Adam Henson presents a special edition of Countryfile looking at rare breed farm animals. Starting with his own old spot pigs, he tells the story of some of our rarest farm animals and the threats they face. It is an interest that Adam got from his father Joe, who was one of the founders of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust. There's a chance to see the two of them returning to the place where it all started, on the Orkney Islands, before Joe advises Adam on a potential addition to the farm, some longhorn cattle. Adam's also joined by his daughter Ella to help train his exmoor ponies. Plus there's a look back on some of the times we have featured rare breeds on Countryfile in the past. Ellie Harrison learns to plough with a rare shire horse, Matt Baker follows tamworth pigs from farm to fork and Adams discovers how the latest technology can help guarantee the future of our rare breeds.

The team are in Somerset revisiting some of the areas and people hit by last year's floods. Matt Baker pays a return visit to farmer Geoff Miller, whose home and business were under water a year ago. Matt discovers whether Geoff's land is bouncing back and if his cattle are now thriving. Helen Skelton explores the bird life of the area and learns why some birds flourished in the floods while others, like the barn owl, were left fighting for survival. She also hears about a rescue team whose help during the floods was unprecedented. Anita Rani is in Dawlish where the storms also hit hard, to find out about the restoration of the devastated railway line. Adam Henson is on his Cotswolds farm, where he gets to grips with a very large bit of agricultural kit. How our homes, businesses and farmland are defended from flooding is a controversial subject. Tom Heap finds out what the victims of floods think about what's being done to keep them dry in the future - and talks to the minister responsible for protecting them.

The team are in the Lake District. Matt Baker finds out about a charity opening up the adventure of the Lakes to all. He discovers a piece of mountain rescue equipment which is being used to enable wheelchair users to abseil. Ellie Harrison climbs to great heights on Helvellyn to help predict the weather with the hilltop assessors. She also visits Keswick to find out about early tourism in the Lakes and the recreation of a 3D model of the landscape which was designed to draw in the tourists. Sanjida O'Connell is on the banks of Coniston Water trying her hand at the Cumbrian craft of oak swill basket making. Adam Henson travels to Wales and learns the secret origins of white park cattle. In isolated parts of the countryside, providing a good doctor's service is a real challenge. Tom Heap travels to Scotland to see if experiences there could help to improve rural healthcare across the whole of the UK.

The team are in the Highlands of Scotland following in the footsteps of poet Robert Burns. John Craven is at the Falls of Foyers finding out about the great man's Highland tour. Foyers on the banks of Loch Ness is a stronghold for the elusive red squirrel - John discovers why. He also visits Killiecrankie, where he meets a fiddle player inspired by the work of a contemporary of Burns, musician Niel Gow. And he discovers how this landscape shaped the first battle of the Jacobite risings. Ellie Harrison meets world-renowned photographer Colin Prior. Along with a group of local poets, she learns how to take inspiration from the landscape via the lens. She also heads into the Cairngorms where she takes the reins, learning how to drive a pony and carriage. The hygiene standards in British farming are some of the best in the world. So why are hundreds of thousands of people still getting food poisoning from chickens every year in the UK? Tom Heap investigates.

Ellie Harrison and Matt Baker are in West Yorkshire where Ellie joins one of Britain's best poets, Simon Armitage, on a yomp across the snowy moors. She's following the Stanza Stones trail - a series of rocks with verses written by Simon carved upon them. Matt visits a farm run by volunteers where they are farming with wildlife in mind. Joe Crowley tells the tale of the Cragg Vale Coiners, an outlaw band responsible for one of the biggest counterfeiting crimes in history. Adam visits a farm where they are using French percheron heavy horses to work the land. Plus, the first of the Food and Farming Awards packages. Tom Heap visits a state-of-the-art laboratory at Pirbright that will soon become our first line of defence against a host of exotic diseases that target farm animals, horses - and even humans.

Ellie Harrison is in Leicestershire reporting on the drastic decline in farmland birds. She joins the farmers learning how to spot rare birds and hears how they are creating the right habitat for wild birds back on their farms. Ellie then visits an alpaca farm where the animals are not being bred for their valuable fleeces or even their meat but for use in therapy for people with mental health problems. Over the border in Rutland, Matt Baker tells that wetland birds are in decline too. He joins the volunteers on Rutland Water, helping to survey the migrant bird population and lending a hand to restore the habitat of one of Britain's rarest wetland species, the bittern. See what Adam Henson is doing to encourage wild birds back onto his farm. He is joined by wildlife cameraman Richard Taylor Jones to see if they can catch a glimpse of rare corn buntings, once common in the Cotswolds but now seriously in decline. Wind turbines - love them or hate them, they now produce so much electricity every year that we have to pay millions of pounds to turn them off. So is it time to stop building onshore turbines? Tom Heap finds out.

