Spring and late winter in the countryside. Food farming wildlife videos to help bring the seasons of wildlife, countryside and farming into your classroom or life
This is the summer playlist of 6 videos.
- Spring 1 – Beyond the farm…
- Spring 2 – Preparing for Spring
- Spring 3 – What happens to cockerels?
- Spring 4 – April shower, lambs, wild flowers, potatoes.
- Spring 5 – Weather – good or bad?
- Spring 6 – Ides of March.
- Spring 7 – Preparing for calving and piglets born
Below are details about each of the 7 spring videos
Spring 1 – Beyond the Farm?
Farm Animals and Computers – Shows how computers are used to monitor pigs feeding during pregnancy and also how they are used to help farmers weigh ingredients so they can mix the correct food ingredients for cattle. It also shows how even milking cows and goats is helped by the use of computer to monitor how much milk is produced. In your local Greenhouse – Shows how machines are used to plant seeds then how computers and robots are used to then sort the growing seedlings. It also shows how human input is still needed for many jobs that computers cannot do – yet! Extending the Veggie Patch – extending our veggie patch to grow more fresh produce..
Spring 2 – Preparing for Spring
Forward planning your Veggie Patch – Seasonal vegetables are about forward planning. Even when it is snowing in spring you can be starting your spring planting with home made newspaper plant pots! Preparing for Calving and Sows Farrowing – Shows a farmer fetching in his cattle ready for calving in the spring, Then goes on to show how piglets are born all year round. With footage of piglets actually being born . New Life in the Greenhouse –Show the tomatoes we saw being planted and grown as seedlings now being transferred and set out in greenhouses.
Spring 3 – What happened to cockerels?
What happened when we put Cockerels in with hens?
Spring 4 – April shower, lambs, wild flowers, potatoes
April Showers — Lambs, Wild Flower, Potatoes… This program looks at April’s seasonal changes and happenings in the countryside, and down on the farm, a bit like the saying April Showers we see a cascade of new life and sowing for future new life. • Lambing — Follow lambing on Oliver’s Farm where we see lots of new born lambs and the work involved in looking after all these new lives, which involves both experienced shepherds and fresh, enthusiastic young shepherds. • Planting Potatoes — We see the first school visits of the year to Stockbridge Technology Centre and see the children and their teachers busy planting potatoes and wild flowers. Wild Flowers for a Bee Larder — Luke Tilley from Stockbridge Technology Centre explain a little about the bee larder project he is running and shows you how to plant wild flowers seeds which can be used to start your own school or garden bee larder.
Spring 5 – Weather – good or bad?
The snow hath retreated — Looks at the signs of spring. What can you look for as an indication that spring has sprung! Also how you and your school can get involved with helping scientists analyse if spring is getting earlier like some people believe. Beating the weather? –Another visit to the greenhouses to see how the tomatoes are progressing, as well as cucumbers and surprisingly strawberries. The weather can kill! — This follows our newborn piglets through to weaning, looking at what different systems are available for rearing pigs and how the UK pig herd has some of the highest welfare standards in the world — which we should be supporting if we believe in animal welfare.
Spring 6 – Ides of March.
Bees — Explains why bees are so important, giving a brief explanation of their role in the life cycle of a flowering plant. Busy bees Busy Farmers –Shows bees busy pollinating tomatoes, and farmers busy in the fields, fertilising winter crops and sowing spring crops. Secret Calves and lambs? — Explains how we have so far been unsuccessful in catching calves being born on film, but how we are more confident of catching lambs being born as our farmer has 2000 ewes to lamb. We see these ewes being brought inside, fed and vaccinated in preparation for lambing.
Spring 7 – Preparing for calving and piglets born
Preparing for Calving and Sows Farrowing — Shows a farmer fetching in his cattle ready for calving in the spring, Then goes on to show how piglets are born all year round. With footage of piglets actually being born