0:00:03 > 0:00:06Scotland is a nation of farmers.
0:00:06 > 0:00:09For thousands of years, they have managed the land
0:00:09 > 0:00:13to produce grain for our bread, oats for our porridge
0:00:13 > 0:00:16and barley for our beer and whisky.
0:00:16 > 0:00:19I want to show you how they do it.
0:00:28 > 0:00:32I've been spending the summer with three of Scotland's farming families
0:00:32 > 0:00:34in the north, the east and the west.
0:00:34 > 0:00:36They've invited us into their homes and farms
0:00:36 > 0:00:38at the busiest and most stressful time of the year.
0:00:40 > 0:00:43Our farmers have to deal with extreme weather...
0:00:43 > 0:00:45In reality, it's too bloody wet, isn't it?
0:00:45 > 0:00:47A wee puddle here. Ignore that.
0:00:47 > 0:00:49That rain will just keep coming.
0:00:49 > 0:00:51The hole has been created by the force of the water?
0:00:51 > 0:00:54Yes. Completely? Completely. Good God!
0:00:55 > 0:00:58..and rely on the support of their families.
0:00:58 > 0:01:01It's outwith your control. It's going to happen.
0:01:01 > 0:01:03You just absolutely have to make the best of it.
0:01:06 > 0:01:08But, above all, it's the story
0:01:08 > 0:01:11of the three very different machines they drive.
0:01:15 > 0:01:17From the old and battered...
0:01:17 > 0:01:20Some holes you can just tape up with duct tape.
0:01:20 > 0:01:22..to the latest and greatest.
0:01:22 > 0:01:26At the moment, we're processing just over 50 tonnes an hour,
0:01:26 > 0:01:28which, that's pretty good going.
0:01:31 > 0:01:35Because for modern farmers, the combine harvester is king.
0:01:35 > 0:01:37You just cannae go waltzing into it.
0:01:37 > 0:01:41If you go too fast and get stuck in the crop, it's not good.
0:01:41 > 0:01:43Ah! Come on!
0:01:45 > 0:01:47I'll also be dropping in on fruit and veg farms
0:01:47 > 0:01:50to hear about the challenges they face.
0:01:50 > 0:01:52We're on day 52 of our harvest.
0:01:52 > 0:01:53We're very near the end of it,
0:01:53 > 0:01:56so all the peas that are left here are all the ones we've got to do.
0:01:58 > 0:02:01This is Scotland's Harvest, 2014.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14Welcome to the Kintyre peninsula.
0:02:14 > 0:02:18Everywhere you look there are stunning land and seascapes.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22But it's also a remote and harsh environment
0:02:22 > 0:02:24at the mercy of Atlantic storms.
0:02:29 > 0:02:32It's not easy to make a living from farming here.
0:02:32 > 0:02:36But that's life for Duncan Macalister and his wife Fiona.
0:02:37 > 0:02:39Farmers are emotional people.
0:02:39 > 0:02:41We do farming because we like what we do.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44There's not many farmers are businessmen, I'm afraid.
0:02:44 > 0:02:46We do it because we like what we do.
0:02:52 > 0:02:56Because it's old, the handbrake will not be on in case it seizes on.
0:02:56 > 0:02:58So I'll move it forward, if you can kick that block out
0:02:58 > 0:03:00on this side and on the other side.
0:03:00 > 0:03:01OK, no problem.
0:03:02 > 0:03:04Hope that she will start.
0:03:04 > 0:03:08Duncan hasn't started his battered old combine since last year.
0:03:10 > 0:03:12ENGINE BOOMS INTO LIFE
0:03:12 > 0:03:13Nae bother, eh?!
0:03:23 > 0:03:25She's a bonny thing, but she's seen a bit of life!
0:03:25 > 0:03:28Started first time, as well! Yeah.
0:03:28 > 0:03:30Not that I wasn't expecting that, of course!
0:03:32 > 0:03:35She has had some experience in her life by the looks of things, yes?
0:03:35 > 0:03:37Yes, it's not just in her youth.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41She's a 1984. 1984.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44Made in Zweibrucken in West Germany.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47But the rust is the biggest problem here.
0:03:47 > 0:03:49You can see the obvious rust.
0:03:49 > 0:03:54But it's rust in places, the likes of this kind of thing.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57You know, the likes of that, when that rusts out.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00And, more importantly, in the bottom of the... Under there.
0:04:00 > 0:04:02It all rusts out.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05I can see a bit of gaffer tape on there. Yeah, that's...
0:04:07 > 0:04:10..one of the holes. Indeed.
0:04:10 > 0:04:11And when you take her out,
0:04:11 > 0:04:14how much work has to be done before she's ready to harvest?
0:04:14 > 0:04:18Och, she's about... It depends.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21The worst thing we're doing is panel beating.
0:04:21 > 0:04:23If we've got to do, you know, mend,
0:04:23 > 0:04:25there's one thing we'll need to do is,
0:04:25 > 0:04:28that's leaking. I need to see if I can get...
0:04:28 > 0:04:30See how bad that's going to be.
0:04:30 > 0:04:32But it's not a serious leak. Might get away with that.
0:04:32 > 0:04:36In an ideal world, you happen to have some money in your pocket
0:04:36 > 0:04:38and, you think, new one.
0:04:38 > 0:04:4190 grand. 90 grand?
0:04:41 > 0:04:43For a baby like this? Aye.
0:04:43 > 0:04:44And you got her for five grand?
0:04:44 > 0:04:46I paid five grand for her, aye.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49And, realistically, how many years good service
0:04:49 > 0:04:50can you see out of her ladyship?
0:04:50 > 0:04:53I would think another five, maybe ten.
0:04:57 > 0:05:01165 miles northeast, on the Moray Coast...
0:05:01 > 0:05:03I like yellow combines.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06That's just what I've been used to, which is New Holland.
0:05:06 > 0:05:08Other people like other kinds.
0:05:08 > 0:05:09And this is a TX32.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12It's one of the smaller new ones.
0:05:12 > 0:05:17..George Elder is upgrading the combine for his 100-acre farm.
0:05:17 > 0:05:22He's spending ?20,000, to get a 1991 model of his favourite make.
0:05:24 > 0:05:27Well, it looks clean. It looks really nice,
0:05:27 > 0:05:29so it looks as if it's ready to rock'n'roll.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34Satisfied, George goes to collect the keys.
0:05:34 > 0:05:36This is the precious moment.
0:05:36 > 0:05:38Thank you, Brian.
0:05:38 > 0:05:39Wish me luck. Aye, good luck!
0:05:39 > 0:05:43And I'll get the best of service if it breaks down. I always do.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47This is a very big moment, yes.
0:05:47 > 0:05:49Yep.
0:05:49 > 0:05:50The heart's in the mouth.
0:05:53 > 0:05:54There she goes.
0:05:56 > 0:05:58Here you go, that's the handbrake warning off.
0:06:07 > 0:06:09I'd just to say to anyone who's been held up
0:06:09 > 0:06:13by my combine or any other combine on the road
0:06:13 > 0:06:16I do apologise, but there are certain things.
0:06:16 > 0:06:19It only does maybe 20mph.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22You do not want a combine doing 40mph.
0:06:22 > 0:06:25Not really supposed to stop in bus stops.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28So, there's only certain lay-bys you can stop in that are big enough,
0:06:28 > 0:06:31so I apologise now, but my journey
0:06:31 > 0:06:34is equally as important as anybody else's.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51It's early August and it will be another few days
0:06:51 > 0:06:54before George's crop is ready to harvest.
0:06:57 > 0:06:58But in East Lothian
0:06:58 > 0:07:01an almost new, state-of-the-art combine
0:07:01 > 0:07:02has already started work.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07What we've got here is a reasonably nice crop of standing spring oats
0:07:07 > 0:07:10and the harvest of these is going reasonably well.
0:07:12 > 0:07:17Hugh Broad farms 1,400 acres of mixed cereals on his own farm,
0:07:17 > 0:07:21and under contract for four neighbouring landowners.
0:07:21 > 0:07:25I have one full-time guy on the farm and I then bring in seasonal labour.
0:07:25 > 0:07:29The seasonal labour helps with the grain drying and the grain haulage.
0:07:29 > 0:07:32This year we've got two harvest students
0:07:32 > 0:07:34and my daughter's helping, as well.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40OK, if you turn round and head back down the hill
0:07:40 > 0:07:43about three-quarters of the way down the other side,
0:07:43 > 0:07:48we'll unload a bit more and that'll be that trailer full. OK.
