0:00:02.385,0:00:04.770 [♪♪♪] 0:00:11.280,0:00:14.280 [cows mooing and birds chirping] 0:00:18.180,0:00:22.880 I always think this Devon landscape[br]is the most beautiful place on Earth. 0:00:23.510,0:00:29.530 And to me this is a very special[br]farm, because it's where I grew up. 0:00:30.210,0:00:34.230 And it's the only place[br]I've ever really called home. 0:00:35.990,0:00:39.610 My name is Rebecca Hosking, 0:00:39.610,0:00:43.230 and I'm from a long line of farmers. 0:00:45.360,0:00:48.750 But it was the wildlife here, [br]more than the farming, [br] 0:00:48.750,0:00:51.830 that really fascinated me as a child. 0:00:52.500,0:00:56.300 And this led me into a career[br]as a wildlife filmmaker. 0:00:58.450,0:01:04.220 But now I'm back here to be a farmer,[br]and in very interesting times. 0:01:06.080,0:01:11.240 An approaching energy crisis will[br]likely force a revolution in farming 0:01:11.240,0:01:14.480 and change the British [br]countryside forever. 0:01:21.760,0:01:24.510 It will affect what we eat, 0:01:24.510,0:01:26.760 where it comes from, 0:01:26.760,0:01:31.005 and even the alarming question[br]of whether there will be enough food 0:01:31.005,0:01:33.295 to keep us fed. 0:01:38.260,0:01:43.000 If our farm is to survive,[br]it will have to change. 0:01:43.500,0:01:49.120 In this film I'm going to find out[br]how to make my family farm in Devon 0:01:49.120,0:01:52.080 a farm that's fit for the future. 0:01:58.890,0:02:02.270 I think when people find out [br]I was brought up 0:02:02.270,0:02:05.220 on a small South Devon farm, 0:02:05.220,0:02:09.780 they always think I must have had[br]the most amazing childhood ever. 0:02:10.240,0:02:14.000 When I think back to when[br]I was brought up here, 0:02:14.000,0:02:17.780 I just think of a load of[br]bloody hard work really. 0:02:17.780,0:02:21.850 We were just small time farmers, [br]and with that is involved 0:02:21.850,0:02:25.490 not much money, [br]and a lot of hard work, 0:02:25.490,0:02:28.520 to the point that [br]it's almost drudgery. 0:02:31.230,0:02:36.280 Dad often describes farmers[br]as glorified lavatory attendants. 0:02:36.710,0:02:41.500 And my family, like many farming families [br]I think up and down the country, 0:02:41.500,0:02:44.200 wanted something better [br]for their children, 0:02:44.200,0:02:48.040 and I was actively encouraged [br]to get out of farming, 0:02:48.040,0:02:52.120 go and find a job,[br]go and make a decent living. 0:02:52.590,0:02:54.630 So that's what I did. 0:02:56.950,0:02:59.970 And while I was away pursuing my career, 0:02:59.970,0:03:03.870 my dad and my uncle Phil[br]carried on, as ever, 0:03:03.870,0:03:07.040 farming in a pretty traditional way. 0:03:07.700,0:03:10.770 But now it's time[br]for me to come back. 0:03:11.640,0:03:15.480 -The thing is, both Phil and I now, we-- 0:03:16.220,0:03:19.640 I was going to say we're several[br]years beyond retiring age, 0:03:19.640,0:03:23.180 and should have retired, [br]and most farmers have done that, 0:03:23.180,0:03:26.920 but we've kept the farm going and, um... 0:03:26.920,0:03:31.380 kept it going as long as we can,[br]trying to keep it as we found it, 0:03:31.380,0:03:34.490 as we sort of inherited it. 0:03:34.490,0:03:38.080 You know, I'm delighted to think[br]somebody will take it on now 0:03:38.080,0:03:40.610 and keep it going, hopefully. 0:03:40.610,0:03:45.450 But it's not going to be easy, because [br]of pressures of all sorts of things-- 0:03:45.450,0:03:51.000 food shortages, oil prices going up--[br]it's not going to be easy at all. 0:03:53.760,0:03:56.260 -Many would say, "Just sell it." 0:03:56.260,0:04:01.470 "That would make more money in a heartbeat[br]than a lifetime of working the land." 0:04:01.470,0:04:05.270 But how can I turn my back[br]on somewhere so beautiful, 0:04:05.270,0:04:08.610 and a place that made me who I am? 0:04:08.610,0:04:11.290 However, making a living, 0:04:11.290,0:04:15.720 while continuing to preserve all [br]the wildlife on the farm, as Dad has done, 0:04:15.720,0:04:18.720 is going to be a major challenge. 0:04:22.490,0:04:28.170 The inconvenient truth is that this farm,[br]despite being a haven for wildlife, 0:04:28.170,0:04:31.640 is no more sustainable than any other. 0:04:31.640,0:04:35.200 All the farms I know,[br]including organic ones, 0:04:35.200,0:04:39.560 are utterly dependent[br]on fossil fuel, particularly oil. 0:04:39.960,0:04:43.300 This dependence is dangerous[br]for two reasons. 0:04:43.300,0:04:46.180 Climate change we all know about, 0:04:46.180,0:04:49.760 but there is also growing evidence[br]that the oil we need 0:04:49.760,0:04:52.760 may soon be in short supply. 0:04:53.460,0:04:56.600 Last year's fuel prices hit us badly, 0:04:56.600,0:05:00.370 and for me it was a bit of[br]a wake-up call. 0:05:00.940,0:05:04.340 I recently learned that[br]those crippling fuel prices 0:05:04.340,0:05:07.550 may be just a tiny taster [br]of what's to come 0:05:07.550,0:05:10.780 as world oil production [br]begins to decline. 0:05:11.840,0:05:16.480 If there's any truth to this matter,[br]then this will be my biggest challenge 0:05:16.480,0:05:20.300 in keeping our farm going [br]into the near future. 0:05:21.250,0:05:23.750 So I decided to track down 0:05:23.750,0:05:27.750 one of the world's most respected [br]authorities on the subject. 0:05:27.750,0:05:33.080 After a distinguished 40-year career[br]as a geologist in the oil industry, 0:05:33.080,0:05:37.500 he continues his research from [br]a small village in the west of Ireland. 0:05:38.130,0:05:42.770 To Dr Colin Campbell, the facts[br]about our oil supply are simple. 0:05:43.430,0:05:46.720 -Despite searching the world[br]with all the advances 0:05:46.720,0:05:50.140 in technology, and knowledge,[br]and incentive and everything, 0:05:50.140,0:05:53.260 we've been finding less [br]and less for 40 years, 0:05:53.260,0:05:56.500 and in 1981 was a kind [br]of turning point, 0:05:56.500,0:06:00.530 when we started using more[br]than we found in new fields, 0:06:00.530,0:06:04.270 as we started sucking down what[br]had been found in the past. 0:06:04.270,0:06:06.840 Eating into our inheritance,[br]you could say. 0:06:06.840,0:06:09.800 So I don't think there's really[br]any serious doubt 0:06:09.800,0:06:12.960 that we're close[br]to this turning point. 0:06:12.960,0:06:15.920 A sort of turning point [br]for mankind, you could say, 0:06:15.920,0:06:18.990 when this critical energy [br]for agriculture in particular, 0:06:18.990,0:06:21.600 --which means food, [br]which means people-- 0:06:21.600,0:06:23.860 is heading on down. 0:06:23.860,0:06:26.470 And there's a huge debate raging 0:06:26.470,0:06:30.590 of exactly the date and the height[br]of the peak of production. 0:06:30.590,0:06:32.970 And really I think[br]this misses the point. 0:06:32.970,0:06:36.620 It doesn't matter whether it's this[br]year, next year, five years out. 0:06:36.620,0:06:40.530 What matters is the vision [br]that after this peak 0:06:40.530,0:06:43.520 you have a decline[br]of only 2% or 3% a year, 0:06:43.520,0:06:47.430 but, there's a huge difference[br]between climbing for 150 years 0:06:47.430,0:06:50.590 and descending for 150 years. 