Countryfile - Chew Valley
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LifestyleTranscript
00:00Skirting the northern edge of the Mendip, surrounded by rolling hills, lies Chew Valley.
00:14This landscape is a working one. Agriculture has shaped it over centuries and continues
00:19to do so today. And now the valley is home to one of the largest agroforestry farming
00:24projects in the UK.
00:55Chew Valley in North Somerset is named after the river Chew that winds its way into one
01:05of two man-made lakes at the valley's heart.
01:13When it comes to farming here, you have the traditional patchwork of arable crops and
01:17livestock grazing in fields. However, I've come to see one farm using a woodland in a
01:22pioneering project they hope will not just benefit the farm and its cattle, but also
01:27the wider environment.
01:32I'm also seeing how children are connecting to nature.
01:39And how a local project is bouncing back from vandalism.
01:47The valley also provides a colourful palette, and not just for the plate.
02:00And Tom investigates why our farms are so dangerous, as we get exclusive figures on
02:05the number of people being killed in accidents.
02:17It just went terrible wrong.
02:27In the middle of Chew Valley, on the south shore of Blagdon Lake, lies Yew Valley Organic,
02:33a dairy farm that's been on this site since 1961.
02:40Today, its operation is spread across 2,000 acres of mostly grass pasture, where they
02:46graze their 330-strong milking herd.
02:51But as well as their dairy operation, it's also home to a pioneering regenerative farming
02:57experiment.
02:58The idea behind regenerative farming is to work in such a way that you don't deplete
03:02an area's natural resources and you actually add back into them. That can happen in many
03:07forms, and the one being established here is happening on a really significant scale.
03:15Based in 400 acres of an ex-commercial timber plantation, it's called the Woodland Pasture
03:21Project, run by regenerative lead Tom White.
03:30This is pasture and trees in the same place. This is the platform for our organic dairy
03:36beef herd.
03:37How did this come about?
03:38This farm we purchased in 2018, but it was a woodland that was planted about 24 years
03:45ago. It was planted with a lot of ash in it, about 70% ash, which unfortunately is all
03:51dying of ash dieback.
03:53What we're faced with is a woodland that is becoming a much lower density. But for us,
03:59it became a really interesting proposition. Agroforestry is food production and forestry
04:06happening in the same place.
04:07So now, you're not necessarily planting new woodland, you're seeing what else can happen?
04:12Exactly. We have 400 acres of this here, where we're able to move the cattle into the woods
04:18and really see the impact of the cows on the trees and the treed environment on the cattle.
04:24Is this increasingly happening, Tom? We're creating woodland pasture. What's different
04:29about how you're doing it here?
04:31Well, there's certainly a huge amount of interest from farmers and from researchers in what
04:35this kind of habitat might provide. They're mostly planting year-old trees into permanent
04:42pasture and are probably 10 or 15 years off knowing really what the impact of that is.
04:47We're very lucky here that we have a kind of 24-year head start.
04:50So you've started the other way around. You've taken woodland and you're introducing the
04:54pasture rather than taking pasture and introducing the woodland.
04:56We have done that. But once the cattle start grazing the areas, manuring it, trampling
05:01the timber that's left here in with their feet, the pasture really develops and changes
05:05over that time.
05:12Today, this 150-strong dairy beef herd needs to move on to a new area of woodland pasture.
05:19And that's the responsibility of farm development manager, Will Mayer.
05:23Hey, Will. How's it going?
05:26Watch out for that one.
05:28Good to see you.
05:29Good to see you.
05:30Well, these look very inquisitive and very friendly.
05:33Yeah, they're definitely very friendly.
05:35So what's going on right now?
05:36So we're trying to implement mob grazing, which is essentially a technique that mimics
05:40natural interactions between cattle and the ecosystem. So they've only been grazing this
05:44for about 24 hours.
05:45So it's mob grazing, very short and sort of intense bursts of grazing.
05:49Exactly. Short, intense bursts, but more importantly, lots of long rest periods for the pasture.
05:54So all of the wildflowers that we have in here can come up and actually go to seed.
05:58We've got lots of different grasses and it just promotes that diverse pastures.
06:02So you're moving them on now?
06:04Yeah, we'll be moving them on now.
06:05OK, so where are they going? Over here?
06:07Yeah, they're going straight through to that one. There's some really nice grass up ahead,
06:10so I think they'll be quite excited.
06:15Shall we let them through?
06:16Yes, let's do it.
06:17Where have you got me? Just out the way, I suppose?
06:19Yeah, if we just come on through and keep walking. There you go.
06:25Oh, the excited cry as they come through.
06:31Look at that.
06:33What would be great is you'll see them, they'll go straight down, heads in for the pasture
06:37and they'll pick out their favourite bits.
06:39Really? And recovery adds to better pasture?
06:44Yeah, what recovery does is it helps the plant grow taller.
06:47So if we've got taller plants that set seed, then that will reseed the pasture
06:51so we don't have to come in here and use machinery.
06:53Obviously machinery in a woodland is a bit tricky.
06:56Yes, exactly. But you think you're going to get effectively a better pasture crop
07:01and that will feed into the welfare of the animals?
07:03Yeah, definitely.
07:05Quite a good place to shelter, the heavens have just opened and the rain's going down.
07:08Fantastic.
07:09Hello, have you come to shelter with us?
07:11Very good.
07:12Now, clearly this is not a dairy cow.
07:15Not a dairy animal, no.
07:16So what is this herd and what will it be used for?
07:19So this is our dairy beef herd and the whole purpose of the animal is to graze as much as possible
07:24and to gain weight in an amazing system like this.
07:27At the end of the day, we are farmers and we're producing food to feed people.
07:31But also there's fantastic benefits to these trees.
07:33We can stop our animals getting heat stress.
07:35Having all this shade available, they're much more relaxed
07:39and actually cattle that are relaxed and comfortable in their farming environment and in their field,
07:44they grow a lot better so we get the economic benefits out of it.
07:47Well, tell me about the labour and the general costs involved with a system like this.
07:52So it's brilliant because we've designed the system just to be run with one person to move the cattle.
07:56But then one thing that's really important in our organic system is we're very much focused on forage.
08:01We're using the grazed grass and using our animals to convert that natural food into beef essentially.
08:07That doesn't cost us much to grow grass because once it's there and established, we keep it there
08:12and the grazing rotation is helping us to keep as much grass there as possible.