Ellie Harrison and Matt Baker are in Gloucestershire looking at life in the county ten years on from the hunting ban. Matt visits the oldest pack of foxhounds in the country and finds out that the best way to exercise them is to jump on a bike and pedal like mad! He also helps carry out a health check on the deer at Berkeley Castle. Ellie visits the new services on the M5 and finds how they're redefining motorway services for the 21st century. She then meets the local producers supplying the services with gourmet food products. John Craven takes a look at Woodchester Mansion, a relic of Victorian architecture which was never finished but is now home to rare horseshoe bats. Tom Heap takes a look at the pros and cons of the hunting ban and hears from people on both sides of the debate. And Adam's rounding up sheep on the sand dunes in Merseyside.

Matt Baker and Ellie Harrison are in Suffolk finding out how erosion has shaped the landscape, swallowed up whole towns and inspired award-winning authors. Matt takes to the sea with scientists using the latest technology to get a look at Britain's Atlantis, the lost town of Dunwich, swallowed by the sea centuries ago. He later joins extreme artists who rush out to sketch the coast each time a storm tears more chunks out of it. Ellie finds out how erosion plays its part in recreating important saltmarsh habitats. She also meets award-winning author Helen MacDonald and hears how Helen overcame personal grief through a love of goshawks and turned the experience into a literary smash. Adam Henson joins the Gloucestershire Fire Service as they train to rescue animals in emergency situations. For most people it's one of life's essentials, yet milk frequently costs less than water. Tom Heap asks if paying more for your daily pint would help struggling dairy farmers make a profit.

Countryfile is in Pembrokeshire to mark St David's Day. Matt Baker is in the heart of St David's itself. With the help of the local community, he forages for food to make the traditional Welsh dish cawl. Ellie Harrison is out at sea trying to spot a frequent and much-welcome visitor to these shores - the porpoise. Anita Rani visits the most westerly farm in Wales and discovers the home of Farms for City Children, where kids can get their hands dirty learning the agricultural way of life, from feeding lambs to milking goats. Adam Henson is in Scotland meeting a very important ram which sold for more than £152,000. But what makes him so special? In many cases the packaging on processed food tells us where it was made, but not where the ingredients come from. Tom Heap looks at calls to change the law to provide more information about what's in our food and finds out what that could mean to the people who make the products.

The team are in rural Cheshire. Matt Baker is finding out about agricultural apprentices. He follows Jason, a young farmer, as he goes about his daily tasks on his dad's busy dairy farm. Here he gets the chance to put into practice everything he learns in the classroom at Reaseheath College. With the help of one of the college assessors, Matt puts Jason through his paces in a practical examination on the farm. Ellie Harrison is at Tatton Park, where she's hoping to spot the elegant courtship ritual of one of the county's finest feathered friends, the great crested grebe. She also visits Quarry Bank Mill, where she discovers what life was like for Victorian mill apprentices and meets a modern-day heritage builder apprentice working on the site to restore it. Ellie help hims re-hang the bell in the mill's clock tower. John Craven visits a seasonal spectacle at Rode Hall, where the masses flock to see the beautiful blanket of white. The snowdrop's arrival reminds us that spring is just around the corner. Getting your own home in the countryside can be tough. Wages tend to be lower - and property prices higher. Tom Heap asks whether we should be solving the problem by building more affordable houses in rural areas.

The team explore the watery east of Northern Ireland. Matt Baker discovers the Irish hares who have made a rather unusual location home - Belfast International Airport. RSPB reserve Portmore Lough is the first site in the country to offer a year-long residential volunteer programme. Matt meets the volunteers who put him to task with all aspects of practical work on the site - from fenland management to feeding the hardy konik ponies. Helen Skelton takes to the coastal waters at Ardglass harbour to find out how the remote communities in the area have come together to share their boat-building skills. Helen joins them in the water to race their handmade boats. She also explores the beauty of Strangford Lough and meets an artist who's lucky enough to call this place home. Finally she discovers a remarkable marine habitat unlike any other. Adam Henson's in North Yorkshire, where he discovers how farming has shaped the limestone landscape for thousands of years. He meets farmer Neil Heseltine, who explains how his prized belted galloway cattle are helping preserve it. Every year millions of people flock to the almost unspoilt landscapes of British national parks, but preserving pristine countryside comes at a price. As Tom Heap discovers, it is claimed that cuts to budgets are now threatening the future of these areas.