0:07:50 > 0:07:52She's not particularly experienced,
0:07:52 > 0:07:54but she's actually making great progress.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57Her confidence in reversing is not brilliant yet,
0:07:57 > 0:08:01but she's actually getting the hang of unloading on the move
0:08:01 > 0:08:03and it's actually a great assistance,
0:08:03 > 0:08:06because it just buys a little bit more time.
0:08:07 > 0:08:13Since its invention, the combine has revolutionised the way we harvest.
0:08:13 > 0:08:17It cuts the crop and threshes it, separating the grain from the chaff.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21The chaff - or straw - is shunted along a conveyor
0:08:21 > 0:08:23and falls out the back of the combine.
0:08:24 > 0:08:28The precious grain is transferred to a storage tank.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31And when the tank's full, the grain is put in a trailer
0:08:31 > 0:08:34and taken back to the farm to be dried.
0:08:36 > 0:08:41But today, there's a problem, and Hugh needs to investigate.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44Well, we've had a couple of problems with the grain dryer this season.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47One was a mechanical problem, which we addressed the other day.
0:08:47 > 0:08:49This is an electrical problem.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52This dryer was serviced by the manufacturer pre-harvest,
0:08:52 > 0:08:56and everything was working absolutely fine five weeks ago
0:08:56 > 0:08:59and, in the intervening period, we've had vermin.
0:08:59 > 0:09:01Mice have got into this control unit
0:09:01 > 0:09:03and they've completely minced the wires.
0:09:03 > 0:09:04And there's such a level of damage
0:09:04 > 0:09:07that I think we're going to have to replace the unit.
0:09:07 > 0:09:11And the electrician's coming up this morning to help us assess it
0:09:11 > 0:09:13and we'll see where we go from there.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17While the grain that's waiting to be dried
0:09:17 > 0:09:19is not of a high-moisture content,
0:09:19 > 0:09:21so that's not that pressing,
0:09:21 > 0:09:23the grain that we're about to harvest
0:09:23 > 0:09:27is likely to be very wet and will need to be dried straightaway.
0:09:27 > 0:09:29So we must clear this backlog, to allow us to progress
0:09:29 > 0:09:31with the next lot of drying.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36I'll be catching up with Hugh and the others later,
0:09:36 > 0:09:39as the combines start to roll right across the country.
0:09:41 > 0:09:45But there's much more to Scotland's harvest than just cereals.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48Fruit and veg are also vital crops.
0:09:48 > 0:09:50I'm heading just west of Perth
0:09:50 > 0:09:54to see one harvesting operation that starts in early summer.
0:09:55 > 0:09:57The pea harvest starts in July
0:09:57 > 0:10:00and runs all the way through to September.
0:10:00 > 0:10:04The Bruce family have been farming in Perthshire, Angus and Fife
0:10:04 > 0:10:09for 50 years, so they should know a thing or two about the humble pea.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12I think I'm going to get out the way, sharpish!
0:10:18 > 0:10:22Peas can only be grown in a field once every few years.
0:10:22 > 0:10:23So, to ensure they have enough land
0:10:23 > 0:10:26to grow the peas they need each year,
0:10:26 > 0:10:31the Bruce family rent over 7,500 acres on 180 farms.
0:10:33 > 0:10:34With this much acreage to cover,
0:10:34 > 0:10:37the harvesters need to work around the clock.
0:10:38 > 0:10:40It's a good challenge, yeah, definitely.
0:10:40 > 0:10:44A challenge for everybody involved, right from the pea samplers
0:10:44 > 0:10:46who go out every morning, sample the crop,
0:10:46 > 0:10:50right through to everyone here behind us, harvesting and right through...
0:10:50 > 0:10:53I'm meeting Bruce Farms Pea and Bean manager, Neil Murray.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56If you're starting late June, early July, and running right through
0:10:56 > 0:10:59to September, with these six machines, are they running
0:10:59 > 0:11:01all the time, 24 hours a day?
0:11:01 > 0:11:03Yeah. More or less.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06We occasionally have the odd night shift off, but, in the main,
0:11:06 > 0:11:08they're running seven days a week, 24 hours.
0:11:08 > 0:11:09That's incredible.
0:11:09 > 0:11:13So, I guess it really is like a military operation.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16Well, we have everything planned out, every single day.
0:11:16 > 0:11:18This plan was generated yesterday afternoon.
0:11:18 > 0:11:20It tells us where we're going to be through the night,
0:11:20 > 0:11:23where we're going to be this morning, when we're going to finish this farm,
0:11:23 > 0:11:25and it's pulling the thing forward.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28We're on Day 52 of our harvest. We're very near the end of it.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31So, all the peas left here are all the ones that we've got to do.
0:11:31 > 0:11:33And when do you plan to finish?
0:11:33 > 0:11:37We're planning to finish on Friday morning around 4:50am at the moment.
0:11:43 > 0:11:45So, what's your market? Who are you selling to?
0:11:45 > 0:11:47Our main marketplace is Birds Eye
0:11:47 > 0:11:52and we also sell to a packer, who packs for all the retailers.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58We're monitoring our quality on a daily basis.
0:11:58 > 0:11:59We have our own taste panel.
0:11:59 > 0:12:01You have your own taste panel?
0:12:01 > 0:12:04People at the farm, sitting there eating peas every day?
0:12:04 > 0:12:06Every day, yep! They love it!
0:12:06 > 0:12:07DOUGIE LAUGHS
0:12:07 > 0:12:12And again, I mean, how do you... how do you educate your palate
0:12:12 > 0:12:14to know that it is the right peas at the right time?
0:12:14 > 0:12:16Everybody's trained up to do the job
0:12:16 > 0:12:18and once you've done it for a little while, it's amazing,
0:12:18 > 0:12:20you soon pick out the differences
0:12:20 > 0:12:22and get homed in on what we're looking for.
0:12:26 > 0:12:28To make the prime market,
0:12:28 > 0:12:33the peas have to be frozen within 150 minutes of harvest.
0:12:33 > 0:12:35We've been on the road now for 15 minutes.
0:12:35 > 0:12:39I reckon the peas have been out the ground for just over an hour.
0:12:39 > 0:12:41Still got about 20 miles to go till we get to the factory,
0:12:41 > 0:12:44so the clock is ticking.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56The load arrives at the cold store in Dundee in good time.
0:12:58 > 0:13:02As soon as the peas arrive, a sample is taken for quality control.
0:13:04 > 0:13:08What happens to the ones that don't make it in 150 minutes?
0:13:08 > 0:13:11They're labelled as being a non-150 minute product
0:13:11 > 0:13:14and are, obviously, a lesser grade, lesser quality
0:13:14 > 0:13:16and have to go into less premium marketplaces.
0:13:18 > 0:13:21Our batch of peas is good to go.
0:13:21 > 0:13:24They are sifted, washed, and dried
0:13:24 > 0:13:27before heading into the blast freezer.
0:13:27 > 0:13:32Our peas have gone from field fresh to frozen in less than 150 minutes.
0:13:34 > 0:13:36At night, when you're finished your work, these long hours,
0:13:36 > 0:13:38do you go home and have some pea soup
0:13:38 > 0:13:40and peas on the side as your vegetable?
0:13:40 > 0:13:43Pea soup, I do eat peas quite a lot, yeah. Do you? Yep, definitely!
0:13:56 > 0:13:57Today is harvest day.
0:13:57 > 0:14:01Yes, first day of the harvest with the new combine.
0:14:01 > 0:14:04It's early August and up on the Moray coast,
0:14:04 > 0:14:06the weather is warm and dry.
0:14:06 > 0:14:10George Elder's son, Hugh, has come back to help with the harvest.
0:14:10 > 0:14:12Hugh's a policeman in Aberdeen
0:14:12 > 0:14:16and always takes holiday at this time of year to return to the farm.
0:14:17 > 0:14:22I've got a touch of PHT at the moment, like.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25PHT?
0:14:25 > 0:14:26Pre-Harvest Tension!
0:14:26 > 0:14:27You get that every year!
0:14:27 > 0:14:29Aye, I think so. I do, too!
0:14:29 > 0:14:32Until you get going there's always this doubt in the back of your mind
0:14:32 > 0:14:34that something's going to go "bang"!
0:14:34 > 0:14:37Yeah, you do, you do. In the back of your head. Aye.
0:14:39 > 0:14:41It's very quiet.
0:14:41 > 0:14:43You can just hear it and no more
0:14:43 > 0:14:46but we know the sound, if you know what I mean, so.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49George and Hugh have a unique way of telling
0:14:49 > 0:14:51when the barley is ready to cut.
0:14:53 > 0:14:58I can't actually hear it at the moment, but when it's really ripe,
0:14:58 > 0:15:01it clicks. Just a very faint click, isn't it?