08:16But actually, we're not burning any diesel in our tractors.
08:19We're not having to go out with our combine to bring that food back in.
08:21Our tool in that farming system are our cows.
08:27And it's not all about what the cows take.
08:30They also give back plenty to the woodland.
08:34To monitor how successful this project is for the environment,
08:38ecologist Patrick Hancock is on the hunt for a key indicator species,
08:43the dung beetle.
08:46It's their sensitivity to habitat change
08:49that makes the dung beetle an important benchmark for the health of an ecosystem.
08:55Are you going to do that one, that one?
08:57I think I'll do that one first.
08:59Do you want to pull that one?
09:00I'm doing my best.
09:01Well, if it doesn't all come in one, just take some of it.
09:03Oh, it's stuck on the grass.
09:06Okay.
09:07The aroma coming off it.
09:08It's definitely a herby content.
09:09Yes, herby content.
09:11So, I mean, it's just get your hands in and see what's what.
09:14I mean, hopefully, if you...
09:16Pass it around.
09:18Pull it apart and see what you can find.
09:21What is the role of the dung beetle? What do they actually do?
09:25The dung beetles are nature's recyclers.
09:27They feed on dung.
09:29They take dung into the soil,
09:31improve the soil texture and nutrient content of the soil,
09:36and they're part of the decomposition process of dung.
09:39Right.
09:41Oh.
09:42What is that?
09:43Well, it's a fly larvae.
09:45It's a big one, isn't it? A chunky one.
09:47Yeah.
09:48I'm not quite sure which...
09:49Oh, I've got a big beetle.
09:50Oh, there we go. Let's grab him.
09:51Yeah, well done.
09:52Yeah.
09:54Look at that.
09:55So, this is dung beetle.
09:57Now, is that a good size? Have we found a good adult?
10:00That's a good adult.
10:01That's a real deal.
10:02That's a classic dung dweller.
10:04They're purely about decomposing and feeding on the dung.
10:08So, that is a really great sign, then.
10:10That is the health that we're looking for in this landscape.
10:13Definitely.
10:15The presence of dung beetles in this landscape is a positive sign.
10:20But it's just one of the ways this woodland-based system
10:23could potentially benefit the environment.
10:28This was a commercial plantation,
10:30so it was putting on lots of above-ground carbon, storing it,
10:34and now less of that is happening.
10:36So, what's the ultimate outcome with the carbon?
10:39We think often about the carbon in the biomass above ground.
10:43We think less about the carbon in the soil,
10:45which actually is a much bigger pool.
10:47So, globally, there's about three times more carbon in soil
10:50than there is in the biomass and in atmosphere combined.
10:53So, we're really interested in the ability to put carbon back underground.
10:58And we know that grasses and pasture plants
11:01play a really important part in that process,
11:03that the way that we graze the cattle can contribute to that.
11:06Do you hope this could lead the way for other farmers?
11:09I think this is a reimagining of organic beef production.
11:12I think this site is a really valuable platform
11:15for us to learn about the impact of trees on cattle
11:18and the impact of cattle on what happens to a woodland in its development.
11:22Everybody can think about this stuff, and I know lots of farms are.
11:25And good, nutritious food at the end of it.
11:27Good, nutritious food is what we're all about.
11:30To be able to deliver carbon benefit and biodiversity benefit alongside that,
11:34we really believe that this is a huge opportunity.
11:49Now, we've been seeing how the land of Chew Valley is being regenerated,
11:53but actually sometimes it's nature that can regenerate us.
12:02Former Royal Marine Commando Nick Goldsmith
12:05bought a small stretch of woodland in the Chew Valley in 2012,
12:09which has changed his life.
12:12The Royal Marines for me was the perfect adventure
12:16that I was craving as a young man.
12:18Upon completion of Royal Marine Commando training,
12:21green beret on my head, I went to my first unit, 4-5 Commando,
12:24and we were straight out the door to Afghanistan.
12:28We saw losses, we had life-changing injuries amongst our battle group,
12:32and I attended 14 funerals in six months.
12:36I think if I'm deadly honest with myself,
12:38I was probably done after that first tour.
12:40But pride, ego, and the sort of alpha male environment
12:45and the character that I was playing at that time,
12:47that version of myself, meant that I was never going to back down.
12:50So I kept going out the door, more and more deployments,
12:53more and more exercises, back to back to back.
12:56Over that time period, naturally, as you do, you pick up injuries.
12:59But really the biggest injury, the one I wasn't talking about,
13:02is what was going on up here.
13:04Nick was diagnosed with complex PTSD
13:07and medically discharged after 11 years of service.
13:13He tried various recovery programmes, none of which worked.
13:17Then he found solace in a two-acre plot of woodland.
13:23Nick, tell me about your connection to the great outdoors.
13:26I would say some people need a shed.
13:28I was always going to need a little patch of woodland.
13:30It probably saved my life, really.
13:33Things took a bit of a turn and didn't allow myself any downtime.
13:38The reality was I was really struggling.
13:42But coming here gave me purpose, a place to be,
13:46something to do, busy hands for a quiet mind.
13:49When did you have the realisation that the way this place had helped you
13:52might also help other people?
13:54I guess about two years into my recovery,
13:57it became apparent that I was going to need a shed.
14:01I just had this feeling.
14:03I didn't want to have this space all for myself anymore.
14:06I wanted to share it with others.
14:08And so I started to invite one or two of the other people
14:11who had different mechanisms of injury to come to the woodland
14:14and, let's just cook some food or, you know, have a cup of tea
14:18or whatever it is, run the campfire.
14:22So Nick started building a place he could share
14:25and in 2016, the Woodland Warrior Programme was born.
14:30And if you look up and to your left, you should start to see...
14:33Oh, wow. ..a cabin and what's left of a parachute.
14:37Goodness me, that's quite a surprise.
14:40This is the epicentre.
14:41This is where it all happens.
14:43Wow.
14:44The programme consists of a set of therapeutic peer-led activities
14:48which offer members of the armed forces and blue light community
14:52the opportunity to find comfort in nature.
14:55Starting further along the top path, we've got the beehives.
14:59Then you've got this incredible off-grid cabin.
15:02Then you've got the main camp area.
15:04This is where all those all-important conversations take place
15:07long into the night.
15:08The light of the fire can throw itself as far as these seats
15:12and then we'll eat together up on the big demonstration table.