Countryfile is on the Isle of Man. Adam Henson finds out about the much-forgotten naturalist Edward Forbes, whose contributions to marine biology and oceanography fed into Darwin's theories. Adam explores all creatures great and small on the island, following in Forbes's footsteps and investigating the local rock pools with a group of young marine enthusiasts. He finds out about farming on the island, from the school that has farm-assured status to the native Manx Loaghtan sheep. One animal you wouldn't expect to find living wild on the Isle of Man is the Australian wallaby. Adam goes on a safari to find this unexpected beast. We'll also be taking a trip back through the Countryfile annals to look at some of the most fascinating creatures we've spotted over the years.

Matt Baker and Shauna Lowry are in Hampshire. Matt meets the farmers who started with nothing more than a handbook and an empty field. Four years on, their farm is thriving. Shauna explores the New Forest and meets the ponies, donkeys and cattle that graze freely on this land. The number of road accidents involving animals here is high, so measures are being put in place to prevent them, as Shauna discovers. Helen Skelton meets world champion darts player Scott Mitchell. He is the son of a farmer and with his winnings vowed to buy his dad a new tractor. Charlotte Smith is at London Fashion Week discovering the links between farming and fashion. She also visits a farm where rabbits are kept for their wool. Adam Henson visits a nature reserve where three of his Exmoor ponies are starting a new life helping with conservation grazing. Compared with wind and solar energy, tidal power has barely created a ripple in the UK. But as Tom Heap finds out, that could change dramatically in the years to come if plans to build six new tidal lagoons go ahead.

Matt Baker and Ellie Harrison are in the Brecklands of Norfolk. And this being Easter Sunday, there's an abundance of bunnies. Matt finds out the important part rabbits play in maintaining the Breckland heath. He learns too about the history of warrening, where rabbits were farmed for their fur and meat, and discovers that it's the way rabbits graze the heath that makes it so good for one of our rarest visiting birds - the rare stone curlew. Ellie goes on a forage with a difference as she joins the artist raiding old barns for scrap metal to make sculptures with. Ellie also visits the mysterious Grime's Graves, the remains of Neolithic flint mines going back 6,000 years. She is shown how to make a flint tool, Neolithic style! Adam Henson profiles the second of Countryfile's Farming Heroes as part of the Food and Farming Awards. James Wong is in Liverpool launching this year's Grow Wild campaign. The humble spud has been part of British life for 400 years. But these days the supply of fresh potatoes is outstripping demand - so should we be eating more or growing less? Tom Heap has been finding out.

Matt Baker and Ellie Harrison are in the uplands of north Cumbria. Matt meets photographer Ian Lawson, who has spent years photographing the hill shepherds and their herdwick sheep. Matt hears the tale of farmer Joe Relph, who's leaving after a lifetime in the fells, and then catches up with the cooperative aiming to put herdwick wool on the fashion map. Ellie is hoping to catch a glimpse of a black grouse lek - that strange courting dance that these rare birds do at the start of the breeding season. She also meets the farmers of the future at a special agricultural college, before finding out that there's more to dry stone walls than meets the eye. Countryfile's cameras have been granted exclusive access to the first ever excavation of one of our largest stone circles. Helen Skelton is on hand with her trowel and Adam Henson meets the second of our Farming Heroes. Taking off-road vehicles into the countryside can be great fun, but it doesn't always go down well with the people who live here - or with other visitors. Tom Heaps finds out what is being done to tackle illegal off-roading and asks whether people who enjoy driving or riding through the countryside legally are being unfairly tarred with the same brush.

In this themed programme Ellie Harrison, John Craven and Anita Rani explore Britain's woodlands. Ellie is high up in the canopy with the scientists collecting leaf buds to learn more about the effects of CO2 on woodland. She then helps release some hedgehogs, one of the nations' favourite and most-threatened woodland species, back into the wild. John finds out what it takes to manage your own woodland and discovers that the return of the old craft of coppicing is proving a boom to wildlife. He also joins the conservationists using novel methods to increase the dormice populations in Shropshire's woods. And Anita discovers how to build with baked wood - using a new technique that hardens and weatherproofs timbers making them much more durable and better for building with. Adam Henson has the third and final of the Countryfiles Farming Heroes nominees. The biggest threat to British trees is disease - and in many cases there's no cure. Tom Heap investigates the threats to our woodland and finds out what we can all do to defend our trees.

John Craven and Ellie Harrison are in the Peak District. John meets Roy Taylor, who has worked for the RSPB for 20 years. Diagnosed with motor neurone disease in autumn 2013, he is now entirely dependent on a wheelchair, but this hasn't stopped him. John discovers Roy's inspirational story and his aim to make the countryside more accessible to all. John also finds out about a new piece of kit called the mountain trike, which allows wheelchair users to get over much rougher terrain and therefore enables them to explore places that were once unreachable. The National Search and Rescue Dog Association is 50 years old this year. Ellie discovers what it takes for trainers and search dogs to become fully fledged life savers. She also visits Lane Farm End Trust, a working hill farm where disabled and disadvantaged young people get to connect with nature. One particular rare breed of pony, the eriskay, is making a huge difference. Anita Rani puts on her walking boots to explore the magnificent Pennine Way, discovering how it has changed in the 50 years since its creation. Adam Henson discovers the norfolk horn, a breed of sheep which helped make East Anglia of the Middle Ages rich. One in five people in the UK have hayfever, and more are suffering from it every year. Tom Heap asks what's causing this increase and finds out if there is anything we can do to stop it.