0:06:50.590,0:06:55.280 -What Colin is saying is this decline[br]will mean fuel shortages 0:06:55.280,0:06:58.350 and prolonged economic turmoil. 0:06:59.520,0:07:01.510 I tend to agree with him. 0:07:01.510,0:07:05.450 It doesn't matter whether[br]it's two years or ten years away, 0:07:05.450,0:07:10.800 the impact it will have on pretty much [br]every part of our lives is huge. 0:07:11.320,0:07:16.470 But for me the biggest concern[br]is how it will affect farming-- 0:07:16.470,0:07:19.400 which means our food. 0:07:19.400,0:07:22.280 I don't think most people [br]have given it much thought 0:07:22.280,0:07:26.020 how much fossil fuel[br]goes into our everyday food. 0:07:26.020,0:07:29.750 I just bought this garage sandwich[br]just before we got on board, 0:07:29.750,0:07:34.610 and I'm going to pull it apart[br]and go through all the ingredients. 0:07:34.610,0:07:36.730 I'll start with the bread. 0:07:36.730,0:07:40.870 So somewhere in the world some[br]farmer has had to plant the cereal. 0:07:40.870,0:07:44.100 First off, he's using[br]a diesel-run tractor, 0:07:44.100,0:07:47.370 So he has to plough the field,[br]then harrow the field, 0:07:47.370,0:07:49.950 then he has to drill the seeds [br]into the earth. 0:07:49.950,0:07:55.190 And then to get the cereal to grow, he's [br]probably had to add a load of chemicals 0:07:55.190,0:08:01.480 to protect the crop--fungicides, herbicides,[br]insecticides--all made from oil. 0:08:02.260,0:08:05.750 And for the nutrients,[br]chemical fertilizers. 0:08:05.750,0:08:08.500 And at the moment, [br]most of the farmers' fertilizer 0:08:08.500,0:08:11.360 is derived from natural gas. 0:08:11.360,0:08:15.260 Once the cereal has ripened,[br]it needs to be harvested. 0:08:15.710,0:08:19.250 Then the grain is dried [br]using big heaters, 0:08:19.250,0:08:23.330 and then it's driven, using[br]even more diesel, to be processed. 0:08:24.000,0:08:27.210 And it isn't some little granny[br]in a corner shop doing this. 0:08:27.210,0:08:31.130 This is huge industrial buckets[br]making this kind of bread. 0:08:31.130,0:08:34.980 So then we move on to the inside[br]and ham obviously comes from a pig, 0:08:34.980,0:08:39.250 and that's even more energy hungry,[br]because pigs are fed on grain. 0:08:39.250,0:08:42.780 And one pig can eat nearly[br]half a ton of the stuff. 0:08:44.090,0:08:46.910 And then, just to add to it, 0:08:46.910,0:08:50.350 we've got a little token,[br]very sad piece of salad in there, 0:08:50.350,0:08:55.140 which was either shipped in, flown in, [br]or grown in a heated greenhouse. 0:08:55.140,0:08:58.650 Once again--huge amount of energy. 0:08:58.650,0:09:02.470 All of these ingredients were either[br]cooked or cooled, or both, 0:09:02.470,0:09:05.500 and driven mile after mile [br]in a refrigerated lorry 0:09:05.500,0:09:08.820 before they were assembled [br]into a sandwich. 0:09:10.210,0:09:14.270 Basically, this sandwich, like most[br]of the food that we're eating today, 0:09:14.270,0:09:16.970 is absolutely dripping in oil. 0:09:16.970,0:09:20.080 And the way that our [br]food production is today, 0:09:20.080,0:09:23.260 if we didn't have places like this, 0:09:23.260,0:09:26.480 then in this country [br]we'd pretty much starve. 0:09:30.770,0:09:34.760 My visit to Ireland has given me[br]a lot to think about. 0:09:35.480,0:09:39.360 Even on our little farm,[br]without fossil fuel energy, 0:09:39.360,0:09:43.740 farming and food production[br]will grind to a halt pretty quickly, 0:09:43.740,0:09:47.790 and we would be left with, [br]well, a nature reserve. 0:09:48.630,0:09:51.560 And nature reserves [br]don't feed people. 0:09:52.260,0:09:56.480 This is such a serious issue,[br]I'm guessing the rest of the farming world 0:09:56.480,0:09:58.970 must be as concerned as I am. 0:09:58.970,0:10:03.030 Perhaps some of them have [br]some ideas on how to move forward. 0:10:03.030,0:10:06.960 A major Soil Association conference[br]on the future of British farming 0:10:06.960,0:10:09.750 seems like a good place to start. 0:10:09.750,0:10:14.060 -We may all think we're immune here[br]because we can nip along to Tesco Metro 0:10:14.060,0:10:17.340 whenever we like in the middle [br]of the night and buy something. 0:10:17.340,0:10:19.780 That whole system is in jeopardy. 0:10:19.780,0:10:23.320 -How are you going to feed Britain?[br]How are you going to feed London? 0:10:23.320,0:10:28.520 -Forty percent of the world's production[br]comes from the 500 or so 0:10:28.520,0:10:32.480 giant oil fields, [br]half billion barrel oilfields... 0:10:32.480,0:10:34.850 -They're certainly worried. 0:10:34.850,0:10:39.990 And from what I'm hearing, [br]the energy problem seems, well, imminent. 0:10:39.990,0:10:44.010 -It will hit us by 2013, at the latest-- 0:10:44.010,0:10:47.470 not just as an oil crisis-- 0:10:47.470,0:10:51.820 but actually as an oil[br]and indeed energy famine. 0:10:51.820,0:10:55.480 -Farmers are going to have to move[br]from using ancient sunlight-- 0:10:55.480,0:10:59.190 using oil and gas--[br]to using current sunlight. 0:10:59.190,0:11:03.490 -And that seems to me the most enormous [br]challenge that agriculture has ever faced, 0:11:03.490,0:11:07.450 certainly since the Industrial Revolution,[br]because we have so little time to do it. 0:11:07.450,0:11:10.580 -If we can get government to be part[br]of that, so much the better, 0:11:10.580,0:11:14.240 but if government won't be part of that,[br]then we have to do it without them. 0:11:14.240,0:11:17.750 -These are the new fundamentals[br]on which the food system 0:11:17.750,0:11:21.490 is going to have to be based[br]or else we are buggered. 0:11:22.380,0:11:27.190 The farmers' conference made it [br]clear to me there are no easy answers. 0:11:28.160,0:11:31.540 If our farms and machinery [br]are so energy-hungry, 0:11:31.540,0:11:34.500 what are the options without oil? 0:11:35.240,0:11:39.250 Alternative energies are coming on[br]leaps and bounds nowadays. 0:11:39.250,0:11:42.410 Which one is likely to fit the bill? 0:11:44.510,0:11:47.750 Over in California[br]at the Post Carbon Institute, 0:11:47.750,0:11:51.520 there is a man who has advised[br]business, industry, and governments 0:11:51.520,0:11:54.390 on how to cope with oil depletion. 0:11:54.390,0:11:59.510 Richard Heinberg kindly agreed[br]to talk to me via the internet. 0:11:59.510,0:12:04.490 I mean, surely with wind and solar[br]and nuclear, we could use all of this 0:12:04.490,0:12:08.230 and the depletion of oil[br]really isn't a problem? 0:12:08.230,0:12:11.880 -We've waited too long to develop[br]alternative energy sources 0:12:11.880,0:12:15.080 and there's also the likelihood that 0:12:15.080,0:12:18.450 even all of these alternative [br]energy sources put together 0:12:18.450,0:12:21.750 won't be able to power [br]industrial societies 0:12:21.750,0:12:26.040 in the way that we've been[br]accustomed to with fossil fuels. 0:12:26.040,0:12:28.690 People have to understand 0:12:28.690,0:12:32.490 that we've created a way of life[br]that's fundamentally unsustainable. 0:12:32.490,0:12:36.460 And that doesn't mean that it's just,[br]you know, ecologically irresponsible, 0:12:36.460,0:12:39.510 it means that it can't continue. 