15:15There's people having a conversation as we speak.
15:19Nick has been crafting this space for the past ten years
15:22and there's still work to be done.
15:24Particularly after the camp was vandalised earlier this year.
15:29The cabin windows had been smashed,
15:31all of the tarpaulins had been cut, everything had been burned
15:34and you can just see the results of...
15:36Oh, wow. ..vandalism.
15:38So this was just mindless vandalism, really?
15:40Yeah.
15:41I mean, that must have felt just awful.
15:43Everything you put into this. It was properly gutting.
15:46It's been quite a difficult process
15:48given what this exact spot represents in my own journey
15:52but more so for those who've been here
15:55and taken part in the courses.
16:00OK, team, just give it a little pull downwards
16:02and it should start moving.
16:04Thanks to support from local farmers,
16:06the community and the woodland warriors,
16:09Nick is able to rebuild his camp.
16:13How many different services do we have represented?
16:15We've got Air Force. Air Force.
16:17British Army, Royal Air Force. Army.
16:19Army.
16:20We've covered all the bases. This is good.
16:22I'm in the scouts.
16:23The scouts. Yeah.
16:27The plan is to get that hanging basket to where I'm stood here.
16:32This is the latest fashion.
16:33Are you going up with it?
16:34The latest fashion.
16:35I'll just wear this on my head.
16:36It's quite a ball gown.
16:42Former tank commander, Ali,
16:44has been involved with the Woodland Warrior Programme
16:46for the past four years.
16:48I was in Iraq in 2003-4 and then again in 2006
16:53and the tour in 2006 was especially a bit hairy
16:58and I carry with me a lot of guilt
17:01from the experiences I had there.
17:03You know, I left the Army in 2012
17:06and I've been, over the last decade,
17:08going through constant rounds of various bits of therapy.
17:11Wow.
17:12And this, by far, I find,
17:14is one of the things that is helping me a lot.
17:17Is it part distraction? Is it part purpose?
17:20Is it just nature itself that's finding...?
17:23I think it's a combination of all of them.
17:27There's something very good about the simplicity
17:30of if you're sitting around the campfire,
17:32carving a spoon or something like that,
17:33you're very focused on the task in hand
17:35and that does tend to quieten yourself down.
17:38It is a long journey,
17:39recovering from a lot of the mental things,
17:42from being in service,
17:43and having the woodland there is fantastic.
17:48Hello.
17:49Veteran Rosie found the group through her other outlet, singing.
17:55I was in the Air Force
17:57and I joined the Helper Heroes Choir.
18:00Oh, right.
18:01And the Invictus Games Choir.
18:02We were invited down with Nick as a choir
18:06to de-stress and do our thing.
18:08Yeah.
18:09And I'm a really, really big part of the big programme now.
18:12I did a very long time in the military.
18:14Right.
18:15Like 24 years, 25 years.
18:16Really?
18:17Yeah.
18:18That's tremendous service.
18:19But it obviously took its toll.
18:20Yeah.
18:21Physical and mental conditions.
18:23I broke my back many years ago.
18:24Gosh.
18:25And I suffered layers of trauma.
18:29So the whole physical thing,
18:31movement helps your physicalities, big time.
18:34OK.
18:35No point in sitting around, you know?
18:37So actually you like the activity here as well.
18:39Very much, yeah.
18:40OK.
18:42Over the past eight years, Nick and his wife, Louise,
18:45have welcomed over 300 members of the military
18:48and Blue Light community to their hideaway in the woods.
18:52How have you noticed, sort of, Nick changed from having this place?
18:56Well, it sounds really cheesy, but generally it saved him.
19:00And it saved us, really.
19:02And I had a really busy job.
19:04So I was a detective in child protection.
19:08I kind of became quite obsessed with work.
19:12It's all very high speed.
19:13So actually I needed this myself.
19:15So things got out of balance for you a bit as well.
19:17Out of balance, yeah, totally.
19:18So yes, we bought this woodland for Nick to chill.
19:20But actually, I didn't realise at the time,
19:22it was benefiting me so much.
19:26Looks fantastic.
19:27Yeah, it needed a good revamp after this unfortunate vandalism.
19:32Well, this hopefully helps you put that behind.
19:34Absolutely.
19:35New start.
19:36Cheers.
19:39This is looking great.
19:40Well done, everyone.
19:41How are you feeling, Nick?
19:43I think the smiles say it all, really.
19:45Yeah.
19:46Absolutely buzzing.
19:47It feels like the camp we had before.
19:50Yeah.
19:51You know, with that dappled light and the heat of the fire.
19:54Gorgeous.
19:55Who's got the marshmallows?
19:59A few months ago, the decision was taken
20:01to stop routine safety inspections on farms.
20:04So, on the eve of Farm Safety Week,
20:07Tom has been hearing from some of the victims of farm accidents
20:10and their families about why they think that's a mistake.
20:13You may find some of their stories upsetting.
20:18In the hills of Rhondda Cunantaf,
20:20a few miles from the town of Pontypridd,
20:23Rhys Bunford farms a mixture of cattle with his wife Louise.
20:27They took over the farm from Rhys' parents in 2012
20:32and had three children, Gethin, Tomos and Clemmie.
20:40Louise, what was Tomos like on the farm?
20:42Oh, he loved it.
20:44He used to horse ride.
20:46He wanted to become a vet.
20:48If a bird fell out of his nest,
20:50he'd put it in his bedroom and look after it.
20:53Yeah, he just loved it.
20:56Nearly three years ago,
20:57the whole family headed off in their pickup truck,
21:00towing a type of trailer called a bowser,
21:02which they had filled with water to take to their cows in the fields.
21:06Nine-year-old Tomos was sat in the back of the truck
21:09with his mum and younger sister.
21:13The field is quite steep and the truck just began to slide.
21:18I said to Rhys, what was happening?
21:21It was like seconds.
21:23And he said, get out.
21:24So, we told the kids to jump out
21:27and the truck started to jackknife with the bowser.
21:30I thought, my children are safe.
21:32Not knowing what had happened to Tom,
21:34the bowser went over the top of him.
21:37It happened so quick, it just went terrible rogue.
21:44Tomos was killed in the accident.
21:48A tragic demonstration of how dangerous farms can be.
21:56In fact, agriculture is the most dangerous industry in the UK.
22:03The risks are numerous.
22:05Machinery, slurry pits,
22:09buildings full of hay and straw,
22:11and livestock.