As the landscape bursts back into life, we celebrate spring. We don't just see the season changing around us - we feel it, smell it, taste it and hear it. Spring isn't just a feast for the eyes - it awakens all our senses. Five of our presenters each discover their own sense of spring. Matt Baker gets a real feel of spring in north Wales, where he meets a hotchpotch flock of orphan lambs. Ellie Harrison journeys through the Top of the Spring Pops - gathering seasonal sounds of nature to soothe the soul. Anita Rani gets a rather unusual taste of spring at a barbecue with a difference, while John Craven captures the ultimate smell of spring with a scientist known as Doctor Smell!

Countryfile celebrates Britain's farming heroes past and present. Adam Henson is in Bristol at the BBC's prestigious Food and Farming Awards to reveal the winner of this year's first ever Countryfile Farming Hero. He also tells us about his historic hero, the father of selective breeding, Robert Bakewell. Matt Baker champions Harry Ferguson, the man who invented the tractor that changed the face of farming forever. Ellie Harrison discovers more about her heroes, a group of men who set up the RSPCA, giving animals rights for the first time in history. Anita Rani finds out how a milk maid helped Gloucestershire doctor Edward Jenner pioneer a treatment that saved millions, even billions, of lives. And Tom Heap champions a man whose efforts gave farmers a voice and helped to feed the nation when it needed it the most.

Anita Rani returns to her home turf of Bradford to explore the countryside on the edge of the city. She discovers the rural gems right on her doorstep and the journey that has been made for centuries from the urban sprawl to the fresh air of the nearby moors. The team also look back through the archive at the times when they have explored the places and stories where town meets country. They revisit the time Matt Baker took to the dizzy heights of the Avon Gorge in Bristol to discover its flora and fauna, and when Ellie Harrison unearthed some extraordinary rock homes on the outskirts of Stourbridge.

Countryfile visits Warwickshire, where Matt Baker explores Charlecote Park and the River Avon which runs through its grounds. He discovers the plants and wildlife that thrive here and the watermill which harnesses the power of the river. Anita Rani is up to her knees in mud to discover what it is really like to be a pig farmer, and she also gets behind the wheel of a heritage Land Rover to discover its history as a workhorse of the countryside. Helen Skelton explores Middleton Hall and the much-overlooked naturalist John Ray. Adam Henson gets stuck in with the asparagus harvest. Green waste is often used to fertilise farmers' fields but, as Tom Heap finds out, it is not always as green as it's cracked up to be.

Countryfile visits the Channel Islands, where Matt Baker explores the legacy left on Jersey by naturalist Gerald Durrell. Ellie Harrison helps with an unusual habitat restoration on the site of an old holiday camp, then hotfoots it to Guernsey to discover the island's long history of growing tomatoes, which has all but died out. John Craven visits Sark to find out about island life and the dairy which produces the unrivalled Sark cream. Charlotte investigates black grass, a resilient weed which is rapidly becoming the scourge of British arable farmers. Meanwhile, Adam Henson finds out about woolly pigs!

Matt and Ellie are in Somerset, where Matt is following in the footsteps of a legendary caver who first explored the caverns beneath the Mendips a century ago. He puts himself to the test squeezing and struggling through small dark spaces and finds that there's as much to Somerset below ground as there is above. Ellie tickles her taste buds with flavours of the sea as she visits the community-run project that's putting Porlock's once-famous oysters back on the culinary map. She also meets a man who makes furniture out of nothing but deer antlers. John discovers how a booming taste for cider is throwing our ancient orchards a lifeline, and he meets the scientist proving how important ancient orchards are for some of our rarest bee species. Meanwhile, Adam is on the Somerset coast helping round up the only 100% pure-bred herd of beef shorthorn in the country. Tom Heap investigates the growing demand for venison and asks whether we should be farming more deer in the UK.

Matt and Ellie are in Nottinghamshire, where Matt visits the village where they farm just as they did in the Middle Ages. This year being the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta, he also visits the tree in Sherwood Forest where King John held early parliaments, and goes hunting for ancient trees as part of the Woodland Trust's Tree of the Year campaign. Ellie goes bird spotting in Nottingham city centre with urban birder David Lindo and is surprised when a falcon chick literally falls at her feet. And she gets a lesson in horse anatomy with nothing but a tin of paint and a paintbrush. Joe Crowley takes a look at the first new pylon design in 90 years before donning the hard hat to scale one of the traditional types. Adam meets the young warden with the most dangerous job in farming. 24-year-old Ellie Crossley has just taken charge of the Chillingham herd - the last truly wild herd of cattle on earth. And Tom looks at rural crime and a nationwide survey that aims to examine the extent of the problem.