0:12:39.510,0:12:42.520 -The scale of the challenge ahead[br]Richard is talking about 0:12:42.520,0:12:45.720 becomes clear when [br]you look at bio-fuels. 0:12:45.720,0:12:50.750 Oil seed rape is the most productive[br]bio-fuel crop in our climate. 0:12:52.990,0:12:56.040 At Britain's current rate of oil use, 0:12:56.040,0:12:59.690 a whole year's harvest from[br]a four-acre field like this 0:12:59.690,0:13:03.220 would be used up in less [br]than one third of a second. 0:13:04.040,0:13:08.160 That would be little help[br]to agriculture as it stands today. 0:13:08.160,0:13:11.280 -Aside from transport-- 0:13:11.280,0:13:14.440 cars, trucks,[br]and airplanes-- 0:13:14.440,0:13:18.720 agriculture is the most [br]fossil fuel intensive industry. 0:13:18.720,0:13:23.060 We use in the industrial world about[br]ten calories of fossil fuel energy 0:13:23.060,0:13:25.650 for every calorie of food we produce. 0:13:25.650,0:13:29.000 So this is an enormous problem[br]that we've created for ourselves. 0:13:34.670,0:13:39.340 We have solved enormous problems[br]in agriculture before. 0:13:40.260,0:13:43.980 -In the past 50 years,[br]agricultural technology 0:13:43.980,0:13:49.530 has tripled crop yields and overcome[br]everything nature has thrown at us. 0:13:51.470,0:13:56.520 But all of these advances[br]rely on abundant fossil fuel. 0:14:00.040,0:14:03.890 In a sense, they have taken us[br]exactly in the wrong direction 0:14:03.890,0:14:06.780 to deal with this new problem. 0:14:07.730,0:14:11.800 Even the latest technologies, [br]like GM crops, 0:14:11.800,0:14:14.520 regardless of the other arguments, 0:14:14.520,0:14:18.990 are as utterly dependent[br]on fossil fuel as any other. 0:14:21.170,0:14:24.010 So where does this leave us? 0:14:24.720,0:14:28.020 -It's possible in fact that [br]food systems could collapse 0:14:28.020,0:14:31.360 not just in the poor countries,[br]but also in the wealthy, 0:14:31.360,0:14:35.870 current food exporting countries like [br]the United States, Canada, and Australia. 0:14:35.870,0:14:41.040 And we're going to have to transform[br]our entire agricultural system 0:14:41.040,0:14:45.810 very quickly if we're going to avert[br]a global food calamity. 0:14:47.400,0:14:53.240 So, does this mean a return to horses, [br]carts and hand tools on our farm? 0:14:53.240,0:14:58.520 I personally wouldn't know how to do this,[br]nor would most farmers today. 0:14:58.520,0:15:02.610 The knowledge of how to farm[br]in this manner is all but gone. 0:15:02.610,0:15:06.490 However, on the next door farm [br]is a woman 0:15:06.490,0:15:09.690 who knows a thing or two about it. 0:15:09.690,0:15:12.470 My dear old friend, Pearl. 0:15:12.470,0:15:16.340 -'Ello darlins, you waitin' for tea? 0:15:16.340,0:15:18.910 You little beggars.[br][cow moos] 0:15:18.910,0:15:22.710 -They're handsome looking.[br]-Oh, they are. They're sweet. 0:15:26.500,0:15:28.970 Do you know what that's for?[br]-No idea. 0:15:28.970,0:15:32.240 -Well, years ago[br]we used to make hayricks. 0:15:32.240,0:15:34.640 -Right, yeah, and put all [br]the hay up to dry. 0:15:34.640,0:15:38.520 -Out to dry. Well, then you'd go up[br]with your wagon, you see, 0:15:38.520,0:15:44.230 and you'd want a wagon load of hay,[br]and you'd have to cut the hay across 0:15:44.230,0:15:47.670 to take away a section[br]to put on the wagon, 0:15:47.670,0:15:50.770 and that you have to go like this. 0:15:50.770,0:15:53.520 -Oh, and literally cut like that?[br]-Yeah, like that. 0:15:53.520,0:15:58.140 -Good old weight, though, isn't it? [br]-We weren't mice. 0:15:58.140,0:16:03.840 I wasn't big, but boy I was strong.[br]The Lord gave me a lot of strength. 0:16:03.840,0:16:06.440 -He certainly did, He gave[br]you all a lot of strength, 0:16:06.440,0:16:09.980 and we don't realize how easy[br]we've got it now I think, do we? 0:16:09.980,0:16:11.760 -You don't. 0:16:13.860,0:16:17.640 -For those tasks too heavy[br]for people, there were horses, 0:16:17.640,0:16:21.240 and Pearl was an[br]incredible horsewoman. 0:16:21.240,0:16:25.320 Oh, Pearl, look at that! Wow. 0:16:25.320,0:16:27.730 Look at those.[br] 0:16:28.950,0:16:31.340 And look at the...[br]-Yeah, that's my bridles. 0:16:31.340,0:16:35.530 -How many have you got, Pearl?[br]-Well, we had, you see, three big Shires. 0:16:35.530,0:16:37.380 -Of course you did. 0:16:37.870,0:16:43.640 -When you had a horse and cart, well, [br]it often was too big a load for one, 0:16:43.640,0:16:49.340 so you'd put down the fore harness, [br]and that horse had a collar, that on it, 0:16:49.340,0:16:53.440 and two chains that came back [br]and hooked into the front of the cart. 0:16:53.440,0:16:56.600 -So when you needed a bit more [br]extra horsepower, literally. 0:16:56.600,0:17:00.700 -That's right, that one was there to pull.[br]-To get you up a hill. 0:17:00.700,0:17:06.500 At best, Pearl had a two-horsepower [br]system to help her with the heavy work. 0:17:06.500,0:17:11.160 Today, farmers' tractors[br]can be up to 400 horsepower. 0:17:11.160,0:17:14.850 Trips off the tongue, doesn't it?[br]Four hundred horsepower. 0:17:14.850,0:17:19.410 but think what it actually means:[br]four hundred horses. 0:17:19.410,0:17:23.240 That's the power we get[br]from oil today. 0:17:23.240,0:17:27.520 -Do you know, today's energy supply[br]is equivalent, in energy terms, 0:17:27.520,0:17:31.480 to 22 billion slaves[br]working 'round the clock. 0:17:31.480,0:17:35.230 So we're basically living with[br]this enormous stock of slaves 0:17:35.230,0:17:37.840 working for us in the form of oil. 0:17:37.840,0:17:41.770 But by the end of this century,[br]there ain't any more of them. 0:17:41.770,0:17:44.750 And that's a huge change we're facing-- 0:17:44.750,0:17:48.380 affects just absolutely[br]every aspect of the modern world. 0:17:49.250,0:17:52.800 -I often think how times have changed 0:17:52.800,0:17:57.810 because, you see, we do all this work[br]just to keep our cows going, 0:17:57.810,0:18:02.390 but now, a bit of silage, boy, and[br]it's all done mechanically, 0:18:02.390,0:18:05.120 and you can go and sit down. 0:18:05.120,0:18:08.980 -Your sons, if they had [br]to farm like you did, 0:18:08.980,0:18:12.200 do you think they would do it now?[br]-No, I don't think they would. 0:18:12.200,0:18:16.050 I think they have more sense.[br]But I was happy. 0:18:16.920,0:18:22.340 This way of farming is something we [br]couldn't go back to even if we wanted to. 0:18:22.340,0:18:27.680 When Pearl was young, there was ten times [br]as many farmers in this country 0:18:27.680,0:18:31.270 and only half the number[br]of mouths to feed. 0:18:31.970,0:18:34.730 Also, most British farmers today 0:18:34.730,0:18:38.970 just don't have the physical[br]strength for hard manual labor. 0:18:39.550,0:18:43.790 The average age of a farmer[br]in Britain now is 60. 0:18:44.760,0:18:49.550 And even worse,[br]there's only 150,000 of them left. 0:18:50.970,0:18:56.220 As an industry, British farming[br]has effectively been left to die. 0:18:57.260,0:19:02.020 And in recent years, more and more[br]of our food is coming from abroad. 