0:15:01 > 0:15:03Yeah, yeah, I think I can hear it over here.
0:15:03 > 0:15:06Aye, you just hear it clicking, it's in the heat
0:15:06 > 0:15:10and you know then that it is good to go, like, you know?
0:15:10 > 0:15:12I don't know if I can hear it.
0:15:20 > 0:15:22Very faintly.
0:15:22 > 0:15:24My hearing's better than yours, actually. I can hear it!
0:15:24 > 0:15:26Right, OK, OK!
0:15:26 > 0:15:28GEORGE LAUGHS
0:15:31 > 0:15:34Start her up and hope for the best, eh? See how we go.
0:15:34 > 0:15:38First of the first, today. Big day.
0:15:40 > 0:15:42ENGINE ROARS
0:15:44 > 0:15:45That's the combine started.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48Basically, what happens, he has to do a couple of laps.
0:15:48 > 0:15:49I can't go in the field at the moment
0:15:49 > 0:15:52because there's, literally, no space for me to go in the fields
0:15:52 > 0:15:54because I'd be driving it over the grain,
0:15:54 > 0:15:58so I'll wait out here while he cuts a couple of laps.
0:16:02 > 0:16:04Nice combine, nice to drive.
0:16:04 > 0:16:06Nice crop of barley coming in.
0:16:06 > 0:16:10The weather conditions could not be better, really, so it's ideal.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13Ideal, yes. Everything's going very smoothly!
0:16:13 > 0:16:14So, quite happy.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26Over in Kintyre, there's another two weeks to wait
0:16:26 > 0:16:27until harvesting can begin.
0:16:30 > 0:16:34Duncan Macallister and his wife Fiona mainly farm beef cattle.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37He feeds the cattle on the barley he grows.
0:16:37 > 0:16:42145-150 go to the bull every year out of 2,000 heifers.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45And I'm aiming to sell about 120 a year
0:16:45 > 0:16:49and retain 25-30 as breeding replacements to rejuvenate my herd.
0:16:49 > 0:16:51That's what the target is.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54This is the cash.
0:16:54 > 0:16:56For want of a better description.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59This is the end, this is what pays the bills.
0:16:59 > 0:17:03And feeds me. That and the subsidy, of course!
0:17:03 > 0:17:05But we've still got to sell animals, too.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10Fiona has recently given up her job as a teacher
0:17:10 > 0:17:11to help out on the farm.
0:17:11 > 0:17:15This'll be my first harvest, not working, so...
0:17:15 > 0:17:16Making the tea.
0:17:16 > 0:17:18And driving tractors,
0:17:18 > 0:17:20I think, this time.
0:17:20 > 0:17:22Normally I manage to avoid it.
0:17:22 > 0:17:24Perfect, let's go.
0:17:25 > 0:17:31He gets pretty stressed with the weather and the rain and the wind.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34And sleepless nights when he hears the rain and the wind.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37Yeah, it's stressful for him.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40And the mood's not good.
0:17:40 > 0:17:42HE WHISTLES
0:17:42 > 0:17:43Come on!
0:17:43 > 0:17:49He's like a bag of bad tempers until it's finished.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52What's that? Oh, I can get bad-tempered, aye!
0:17:54 > 0:17:56I can get bad-tempered, all right.
0:17:56 > 0:17:58Same as everybody else.
0:17:58 > 0:18:01Right, the going's good, then. Come on, girls. Here we go.
0:18:14 > 0:18:15Come on!
0:18:15 > 0:18:18Duncan mixes his barley with soya and other ingredients to feed
0:18:18 > 0:18:22his cattle through the winter and supplement their diet in the summer.
0:18:24 > 0:18:29He is constantly tweaking the mixture to get it as good as he can.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32There's an expression that my bank manager likes to use.
0:18:32 > 0:18:34"If you aye did what you aye did,
0:18:34 > 0:18:37"you'll aye get what you aye got."
0:18:37 > 0:18:39In my world, that isn't good enough.
0:18:39 > 0:18:44I like to try and improve my lot, and make myself more efficient,
0:18:44 > 0:18:47and have my farm business more efficient.
0:18:47 > 0:18:49It doesn't always work, but that's what we're trying to achieve,
0:18:49 > 0:18:51trying to better yourself in farming.
0:18:51 > 0:18:54Not for fashion, but to make a better job,
0:18:54 > 0:18:56and, in turn, have a better financial reward.
0:19:00 > 0:19:05However hard Duncan tries, some things are outwith his control.
0:19:05 > 0:19:07To some extent, the timing of the harvest
0:19:07 > 0:19:10depends when the crop was sown.
0:19:10 > 0:19:14But the weather is the other vital ingredient.
0:19:14 > 0:19:18Here in Scotland it's the west coast which bears the brunt
0:19:18 > 0:19:22of the weather fronts, rolling in from the Atlantic.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25That's why it's wetter in the west.
0:19:25 > 0:19:27And as the clouds pass over the country,
0:19:27 > 0:19:30much of the rain falls on the mountains.
0:19:31 > 0:19:35That leaves the eastern half of the country much drier.
0:19:36 > 0:19:41This is good news for Hugh Broad here in East Lothian.
0:19:41 > 0:19:43His harvest is well under way
0:19:43 > 0:19:47and the problems with the grain dryer are now behind him.
0:19:47 > 0:19:50Hugh needs the rest of harvest to run smoothly.
0:19:50 > 0:19:55He's had two years of poor crops and the business is under pressure.
0:19:56 > 0:19:58Last year was our worst year period.
0:19:58 > 0:20:02Each and every year, you're faced with the vagaries of the weather,
0:20:02 > 0:20:04but you've got economic variations, as well.
0:20:04 > 0:20:06In harvest '13, we had a combination of low yield
0:20:06 > 0:20:08and low commodity prices.
0:20:08 > 0:20:12You'd have had wheat marketed in harvest '12 at ?250 a tonne,
0:20:12 > 0:20:15and this year, the current futures price for wheat is 120.
0:20:17 > 0:20:21This makes it all the more crucial for Hugh to harvest his crops
0:20:21 > 0:20:23when they are in peak condition.
0:20:23 > 0:20:25It's dry now,
0:20:25 > 0:20:30but rain is never too far away wherever you are in Scotland.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33This crop, we're aiming for a milling market.
0:20:33 > 0:20:37And, hopefully, these are going to become Scott's Porage Oats.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40And so we want to maintain the quality.
0:20:40 > 0:20:42So, as soon as they become mature,
0:20:42 > 0:20:45we're then looking to get the harvester in and get them cut.
0:20:47 > 0:20:48Looking at the forecast,
0:20:48 > 0:20:51we've got about four or five days of rain coming,
0:20:51 > 0:20:57you know, on top of a crop that's really reached its ideal maturity.
0:20:57 > 0:21:02And from now on, we'll start to get, you know, potential loss of quality.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05And, so, that's why we're keen just to keep pressing on.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13As rain is about to move in to East Lothian,
0:21:13 > 0:21:16the harvesting conditions in Moray are perfect.
0:21:18 > 0:21:22So, drive up and under. Try and match his speed.
0:21:22 > 0:21:25And then he'll just start emptying it.
0:21:25 > 0:21:28The first one is always a bit rusty...
0:21:28 > 0:21:30but it soon comes back to me.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33It's the season's first rolling transfer.
0:21:33 > 0:21:37And again, we're just trying to start from the last area
0:21:37 > 0:21:39that he filled in the trailer.
0:21:39 > 0:21:44Just. We'll fill it from the back, to maximise the space.
0:21:44 > 0:21:46It's a bit strange when you're normally driving a car
0:21:46 > 0:21:50and you're looking forward, where you're going.
0:21:50 > 0:21:53When you're driving a tractor and filling a trailer with grain,
0:21:53 > 0:21:55you're always looking backwards
0:21:56 > 0:21:59Hugh heads back to the farm to dump the load in the grain shed.
0:22:01 > 0:22:06George's barley is destined to be used to make whisky,
0:22:06 > 0:22:08but it's got to be good.
0:22:08 > 0:22:11The distillers will only take the best of the best.
0:22:12 > 0:22:14So, that was the first tip of the trailer in there.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17That's our first pile of grain into the shed,
0:22:17 > 0:22:20and then we'll go and repeat the process from there.
0:22:21 > 0:22:23By the end of the season,
0:22:23 > 0:22:25this shed will be full to bursting point with barley -
0:22:25 > 0:22:27at least, that's the theory.
0:22:28 > 0:22:32Basically, he's been impatient...
0:22:34 > 0:22:36..not waited for me to come back...