Matt and Ellie are in East Yorkshire, where Ellie takes to the water near the mighty Bempton Cliffs, home to a quarter of a million seabirds. She helps with an important bird count where, for the first time, the RSPB are using a drone to help gauge numbers. She also joins photographer Steve Race trying to capture images of dive-bombing gannets and finds herself at sea with the fishermen who are fishing for litter, an eye-catching scheme by those on the front line to pull rubbish from our waters. Matt is on the 10,000 acre farm where they don't do things by halves. Big machines. Big fields. And thousands and thousands of pigs. He also tries his hand at fly fishing on the UK's most northerly chalk stream. Adam looks at the county breeds of Lincolnshire. Tom asks whether the government is doing enough to provide legal campsites for the travelling community. John is joined by Bill Bailey and new judge Naomi Wilkinson to launch this year's Countryfile Photographic Competition.

John Craven is on Dartmoor, where he's exploring the working landscape both past and present. He joins the rangers restoring ancient leats - the old watercourses that powered mills, farms and tin mines. He meets the farmers carving out a living 'on the granite', as those who work Dartmoor call it - Andy Bradford and his daughter Jo are farmers who have diversified out into forestry and Nepalese-style camping pods. John also discovers a fascinating visual record of Dartmoor's farming community going back decades. Photographer Chris Chapman has documented the highs and lows of farming life, from the beauty of newborn spring lambs to the horror of foot-and-mouth disease - he has trained his lens on all aspects of the life here. And for the big finale, John meets respected local folk musician Jim Causley, whose music captures the spirit of the working landscape - especially his ode to the old mines, The Cry of the Tin. In this programme, we also show again the best items in which Countryfile has featured our working landscape, including Anita Rani blowing up tonnes of rock in a china-clay quarry in Cornwall, Matt getting up close to one of our rarest breeds of working horse - the Suffolk punch - and Helen bouncing around in an underground amusement park in Snowdonia's slate-mining region.

Countryfile is in Cornwall, where Matt Baker tests his sea legs on the hunt for basking sharks. He finds out about the many and varied species of shark that live in these waters and scours the shore line for shark egg cases. Ellie Harrison is on the stunning Cornish headland finding out about Operation Neptune, a project set up fifty years ago by the National Trust to map the entire coastline of the UK. Today a very different map is being produced charting the sounds of the shore. Ellie also gets up to her knees in stinging nettles to dispel their bad name. John Craven explores the partnerships between local Cornish food producers and the Eden Project. Tom Heap is also in Cornwall, finding out about how quarrying the rich underground resources there could threaten precious marine life. And Adam Henson meets some African agricultural experts learning new skills in the UK.

Countryfile is in Derbyshire. Matt Baker follows a new pilgrimage trail set up to mark the 350th anniversary of the plague. He visits Eyam, known as the plague village, and, with Anita Rani's help, gets to grips with the age-old tradition of well dressing in Bakewell. Anita also meets the woman who breeds giant otters and a man who grows furniture. Joe Crowley is at Haddon Hall capturing fish - with a camera. Adam Henson is in Snowdonia herding sheep, and Tom Heap discovers why millions of tonnes of soil are being eroded from farmland every year.

Countryfile comes from Northumberland. Matt Baker meets the artist who has learnt to dive so he can capture on canvas what lies beneath the North Sea. Matt dons his wetsuit to join him on a dive at the Farne Islands. Anita Rani finds out about the fisherwomen who worked these shores and meets the rangers who provide around-the-clock protection for a colony of little terns. Wildlife expert Patrick Aryee discovers how seals and other wildlife can thrive here in the harshest of conditions. Adam Henson meets Snowdonia's newest shepherd, and Tom Heap has the results of the national survey on rural crime.

The Countryfile team visit the Kent County Show for their summer special. Including tales of unlikely exhibitors - none other than Sir Winston Churchill and the youngsters following in his footsteps to champion cherries fit for the queen. Friend of the show John Hammond explains just why Kent is so fruitful with a weird and wonderful experiment demonstrating why the county's climate is so good for growing. There are jaw-dropping displays from the Metropolitan Mounted Police, as well as a Spitfire fly-by marking the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain. Football Focus and 5 Live favourite Dan Walker joins us to commentate as our presenters pit their wits against each other in a race with a difference!

