This Farming Life

It's early summer, the time for farmers to reap rewards. While summer is normally an occasion to combine business and pleasure at markets and in the show ring, the continued presence of the coronavirus means that farmers must continue to work in isolation. In Northumberland National Park, on the edge of the vast Harwood Forest, it is shearing time for Emma and Ewan's 400-strong flock of sheep. The sheep must be clipped to avoid overheating in the hot summer weather, but this year travel restrictions ground New Zealand's professional shearers, who normally clip a fifth of the UK's flock. Emma and Ewan persevere on their own, but the going is slow, and tensions are running high. In the Lake District, Matt, Murray and a small team of helpers must gather in 300 cheviot ewes and their lambs from the common fell above Haweswater Reservoir. The sheep roam freely over 2,000 acres, resulting in a treacherous gather with many crags and steep drops. When Matt's dog pushes a small group of sheep too close to the edge, it's a very close call. On the remote Stoer Peninsula in the northwest Highlands, Helen and Graham are relieved to see tourists returning to the area, bringing a very welcome financial boost with them. But the good news doesn't last for long, as a devastating discovery puts the future of the croft in jeopardy. In Aberdeenshire, it's all hands on deck for Isla, George and their three children. They have now gone four months without childcare, but the couple are beginning to find their feet. Their herd of Belted Galloway cows have produced 12 calves this year, but when one calf doesn't survive, George comes up with a plan to give Beltie mum Bo a new foster calf to look after. (Senderinfo)