22:12Away!
22:16And if you work on a farm,
22:17you're 21 times more likely to be killed in an accident
22:21than the average across all other industries.
22:24So, you might find it surprising, baffling even,
22:27that the official regulator, the Health and Safety Executive,
22:30has decided to stop routine safety inspections on farms.
22:38At their peak in the 1970s and 80s,
22:40the HSE was carrying out around 30,000
22:43proactive safety inspections annually
22:46across farms in England, Scotland and Wales.
22:49But in recent years,
22:51the number of inspections has been in the hundreds.
22:54And in May, it was revealed
22:56they had decided to stop those inspections altogether.
23:00It's a decision many in the farming industry think is wrong,
23:03including Rhys and Louise.
23:06There's no way of knowing whether an inspection
23:08could have made a difference in Tomos' accident.
23:11Afterwards, an HSE investigation found issues
23:14with the trailer and its brakes.
23:17The family says that was the only contact
23:19they had had with the regulator
23:21since taking over the farm 12 years ago.
23:24What, if any, guidance did you have up until then
23:28about safety on the farm from the Health and Safety Executive?
23:32We never had any health and safety inspections.
23:35No, no correspondence.
23:37And, like, you hear of farm accidents a lot on the news,
23:43but you never expect to be at home.
23:46It's happened to you, no.
23:48So what do you think of the news
23:49that the HSE have actually stepped back
23:51from doing farm inspections?
23:52Terrible.
23:53Yeah, bad job.
23:54Yeah, I believe there should be yearly inspections.
23:57I think we need to be on the spotlight
24:02to have this advice,
24:04not to be left and for our industry
24:09to be forgotten about safety.
24:11Yeah, yeah.
24:14Tomorrow sees the start of Farm Safety Week.
24:17Countryfile has been given exclusive access
24:20to the latest official figures
24:22and can reveal that between April 2023 and March this year,
24:2634 people lost their lives on the UK's farms,
24:30including four members of the public,
24:32two of whom were children.
24:34And these figures show that while over the last 20 years
24:38other industries like construction or manufacturing
24:41have seen their rates of fatal injuries gradually decline,
24:45agriculture has stayed at a high level.
24:50And it's not just deaths.
24:52There are an estimated 9,000 people seriously injured
24:56in farming, forestry and fisheries combined every year.
25:04Tim Parton has been a farmer all his life.
25:07Just weeks after this was filmed,
25:09he was left paralysed after a routine tree felling
25:12went terribly wrong.
25:14I've come to meet him in the grounds of a hospital
25:17in Osworth Street in Shropshire where he's being treated.
25:21We'd got a tree on the yard that was damaging one of our sheds,
25:24so I decided to take it down.
25:26Normal job for a farmer. I took every precaution I could.
25:29I'd got a work colleague working with me
25:32and it had all gone very well.
25:34We got down to the very last bit and it didn't play ball
25:38and it went the wrong way and unfortunately it landed on me.
25:41And what has been the impact on you?
25:43Well, I'd lost my left leg below the knee.
25:46I'm paralysed from the waist down.
25:48My right foot has had to be rebuilt.
25:50I broke my sternum, smashed a load of ribs,
25:53punctured lung, broke my back.
25:55So, yeah, I did a good job of it.
25:58Traditionally, advice about working from heights
26:01would have been covered by HSE visits.
26:04Tim says inspections used to be a routine part of farming life.
26:08You never knew quite when you were going to get one.
26:10They could drop in whenever they liked.
26:12The inspector would walk round.
26:14He'd talk about working at height, ladders.
26:16He'd just be doing a visual inspection
26:18and he'd soon know or soon pick up if you hadn't got things right.
26:21What do you think about the fact that these health and safety
26:24executive inspections on farms have come to an end?
26:27I think it would have been let down.
26:29There could be even more accidents and more fatalities
26:31because there isn't...
26:33The health and safety executive is only going to turn up
26:35when things have gone wrong.
26:37When the HSE was set up in 1975 to prevent accidents like Tim's,
26:41it had around 200 specialist farm inspectors.
26:45Fast forward nearly 50 years and it's a very different picture.
26:51There are now no dedicated farm inspectors
26:54and the overall number of HSE inspectors
26:57has also fallen significantly.
26:59In 2003, there were 1,651.
27:03And we learnt from a Freedom of Information request
27:07that there are now 927.
27:11And prosecutions of farms for safety breaches are also down,
27:15from more than 100 each year at the start of the century
27:18to around a dozen annually.
27:21We tracked down a number of former inspectors
27:24to try and get a clearer picture
27:26of what was actually happening inside the regulator.
27:29And while some did question the effectiveness of inspections,
27:33for instance saying, go hard on a farm,
27:36return a year later and nothing would have changed,
27:39others were more critical of the decision,
27:41with one telling us,
27:43you practically have to get killed these days
27:45to merit an investigation.
27:47Another said that ending routine farm inspections
27:51sent out a bad message
27:53that the agency was washing its hands of agriculture.
27:58While those former inspectors wanted to remain anonymous,
28:02one recently retired inspector did agree to speak on the record.
28:06Julian Franklin worked for the HSE for nearly 40 years,
28:0912 of which were dedicated to agriculture.
28:14You were an inspector for many years.
28:16How useful do you think it was?
28:18I think it was very useful.
28:20It provided a reality check, if you like, for the farmer
28:24to how well they were complying with the law.
28:27It allowed them to be updated with anything new that had come out.
28:32So I think it was good.
28:34You can never know for certain,
28:36but do you think you and your colleagues saved lives?
28:39It's impossible to say, but I think that we did.
28:42I think that we will have had an effect.
28:45What do you think of the fact that they've stopped this inspection regime?
28:48I think it's a shame.
28:50It's hard to justify not inspecting proactively
28:54in an industry with such a high accident rate,
28:58but they have public money to spend
29:02and they need to achieve the most results they can with that limited money.
29:08I could inspect three farms a day.
29:11I could maybe affect the health and safety of six or eight people in that day.
29:17I could go to a large engineering factory
29:19and in half a day affect the health and safety of 500 people.
29:23So it's a balance.
29:26Where do you spend the public money?
29:29What do you think the impact could be of this removal of the inspections?
29:32It could lead to a deterioration in standards of health and safety management.
29:36It could lead to an increase in the number of fatal accidents.