In this programme, we look at all things sheep. Joe Crowley heads to the Yorkshire Dales to visit a traditional upland farm where the shearing is in full swing. He lends a hand and hears how on this farm they've found a niche market for their wool. Joe meets the hand-weaver who's provided this niche market, and has a go at this long-forgotten art. He then heads to a dairy in Thirsk, where they are making their own version of feta cheese using ewe's milk. Finally, Joe hits the streets to find out what people reckon to the taste of sheep milk, and asks why we don't drink more of it. Anita heads to Hereford, where she meets the first-time farmers putting mutton back on the map. She discovers that, with the right approach and right preparation, mutton can be as high-end as good steak. She then heads for west Wales to meet the artisan felt worker making incredibly lifelike birds from wool that she either buys or forages for in the fields. Adam is in Cumbria to see the breaking up of the most famous herd of fell ponies in the country. Tom finds out why lamb prices are plummeting and what can be done to halt the slide.

John Craven travels to Llandudno to look at what it takes to make a great summer holiday - a seaside destination is top of his list. He meets the farmer-turned-entrepreneur who's breathing new life into Llandudno's Victorian pier. He strolls along the prom, has an ice cream and finds out why it is that Llandudno has been a top destination since Victorian times. And, like generations before him, he takes the tram to the Great Orme - a tourist getaway that's home to some of the country's rarest flora and fauna. He joins the conservationists on the hunt for one of our rarest butterflies - the silver-studded blue - and meets the farmer whose herd has been specially chosen to help conserve the natural beauty of the Orme, before heading back down to town for the ultimate seaside treat, courtesy of the oldest Punch and Judy show in the UK. Plus, a look back at other summer holiday ideas Countryfile has featured. Including Ellie Harrison paddleboarding off the South Wales coast, Matt Baker taking a sightseeing ride on a motor trike, and Anita Rani walking part of the Pennine Way in its 50th anniversary year.

The Country Land and Business Association's annual game fair is one of the highlights of the rural calendar. This year it comes from the magnificent setting of Harewood House near Leeds. Joe Crowley and Anita Rani are there, soaking up the atmosphere and taking a peek behind the scenes to give Countryfile viewers a flavour of what's on. Joe tries his hand at the latest craze to hit the angling world - kayak fishing - before hooking up with the junior gun dog handlers going all out to be top dog at the fair's gun dog competition. Even Joe's own dog Oscar gets in on the action, but is he any match for the stars of the show? Anita strides out with the lady clay pigeon shooters taking the boys on at their own game. And she meets the conservationists who are bringing the endangered grey partridge back from the brink. Adam's also in Yorkshire with another of his looks at our county breeds, and Tom is in Scotland investigating controversial plans to reform land ownership north of the border.

In this harvest-themed programme, Matt visits a farm in Buckinghamshire where they do things the old-fashioned way. That means scythes, steam-driven reaper binders, and vintage tractors. Even the wheat is old-fashioned. On this farm they grow prehistoric varieties like those found in Tutankhamun's tomb. And, as Matt discovers, this ancient wheat makes delicious pasta! Ellie is at a secret site in Dorset where they are just about to harvest an incredible crop. Very valuable. Very potent. Opium poppies. Grown under licence from the government for medical use. She also visits the farm where they grow more everyday herbs and plants to be used as ointments and tinctures. Ellie then meets the people behind a project to captive breed and release into the wild one of our most-beloved creatures - the harvest mouse. And Adam's on his farm, juggling looking after his livestock with getting on with his own harvest. John Craven is joined by Bill Bailey and Naomi Wilkinson to pick the 12 winning entries in the Countryfile Photographic Competition. Then you'll get the chance to vote for the overall winner - which will the grace the cover of the Countryfile Calendar for 2016.

Countryfile is in Cumbria, where John Craven takes to the skies with the Environment Agency to discover a new line of defence in the battle against flooding - river restoration. Returning the rivers to their original meandering routes also has a positive impact on wildlife, as John finds out. Anita Rani meets the rural farming community that lost its livelihood to foot and mouth. The community is now pulling together and, with the support of rural reverend Sarah Dunn, are rebuilding their lives and businesses. Anita also meets the horse whisperer whose life was turned around by her love of horses. Will Anita have what it takes to tame a feral pony? It is almost two years since a group of controversial pesticides were banned from fields across Europe over fears they were harming bees. Charlotte Smith discovers that the search is still on to find conclusive evidence to back up that fear, and that there is no end in sight to the ban. In three weeks' time, Countryfile hosts the One Man and His Dog 2015 sheepdog trial championship. Between now and then we meet the teams from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, all hoping to take home the trophy. Adam Henson heads to Ireland to meet the team hoping to retain the title for the Irish, and Charlotte Smith goes north to meet the Scottish contenders.

