A well known trailer manufacturer has come to the rescue of TV presenter Matt Baker as part of a new series documenting his ambitious journey to save his family’s sheep farm.
‘Matt Baker: Our Farm in the Dales’, soon to be aired on More4, follows the Countryfile and former The One Show presenter as he returns to his parents’ organic sheep farm in the Durham hills to make vital changes that will help secure it for future generations.
The popular presenter, who uses an Ifor Williams Trailers livestock trailer throughout filming, was spurred into action after his 65-year-old mother, Janice, was injured when some of their pedigree flock of Hampshire Down sheep crashed into her, just as she was preparing for shearing.
Despite suffering a broken leg and injuries which forced her to have a knee replacement, Janice was determined to continue farming.
Show format
Over four 60-minute episodes, viewers will follow Matt, his wife Nicola and their two children, Luke (13) and Molly (11) as they head north to restock the remote farm that dates back to the 17th century with more suitable breeds to reduce the future upkeep burden on his parents.
Matt travels across the UK towing a 10×7 TA5 Ifor Williams livestock trailer, collecting 10-12 sheep at a time.
The journey takes him to the Lake District where he sources Herdwicks, the Scottish Borders to buy Cheviots and a farm in Snowdonia in North Wales where he collects Black Welsh Mountain shearlings.
“My mum has always been a shepherdess. I’ve grown up with her doing that. We could never have persuaded her to do otherwise – it was always going to be the sheep!” explained Matt.
Really we are securing the future of the breeding stock on the farm in a way that mum will be able to cope in the winter time on the hill. That really is the whole premise of the show.
“It comes to a point where you start looking after your parents like they looked after you. Farming is such a generational thing anyway and the changes we were making to help mum and dad will be there for my children in the future.”
During filming, Matt took his children along to help choose the breeding stock he hopes they might run in the future.
Choice of trailer
The trips were long and arduous – but Matt could not fault his new Ifor Williams Trailer.
“It’s a fantastic trailer. Actually, it’s the first Ifor Williams trailer I’ve bought and I’m absolutely delighted, I love it,” he said.
I love towing it – it’s so smooth it’s incredible. From the Durham Dales to Snowdonia is a long way. To go there and come back was brilliant.
I wasn’t afraid to reverse it on camera! It reverses well. I relished it. I love trailers anyway and I’ve been very impressed with it.”
Rob Small, head of sales at Ifor Williams Trailers, said:
“We are delighted Matt turned to Ifor Williams Trailers to support his exciting plans for the family farm.
Ifor Williams’ livestock trailers are the mainstay of farms up and down the country, often outlasting the vehicles that tow them and becoming members of the family in their own right!
“For more than 60 years, farmers have put their trust in our trailers and the Bakers can rest assured their new livestock trailer will be there, by their side, for many years to come,” he concluded.