0:19:04.040,0:19:08.420 -The UK is a net food importer[br]by a long shot, 0:19:08.420,0:19:11.920 so this is a very perilous situation, 0:19:11.920,0:19:17.720 because of course all of that import[br]has to come by way of fossil-fuelled 0:19:17.720,0:19:22.040 vehicles of one kind or another,[br]whether ships or airplanes. 0:19:22.490,0:19:26.150 And as fossil fuels again become[br]more scarce and expensive, 0:19:26.150,0:19:29.190 that means that that food is going[br]to become more expensive 0:19:29.190,0:19:33.520 and the whole system will start to[br]creak and groan around the edges. 0:19:35.500,0:19:40.240 -Realistically, the only changes[br]I can make are right here. 0:19:40.240,0:19:44.030 And even that isn't as[br]straightforward as it may seem. 0:19:45.480,0:19:48.530 Ours is a traditional[br]livestock farm. 0:19:49.480,0:19:54.250 Raising beef and lamb on pasture[br]may not look that fuel intensive, 0:19:54.250,0:19:57.240 but there is one major problem. 0:19:59.520,0:20:04.510 Bringing the cattle in in the winter[br]for beef farming or dairy farming 0:20:04.510,0:20:08.880 is just part and parcel of what we do [br]in this country because of our climate. 0:20:08.880,0:20:11.270 If we were to leave[br]them out on the land, 0:20:11.270,0:20:15.430 it's actually bad for the pastures[br]because they carve up the grass 0:20:15.430,0:20:19.630 and it hasn't got enough time[br]to recover for the next spring. 0:20:20.240,0:20:24.730 And obviously with the cattle in the barn,[br]then they can't get to their grass. 0:20:24.730,0:20:29.050 So we then have to bring their grass[br]to them in the form of this hay. 0:20:31.480,0:20:36.330 And the hay harvest, by far, [br]is our biggest single use 0:20:36.330,0:20:39.520 of machinery and fuel on this farm. 0:20:47.830,0:20:52.110 This is why I was fascinated to hear [br]about a farm up in Shropshire 0:20:52.110,0:20:55.760 run by Charlotte Hollins[br]and her brother Ben. 0:20:56.240,0:20:59.730 Fordhall Farm is much [br]the same size as our farm, 0:20:59.730,0:21:03.210 and like us, they raise [br]cattle and sheep. 0:21:03.210,0:21:07.350 But at Fordhall, the cattle stay[br]out on the pasture all winter 0:21:07.350,0:21:10.510 with little need for additional feed. 0:21:11.260,0:21:14.520 I found it hard to believe,[br]but as a result, 0:21:14.520,0:21:17.790 the only machinery[br]they have is a quad bike. 0:21:19.640,0:21:23.610 The secret to this [br]is underfoot: the grass. 0:21:24.480,0:21:28.520 Even though we have hundreds [br]of species of wild grass in this country, 0:21:28.520,0:21:31.240 most farmers only use four, 0:21:31.240,0:21:34.470 which they buy in a bag[br]from a seed merchant. 0:21:35.250,0:21:37.680 But not at Fordhall. 0:21:37.680,0:21:41.120 -...and we've probably got almost [br]20 different species of grass here. 0:21:41.120,0:21:44.250 Some are hardier than others, some[br]will grow quicker than others, 0:21:44.250,0:21:47.760 and some have roots which go deeper down[br]in the soil and bring minerals up, 0:21:47.760,0:21:51.260 and some have got much shallower roots [br]which help then protect the soil 0:21:51.260,0:21:52.710 across the surface.[br] 0:21:52.710,0:21:55.520 If you come down and have a look[br]at the grasses here, 0:21:55.520,0:21:59.960 you can see straight away that [br]you've got a great big tight structure 0:21:59.960,0:22:02.240 there at the bottom. [br]-It's like Scottish Tweed. 0:22:02.240,0:22:07.800 -Exactly. And even when you get [br]to the soil, it's so matted up with roots, 0:22:07.800,0:22:11.670 it takes an awful lot of force[br]and effort to break through it. 0:22:11.670,0:22:14.500 So it doesn't get trodden up[br]to a muddy mess straight away, 0:22:14.500,0:22:17.360 and then the cows and the sheep[br]get the benefit of it, 0:22:17.360,0:22:21.220 and you get the benefit because you[br]don't have to buy so much feed in. 0:22:22.220,0:22:25.560 We know, year on year, [br]it will work, there will be feed, 0:22:25.560,0:22:28.350 we can produce beef, [br]we can produce lamb, 0:22:28.350,0:22:31.230 and we can sell it, [br]and we can make a living. 0:22:31.230,0:22:33.900 And whatever happens [br]to oil prices or anything else, 0:22:33.900,0:22:36.730 we know we can keep going [br]on that system. 0:22:37.200,0:22:41.100 -But these amazing grasses[br]didn't happen by chance. 0:22:41.100,0:22:44.790 Charlotte and Ben's late father,[br]Arthur Hollins, 0:22:44.790,0:22:48.510 was a bit of a local legend [br]and a farming visionary. 0:22:48.510,0:22:52.250 -Dad started his way of farming[br]just after the war, 0:22:52.250,0:22:54.990 but he spent his whole lifetime [br]developing the system, 0:22:54.990,0:22:57.880 and it was only just before [br]he died in 2005, 0:22:57.880,0:23:01.510 that he actually said,[br]"I'm happy with this," you know, 0:23:01.510,0:23:05.810 "I think I've got the grasses right,[br]I'm happy with the pastures." 0:23:06.490,0:23:11.510 The soils on our farm are completely [br]different to the ones here at Fordhall, 0:23:11.510,0:23:16.500 so the grasses Arthur encouraged may[br]not suit our fields back in Devon. 0:23:16.500,0:23:21.380 But that's not to say we couldn't try [br]something similar with other types of grass. 0:23:21.940,0:23:27.290 Knowing which species to encourage[br]may be just a case of careful observation. 0:23:27.920,0:23:31.360 And that's exactly what[br]old Arthur had to do, 0:23:31.360,0:23:34.780 because the pastures here[br]weren't always so rich. 0:23:35.460,0:23:38.710 -Dad was always a great observer,[br]and he came through the woodland. 0:23:38.710,0:23:42.470 and he saw how much was growing here, [br]especially during the summer months, 0:23:42.470,0:23:45.310 and he wasn't touching it. [br]But more importantly, 0:23:45.310,0:23:48.480 he wasn't paying for any of it [br]to grow, it was just doing it. 0:23:48.480,0:23:52.470 And he saw straightaway, in the top [br]few inches of leaf litter on the soil, 0:23:52.470,0:23:56.720 there was life, whether it be spiders,[br]or woodlice or centipedes. 0:23:56.720,0:24:00.080 And then you go down a little bit[br]further and you start to see worms. 0:24:00.080,0:24:03.690 But he couldn't see any of that [br]in his soil he was plowing and cultivating 0:24:03.690,0:24:06.260 year on year. [br]There was no sign of any life. 0:24:06.260,0:24:08.020 -It was dead.[br]-It was dead. 0:24:08.020,0:24:11.970 And he got to then learn about all the [br]millions of different bacteria and fungi 0:24:11.970,0:24:15.740 that were also in the soil, [br]that keep it fertile, cycle the nutrients, 0:24:15.740,0:24:19.500 that hold those nutrients in their bodies [br]and release them to the plants, 0:24:19.500,0:24:21.750 and they weren't in his soil. 0:24:21.750,0:24:25.060 -If you just look down, I mean, [br]this is classic woodland soil. 0:24:25.060,0:24:27.090 -Yeah.[br]-Look how rich this is. 0:24:27.090,0:24:29.980 -Exactly. [br]-And it's gorgeous, rich topsoil. 0:24:29.980,0:24:34.220 -I mean, even there, in that soil[br]you've got bits of twig, the bits of leaf, 0:24:34.220,0:24:37.000 that are slowly being [br]broken down to create soil. 0:24:37.000,0:24:39.610 And the worms and everything else [br]do that job for you. 0:24:39.610,0:24:43.210 They eat it, process it through their [br]bodies, and you end up with worm poo, 0:24:43.210,0:24:45.760 which is soil, which feeds the plants. 