0:22:37 > 0:22:42..he's pushed his luck and overfilled his tank
0:22:42 > 0:22:43and it's spilt over.
0:22:45 > 0:22:47The barley is precious.
0:22:47 > 0:22:51Hugh and George spend a few minutes rescuing the mislaid grains.
0:22:51 > 0:22:54This is a schoolboy error.
0:22:54 > 0:22:56Letting it overrun like that.
0:22:56 > 0:23:00I just folded the roof the wrong way down.
0:23:00 > 0:23:01So...
0:23:01 > 0:23:04inexperience with the new combine. HUGH CHUCKLES
0:23:04 > 0:23:05All there is to it.
0:23:05 > 0:23:08So... You'll never do it again, though, eh?
0:23:08 > 0:23:09Well, I'll never do it again, no.
0:23:09 > 0:23:11I'll never live it down if I do it again, either!
0:23:11 > 0:23:12Lesson learned.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17Lecture over and a few minutes later, the wheels are rolling again.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26In Kintyre, Duncan's working flat out.
0:23:26 > 0:23:27Just checking for rot.
0:23:27 > 0:23:31If I can stick my finger through it, I'll need to do something about it.
0:23:32 > 0:23:36Need to go and get the pop-riveter. Or a welder.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39Or a bean can and start repairing it.
0:23:39 > 0:23:43The first of Duncan's barley fields are ready to harvest.
0:23:43 > 0:23:47But, as ever, there are a few wee things that need sorted.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50The harvest fever is on me this morning.
0:23:50 > 0:23:54I didn't sleep very well last night, cos I knew I was going to this today.
0:24:00 > 0:24:03Some holes you can just tape up with duct tape.
0:24:03 > 0:24:04This being one of them.
0:24:04 > 0:24:06It's not that bad yet.
0:24:06 > 0:24:08So, I'll just tape it up.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11I'm excited that the machine works properly.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14Then, I'll not be excited when I go round the field and turn round
0:24:14 > 0:24:16and there's not much BLEEP grain in the tank.
0:24:16 > 0:24:19And I realise, the crop's maybe not as good as I hoped it'd be.
0:24:19 > 0:24:21Then I'll be BLEEP off.
0:24:22 > 0:24:25Oh...wee bit more... That's it.
0:24:25 > 0:24:26A few more patches,
0:24:26 > 0:24:29and then Duncan's in the field and ready to go.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32Start of the 2014 harvest.
0:24:32 > 0:24:37Five and half, six acre field.
0:24:37 > 0:24:38ENGINE TICKS OVER
0:24:38 > 0:24:40Hopefully, she'll start.
0:24:40 > 0:24:41ENGINE REVS
0:24:55 > 0:24:59As the cereals harvest is in full swing, there's another crop
0:24:59 > 0:25:02that traditionally is coming to the end of its harvest -
0:25:02 > 0:25:03soft fruit.
0:25:10 > 0:25:12But that isn't always the case these days.
0:25:12 > 0:25:16The fruit season is being extended by some innovative farmers,
0:25:16 > 0:25:18who are using technology to fill the gap
0:25:18 > 0:25:21in the supply of British soft fruit to the supermarkets.
0:25:23 > 0:25:25Very nice.
0:25:25 > 0:25:28At Castleton Farm, near Laurencekirk in Aberdeenshire,
0:25:28 > 0:25:32they've always grown strawberries and raspberries.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35But recently, they've started a new crop -
0:25:35 > 0:25:37blueberries.
0:25:37 > 0:25:39Ross Mitchell runs the business.
0:25:39 > 0:25:42Ross, tell me, why did you move into blueberries?
0:25:42 > 0:25:46We started growing blueberries cos we saw a market opportunity
0:25:46 > 0:25:48for late-season blueberries.
0:25:48 > 0:25:52When the southern hemisphere has finished producing... Uh-huh.
0:25:52 > 0:25:54..it moves through Northern Europe.
0:25:54 > 0:25:56Poland's the biggest producer in Europe.
0:25:56 > 0:25:58And then, after they finish,
0:25:58 > 0:26:01there's a big gap before the southern hemisphere starts again.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04So, we recognised this window of opportunity,
0:26:04 > 0:26:06and did some trials with different varieties,
0:26:06 > 0:26:08to see if we'd fit this gap. Uh-huh.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11And, lo and behold, we fit it perfectly,
0:26:11 > 0:26:15so we're extending the UK season by an extra six weeks
0:26:15 > 0:26:17and have the UK produce blueberries
0:26:17 > 0:26:19when nobody in the rest of the world is producing.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22We should really test them... Yeah. ..seeing as we're here.
0:26:22 > 0:26:25Walking for a couple of minutes already... Proof of the pudding.
0:26:27 > 0:26:30Oh, man, it's just an explosion in your mouth, isn't it?
0:26:30 > 0:26:31It is, isn't it? That's beautiful.
0:26:31 > 0:26:35Really sweet, but you really get the tang of the fruit, as well.
0:26:35 > 0:26:38And you're the most northerly producer in the UK, is that right?
0:26:38 > 0:26:41We're claiming to be the most northerly growers in the world.
0:26:43 > 0:26:47Castleton produce 1,700 tonnes of soft fruit,
0:26:47 > 0:26:51all grown on 240 acres of land.
0:26:51 > 0:26:55Their team of seasonal pickers, mainly from eastern Europe,
0:26:55 > 0:26:59fill 110,000 punnets of fruit every day.
0:26:59 > 0:27:02That's five million punnets a year!
0:27:02 > 0:27:04This is big business.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11But Castleton are not content to stop there.
0:27:11 > 0:27:12They're in the middle of a trial
0:27:12 > 0:27:16to see if they can produce cherries on a commercial scale.
0:27:16 > 0:27:19And, by the looks of things, it's going pretty well, so far.
0:27:19 > 0:27:23So, we're trying to mimic what we've done with blueberries by extending
0:27:23 > 0:27:25the UK offer of cherries for an extra three to four weeks
0:27:25 > 0:27:27after the English season's finished.
0:27:27 > 0:27:32So, this is a variety called Lapins, which is very dark, very sweet -
0:27:32 > 0:27:33large fruit, very succulent.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36Is that the only ones you grow here? No, we grow five different varieties.
0:27:36 > 0:27:40We're trialling different varieties to get different seasons.
0:27:40 > 0:27:43So, we'll be picking cherries for six weeks, up in Scotland.
0:27:43 > 0:27:46How successful has this been, then, moving into cherries?
0:27:46 > 0:27:47It's still early days, yet.
0:27:47 > 0:27:49Our oldest plantation's only four years old,
0:27:49 > 0:27:52but hopefully, we're going to make it work, anyway.
0:27:53 > 0:27:55The Cherry trial at Castleton
0:27:55 > 0:27:59has had investment and support from Marks Spencer.
0:27:59 > 0:28:01Their soft fruit buyer is Bill Davies.
0:28:01 > 0:28:03Well, Ross has been...
0:28:03 > 0:28:05Well, we've been with Ross for nearly ten years now,
0:28:05 > 0:28:07first, as a soft fruit grower.
0:28:07 > 0:28:11But we wanted to try and extend our cherry season, our UK cherry season,
0:28:11 > 0:28:14and Ross, here, had perfect conditions.
0:28:14 > 0:28:16And because he's such an innovative grower,
0:28:16 > 0:28:18he was happy to try a new crop.
0:28:18 > 0:28:21And the result, as you've seen today, has been fantastic.
0:28:21 > 0:28:23And what are you looking for in the perfect cherry?
0:28:23 > 0:28:24Wow!
0:28:24 > 0:28:27Colour and a really, really good flavour.
0:28:27 > 0:28:31We try and sell the biggest, sweetest, juiciest cherries.
0:28:31 > 0:28:32And I think that says it all, really.
0:28:32 > 0:28:37That bite and that flavour, and that first bite is what's so key.
0:28:37 > 0:28:38And Ross is delivering it.
0:28:38 > 0:28:40And Ross, well, look what's on the tree.
0:28:40 > 0:28:43Ross is delivering it. And people buy with their eyes, as well,
0:28:43 > 0:28:46and the cherries just look absolutely stunning at this time of year.
0:28:55 > 0:28:57The end of the first week in August
0:28:57 > 0:29:00and, so far, the summer's been great for crops.
0:29:00 > 0:29:03Just the right mix of sunshine and rain.
0:29:03 > 0:29:06But just as the grain stores are starting to fill,
0:29:06 > 0:29:10the weather takes a dramatic turn for the worse.
0:29:10 > 0:29:12We're keeping an eye on this area of low pressure.