29:40And accidents can involve members of the public as well as farm workers.
29:45The HSE regularly investigates incidents involving cattle and walkers on farmland.
29:51Jill Gilmore from Stockport almost died three years ago
29:55after walking along a footpath in a field with grazing cows and calves.
30:00Jill can't remember what happened, but her husband Mark witnessed it all.
30:05We started to encounter cows there.
30:08A few moments later, Jill started to scream as a cow was charged at her.
30:13There must have been about 20 cows around her.
30:16She actually said, leave me here to die.
30:19So I screamed at her, you've got to get up because these cows could be coming back.
30:24I managed to get her onto my back with her arms and partly dragged her off the field.
30:30We rang up 999, then the ambulance helicopter arrived.
30:34So I got to hospital and the surgeon.
30:36We asked him on a scale of 0 to 10 how close to death Jill was, and he put it at 10.
30:43So...
30:48Jill had fractures to her spine, neck, ribs and pelvis, and punctured lungs.
30:54Farm safety inspections do cover areas like cattle,
30:58with farmers having a legal responsibility to manage their herds
31:02to reduce the risk to people using footpaths.
31:05The sign was livestock in the field to keep your dog on the lead.
31:09There's no sign to say there's calves in that field.
31:12We just want to make people aware how dangerous they are.
31:16Signage has to be reliable.
31:19If I'd have been walking on my own that day, I would have been dead.
31:25The view that stopping inspections could increase incidents
31:29is supported by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents.
31:33The Farm Safety Partnership, the industry body promoting safe farming, is also critical.
31:39Farm safety is so important, and we cannot compromise on it.
31:43This is about people who live and work on farms,
31:46and we have to create a safe environment for them.
31:49David Exwood is deputy president of the National Farmers Union
31:53and chair of the Farm Safety Partnership.
31:56They want the new government to review the HSE's decision to withdraw from farm inspections.
32:02We were surprised and disappointed as anyone.
32:05Farming hasn't got the greatest track record in farm safety,
32:08and we were looking forward to a conversation about more engagement and better engagement,
32:12not withdrawing completely.
32:14You say you're disappointed.
32:16Does that in the end make you fear that there'll be more deaths or injuries on farms
32:20as a result of this decision?
32:22We need a change of culture. That's the thing we're really clear about.
32:25So we urge the new government to review the decision, have a look at it again,
32:28to be sure that is what they want to do.
32:30We need clarity, and we need clarity urgently.
32:32Well, let's talk about culture, farming and safety.
32:34They don't have a great relationship, do they?
32:36No, they don't, and the thing that really stands out
32:38is that we haven't made any progress on the accident rate in farming in 40 years,
32:43despite all the improvements in technology and equipment.
32:47Why hasn't that improved?
32:49Farmers are under pressure, and that definitely creates issues for them,
32:53but it's about attitude. It's about approach.
32:56The withdrawal of HSE from inspections on farm again is a moment,
33:01and we've got to take this moment and go,
33:03OK, we've got to do something differently.
33:05We've got to change in policy.
33:07Let's see how we can have a new policy that will actually deliver and make a difference.
33:12But not everyone within the industry shares David's concerns.
33:16The Farmers' Union of Wales and, perhaps surprisingly,
33:19the organisers of Farm Safety Week itself
33:22both told us that they weren't worried about the ending of routine inspections.
33:26Stephanie Barkley is from the Farm Safety Foundation,
33:29also known as Yellow Wellies.
33:31She says deaths among older farmers remain stubbornly high,
33:35partly because changing their habits or behaviour is difficult.
33:39Where they are succeeding, though, is through training with younger farmers.
33:43The number of under-44-year-olds killed on farms has gradually dropped,
33:48from nine in 2014 to only two in 2023.
33:52We have seen a difference in the attitudes and behaviours of the next generation of farmers.
33:58We've trained 26,000 young farmers at land-based colleges and universities
34:03and through the Young Farmers' Club's network.
34:06We've trained 2,000 farmers at agricultural businesses,
34:09and the number of young farmers losing their lives on our farms
34:13has decreased over the past 10 years.
34:18The Health and Safety Executive says farm safety is a priority for them
34:22and they may do more inspections in the future.
34:25Recent safety campaigns, they say, reached more than 8 million people,
34:30dwarfing the reach of their inspections.
34:33And they told us,
34:35We've been inspecting farms for decades and must be realistic
34:39about how effective they are at improving farm safety.
34:42We are focusing on other ways to convince farmers to take the right action
34:46but will still inspect and investigate reports of risks not being managed properly
34:51and take any appropriate action, including prosecutions.
34:56It is impossible to know how much of a difference farm safety inspections have made,
35:01but for farmers and families whose lives have been changed forever,
35:05the message is clear.
35:07Just be safe.
35:08Yeah.
35:09It can change your life.
35:12Yeah.
35:13Life-changing.
35:15Life-changing.
35:25This lush valley is an excellent place for livestock and growing crops and vegetables.
35:29And for one local resident, they're more than just food.
35:34Natasha Clutterbuck regularly forages the gardens at Yeo Valley Organic.
35:39OK, so I'm just getting some purple beetroot.
35:49And I really love the colours.
35:53She uses natural materials,
35:55such as organic compost,
36:00She uses natural materials to create her paintings.
36:05And she's on the hunt for some colourful produce as the muse for her latest piece.
36:13I really love drawing these in situ because they're so sculptural.
36:18Today I'm going to harvest them.
36:24The ornamental vegetation at Yeo Valley has inspired my work massively.
36:28I always think of it as quite a theatrical thing.
36:31I think of the main players being the vegetables and the surrounding herbs,
36:36so kind of like the sideshow,
36:39and even in the composition I think about that.
36:45This organic garden just supports all the insects.
36:49And it's just grown in such a natural way.
36:51I love the balance between nature and the garden.
36:59I'm going to go for golden beetroot.
37:04The colour is amazing.
37:06They've got like rosy kind of cheeks, that's what I love about them.
37:12It really makes me think about early memories of growing vegetables with my dad.
37:17He was a keen allotment holder.
37:19When we moved from my early childhood home, we moved to Scotland,
37:24I remember I'd just grown a runner bean in a pot.
37:28And I didn't say a word, but I did actually pack a couple of runner beans
37:32that I'd grown into a red suitcase and took them all the way to Scotland with me.
37:37Which is, I don't know, a funny memory, but quite poignant as well, I guess.