0:24:45.760,0:24:49.160 And without that life, you've got [br]nothing to feed the plants 0:24:49.160,0:24:51.800 to keep that system going. 0:24:52.230,0:24:55.220 Taking the lessons he learned[br]from the woodland, 0:24:55.220,0:25:00.000 Arthur realized that to rejuvenate [br]his fields, he would have to go against 0:25:00.000,0:25:04.020 one of the most fundamental [br]principles of agriculture. 0:25:04.770,0:25:07.480 -The biggest thing that Dad found [br]was damaging the soil 0:25:07.480,0:25:10.050 was actually exposing it to sunlight. 0:25:10.050,0:25:12.720 It was that overturning [br]through plowing. 0:25:12.720,0:25:16.520 And Dad always said it would be like[br]humans ripping off their skin, 0:25:16.520,0:25:20.290 you know, it's not nice.[br]And you know, you don't survive. 0:25:20.290,0:25:24.050 So why do it to the soil, and why kill [br]all those organisms in the soil, 0:25:24.050,0:25:26.990 that, at the end of the day,[br]are your best friends? 0:25:26.990,0:25:30.230 -Are you telling us not to plow?[br]-Yes. 0:25:30.940,0:25:35.180 -We've been plowing for 10,000 years. [br]It's what farmers do. 0:25:36.640,0:25:41.540 Not plowing is a pretty radical idea [br]for any farmer. 0:25:42.500,0:25:45.570 But looking at some old footage [br]from our farm, 0:25:45.570,0:25:49.230 the damage it causes [br]is now pretty obvious. 0:25:49.230,0:25:52.740 This is one of our fields[br]back in the 80s. 0:25:52.740,0:25:56.750 The life in the soil[br]is a feast for the birds. 0:25:56.750,0:25:59.860 After 20 years[br]of the same treatment... 0:25:59.860,0:26:02.680 no birds, the soil is dead. 0:26:04.830,0:26:09.510 Turning the soil has been part[br]of agriculture for millennia, 0:26:09.510,0:26:14.200 but I guess with muscle power alone,[br]the damage was slow to show. 0:26:14.740,0:26:19.070 With diesel power,[br]the destruction is much faster. 0:26:19.940,0:26:24.130 The only reason modern agriculture[br]can get away with killing the life 0:26:24.130,0:26:27.760 in the soil is through[br]another use of fossil fuel. 0:26:28.950,0:26:33.050 This time it's by turning[br]it into chemical fertilizer. 0:26:34.240,0:26:38.230 These granules contain three[br]essential plant nutrients. 0:26:39.750,0:26:43.760 Nitrates, phosphate, and potash. 0:26:44.970,0:26:48.920 Over 95% of all the food grown[br]in this country 0:26:48.920,0:26:52.280 is totally reliant[br]on synthetic fertilizer. 0:26:52.760,0:26:56.800 Without it, we'd be [br]in serious trouble. 0:26:57.840,0:27:00.630 -We've used fossil fuels, essentially, 0:27:00.630,0:27:05.240 to grow plants in soil [br]that is otherwise dead. 0:27:05.640,0:27:08.970 And that works, as long as we have [br]the cheap fossil fuels 0:27:08.970,0:27:11.520 with which to make [br]the nitrogen fertilizer, 0:27:11.520,0:27:14.160 and to transport all [br]the inputs, and so on. 0:27:14.160,0:27:17.560 But in the end, when we don't have [br]the cheap fossil fuels, 0:27:17.560,0:27:20.480 we're going to need[br]living soil once again. 0:27:20.480,0:27:25.580 And that living soil is something[br]that requires time and care to build, 0:27:25.580,0:27:28.480 it doesn't just happen overnight. 0:27:28.950,0:27:32.340 -This field is far more typical [br]for our farm. 0:27:32.340,0:27:34.990 It's called Orchid Meadow. 0:27:34.990,0:27:39.000 And it's never been plowed[br]or dosed with synthetic fertilizer, 0:27:39.000,0:27:42.200 yet it's clearly thriving. 0:27:42.200,0:27:46.000 It just does feel like the whole[br]thing's heaving with life. 0:27:46.000,0:27:51.210 There's so many flowers, but also on [br]a sunny day, the whole place comes alive. 0:27:51.210,0:27:54.440 And you've got the birds[br]in the trees, but it just buzzes-- 0:27:54.440,0:27:57.800 the whole thing buzzes, and you've[br]just got so many insects. 0:27:57.800,0:28:00.800 If you step over this,[br]especially in an evening, 0:28:00.800,0:28:05.880 and you walk through this, [br]the insects come up in great big clouds. 0:28:05.880,0:28:10.510 And it's all built on the foundation[br]of healthy, living soil. 0:28:11.640,0:28:16.010 After seeing Fordhall Farm, I can see [br]by developing these pastures, 0:28:16.010,0:28:19.060 we could reduce[br]our dependence on oil. 0:28:19.500,0:28:22.250 But, no matter how good[br]the grasses are, 0:28:22.250,0:28:25.270 rearing cattle takes a lot of land. 0:28:25.270,0:28:27.780 Every study on the matter concludes 0:28:27.780,0:28:30.980 that if Britain is to become [br]more self-sufficient, 0:28:30.980,0:28:33.530 we need to eat less meat. 0:28:33.950,0:28:38.000 Now I'm realizing,[br]we'll probably have to diversify, 0:28:38.000,0:28:42.370 changing not just how we farm,[br]but what we farm. 0:28:42.370,0:28:44.750 And this where I get stuck. 0:28:44.750,0:28:48.120 Because I can see how you [br]can farm cattle without plowing, 0:28:48.120,0:28:50.360 and using natural fertility, 0:28:50.360,0:28:53.730 but how do you grow[br]everything else we need? 0:28:53.730,0:28:57.290 Well, it seems there are a number[br]of people around the world 0:28:57.290,0:29:00.350 who have already grappled [br]with this problem. 0:29:00.350,0:29:03.800 They've developed a system[br]known as permaculture. 0:29:04.370,0:29:08.410 Britain's leading expert[br]is Patrick Whitefield. 0:29:08.850,0:29:13.250 Permaculture seems to challenge[br]all the normal approaches to farming. 0:29:13.710,0:29:16.560 -You know, people often think 0:29:16.560,0:29:18.880 that there are two ways [br]of doing things. 0:29:18.880,0:29:22.930 One is by drudgery, and the other[br]is by chucking fossil fuel at it. 0:29:22.930,0:29:25.840 Now, permaculture is about[br]a third way of doing things, 0:29:25.840,0:29:29.360 and that is by design, [br]by conscious design. 0:29:29.360,0:29:32.000 -Basically, you're designing [br]the labor out, 0:29:32.000,0:29:34.770 or you're designing the need [br]for that energy out? 0:29:34.770,0:29:36.500 -Both.[br]-Okay. 0:29:36.500,0:29:42.990 So why does it take so much manpower[br]and energy to sustain farmland, 0:29:42.990,0:29:47.020 when you look at a natural ecosystem,[br]and we've got a wood behind us, 0:29:47.020,0:29:49.170 and that can just keep going? 0:29:49.170,0:29:54.120 -Because this inherently is not[br]what the landscape wants to do. 0:29:54.120,0:29:56.770 And if you leave [br]the landscape totally alone, 0:29:56.770,0:29:59.610 it would turn into something like that. 0:29:59.610,0:30:02.360 So that is the low energy option. 0:30:02.360,0:30:05.900 In the natural ecosystem,[br]there's no work-- 0:30:05.900,0:30:10.530 well not by any humans--[br]there's no waste, and yet it's thriving. 0:30:10.530,0:30:12.720 You know, look at it. 0:30:12.720,0:30:15.260 [baby birds chirping] 0:30:15.260,0:30:19.450 -It's easy to forget Britain[br]used to be a forested island. 0:30:20.980,0:30:24.250 And so much of the energy[br]we expend in farming 0:30:24.250,0:30:27.100 is just to stop it reverting back. 0:30:27.100,0:30:30.290 But woodland has evolved [br]over millions of years 0:30:30.290,0:30:34.500 to be the most efficient [br]growing system in our climate. 