0:29:12 > 0:29:13It is ex-Hurricane Bertha.
0:29:13 > 0:29:16It's not looking... Oh... It's not looking nice.
0:29:16 > 0:29:20We knew the remnants of Hurricane Bertha were coming.
0:29:20 > 0:29:21We thought we just might miss it.
0:29:21 > 0:29:24And you can see on the radar and satellite pictures,
0:29:24 > 0:29:27those swathes of cloud, the heavy bands of rain.
0:29:27 > 0:29:30The forecast on the BBC is dire.
0:29:30 > 0:29:33Some further heavy rain for parts of Moray and western Aberdeenshire.
0:29:33 > 0:29:35That rain will just keep coming.
0:29:35 > 0:29:37That is bad news. That's really bad news for us.
0:29:41 > 0:29:44Over the weekend of the 9th and 10th of August,
0:29:44 > 0:29:46Moray takes the brunt of Bertha.
0:29:48 > 0:29:51This was an unusual storm.
0:29:51 > 0:29:53The position of the jet stream
0:29:53 > 0:29:56drew the weather system across Central and Southern England,
0:29:56 > 0:30:00before heading into the North Sea and then curling back on itself,
0:30:00 > 0:30:03hitting the North East of Scotland worst of all.
0:30:09 > 0:30:10That is serious BLEEP.
0:30:10 > 0:30:12That is serious, serious BLEEP.
0:30:13 > 0:30:16If the rain stops now, that'll take....
0:30:16 > 0:30:20I estimate five to seven days before we can get going again.
0:30:20 > 0:30:22By the looks of it.
0:30:22 > 0:30:25I mean, the colour's still there, it's not too bad.
0:30:25 > 0:30:26It's flattened little bits a bit more,
0:30:26 > 0:30:29but we can easily pick that up with the combine.
0:30:29 > 0:30:30That's not fatal.
0:30:30 > 0:30:34It's just frustrating to see it sitting there
0:30:34 > 0:30:37getting four inches of rain dumped on it overnight.
0:30:40 > 0:30:44With no prospect of harvesting for at least a few days,
0:30:44 > 0:30:47George retreats into the kitchen with his wife Kate.
0:30:49 > 0:30:51There's nothing you can do about that.
0:30:51 > 0:30:53It's outwith your control. It's going to happen.
0:30:53 > 0:30:56You just have to make the best of it.
0:30:56 > 0:31:01And we'll just sit it out and, when the weather improves,
0:31:01 > 0:31:04everything'll dry up and, hopefully, we'll get the rest of the crop cut.
0:31:04 > 0:31:07You've got to remain optimistic about it.
0:31:07 > 0:31:09Hope for the best.
0:31:10 > 0:31:11Glass half full.
0:31:11 > 0:31:12Glass half full.
0:31:21 > 0:31:24East Lothian has escaped the wrath of Bertha.
0:31:24 > 0:31:28Here, it's now warm and dry, and Hugh is cutting wheat.
0:31:29 > 0:31:31At the moment we're processing,
0:31:31 > 0:31:35well, it's just over 50 tonnes an hour.
0:31:37 > 0:31:41Which, you know, that's pretty good going.
0:31:41 > 0:31:43If the moisture would drop a little bit more,
0:31:43 > 0:31:47then we could increase that output still further,
0:31:47 > 0:31:49but it's quite respectable.
0:31:53 > 0:31:55Today's a good day, with the weather.
0:31:55 > 0:31:58So, they're cracking on, I'm just getting their tea for later on.
0:31:59 > 0:32:03While Hugh drives the machine, his wife, Anna, feeds the troops.
0:32:05 > 0:32:08Got beef stew tonight, from the local butcher.
0:32:08 > 0:32:11Just doing some veg to go with it.
0:32:11 > 0:32:15Everyone has a role to play at harvest time and...
0:32:18 > 0:32:22..keeps everything ticking over nicely, if you all pull together.
0:32:22 > 0:32:25I get the easy deal. I prefer cooking to driving machines
0:32:25 > 0:32:28and I think I'm better at it, so...
0:32:28 > 0:32:30Everyone does what they're best at.
0:32:41 > 0:32:43I picked up quite a vibration,
0:32:43 > 0:32:45since I went through that green patch back up there,
0:32:45 > 0:32:48so I'm going to have to stop and have a look
0:32:48 > 0:32:50and see what's causing it all, when I get to the end here.
0:32:50 > 0:32:53Suddenly, something isn't right.
0:32:54 > 0:32:58Erm, the vibration just got worse and worse
0:32:58 > 0:33:02and it came up with a warning symbol, saying that grain elevos were slow,
0:33:02 > 0:33:05so I know roughly which area to go and have a look on the machine.
0:33:05 > 0:33:09But we'll need to go and investigate. There's a fundamental problem there.
0:33:09 > 0:33:11Tractor-man Gary arrives to lend a hand.
0:33:13 > 0:33:15There's a green patch.
0:33:17 > 0:33:20I think a foreign body's gone through the machine
0:33:20 > 0:33:23and it's smashed the rotary knives on the straw chopper,
0:33:23 > 0:33:25as well as some stationary knives,
0:33:25 > 0:33:29and the debris has gone into the return mechanism on the harvester,
0:33:29 > 0:33:32and it's jammed it. Right, keep going.
0:33:40 > 0:33:43ENGINE STARTS
0:33:48 > 0:33:53That didn't sound good, Hugh. It didn't sound good, no.
0:33:53 > 0:33:55It's almost like there's a shaft bent.
0:33:55 > 0:33:58Do you know that when you see it?
0:33:58 > 0:34:01The vibration coming off of this one here.
0:34:01 > 0:34:04That's gone through. Oh, yeah.
0:34:04 > 0:34:07Yeah, as it's coming off that pulley, it's cut it across.
0:34:09 > 0:34:12Right, definitely a workshop job.
0:34:12 > 0:34:14Right, shut all the panels up.
0:34:14 > 0:34:17Those things can go in the bucket.
0:34:17 > 0:34:19Hi, Jock.
0:34:22 > 0:34:25Yeah, but we're starting to get to the bottom of the problem,
0:34:25 > 0:34:29the straw-chopper shaft has moved sideways in the machine.
0:34:29 > 0:34:32And it's the drive shaft that's wrong.
0:34:32 > 0:34:34It's thrown the belt off
0:34:34 > 0:34:36and, for some reason, the whole shaft has moved through,
0:34:36 > 0:34:39you know, where you clutch it to change from the low speed
0:34:39 > 0:34:43to the high speed? Something fundamental has gone wrong there.
0:34:43 > 0:34:45Would you be able to come up and have a look
0:34:45 > 0:34:46and assess it more thoroughly?
0:34:49 > 0:34:51We just want to either get it resolved ASAP
0:34:51 > 0:34:54or see if we can get hold of another machine,
0:34:54 > 0:34:56because it's a bit of a disaster.
0:35:00 > 0:35:04Until the specialist engineers can strip the combine down,
0:35:04 > 0:35:07Hugh won't know the extent of the problem.
0:35:07 > 0:35:10But this delay is the last thing he needs.
0:35:27 > 0:35:32Stick the compressor on. I'm wanting the airgun, it's just there, Neil.
0:35:33 > 0:35:35It's a bit grey.
0:35:35 > 0:35:39It's dry, but it's a bit grey and the forecast is for sun.
0:35:39 > 0:35:41That's frustrating, cos it's not sunny.
0:35:41 > 0:35:44And I don't think... I'll be surprised if it'll do.
0:35:44 > 0:35:46The sun'll need to come out.
0:35:46 > 0:35:48And then, we'll move on.
0:35:48 > 0:35:50Duncan's being helped by his son, Neil,
0:35:50 > 0:35:53who he hopes will, one day, take over the farm.
0:35:53 > 0:35:54You would want me to go to college,
0:35:54 > 0:35:58but I wouldn't need to go to college to do it, I wouldn't say.
0:35:59 > 0:36:02Don't want to, basically.
0:36:02 > 0:36:06If you're going to be a farmer, you'd be better going to college.
0:36:06 > 0:36:08Yeah, but I wouldn't need to. Well...
0:36:08 > 0:36:11By the time you're dead and you've stopped telling me what to do,
0:36:11 > 0:36:12I'll know everything.
0:36:12 > 0:36:16DUNCAN CHUCKLES
0:36:16 > 0:36:19Oh, great(!)
0:36:19 > 0:36:22Duncan's combine has been idle for more than a week,
0:36:22 > 0:36:26while he had to wait for his next fields of barley to ripen.
0:36:26 > 0:36:31Conditions aren't ideal, but he can't bear to wait any longer.
