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Adam And The Animals
This week Adam Henson presents a special edition of Countryfile, looking at stories we’ve done about farm animals, as well as getting to grips with some of the jobs that need doing for his own livestock. Together with his stockman Mark, Adam will be sorting through more than 300 lambs and ewes, to decide which ones should be taken to market. He’ll also be trying to keep insects, and disease, away from his White Park cattle. Finally Adam will be helping with some donkey pedicures!
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The Baker Family Farm
As lambing gets underway on Matt Baker’s family farm in the Durham Dales, he’s returned home to give his parents a hand. With the help of his wife Nicola and two children – Luke and Molly - Matt constructs the nursery pens for the new arrivals. It’s a nervous time with the Schmallenberg virus effecting lambing in many areas. Will the Baker Farm be spared? There’s also a new addition to the Baker clan. Annie is a seven-month-old black Labrador. Matt puts her through her paces in an attempt to train her up to be a working dog.
Find out the latest on the Schmallenburg virus -
Trees for Chickens
The Eden Valley is true farming country. There are sheep on the high fells and dairy cattle in the low pastures. In 2001 though, it was all nearly wiped out when foot and mouth arrived in the area. Those farms which didn’t go under had to diversify to survive. Their salvation? Chickens. A whole network of farmers and small-scale producers got into free range eggs and never looked back. But it’s not just eggs. These farms are breaking new ground in our understanding of what makes free range chickens tick – it seems answer is trees! Katie Knapman visits the farm where planting trees should mean happy chickens - and happy chickens should mean more eggs.
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Adam’s Wool Crusade
In recent years, the wool from Adam Hensons’s lambs has been practically worthless. So, he sets out to raise the profile of British wool with the backing of tailors from London’s Savile Row - the traditional centre of British tailoring. Adam meets the teams of people who can transform his raw rare breed fleeces into a workable fabric. After much spinning, weaving and stitching, Adam then becomes the proud owner of a suit made from 100% British wool. When the Cotswold wool industry was at its peak, Adam’s local town of Stow-on-the-Wold was famous for its annual fairs where as many as 20,000 sheep were sold at one time. He recreates this tradition by showing off his new threads as he drives his sheep through the streets of the town.
Find out more about British wool -
Lincolnshire Pigs
When it comes to putting food on our plates Lincolnshire’s got more to offer than just the fruits of its fertile soils – it also has a thriving pork industry. Ellie Harrison’s finds out how to make a true Lincolnshire sausage, starting on Jane and Terry Tomlinson’s free range pig farm where she meets the latest batch of piglets. Local chef Rachel Green divulges her family’s secret sausage recipe and gives Ellie a chance to try her hand cranked sausage grinder!
Try some Lincolnshire Sausage recipes -
Buffalo Mozzarella
Jules Hudson heads into the rolling hills of Hampshire to find out about an unusual cheese which is being made in the area. Laverstoke Park Farm is home to the largest herd of water buffalo in Europe. Their milk is being turned into mozzarella cheese by former Formula One world champion, Jody Scheckter. Jules finds out how it’s made and celebrity chef Aldo Zilli joins him to find out whether this English mozzarella passes the Italian taste test.
Try some mozzarella recipes -
The Goat Sanctuary
Goat dairying is on the increase in the UK as more of us enjoy their cheese and milk. Goats are delightfully inquisitive creatures but we know little about how intelligent they really are. Julia Bradbury helps a group of researchers test a few theories on the residents of Buttercups Goat Sanctuary, with some truly remarkable results.
Find out more about the sanctuary
Credits
- Series Producer
- Teresa Bogan
- Presenter
- Adam Henson
- Presenter
- Matt Baker
- Presenter
- Julia Bradbury
- Presenter
- Ellie Harrison
Summer of Wildlife
A special season celebrating the UK's unique and extraordinary wildlife.