0:30:34.500,0:30:37.610 In that respect, [br]I can understand its appeal 0:30:37.610,0:30:41.330 if you're trying to design [br]the best way to grow food. 0:30:41.330,0:30:45.400 But the obvious problem [br]for me is, well, we can't eat trees. 0:30:46.230,0:30:51.570 With all the greatest respect, a few wild [br]berries, you can't...it's not a cornfield. 0:30:51.570,0:30:55.750 -Course it isn't. Course it isn't. [br]No, no, no, it's insignificant. 0:30:55.750,0:30:59.960 What we've got to do[br]is to take the principles of this 0:30:59.960,0:31:05.780 and see how far we can bend them[br]towards something more edible. 0:31:07.230,0:31:10.150 -A food growing system based [br]on natural ecology 0:31:10.150,0:31:12.960 really appeals to my naturalist side, 0:31:12.960,0:31:16.980 but the farmer's daughter in me[br]needs a bit more convincing. 0:31:17.610,0:31:21.470 I suppose the big question is,[br]could permaculture feed Britain? 0:31:21.470,0:31:23.440 -Yeah, good question. 0:31:23.440,0:31:27.510 Although the first question [br]to ask actually is, 0:31:27.510,0:31:30.080 can the present methods[br]go on feeding Britain? 0:31:30.080,0:31:35.090 -Yeah, I suppose, yeah. [br]-Because actually, that is doubtful. 0:31:35.090,0:31:38.210 Well, no it's not. [br]In the long term, it's absolutely certain 0:31:38.210,0:31:41.350 that present methods can't, because [br]they're so entirely dependent 0:31:41.350,0:31:43.930 on energy, on fossil fuel energy. 0:31:43.930,0:31:48.790 So we haven't really got any choice,[br]other than to find something different. 0:31:50.160,0:31:55.210 -Last year, I may have dismissed[br]permaculture as not proper farming, 0:31:55.210,0:31:58.530 but with what I've learned[br]about the oil situation, 0:31:58.530,0:32:01.500 I'm keen to see it in practice. 0:32:01.500,0:32:05.690 A visit to a permaculture smallholding [br]in the mountains of Snowdonia 0:32:05.690,0:32:08.280 has given me the opportunity. 0:32:08.730,0:32:14.120 Now, the farmland I'm used to seeing [br]is clumps of trees surrounded by fields. 0:32:14.120,0:32:17.020 But this is the complete opposite, 0:32:17.020,0:32:20.720 a collection of small clearings[br]in a massive woodland. 0:32:20.720,0:32:24.740 It may not look like a farm,[br]but it clearly works. 0:32:25.350,0:32:30.030 For a few days work each week,[br]Chris Dixon and his wife Lynn 0:32:30.030,0:32:33.990 produce all the fruit,[br]veg, and meat they need 0:32:33.990,0:32:36.250 and the fuel to cook it. 0:32:36.720,0:32:39.580 But 20 years ago [br]when they arrived, 0:32:39.580,0:32:43.350 it was degraded,[br]marginal pasture land. 0:32:43.350,0:32:48.770 The first thing they did was let much [br]of the land return to its natural state. 0:32:50.200,0:32:53.730 Now the fertility [br]has returned to the land. 0:32:55.340,0:32:58.400 Observing the forest[br]as it regenerated 0:32:58.400,0:33:02.950 offered all the inspiration they needed[br]to design their smallholding. 0:33:02.950,0:33:05.750 But it is a woodland[br]still, and it is chaos. 0:33:05.750,0:33:10.380 -It is chaos, but chaos in this space [br]is very, very highly ordered. 0:33:10.380,0:33:15.000 Very highly structured. It's just that [br]we see it as untidy and a mess. 0:33:15.000,0:33:17.730 Nature doesn't see it[br]like that at all. 0:33:18.520,0:33:23.500 Every plant is doing something useful, [br]important, valuable on the site. 0:33:23.500,0:33:26.390 So, for example, [br]the gorse fixing nitrogen, 0:33:26.390,0:33:29.760 the bracken collecting potash,[br]that sort of thing. 0:33:29.760,0:33:34.540 They gave me the feeling that [br]every plant is important in some way. 0:33:37.490,0:33:40.750 -Everywhere you go [br]on the Dixons' smallholding 0:33:40.750,0:33:44.050 seems to be teeming with wildlife. 0:33:46.820,0:33:51.600 How important is the biodiversity--[br]so, we're hearing birds above us as well-- 0:33:51.600,0:33:54.120 how important is all[br]of that to this system? 0:33:54.120,0:33:57.920 -Very important because [br]by encouraging the habitat for birds, 0:33:57.920,0:34:01.540 we're encouraging phosphate[br]cycling through the system. 0:34:01.540,0:34:05.470 So again, phosphates is another [br]of the sort of crucial plant nutrients, 0:34:05.470,0:34:07.760 -Yup.[br]-...every plant needs them, 0:34:07.760,0:34:11.840 and phosphates, you'll find in things [br]like insects and seed. 0:34:11.840,0:34:14.560 So the birds that eat[br]insects and seeds, 0:34:14.560,0:34:19.400 they're accumulating phosphates, [br]and the excess comes out in their dung. 0:34:21.220,0:34:23.600 So, up here in the mountains, 0:34:23.600,0:34:27.740 there's no need for sacks [br]of fossil fuel-derived nutrients. 0:34:27.740,0:34:34.500 It's all done by nature:[br]nitrate, potash, phosphate. 0:34:34.500,0:34:38.290 And no need, either,[br]for petroleum based pesticides. 0:34:38.750,0:34:43.160 -We use ducks, Khaki Campbells,[br]as slug control. 0:34:43.160,0:34:47.810 We've kept ducks for 22 years, and the [br]Khaki Campbells are the best slug-eaters. 0:34:47.810,0:34:51.370 -Oh, really, there's a big tip.[br]-And it can be very difficult to find 0:34:51.370,0:34:54.500 slugs in here during the summer, [br]which is great. 0:34:54.500,0:34:56.690 -Fantastic, yeah. 0:34:59.520,0:35:03.800 Chris's veg garden may look untidy[br]to a regular gardener, 0:35:03.800,0:35:08.250 but like in the woodland,[br]every plant is serving a purpose. 0:35:08.250,0:35:13.320 For example, some deter pests.[br]Some help drainage. 0:35:13.320,0:35:16.370 Some encourage bees for pollination. 0:35:16.370,0:35:21.080 And others have long roots [br]that pull up minerals deep from the soil. 0:35:22.480,0:35:27.260 The largest clearings in the woodland [br]are kept as pasture for the livestock. 0:35:27.260,0:35:32.710 But the animals here don't just eat grass,[br]they're benefiting from the trees as well. 0:35:33.250,0:35:38.760 Nutrient-rich willow, lime, and ash[br]are all used as fodder crops. 0:35:39.580,0:35:41.640 Feeding trees to animals, 0:35:41.640,0:35:44.780 this is something I would [br]never have thought of. 0:35:50.040,0:35:52.980 We don't have much [br]woodland on our farm, 0:35:52.980,0:35:55.680 but what we do have [br]are massive hedges, 0:35:55.680,0:35:59.010 and now I'm seeing them [br]in a different light. 0:35:59.010,0:36:02.510 Well, I've always thought [br]of a hedgerow as a land division 0:36:02.510,0:36:05.220 between two fields,[br]and I've always-- 0:36:05.220,0:36:10.060 well, I suppose on this farm, thought [br]of it as a wildlife corridor as well, 0:36:10.060,0:36:14.460 but I've never actually [br]thought of it as a yielding crop. 0:36:15.280,0:36:19.500 But their potential even [br]just as a fodder crop is huge. 0:36:20.070,0:36:24.540 I've never noticed before [br]how much the cattle like eating ash. 0:36:25.500,0:36:28.260 And there is also [br]a wealth of fruits here, 0:36:28.260,0:36:30.820 and that's with doing[br]nothing at all. 0:36:30.820,0:36:35.770 With a bit of careful steering, [br]who knows how much a hedge could produce. 