0:36:31 > 0:36:33You know, you're running your feet through the grass
0:36:33 > 0:36:35and it's dry, you know?
0:36:35 > 0:36:38All right, there's a wee puddle here, but ignore that.
0:36:44 > 0:36:46It's fairly dry down there.
0:36:46 > 0:36:49Not perfectly dry, but it's fairly dry.
0:36:49 > 0:36:52We'll try it. We'll try it once around the field.
0:36:54 > 0:36:59Questionable, whether it's hard enough, you know? We'll try it.
0:37:12 > 0:37:16With just a few hundred metres cut, Duncan's combine is not happy.
0:37:24 > 0:37:26The belt came off.
0:37:26 > 0:37:29But I don't know why it's come off. I think I've chopped the drum.
0:37:29 > 0:37:33Something's gone wrong anyway. Let me get my boiler suit and my tool box.
0:37:35 > 0:37:38HE SIGHS
0:37:39 > 0:37:42It doesn't take long to find out what's wrong.
0:37:44 > 0:37:46Oh.
0:37:46 > 0:37:49That's not what we want to see.
0:37:49 > 0:37:52The combine is clogged up with wet straw.
0:37:55 > 0:37:58They'll be saying, "I told you so. I told you it was too wet."
0:38:08 > 0:38:14As you can see, underfoot, this is what Bertha brought with it.
0:38:14 > 0:38:16Pretty squelchy. Pretty squelchy.
0:38:16 > 0:38:19It's the 24th of August, George Elder's patience
0:38:19 > 0:38:21has been tested to its limit,
0:38:21 > 0:38:24he hasn't been able to combine for two whole weeks
0:38:24 > 0:38:28after the flooding caused by the remnants of Hurricane Bertha.
0:38:28 > 0:38:33This is the aftermath, or the consequences of Bertha,
0:38:33 > 0:38:35obviously, four or five inches of rain
0:38:35 > 0:38:37landing everywhere up on the hills
0:38:37 > 0:38:40and the Muckle Burn is just through the trees there.
0:38:40 > 0:38:44Right. Couldn't cope, so it just comes spewing out, digs a hole
0:38:44 > 0:38:48and, as you can see, distributes gravel everywhere.
0:38:48 > 0:38:51So, this water isn't normally there? That's all come from the burn?
0:38:51 > 0:38:55No, no. That has come out of there, yes, this would normally be barley,
0:38:55 > 0:38:59as you can see. This hole has been created by the force of the water?
0:38:59 > 0:39:01Yes. Completely? Completely. Good God.
0:39:04 > 0:39:07The flood caused by the burn breaking its banks
0:39:07 > 0:39:11is jeopardising a number of acres of George's barley.
0:39:11 > 0:39:15If he can't get it harvested soon, it won't be good enough to be sold
0:39:15 > 0:39:18at a premium price to the whisky industry.
0:39:18 > 0:39:22If he can't harvest it at all, he'll lose thousands of pounds.
0:39:24 > 0:39:27So, you reckon there's about 10 acres here.
0:39:27 > 0:39:30We think there's about 10 acres. And what are we? ?165 per tonne.
0:39:30 > 0:39:33?165 per tonne is about the going rate.
0:39:33 > 0:39:36Two tonnes per acre. Two tonnes per acre.
0:39:36 > 0:39:38At least. 3,300 quid. ?3,300.
0:39:38 > 0:39:42Just sitting here... going to waste, at the moment.
0:39:42 > 0:39:44Hopefully, we'll get it. Hopefully.
0:39:44 > 0:39:48Not going to risk any more of that.
0:39:48 > 0:39:53The yellow combine is poised, ready to attack the boggy field,
0:39:53 > 0:39:57but George is concerned she may end up consuming more than barley.
0:39:59 > 0:40:02This is what you get. Debris strewn all through your crop.
0:40:05 > 0:40:07Which is pretty harmless, but not to a combine.
0:40:07 > 0:40:09A combine will hit all of that.
0:40:14 > 0:40:18We'll see what we can get without getting stuck.
0:40:18 > 0:40:21And you have to go slow, not for the crop itself,
0:40:21 > 0:40:23but you just can't go waltzing into it,
0:40:23 > 0:40:29because if you go too fast and get stuck in the crop then...not good.
0:40:29 > 0:40:33So, we just have to tread carefully.
0:40:33 > 0:40:34Ah, come on!
0:40:35 > 0:40:39George's day goes from bad to worse.
0:40:39 > 0:40:43At the other end of the field, younger son Gavin
0:40:43 > 0:40:46has got his tractor well and truly stuck in the muck.
0:40:59 > 0:41:01It's just not funny. Really?
0:41:01 > 0:41:05What? Getting stuck. It's just ridiculous, you know?
0:41:05 > 0:41:06It's unheard of, I know.
0:41:12 > 0:41:15What you didn't do... See the green button there? Yeah.
0:41:15 > 0:41:21That's four-wheel drive. Oh. It's in now, see? Four-wheel drive now?
0:41:21 > 0:41:25Yes, so... Well, leave it in four-wheel drive in the field,
0:41:25 > 0:41:29but when you're going up the farm road just knock it out.
0:41:29 > 0:41:31But that...that would have helped.
0:41:31 > 0:41:34It's all right. You might have got stuck, anyway, I don't know.
0:41:46 > 0:41:48OK, here's the... Oh, my goodness.
0:41:49 > 0:41:53I almost feel quite bad about coming in and talking about this,
0:41:53 > 0:41:56but this is the... This is the problem, I take it?
0:41:57 > 0:42:02Hugh's combine has now been out of action for 24 hours.
0:42:02 > 0:42:03What's happened is,
0:42:03 > 0:42:07this is a driveshaft that comes through from the engine.
0:42:07 > 0:42:10This is the power train coming through to drive the grain elevator
0:42:10 > 0:42:13and the re-threshing mechanism. Uh-huh.
0:42:13 > 0:42:17And the shaft has failed. It's an unusual breakdown.
0:42:17 > 0:42:18But it's one that, you know,
0:42:18 > 0:42:21it's going to take several hours to repair. Right.
0:42:21 > 0:42:25The key with all these breakdowns is, you know, things go wrong,
0:42:25 > 0:42:27but it is how quickly we can respond to it
0:42:27 > 0:42:28and get it up and running.
0:42:28 > 0:42:31We're very fortunate. The local dealership is coming quick.
0:42:31 > 0:42:34They've organised spares, they're stripping the broken bits out
0:42:34 > 0:42:36and we can then get the replacement bits in.
0:42:36 > 0:42:40And will there be a financial implication for this, do you think?
0:42:40 > 0:42:42Fortunately, this is a relatively new machine
0:42:42 > 0:42:44and is still under warranty.
0:42:44 > 0:42:46I have yet to come across a machine that doesn't break down
0:42:46 > 0:42:49and the key is how quickly we can get it going again.
0:42:49 > 0:42:52Not as quickly as Hugh would like.
0:42:52 > 0:42:54The parts eventually came in over the weekend
0:42:54 > 0:42:57and, unfortunately, there was another problem.
0:42:57 > 0:43:00When the shaft snapped, it damaged the rotor on the straw chopper,
0:43:00 > 0:43:03so the straw chopper has had to be replaced, as well.
0:43:03 > 0:43:06The dealers and the manufacturers have been really helpful.
0:43:06 > 0:43:09They have allowed us to use their demonstration harvester,
0:43:09 > 0:43:11which is what we're in today.
0:43:11 > 0:43:13It is not quite as big as our own harvester
0:43:13 > 0:43:16but at least it allows us to keep the wheels turning.
0:43:23 > 0:43:25We are flat out now and, uh,
0:43:25 > 0:43:29we will be until October, so plenty to do for everyone
0:43:29 > 0:43:33and I'm just getting the tea ready for everyone who works on the farm.
0:43:33 > 0:43:36Because it's a great harvesting day, we're going to push on
0:43:36 > 0:43:39into the evening, as long as we can
0:43:39 > 0:43:44and, hopefully, the weather holds and the wheels keep turning.
0:43:44 > 0:43:46You always have to add that caveat in farming,
0:43:46 > 0:43:49"weather permitting", and I think there's also
0:43:49 > 0:43:53an added caveat of "machinery permitting", as well!
0:43:53 > 0:43:55This is where they'll eat their tea tonight.
0:43:55 > 0:43:59Pop it in the fridge and they can microwave it up when they're ready.
0:44:13 > 0:44:17We're missing our own machine, but this one is doing a great job.
0:44:17 > 0:44:21But it is probably working at at least 25% less output
0:44:21 > 0:44:23than our own machines.