37:42It was an important thing from an early age.
37:49I've got this amazing giant alkanet.
37:52Just love that blue.
38:03This stream running through the middle of the garden is perfect for finding clay mud.
38:09Mud is something that I use in my drawings just to connect the subject matter
38:13to the place where it was grown or near to where it was grown.
38:18The materials that I use, charcoal, mud, natural dye,
38:23it's unconventional, but it's also quite primitive.
38:26And I think that's really important about connecting with nature
38:29and translating those ideas using those natural raw materials.
38:34So we're back in the studio, and this is where I create a lot of my work.
38:39Here are the vegetables that we've collected from the garden.
38:45It's really important to have a kind of flow running through the composition.
38:48So that's what I kind of try and think about when I'm in the garden.
38:53So I'm going to start with this one.
38:56It's really important to have a kind of flow running through the composition.
38:59So that's what I kind of try and think about when I'm arranging the vegetables.
39:05The effect of the raw materials is that it connects the subject matter to reality,
39:12I guess, and it gives it that earthy feel that you get from nature.
39:21So it's really important to have a kind of flow running through the composition.
39:25So that's what I try and think about when I'm arranging the vegetables.
39:30And it gives it that earthy feel that you get from nature and being connected to nature.
39:41I remember the first time I painted with mud was when I had a huge fodder beet on the wall in my studio,
39:48and it had great big clods of red mud. It was from a local produce show.
39:52And I thought, what would happen if you applied that to here?
39:55And then suddenly the two became one thing.
39:58It somehow joined everything up together.
40:00Rather than recreating that red-brown of the mud in paint, it was the real thing,
40:06and that was a really significant moment.
40:18And applying the mud with my fingers is one of the last things that I do.
40:25When you remove a brush or a drawing implement, it just becomes you and the subject matter.
40:32It just brings you closer again.
40:38What I hope my artwork will achieve in the future is that it will pass on to the next generations
40:44in a way that it will be making them think about the materials that they use
40:49and the messages they convey through their work.
40:52As a storytelling tool, it's really powerful because it's in the real world and it's not in the digital world,
40:57and I think it makes things become really tangible.
41:01Art is quite transformative and empowering.
41:05The landscape and wildlife of Chew Valley would surely make for a great entry
41:10into the Countryfile Calendar Photography Competition,
41:13and here's John with the details of how to enter.
41:19Every part of this country is beautiful.
41:23And every part of this country is beautiful.
41:26And every part of this country is beautiful.
41:30Every part of this country is blessed with miracles of nature
41:37and breathtaking beauty.
41:44So here in this beautiful setting provided for us by nature,
41:48it's my great pleasure to launch our photographic competition
41:52with this year's winning photos starring in the 2025 Countryfile Calendar.
42:02This annual tradition has been going on since 1998,
42:06and since then you've helped raise more than £30 million for BBC children in need.
42:12The photographic competition culminates with 12 of the best images
42:16being turned into the Countryfile Calendar,
42:19so we can enjoy those pictures throughout the year.
42:23This year's theme is natural wonders,
42:26and we want you to capture the wild side of our countryside in all its glory.
42:31Whether it's a magical moment of wildlife or a captivating landscape,
42:36whatever it is, we want to see your interpretation of what a natural wonder really is.
42:43Once all the entries are in, we'll be joined by a special guest.
42:47Once all the entries are in, we'll be joined by a celebrity judge
42:50to choose the winning photos that will appear in the Countryfile Calendar for 2025,
42:56which is sold in aid of BBC children in need.
42:59And there'll also be an overall winning photo chosen by you, our Countryfile viewers.
43:08Not only will that picture feature on the cover of the calendar,
43:11but the winner will also get a £1,000 gift card
43:14to spend on photographic equipment of their choice.
43:17And the person who takes the judge's favourite photo
43:20will receive a gift card for £500 to be spent on their choice of photographic equipment.
43:28You can enter up to three photographs.
43:31To submit your photos, go to bbc.co.uk forward slash countryfile
43:36where you'll find a link to the entry form.
43:40We're looking for original images that represent our theme of natural wonders.
43:47Photographs that have won national or international competitions
43:50or have been taken by professionals can't be submitted.
43:54Pictures must have been taken within the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man.
43:59And I'm sorry, but we can only accept online entries.
44:03All the details on how to enter the competition can be found on our website
44:07plus the terms and conditions and privacy notice.
44:11The submission period closes at 10am on Monday 22nd July 2024.
44:20So now it's over to you.
44:22Grab your camera, your smartphone, your tablets
44:25and capture your images of natural wonders.
44:29We can't wait to see them.
44:48Well, thanks to two large lakes flanked by rolling hills,
44:51Chew Valley has its own microclimate.
44:53Right now we have glorious sunshine,
44:55Right now we have glorious sunshine and a brisk breeze.
44:58But what does the weather have in store for the week ahead?
45:00Here's the Countryfile forecast.
45:09Thanks Joe. Good evening.
45:10Well, the good news is we'll all see a bit of sunshine at times through this week.
45:13In fact, the week ahead is almost textbook British summer.
45:16A bit more the way of dry weather than wetter weather.
45:19There'll still be some wet weather around Monday and Thursday.
45:22The days where you most likely, at least most of you,
45:24will see a bit of rain coming your way.
45:26But temperatures actually around, if not a bit above average,
45:29unlike what we saw earlier in the month.
45:31That shows up in our temperature anomaly chart, the whites
45:33and then eventually the yellowy colours here.
45:35But you'll notice the deeper reds where the hottest weather
45:37this week will be relative to normal is across Spain and Portugal.
45:41Now, the reason we'll see temperatures at or above normal
45:43air is coming in from the west, but tonight that brings lots of cloud
45:46and certainly a grey, misty, damp start.
45:49Light rain will drizzle around for many.
45:50Some of the heavier bursts, southern Scotland, northern England,
45:52take longest here to brighten up.
45:54But elsewhere, you should see some sunny spells develop.
45:56There'll be a few showers scattered around early afternoon across the south.
45:59They'll push through quickly on a breezier conditions
46:02than we've seen through today.
46:03But with lighter winds further north, northern England, Scotland,
46:05the showers that we do see here could be heavy, thundery and slow moving.
46:09Your temperatures for Monday afternoon, 16 to 24 Celsius.
46:12They're about bang on where we should be for this stage in the year.