0:36:36.940,0:36:41.080 Ironically, I've learned hedgerows[br]could be much more productive 0:36:41.080,0:36:45.720 than the fields they enclose,[br]and require much less work. 0:36:46.470,0:36:50.960 You don't have to add anything,[br]it's self-maintaining, 0:36:50.960,0:36:55.310 you know, you're not having to tend it,[br]it's just there in abundance. 0:36:55.310,0:36:58.670 And why is it there in abundance?[br]Because it wants to grow here. 0:36:58.670,0:37:01.270 It's the natural food[br]that should be here. 0:37:01.270,0:37:05.060 The only difference is it's growing[br]upwards and not across. 0:37:05.060,0:37:08.680 Actually, by utilizing the full height [br]of trees and hedges, 0:37:08.680,0:37:14.220 you can squeeze a much higher yield[br]out of the same piece of land. 0:37:14.220,0:37:18.520 Turns out, just up the road from our farm [br]is the best example in Europe 0:37:18.520,0:37:22.510 of just how far you can take [br]this way of producing food. 0:37:22.510,0:37:26.500 Until now, I had no idea it existed. 0:37:27.460,0:37:32.080 The man behind this pioneering[br]system is Martin Crawford. 0:37:32.080,0:37:35.520 -This is a forest garden, [br]where there's a big diversity 0:37:35.520,0:37:38.520 of trees, and shrubs, [br]and other crops, 0:37:38.520,0:37:42.200 all growing together,[br]very carefully designed 0:37:42.200,0:37:45.720 so everything is working together, 0:37:45.720,0:37:49.210 to give many different yields[br]from the same space. 0:37:49.710,0:37:54.340 The trees are spaced very carefully[br]so that there's enough light 0:37:54.340,0:37:57.530 getting into the ground layers beneath, 0:37:57.530,0:38:00.560 so you can actually[br]grow something productive. 0:38:02.990,0:38:06.240 Forest gardens are one part[br]of permaculture 0:38:06.240,0:38:10.050 where design is clearly [br]inspired by nature. 0:38:11.080,0:38:14.360 Something that makes [br]a natural woodland so productive, 0:38:14.360,0:38:17.250 is it grows on many layers. 0:38:17.920,0:38:22.320 It's rather like having half a dozen[br]fields stacked on top of each other. 0:38:24.280,0:38:27.520 A forest garden imitates [br]each woodland layer, 0:38:27.520,0:38:31.020 but uses more edible [br]and desirable species. 0:38:31.960,0:38:35.000 This one down below [br]my feet here--is very low-- 0:38:35.000,0:38:37.510 it's called Nepalese raspberry. 0:38:37.510,0:38:41.760 It's a fantastic plant and it protects [br]the soil from winter rain. 0:38:41.760,0:38:44.520 -And it saves on weeding.[br]-Yes, so there's no weeding... 0:38:44.520,0:38:46.780 ...to be done, you see.[br]-No. 0:38:46.780,0:38:49.960 The garden floor is covered[br]with fruit and veg, 0:38:49.960,0:38:55.110 and above them, the shrub layer is [br]equally abundant, if not a little unusual. 0:38:55.110,0:38:57.770 -One of several hawthorn species I've got. 0:38:57.770,0:39:01.500 Massive thorns on it, but much [br]bigger fruits and much tastier fruits. 0:39:01.500,0:39:05.530 The other side of us is a mulberry.[br]-You never see mulberry bushes nowadays. 0:39:05.530,0:39:08.380 -You don't often see mulberries, [br]but they're really nice fruits, 0:39:08.380,0:39:10.720 and quite easy to grow, really. 0:39:10.720,0:39:13.910 Another big salad crop [br]from the forest garden are lime leaves. 0:39:13.910,0:39:17.080 And I use them as a base, [br]kind of a base ingredient, in a salad. 0:39:17.080,0:39:18.920 -Right. [br]-Like lettuce. 0:39:18.920,0:39:21.970 -Oh, okay, so they are [br]your replacement for lettuce? 0:39:21.970,0:39:26.240 -Yeah, yeah.[br]-Big lettuce, Martin. [laughing] 0:39:28.230,0:39:31.240 A bit higher up are the fruit trees, 0:39:31.240,0:39:35.280 like apples, pears, medlars, [br]plums, and quinces. 0:39:36.240,0:39:40.490 And then there's the canopy, where [br]those trees that aren't producing food 0:39:40.490,0:39:45.310 are serving other essential functions,[br]like cycling nutrients. 0:39:45.310,0:39:48.460 -...and the Italian Alders[br]are a very good example. 0:39:48.460,0:39:52.990 They're very fast growing, and supply [br]a lot of nitrogen to the plants around. 0:39:52.990,0:39:55.540 -And this is through the root system? 0:39:55.540,0:39:58.630 -It's through the leaf litter, [br]which is still quite high in nitrogen, 0:39:58.630,0:40:02.480 and the root system,[br]and also through beneficial fungi, 0:40:02.480,0:40:05.960 which link up everything under the ground,[br]and move nutrients around. 0:40:05.960,0:40:09.020 If there's a lot of nitrogen[br]in one place in the soil, 0:40:09.020,0:40:12.760 and a lack of nitrogen in the other,[br]the fungi will move it for you. 0:40:12.760,0:40:15.040 -Everything is here [br]for a reason, isn't it? 0:40:15.040,0:40:18.750 -Everything's here for a reason...[br]often multiple reasons. 0:40:18.750,0:40:21.200 So, behind us, the mint here-- 0:40:21.200,0:40:24.140 this is horse mint, which is one[br]of the native British mints-- 0:40:24.140,0:40:28.360 The main use for this mint[br]is actually to attract beneficial insects. 0:40:28.360,0:40:31.230 It's fantastic at attracting hoverflies, 0:40:31.230,0:40:34.470 which of course eat aphids, [br]amongst other things. 0:40:34.470,0:40:37.710 So, by having plants [br]that attract beneficial insects, 0:40:37.710,0:40:41.270 I don't get any pest problems.[br]-So no pesticides? 0:40:41.270,0:40:43.770 -That's right. [br]-Fantastic. 0:40:44.510,0:40:49.910 Martin has over 550 species[br]of plant in his forest garden. 0:40:49.910,0:40:55.500 Surely a growing system this complex [br]must require endless attention and work. 0:40:55.500,0:40:59.760 Over a whole year, it probably[br]averages out about a day a week. 0:40:59.760,0:41:02.680 -Right.[br]-A lot of that is harvesting. 0:41:02.680,0:41:06.210 -Right.[br]-In terms of maintenance... 0:41:06.210,0:41:10.400 well, say ten days a year.[br]-That's ridiculous. 0:41:10.400,0:41:14.040 Compared to running a farm,[br]that's virtually nothing. 0:41:14.040,0:41:16.720 But how much food does it produce? 0:41:16.720,0:41:19.490 -If you design it for maximum yield,[br]it can be very high. 0:41:19.490,0:41:22.270 This forest garden isn't designed[br]for maximum yield 0:41:22.270,0:41:24.530 'cause I'm experimenting a lot, 0:41:24.530,0:41:27.970 and I have a lot of unusual crops [br]I'm trying, and so on. 0:41:27.970,0:41:30.800 In terms of one designed [br]for maximum yield, 0:41:30.800,0:41:33.710 you would be able to feed probably[br]ten people an acre 0:41:33.710,0:41:36.950 on a maximum yield forest garden. [br]-Really? Okay. 0:41:36.950,0:41:39.880 That's roughly double [br]the amount of people 0:41:39.880,0:41:43.080 that we can currently feed [br]from an average acre 0:41:43.080,0:41:46.020 of conventional arable farmland. 0:41:46.020,0:41:50.530 It is an amazing low energy,[br]low maintenance system, 0:41:50.530,0:41:54.440 but what you can't grow [br]in a forest garden are cereal crops. 0:41:54.440,0:41:59.040 And we are rather addicted[br]to our high-carb diets. 0:41:59.040,0:42:03.420 But as oil gets more expensive[br]and farming begins to change, 0:42:03.420,0:42:08.620 it will become necessary for us to broaden[br]our diets and embrace new foods. 