0:44:24 > 0:44:26But, uh, 75% progress is better than none.
0:44:29 > 0:44:31We've had a good harvesting day today
0:44:31 > 0:44:36and made a bit of progress, but we'll keep going longer, if we can.
0:44:36 > 0:44:39The moisture in the grain is quite low now
0:44:39 > 0:44:43and if we can harvest in these conditions, we save quite a lot
0:44:43 > 0:44:46of drying, so we're just going to keep the wheels turning and...
0:44:47 > 0:44:51It's about nine o'clock now, but if we can, we'll push on
0:44:51 > 0:44:54for another few hours yet, but...time will tell.
0:45:06 > 0:45:09Early September and, as the days start to shorten and temperatures
0:45:09 > 0:45:14begin to fall, the last crop to be harvested is tatties.
0:45:15 > 0:45:18Last year was a dreadful one for potato famers.
0:45:18 > 0:45:21There were reports that tens of thousands of tonnes of potatoes
0:45:21 > 0:45:24were simply dumped, because there wasn't a market for them.
0:45:24 > 0:45:28Fingers crossed that 2014 will be better.
0:45:28 > 0:45:31I'm on my way to Perthshire to the Grewar family farm.
0:45:43 > 0:45:46How's it going? Good, thanks. Nice to meet you. Thanks very much.
0:45:46 > 0:45:49I'll give you that, we'll have a look around, will we? Definitely.
0:45:50 > 0:45:53This looks lovely. Just my colour. Matches my eyes.
0:45:53 > 0:45:58Pete Grewar is the fourth generation of his family to farm here.
0:45:58 > 0:46:03His father planted his first acre of new potatoes in 1973.
0:46:03 > 0:46:0740 years on, the operation has grown substantially.
0:46:07 > 0:46:10Pete, tell me, how many acres of tatties are you growing here?
0:46:10 > 0:46:14In Perthshire and Angus, we're growing about 900 acres, um,
0:46:14 > 0:46:17of potatoes for the fresh market.
0:46:17 > 0:46:21But also, we grow about 400 acres up in the Black Isle in Easter Ross.
0:46:21 > 0:46:24And that's predominantly for certified seed.
0:46:24 > 0:46:30Scotland produces over 1.1 million tonnes of potatoes every year.
0:46:30 > 0:46:32That's shedloads of tatties -
0:46:32 > 0:46:36about 550 million pre-packed supermarket bags.
0:46:37 > 0:46:41Pete's taking me to see a field of potatoes a few weeks away
0:46:41 > 0:46:43from being ready to harvest.
0:46:43 > 0:46:46We take the tops off, to stop them growing,
0:46:46 > 0:46:48if we don't do that, then they won't keep for any length of time.
0:46:48 > 0:46:52Oh, right. So that allows us to store them through the winter.
0:46:52 > 0:46:56What's the weather been like this summer? Good for potatoes?
0:46:56 > 0:46:58It has been a very growthy summer,
0:46:58 > 0:47:01it's been very good for the crops growing.
0:47:01 > 0:47:04We have had rain and sunshine in good measure.
0:47:06 > 0:47:09Aww, looking nice. There we go, beautiful.
0:47:11 > 0:47:12Fantastic. That looks lovely.
0:47:12 > 0:47:15What variety are these and where would you sell them?
0:47:15 > 0:47:19These are Maris Piper, the most commonly-grown variety
0:47:19 > 0:47:21in Scotland and the UK.
0:47:21 > 0:47:25And these will go into supermarket pre-packed bags.
0:47:28 > 0:47:30Like the cereals harvest,
0:47:30 > 0:47:33modern potato farming relies on state-of-the-art equipment.
0:47:35 > 0:47:39For this season, the Grewars invested in a brand-new machine,
0:47:39 > 0:47:41worth ?392,000.
0:47:44 > 0:47:46As with most other crops,
0:47:46 > 0:47:51this is a global market ruled by supply and demand.
0:47:51 > 0:47:55The price received by farmers can go down, as well as up.
0:47:56 > 0:47:59Let's talk about last year. Just how bad a year was it?
0:48:01 > 0:48:05It was hugely variable, you know. Everybody had different crops
0:48:05 > 0:48:09and the potato industry has always been quite a volatile industry,
0:48:09 > 0:48:10in terms of price.
0:48:10 > 0:48:15The price can be poor one year, high the next, at farm gate level.
0:48:15 > 0:48:17Retail prices tend to be flatter.
0:48:18 > 0:48:22So, it wasn't the worst year we've had, by a long way.
0:48:22 > 0:48:25But I understand that quite a lot of potatoes were dumped last year,
0:48:25 > 0:48:29as well. What are we talking about in terms of tonnage?
0:48:29 > 0:48:32For starters, when we talk about tonnages being dumped,
0:48:32 > 0:48:35you know, we don't dump it in a landfill site or in a quarry,
0:48:35 > 0:48:39it goes into cattle feed and other markets.
0:48:39 > 0:48:43These markets are generally low or even no value markets.
0:48:44 > 0:48:46So, what is this year looking like, do you think?
0:48:46 > 0:48:49This year, we have good quality crops, the volume of the crop
0:48:49 > 0:48:52looks to be slightly bigger than normal this year.
0:48:52 > 0:48:56The forecasters are telling us, so it must be true, that we are going
0:48:56 > 0:49:01to have a colder winter than normal and that will increase demand.
0:49:01 > 0:49:04So, we are hoping that the extra volume of potatoes that we are going
0:49:04 > 0:49:06to produce this year will be soaked up by that
0:49:06 > 0:49:10extra demand from the cold weather this winter.
0:49:10 > 0:49:13So, the weather of 2014 looks like providing a good season
0:49:13 > 0:49:15for potato growing.
0:49:15 > 0:49:19A cold winter to follow will increase consumer demand.
0:49:19 > 0:49:23Put the two together and this could be a bumper year for potato farmers.
0:49:27 > 0:49:29In East Lothian,
0:49:29 > 0:49:32it's seven days since Hugh's combine suffered a major breakdown.
0:49:33 > 0:49:37Finally, the replacement straw chopper has arrived
0:49:37 > 0:49:41and the engineers can begin the delicate operation to fit it.
0:49:41 > 0:49:42Bit more!
0:49:45 > 0:49:46Tilt it forward.
0:49:48 > 0:49:49Right, up.
0:49:52 > 0:49:55It takes most of the day to fit the new part
0:49:55 > 0:49:57and put the combine back together.
0:49:59 > 0:50:01So, yeah, that's it done. We're good to go now,
0:50:01 > 0:50:06so, we'll...just see how they're getting on in the other field,
0:50:06 > 0:50:09but we're probably going to go straight to Duncanlaw.
0:50:15 > 0:50:18We've got that demo machine for the rest of today, anyway,
0:50:18 > 0:50:21and it looks like we've got rain coming in tomorrow,
0:50:21 > 0:50:24so it's 6 o'clock now. For a few hours this evening, We were able
0:50:24 > 0:50:29to work till about half 11 last night, before the dampness came down.
0:50:29 > 0:50:32If we're able to keep the wheels turning, we can maybe get another
0:50:32 > 0:50:35five or six hours of harvesting and that makes a big difference.
0:50:44 > 0:50:45The end is nigh!
0:50:47 > 0:50:49We've got approximately...less...maybe
0:50:49 > 0:50:51about 30 acres to go.
0:50:51 > 0:50:52If you look down there,
0:50:52 > 0:50:54see all those millions of heads coming in?
0:50:54 > 0:50:58That's heavy. That'll be a three-tonne crop, I think.
0:50:59 > 0:51:02Basically, over there is the end, that corner.
0:51:02 > 0:51:03Another field is the end.
0:51:05 > 0:51:08Seems to have taken for ever. Been at it nearly three weeks.
0:51:10 > 0:51:13I remember doing what Neil's doing now.
0:51:13 > 0:51:15When I was quite young,
0:51:15 > 0:51:18I had a little trailer and it was spilling everywhere.
0:51:21 > 0:51:25It's 21 years since Duncan took over the farm from his father.
0:51:27 > 0:51:29I realised that there was a huge asset here
0:51:29 > 0:51:31and someone had to look after it.
0:51:31 > 0:51:33And I reckoned I was the man to be doing it.
0:51:33 > 0:51:35So, eh, I trained myself how to do it.
0:51:37 > 0:51:40I came back here when I was 30.
0:51:40 > 0:51:44It was severely run down. Everything was hanging together with string.
0:51:44 > 0:51:46The first day, I cut the string off. The next day
0:51:46 > 0:51:50I put it back on, because it all fell to bits!
0:51:50 > 0:51:54I enjoy what I do. I enjoy working with the land.