Countryfile is in West Sussex. John Craven meets the current members of the first Women's Institute in England to discover the impact the WI has had on rural life over the past 100 years. He dons his apron to find out about the cookery and campaigns of the institute. He also visits the Arts and Crafts property Standen House, where he explores the restoration of the gardens. Beneath the British countryside lies an untapped energy resource - shale gas. The government seems keen to make the most of it - but at what cost? Tom Heap looks at fears over fracking. With two weeks to go until Countryfile's legendary One Man and His Dog 2015 sheepdog trial, we meet the remaining two teams. Adam Henson heads to Wales, and Charlotte Smith meets the English team. In two weeks' time, England, Wales, Ireland and Scotland will go head to head for the trophy. Matt Baker launches the countdown to the first ever Countryfile Ramble for Children in Need. For one weekend, Countryfile will encourage the whole country to ramble and raise money for some of Britain's most vulnerable young people. Matt and his fellow presenters will lead the way on rambles of their own, which the public will have the chance to join.

Adam Henson is in the Lake District discovering the joys of the great outdoors. The countryside is open and free to everyone, and getting out and about is not only fun and inspiring - it is also good for body and mind. Adam explores all aspects of spending time outdoors, finding out about one of the first British adventurers, Millican Dalton, and getting mountaineering tips from an award-winning mountain leader. He also discovers the challenges faced by a farmer trying to keep her land open so everyone can benefit from the right to roam. This year marks the 80th anniversary of the Ramblers. Adam meets a family out on a holiday hike logging what they spot along the way - the good, the bad and the ugly! We also look back through the Countryfile archive to revisit the times we've featured the benefits and delights of the great outdoors, including Ellie Harrison taking part in an adventure race in the New Forest, Matt Baker finding out about a special bit of kit which enables wheelchair users to abseil, and John Craven looking back at a groundbreaking TV documentary. Matt Baker also reveals more about a new way in which Countryfile is harnessing the power of the great outdoors to benefit some of Britain's most disadvantaged youngsters. The first ever Countryfile Ramble for BBC Children in Need takes place on Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 October. Matt and his fellow presenters will be leading the way on a weekend of sponsored rambles which aim to get the whole of Britain out rambling to raise money and help change lives.

Matt Baker and Ellie Harrison present Countryfile One Man and His Dog 2015. The best shepherding talent from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales go head to head, all hoping to take home the coveted trophy. Each nation's team is made up of the most promising young handler and the winners of last year's national trials. Their combined scores will determine which nation wins. This year's competition take place in the shadow of Chirk Castle in North Wales. As the competition unfolds, Ellie also explores the castle's history, the conservation work helping ensure a future for the estate and how the rare welsh sheepdog is making a comeback to give the more common border collie a run for its money.

Anita Rani and Helen Skelton are on the coast of Morecambe Bay in the far north-western corner of Lancashire. Anita is taking a cycle ride along the coast near Silverdale - a stretch of the bay that is fabled for its sunsets. She also takes a detour to Leighton Moss RSPB Reserve, where the black-tailed godwits are putting on a spectacular autumn show. The otters frolic in the shallows. And if she's lucky, she'll catch a glimpse of an osprey fishing in the reedy pools. Helen is down on the sands with the hardy souls getting their thrills from kayaking some of the fastest tides in the UK. Also in this programme, Matt's in north Wales for the third of our Children in Need ramble films. Adam helps Ellie get to grips with her new herd of dexter cattle. Tom's finding out if it's possible to build a badger-proof farm. And John announces the winner of this year's Countryfile photographic competition.

Matt Baker and Helen Skelton are in Cheshire, where Matt is at the magnificent Lyme Park, hoping for a glimpse of one of nature's most exciting spectacles - the annual red deer rut. He joins photographer Gary Lomas at dawn, and together they try to capture this magnificent event. Matt also meets a former TV actor who gave up the limelight for a life in the country as a trainee National Trust ranger. Helen is out at dusk with the conservationists on a bat hunt at Tatton Park - and if she's lucky, she might just see one of the rarest bats ever sighted in the UK. Helen also looks at the rising popularity of gin and meets the family firm making bespoke gin from plants they forage in the woods. James Wong is at Norton Priory - home to the National Quince Collection. He learns of the important work being done to preserve one of our oldest fruits and tries his hand at making quince jelly. Also in this programme, Adam heads to Devon to look at Dartmoor sheep and ponies, and Tom Heap looks at the reasons why mental health issues such as depression are a particular problem in the farming community.

This edition of the countryside magazine revels in the colours of autumn. Ellie Harrison visits Perthshire, known as big tree country, where the woodlands are a kaleidoscope of colour by both day and night. Matt Baker is in the orchards of Kent to look at the changing face of the UK apple industry. Autumn is the start of rutting season, and Adam Henson gives a red stag the surprise of his life. Meanwhile, John Craven cooks up a colourful autumnal pudding with 2014 Great British Bake Off winner Nancy Birtwhistle.