46:16A few heavy showers and thunderstorms for a while in the evening across the east.
46:19But then the next fairly feeble system pushes across Ireland
46:22into Wales, central and southern England, bringing more cloud,
46:24patchy rain or drizzle into the start of Tuesday morning.
46:27But like the night, we're just about to have temperatures
46:29of the order around 10 to 15 or 16 degrees.
46:32So a warm enough start to Tuesday and a sign of a ridge
46:35of high pressure trying to build in.
46:36We still have this little feature here.
46:38This is a little trough in the ice bars where that all weather front
46:42is first thing.
46:43Southern counties of England and Wales, a few showers around,
46:45lots of cloud brightening up through the day.
46:47Away from it, though, some good long sunny spells developing
46:50for the vast majority.
46:51Some fair weather cloud inland, bit of a cool breeze down eastern coast.
46:55But best of the sunshine.
46:56If you plan a trip for the kids out to the coast,
46:59it's the north and the west where you need to head.
47:01Blue skies overhead.
47:02The breeze will temper the temperatures a little bit,
47:04but the sun will still be every bit as strong.
47:06And that ridge of high pressure still with us into Tuesday.
47:09And that ridge of high pressure still with us into Wednesday.
47:11A bit more widely.
47:12Winds much lighter on Wednesday.
47:14It will be a warmer day.
47:15Lots of sunshine first thing.
47:17Patchy mist and fog clearing.
47:19In the west, though, best of sunshine in the morning.
47:21Hazy high clouds spreading in and then maybe some rain later on
47:24across Ireland.
47:25Temperatures up on Tuesday's values.
47:27But compared with Tuesday, it's eastern coast best favoured
47:30for the bluest of the skies right the way through into the afternoon.
47:33And with just a gentle breeze, it will still feel quite warm out there.
47:37Now, as you go through Wednesday night to Thursday,
47:39I said Thursday one of the days for the wettest conditions.
47:42This weather system, a bit more active than we'll see on Monday
47:45and through Monday night into Tuesday,
47:47does mean more widespread cloud outbreaks of rain.
47:49Highest rainfall totals probably across the hills of Wales,
47:51northern England, southern Scotland.
47:53Some in the south east and east Anglia may actually stay dry
47:56through the bulk of daylight hours,
47:57and it should brighten up to northwest later.
47:59But temperatures on the face of it, lowest for the week,
48:02given the cloud and the outbreaks of the rain.
48:04Now, that weather system will slowly push away.
48:06There's a chance it's still far off now,
48:08but it could linger across the east Anglia,
48:10the south east and the Channel lines.
48:12So it could be a cloudy, damp start here.
48:14But other than that, sunny spells developing widely.
48:16There will be a scattering of showers,
48:18heaviest of those way to the north and the west.
48:21Many will stay dry through the afternoon
48:23and temperatures back to where we should be at this stage in July.
48:26We'll hold with temperatures like that into Saturday.
48:29Again, a chance of a few showers around on Saturday,
48:31but it's an improving weekend at the moment.
48:33It looks like high pressure, more dominant for Sunday,
48:35more sunshine and more warmth,
48:37which will continue to build the week after.
48:39Back to Joe.
48:48We've been exploring the Chew Valley
48:50and its inhabitants' relationship to the landscape.
48:55Just a few miles south,
48:57the wetlands of the Somerset Levels were once a stronghold
49:01for one of our most storied and enigmatic fish,
49:04the eel.
49:06Eels start life thousands of miles away
49:08and drift to our shores
49:10where they grow and mature in our rivers and lakes
49:13before one day making the 4,000-mile migration
49:17back out to the ocean to spawn.
49:19But a decline in numbers due to loss of habitat,
49:22an increase in man-made barriers
49:24and even a lucrative international smuggling trade
49:27has meant the European eel
49:29is now a critically endangered species.
49:34In the past, eels played a huge role in people's lives,
49:38not just as a food source,
49:40but also from the 10th to the 17th century
49:43as a currency when paying rent.
49:47As eels have declined over the past century,
49:50so too have the close ties we once had with them.
49:55However, a locally run project
49:57is hoping to reconnect us with the eel.
50:00Andrew Carr is the founder of the Sustainable Eel Group.
50:05And it's not the first time we've met.
50:08I think it was five years ago
50:10we were investigating the illegal trade in eels
50:13being smuggled abroad.
50:15And then more recently, in the wake of Brexit,
50:18which meant that eels couldn't be restocked in projects in Europe,
50:22but you were restocking them in places locally here in Somerset,
50:26what is your current focus?
50:28We have primarily a social focus.
50:31It's about reconnecting local people to their eel story.
50:36This is a first for us
50:38to take eel into classrooms of the Somerset levels.
50:42So social is educational?
50:44Yes.
50:4575 million eels or so
50:47still come up the Bristol Channel every year,
50:50but they can't get in
50:52to the rivers and, in particular, the drainage ditches of Somerset.
50:56Right.
50:57So most locals now, they've never seen an eel.
51:00So to repair that relationship,
51:02firstly, people have to be aware of them,
51:04they have to see them.
51:05I suppose you'd say they might have to fall in love with them.
51:08They do.
51:09They do.
51:11Today, as part of the project Eels in the Classroom,
51:14a group of local schoolchildren
51:16will be releasing juvenile eels
51:18A group of local schoolchildren
51:20will be releasing juvenile eels, or elvers,
51:23that they've been looking after for the past three weeks.
51:26And Andrew is scouting for the perfect spot in the river
51:29to return the eels.
51:31Should we find a good spot?
51:33How about this?
51:34Yeah, that looks great.
51:35Safe entry, nice gentle slope,
51:38good access to the water itself,
51:41and the eels can run away and hide.
51:44Now, how many will the kids be releasing?
51:47How many of you?
51:48This is all about education, engagement,
51:52building a relationship with eel.
51:56Eels in the Classroom works in conjunction
51:59with local conservation group
52:01the Somerset Eel Recovery Project.
52:04Project coordinator Hannah Strode
52:06It's an eel! I'm quite pleased with that, actually.
52:10has been giving pupils an eel education.
52:17Before their temporary classmates are released into the river,
52:20Hannah needs to get them ready for transport.
52:24Hello, is it Hannah?
52:25Hello, yeah, don't apologise.
52:27Soggy unihams that we like?
52:28Yeah, absolutely.
52:29And these are your eels?