0:42:08.620,0:42:11.250 Down the road from his forest garden, 0:42:11.250,0:42:14.080 Martin has created [br]a four-acre nut orchard. 0:42:14.080,0:42:17.440 -It would help, enormously, 0:42:17.440,0:42:21.570 if we could move more towards nuts,[br]and less towards cereals, 0:42:21.570,0:42:25.300 because they are much more sustainable,[br]because they grow on trees. 0:42:25.300,0:42:28.520 In other parts of Europe, France[br]and Italy, there's a big tradition 0:42:28.520,0:42:31.330 of growing hazelnuts,[br]sweet chestnuts, walnuts. 0:42:31.330,0:42:33.920 An orchard crop[br]like a sweet chestnut, 0:42:33.920,0:42:38.270 it takes far less energy and maintenance [br]to grow than a field of wheat. 0:42:39.250,0:42:41.770 -Less energy and maintenance maybe, 0:42:41.770,0:42:45.760 but can the yield from nuts[br]really compare with a cereal crop? 0:42:45.760,0:42:50.280 -You're talking sweet chestnuts,[br]two tons an acre or something like that, 0:42:50.280,0:42:53.480 which is pretty much what you get[br]growing wheat organically. 0:42:53.480,0:42:58.640 And the composition of chestnut is [br]almost identical, actually, to that of rice. 0:42:58.640,0:43:02.780 And it's very similar to the other grains [br]in terms of calorific value. 0:43:04.000,0:43:07.840 -Even at this experimental stage,[br]Martin's nut orchard 0:43:07.840,0:43:12.790 and his forest garden have [br]a huge output for such a tiny acreage. 0:43:15.320,0:43:19.240 Back in Wales, [br]at the Dixons' equally small plot, 0:43:19.240,0:43:22.500 there is a similar story[br]of productivity. 0:43:22.500,0:43:25.520 -The whole site is seven acres, 0:43:25.520,0:43:31.920 which now, after 22 years of the natural [br]regeneration and the stuff we've done, 0:43:31.920,0:43:35.020 it's too much[br]for one family to harvest. 0:43:35.020,0:43:38.760 So, you know, really,[br]the smaller is better. 0:43:40.000,0:43:44.670 To me, this is the big difference[br]between farming and gardening. 0:43:44.670,0:43:48.040 So I'm not a farmer,[br]I would consider myself a gardener. 0:43:48.040,0:43:52.520 -Are you trying to say gardeners [br]are the way forward, rather then farmers? 0:43:52.520,0:43:56.250 -I wouldn't say that gardening[br]is better than farming, 0:43:56.250,0:43:58.760 gardening is different from farming. 0:43:58.760,0:44:02.440 But I would suggest that, as far as [br]I can tell from what I've done 0:44:02.440,0:44:06.220 in my own practical experience,[br]and from what I've tried to find out, 0:44:06.220,0:44:09.990 that gardening with hand tools[br]is more productive 0:44:09.990,0:44:13.510 and more energy efficient[br]than farming. 0:44:14.500,0:44:18.970 -It's the attention to detail[br]that a gardener can give to a small plot 0:44:18.970,0:44:21.720 that makes it so productive. 0:44:21.720,0:44:26.750 A veg garden with an experienced gardener [br]can produce up to five times more food 0:44:26.750,0:44:30.010 per square meter than a large farm. 0:44:30.750,0:44:34.200 Supermarkets reliant[br]on transportation, 0:44:34.200,0:44:37.270 and the industrial scale farms[br]that supply them, 0:44:37.270,0:44:40.740 are unlikely to survive[br]as oil declines. 0:44:40.740,0:44:44.200 But a host of veg plots,[br]allotments, and smallholdings 0:44:44.200,0:44:49.550 could easily make up for their loss.[br]But only if we have a lot more growers. 0:44:49.550,0:44:52.590 -The dominant demographic trend[br]of the 21st century, 0:44:52.590,0:44:55.180 I think, is going to be re-ruralisation. 0:44:55.180,0:44:57.990 That's not to say that the cities[br]will all disappear, 0:44:57.990,0:45:01.520 but the proportion of people [br]involved directly in food production 0:45:01.520,0:45:03.480 is going to increase. 0:45:03.480,0:45:06.460 Think back to the[br]Second World War, for example, 0:45:06.460,0:45:10.740 there was the Victory Garden movement,[br]where everyone was growing a garden plot 0:45:10.740,0:45:14.140 and something like 40% of fruit[br]and vegetables were being produced 0:45:14.140,0:45:18.840 from front yards and back yards[br]and vacant lots, and so on. 0:45:18.840,0:45:22.450 That's a model to imagine[br]and look back to. 0:45:22.450,0:45:26.520 -But we also will need [br]a lot more full-time farmers, 0:45:26.520,0:45:30.520 otherwise, what are we [br]going to be eating? 0:45:31.190,0:45:34.470 Feeding ourselves [br]as oil goes into decline 0:45:34.470,0:45:38.260 is clearly going to require[br]a national effort. 0:45:38.260,0:45:43.270 And, in an ideal world,[br]a bit of government leadership. 0:45:43.270,0:45:49.330 But for my part, weaning this farm[br]off fossil fuel is all I can do. 0:45:49.330,0:45:53.320 And the pioneers I've met recently[br]are a big inspiration. 0:45:53.320,0:45:56.650 Now I've learned to observe[br]the land, and work with it, 0:45:56.650,0:45:59.460 rather than fight against it. 0:45:59.460,0:46:02.850 I'm fascinated to find out[br]what species of grass we have, 0:46:02.850,0:46:06.200 and how I can improve our pastures. 0:46:06.200,0:46:10.730 And how we can make the most [br]out of our trees to benefit our cattle. 0:46:11.310,0:46:15.700 But also, I think we need to produce[br]more than just livestock. 0:46:15.700,0:46:20.990 Who knows? In a few years from now, [br]we might even have a forest garden here. 0:46:20.990,0:46:25.360 Although I'm not quite sure[br]what Dad would make of that. 0:46:25.360,0:46:28.250 But for any of these ideas to work, 0:46:28.250,0:46:32.010 it's essential to continue [br]preserving the farm's wildlife, 0:46:32.010,0:46:36.530 and work even harder [br]to encourage greater biodiversity. 0:46:37.810,0:46:42.440 Biodiversity is far more important[br]to us than I ever gave it credit for. 0:46:42.440,0:46:45.700 I just always thought it was pretty, [br]and it was, you know, 0:46:45.700,0:46:47.980 species we lived with. 0:46:47.980,0:46:50.930 Now I've learned[br]the big lesson that 0:46:50.930,0:46:56.540 it keeps us going, it[br]gives us food, it protects our food, 0:46:57.180,0:47:00.790 and it's crucial that we keep it. 0:47:01.310,0:47:06.900 I'm so grateful for what my uncle [br]and my dad have done on this farm, 0:47:06.900,0:47:09.810 because they've kept it all. 0:47:10.400,0:47:14.030 But there is still so much work[br]to be done here. 0:47:14.700,0:47:18.960 And what drives me to make our farm[br]a farm of the future 0:47:18.960,0:47:23.510 is the knowledge that I have[br]no other choice but to try. 0:47:24.720,0:47:27.230 Of all the people I met, 0:47:27.230,0:47:30.500 I think Dr. Colin Campbell[br]puts it best. 0:47:31.240,0:47:34.600 -What we can say now[br]without any shadow of doubt, 0:47:34.600,0:47:39.850 is that petroleum man is just about [br]extinct by the end of this century. 0:47:39.850,0:47:45.020 That poses the thorny, difficult question, [br]will 'Homo sapiens' be as wise 0:47:45.020,0:47:49.220 as his name implies,[br]and figure out a way to live without oil, 0:47:49.220,0:47:53.270 which is the bloodstream[br]of virtually everything? 0:47:54.280,0:47:58.620 And it seems to me,[br]the sooner we begin that transition 0:47:58.620,0:48:04.280 to a new, low-energy future,[br]the easier the task will be. 0:48:06.231,0:48:10.231 [♪♪♪]