0:51:54 > 0:51:55It's a game, this farming lark.
0:51:55 > 0:51:58But you've got to make it pay. That's the clever bit.
0:52:04 > 0:52:08The rain stopped play at six o'clock, so we went home,
0:52:08 > 0:52:10picked up a sample of barley and now we're taking it up
0:52:10 > 0:52:15to Highland Grain, which is the cooperative that I am a part of.
0:52:15 > 0:52:19Every few days, George checks his barley is going to be good enough.
0:52:21 > 0:52:25That's it, that's my sample in for tonight.
0:52:27 > 0:52:29They'll look at that one in the morning
0:52:29 > 0:52:34and I'll hear back from them tomorrow sometime.
0:52:37 > 0:52:40First test, I think, is moisture.
0:52:40 > 0:52:42Then, they test it for the nitrogen level
0:52:42 > 0:52:45and the nitrogen level has to be under 1.7,
0:52:45 > 0:52:49so the lower the nitrogen, the better the quality of the barley -
0:52:49 > 0:52:51or the better the maltsters like it.
0:52:51 > 0:52:56And then, the most important thing they test it for is germination.
0:52:56 > 0:52:58It has to germinate, to make it into malt.
0:53:05 > 0:53:12Highland Grain send me a text back with all the results, so the variety
0:53:12 > 0:53:16is concerto, the nitrogen is 1.4, which is very good,
0:53:16 > 0:53:20moisture content 15.4, which is dry, so it will store in here,
0:53:20 > 0:53:24but we still like to get it shifted, so it is a very good sample
0:53:24 > 0:53:26so it is good to go.
0:53:26 > 0:53:30They'll take that. We'll get a lorry tomorrow, I hope.
0:53:30 > 0:53:34George is unusual in selling his barley so quickly.
0:53:34 > 0:53:37If they've got the storage space, many farmers hang on to their grain
0:53:37 > 0:53:41and watch the market, to catch it when the price rises.
0:53:45 > 0:53:47That price is determined in the United States,
0:53:47 > 0:53:51at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, commonly known as the Merc.
0:53:53 > 0:53:57The Chicago price is influenced by political and climatic events
0:53:57 > 0:53:58across the globe.
0:54:01 > 0:54:05But this is a benchmark guide and different types of grain
0:54:05 > 0:54:09will sell for varying amounts, depending on their end use.
0:54:09 > 0:54:12For example, malting barley for whisky will always have
0:54:12 > 0:54:16a higher value than barley for animal feed.
0:54:16 > 0:54:18But everything follows what happens in Chicago.
0:54:22 > 0:54:25Whether you're a farmer, a trader or distiller or a miller,
0:54:25 > 0:54:28you will probably have a good look at that price every day.
0:54:28 > 0:54:33Julian Bell is a farming finance expert at Scotland's Rural College.
0:54:33 > 0:54:36The factors that are affecting farmers in Scotland are just
0:54:36 > 0:54:41the same as those in Idaho, Argentina, you name it.
0:54:41 > 0:54:44That is the largest part of the effect on the grain price.
0:54:44 > 0:54:47And what percentage is British grain in the world market, then?
0:54:47 > 0:54:50The biggest grain crop in the world is the US corn crop.
0:54:50 > 0:54:54The Scottish grain crop is not even 1% of that. Right.
0:54:54 > 0:54:58So, it is a fraction of a percent, in terms of, even the UK,
0:54:58 > 0:55:00of the whole global grain production.
0:55:00 > 0:55:02How well has the market performed over the last few years?
0:55:02 > 0:55:06Up until very recently, the market has been pretty good for farmers.
0:55:06 > 0:55:08The world's population is growing, demand has been growing.
0:55:08 > 0:55:12Farmers have been struggling to keep up with demand, so our farmers have
0:55:12 > 0:55:16benefited quite well from that. But, last year was a good harvest
0:55:16 > 0:55:19and this year we've actually had a very good harvest around the world
0:55:19 > 0:55:22and really, put together, those two really good years have helped
0:55:22 > 0:55:26put the stocks up and brought the prices down
0:55:26 > 0:55:29and it could be quite a tough year for them this year.
0:55:39 > 0:55:41The 10th of September
0:55:41 > 0:55:44and it's a balmy late summer's evening in Kintyre.
0:55:50 > 0:55:54The combine stopped. Job done!
0:55:55 > 0:55:59Think we'll ever have harvest weather like this again?
0:55:59 > 0:56:01Probably never see it again, no?
0:56:01 > 0:56:04Not in our lifetime, anyway.
0:56:07 > 0:56:11Oh, well, that's the 21st harvest done.
0:56:11 > 0:56:14I think it's time to go for a beer, eh?
0:56:14 > 0:56:17We'll go for a beer.
0:56:21 > 0:56:25When at last the combines stop turning, it's time to forget
0:56:25 > 0:56:29about the problems of the season and reflect on a job well done.
0:56:31 > 0:56:35Hugh had his best harvest for three years, but is biding his time
0:56:35 > 0:56:40and waiting for the price of grain to rise, before selling most
0:56:40 > 0:56:41of his bumper crop.
0:56:41 > 0:56:44Physically, it's a good harvest, because the yields are high
0:56:44 > 0:56:48and the harvest has been gathered in reasonably good condition.
0:56:48 > 0:56:51It is quite nice. From a producer's point of view, we've done our bit.
0:56:51 > 0:56:53If we've got a good yield and it is harvested well
0:56:53 > 0:56:56and the next crop is established nicely, then we've done our bit.
0:56:59 > 0:57:03The quality of George's malting barley means it is destined
0:57:03 > 0:57:06to feature in a malt whisky glass in years to come.
0:57:07 > 0:57:11He sold it for ?165 per tonne,
0:57:11 > 0:57:13lower than last year, but not too bad.
0:57:15 > 0:57:17On reflection, a good harvest?
0:57:17 > 0:57:18On reflection a good harvest.
0:57:20 > 0:57:23Despite, despite Bertha interrupting things,
0:57:23 > 0:57:27the yield has been good, the quality has been there
0:57:27 > 0:57:30and it's gone to Highland Grain, so we are very happy.
0:57:32 > 0:57:37And Duncan had a great crop. 60 tonnes more barley than he needs
0:57:37 > 0:57:40to feed his cattle through the winter.
0:57:40 > 0:57:45He plans to sell the surplus locally, for up to ?130 a tonne.
0:57:45 > 0:57:48It's gone very well.
0:57:48 > 0:57:49It's been very trouble-free.
0:57:49 > 0:57:52One of the most straightforward harvests I think we've had.
0:57:52 > 0:57:56This is my 21st harvest and it's been relatively...
0:57:56 > 0:57:58It's been straightforward.
0:57:58 > 0:58:01The weather has been kind, though. The weather makes everything easy.
0:58:01 > 0:58:04Anybody can be a farmer in good weather.
0:58:07 > 0:58:10In a matter of days, this field, and thousands like it
0:58:10 > 0:58:14across the country, will be ploughed up and prepared for planting.
0:58:14 > 0:58:18Harvest 2014 will be a distant memory, as thoughts
0:58:18 > 0:58:20turn to next time around.
0:58:20 > 0:58:24Harvest is the culmination of a year of hard work by our farmers
0:58:24 > 0:58:28and their families. It is their livelihood but, without them,
0:58:28 > 0:58:31we would not be able to put food on our tables.
0:59:01 > 0:59:04A CHOIR HUMS: Adagio For Strings by Samuel Barber
0:59:06 > 0:59:08BRAYING AND BOOING
0:59:11 > 0:59:12CHEERING
0:59:16 > 0:59:17SLOWED DOWN: No!
0:59:26 > 0:59:27The new series!
0:59:33 > 0:59:35BELL TOLLS
0:59:35 > 0:59:37CLOCK TICKS
0:59:37 > 0:59:39England is in need of a jolly good scare. How?
0:59:39 > 0:59:40CLOCK TICKS
0:59:40 > 0:59:42Can you supply a bomb?
0:59:44 > 0:59:45You're an agent, aren't you?
0:59:45 > 0:59:47CLOCK TICKS
0:59:47 > 0:59:49Why were you talking about explosives?
0:59:49 > 0:59:52Our marriage is real. We are a true family.
0:59:52 > 0:59:54You know what our secret is, Stevie.
0:59:54 > 0:59:56Not even Winnie must know.
0:59:57 > 0:59:59I never expected to be used in this way!
1:00:01 > 1:00:02Time to act, fella!
1:00:02 > 1:00:04INAUDIBLE
1:00:04 > 1:00:06I'll do what needs to be done.