0:55:38Yeah. And so these pigs have had a pretty good life.
0:55:40 > 0:55:43The cost of buying, rearing and butchering a pig
0:55:43 > 0:55:47is around £180 for each owner, and for that,
0:55:47 > 0:55:48they get a taste of farming
0:55:48 > 0:55:53and a taste of top-quality meat for months.
0:55:55 > 0:55:59- Steady on!- Well, that is all we've got time for from Worcestershire,
0:55:59 > 0:56:00and these gorgeous pigs.
0:56:00 > 0:56:03Yes, next week, John and Anita will be in Northamptonshire -
0:56:03 > 0:56:05as that one just whips through my legs -
0:56:05 > 0:56:06they're going to be finding out
0:56:06 > 0:56:09how a shopping centre is helping the local wildlife.
0:56:09 > 0:56:10- PIG SQUEALS Whoa!- Whoa!- Dear.
0:56:10 > 0:56:13- On that note, bye-bye! - Easy does it. See you next time!
0:56:13 > 0:56:15THEY LAUGH