52:30They look like they're in great shape.
52:32The school's done a wonderful job.
52:34Yeah, they've done a really amazing job.
52:36They have really grown a lot, they've got a lot wider,
52:39they've pigmented, they've changed colour.
52:41It's really amazing to see.
52:42So what happens now?
52:43How do we get these to the river?
52:45So the temperature's going to be quite different.
52:47They're a river species usually, so they like it to be quite cool.
52:50One of the things that we're going to do is when we catch them,
52:53we're going to put them into a plastic bag.
52:55Then you suspend that in some of the cooler water
52:57and they can acclimatise slowly.
52:59If you put them straight in,
53:01then they just basically go into temperature shock
53:03and that can be really dangerous for them.
53:05Nicely done.
53:06So tell me about eels in the classroom then.
53:09This is quite an established programme, is it?
53:11Yeah, so I think we had nine tanks last year.
53:14This year our goal was 50 and I managed to get us 59.
53:19No way!
53:20Yeah.
53:21What's the response been like?
53:22What do the kids make of them?
53:24I mean, it's just magical.
53:25I think because they're quite mysterious,
53:27they often hang out low down in the river.
53:30So to be able to have them in a classroom for a little while
53:33and actually get to have that wonder and that awe with them personally
53:37is really amazing.
53:38Here you go, here is your little net, child-sized.
53:44Telescopic.
53:45One of the things about eels is that they obviously breathe
53:47with their gills in the water.
53:48They can actually breathe through their skin on land as well
53:51for a short while.
53:52This might take a while,
53:53but can I just say I caught one on the first go.
53:55Well done.
53:56Thank you.
53:57I'm really proud of you.
53:58I just needed that recognition.
53:59A six-year-old also caught one on the first go.
54:01And the second go?
54:02Yeah.
54:03There we go.
54:05So enough water, enough oxygen
54:07and they'll be okay like this for the time it takes to get to the river.
54:10Yeah, exactly.
54:14The eels are now ready to be safely transported to the river,
54:20where Vanessa Becker-Hughes, one of the group's founding members,
54:23is preparing for the big moment.
54:32Hello, Vanessa.
54:34Hello, Joe.
54:35What is this?
54:36Well, this is an eel chute,
54:38which we made to enable the schoolchildren
54:41to release the eels safely back into the river.
54:44Fantastic.
54:45And what child can't relate to a good old water slide?
54:48Exactly.
54:49It looks fun, doesn't it?
54:50Exactly.
54:51What connection do you have to eels?
54:52Where does this passion come from?
54:53Well, when I was a little girl, eight, nine, ten years old,
54:57I used to go eel fishing with my family.
55:00Oh, really?
55:01And we'd come down on this river, on the river axe,
55:03and we'd sort of put the rods in the river
55:06and we'd try and catch some eels.
55:07And we're looking at eels this sort of size.
55:09Wow.
55:10Okay.
55:11And yet, in past decades, they've sort of disappeared, haven't they?
55:15Yes, absolutely.
55:16And that was one thing that really shocked me,
55:18the demise and the reduction in their numbers.
55:22Really shocking.
55:23This isn't something I'm reading about,
55:25or someone has told me about.
55:27I can actually feel it myself because I witnessed that.
55:32You can see, as you look in here, you can't see anything.
55:34So actually bringing that wildlife out into the classroom,
55:37making it sort of very observable, really makes a difference.
55:41Yes, and it sparks some things within those young people.
55:46And I'd love to think that perhaps we're contributing
55:50to marine biologists, geographers,
55:53people who want to learn about water, our soils, farming,
55:57weather, all of these things.
56:00They're getting the chute ready, I think.
56:02It's going to go down like a slide.
56:04It is a bit like a slide, isn't it?
56:06Do you think this looks like a good spot for them?
56:11So we're ready for them to come and release here.
56:13Is that the plan?
56:14Absolutely.
56:15Yay!
56:16Wow!
56:17OK, phew.
56:18Right, I'm just going to pop them there for a second.
56:21OK.
56:22What has it been like having eels actually in your classroom?
56:26It's been fun because I like watching them.
56:28After we fed them, they looked very active, swimming around.
56:31Really? So when you put food in, they'd really respond to it, would they?
56:33And we used to do eel checks every day.
56:35OK.
56:36If they had a good amount of food.
56:38What did you say?
56:39And a good water temperature.
56:40Water temperature, that's really important, isn't it?
56:42Yeah.
56:43And you've learnt all about them.
56:44So what are your favourite eel facts that I should know?
56:47That they have no bones.
56:49They have no bones? Are you serious?
56:51And they're going to live here for a long time, do you think?
56:53Yes, 20 years.
56:5420 years?
56:55Yes.
56:56And then they make it to the Sargasso Sea.
56:58Phew.
56:59You've nailed all the information.
57:01This is amazing.
57:02So do you love eels now?
57:04Yeah!
57:08With the shoot in place and watched on by Vanessa,
57:11these potential future eel protectors send the elvers on their way.
57:17OK, right.
57:18Three, two, one.
57:26They're wiggling whilst they're going.
57:28They're wiggling while they're going?
57:30One more. Come on, then.
57:31You going to say goodbye to them this way?
57:33Bye, eels!
57:34Bye!
57:35OK, thank you so much, everybody, for coming and releasing them.
57:38Well, you've done very well.
57:40You've been excellent eel parents.
57:41Big pats on the back to you all.
57:53Well, that is it for this week from me and 50 or 60
57:56of my newly liberated eel friends.
57:58But do join us again next Sunday
58:00when Matt and Anita head to the Fens.
58:04This is the seed head when it's dried out a bit.
58:07There's approximately 200,000 to 300,000 of these seeds
58:11within each seed head.
58:13Oh, wow! Oh, look at that.
58:15We need to close the shutters in the sails,
58:17just like a big Venetian blind.
58:20And there we are. We're ready for the off.
58:22Can you see up in the sky on the left?
58:24What is that?
58:25So that's a red kite.
58:26Lovely.
58:27And a lapwing's just chafed it off.
58:30Do tune in then. Goodbye.
58:39If you enjoy the nature that Countryfile brings into your home
58:42every Sunday evening, you'll love the beautifully illustrated
58:45month-by-month guide to a year in the countryside
58:48with John Craven, available now.
58:50It's highlights from the final day of the Open on BBC2 now.
58:54Next here, Antiques Roadshow.