Matt Baker and Shauna Lowry are exploring North Wales. Matt is in Conwy joining the Jones family at the start of the mussel-fishing season. The Joneses still fish using the traditional wooden rakes that have been in use since the 13th century. Matt finds out that it takes strength and skill to handle these 15-foot implements. Matt then pays a visit to San Sior Primary School in Llandudno. When Countryfile was there last year, the pupils were rearing their own chickens and selling the eggs. Now the children have started keeping bees with a view to selling the honey. Meanwhile, Shauna is on the Llyn Peninsula getting a riding lesson on one of the most famous breeds of horse in the world - the lusitano - a pure white Portuguese horse famous for its tricks and stunts. New presenter Sean Fletcher visits Capel Celyn, where 50 years ago villagers were evicted to make way for the building of a new reservoir. Sean meets the displaced families still living with that legacy. Tom finds out if claims that broccoli can lower cholesterol are true by going on a special broccoli diet. Adam dons some hi-tech goggles to find out how the animals on his farm see colour. And Countryfile pays its own tribute to Adam's dad Joe, farmer and rare breed champion, who died recently.

In this special extended edition of the programme, Countryfile brings you the first ever Countryfile Ramble for BBC Children in Need. For one weekend in the autumn, thousands of people answered the call to ramble through our rural landscape and help raise vital funds for the charity. Our presenters led the way, joined by Countryfile viewers and inspirational youngsters who've been helped by Children in Need. Matt Baker is on a mountain ramble cum scramble more than 3,000 feet up Tryfan in Snowdonia. Matt's joined by Ella, a youngster who's severely visually impaired but is determined to conquer the mountain and inspire others. Ellie Harrison is on a six-mile trek along the Jurassic Coast, joined by 14-year-old Grace. Grace was helped by children's bereavement charity Winston's Wish when she lost her dad to cancer six years ago. Adam Henson takes on an eight-mile hike through the Peak District, accompanied by some teenagers from the Sheffield Young Carers project who look after relatives with long-term mental or physical illnesses. Anita Rani is joined by hundreds of Countryfile viewers to take a four-mile ramble around Windsor Great Park. With them are children from the Lollard Street Adventure Playground in central London - a safe, green space for inner-city children to play. John Craven rambles around Loch Leven in Kinross, Scotland, joined by 13-year-old Cameron, who has brittle bone disease. Tom Heap drops in on some of the sponsored rambles members of the public have been putting on in Northern Ireland.

The team explore Cambridgeshire. Matt Baker finds out how Cambridge University students past and present are reaching out from the city and having an impact on the countryside - in their study and play! Joe Crowley looks at how the restoration of the Great Fen has meant the race is on to dig out a Spitfire which crashed 75 years ago. Ellie Harrison is in the Peak District discovering the part it played in WWII. And Adam Henson meets JB from JLS, pop-star-turned-turkey-farmer.

Ellie Harrison is in the pretty market town of Frome in Somerset. She discovers the town's love for local, fresh produce, making tasty pakoras from greens picked by the roadside. She also finds out about a field-to-fork revolution which is taking this place by storm. It's called the Food Assembly and could change the way we shop for our produce. Ellie meets the two mums who set up this scheme in Frome and a dairy farmer who has bought into the Assembly's concept.

Countryfile is in Dorset. Matt Baker explores a woodland architecture school, where the surrounding trees become the building materials. Ellie Harrison meets a group of retired gentlemen who are keeping hold of their rural ties through a very special countrymen's club. She is also on the hunt for kingfishers at the RSPB's most urban reserve in Weymouth. Jules Hudson meets the butcher whose family business has been running since Henry VIII was on the throne, and Adam Henson takes stock on the farm as winter draws closer. Tom Heap asks whether the business benefits of dredging British ports to allow bigger ships to use them outweigh concerns over the environmental impact.

Countryfile is in Shropshire, where John Craven visits a seed bank working with the Woodland Trust to help save our endangered native trees. He also explores the farm of the brother and sister building on their father's legacy as a pioneering organic farmer. Ellie Harrison meets urban artist and ornithologist Matt Sewell to discover how to draw birds with chirpy characters. She is also on the hunt for the elusive Shropshire pine marten, thought to be extinct in England. And Adam Henson finds out how painting cattle to make them more visible at night could cut down animal deaths on the road. Providing enough food for billions of growing farm animals is no easy task - so could insects be the answer? Tom Heap gets an exclusive look at European trials where they are feeding pigs and chickens with maggots.

Ellie Harrison and Joe Crowley are exploring the NC500 - a new 500 mile scenic loop that takes in some of Scotland's remotest and most beautiful places. Ellie is in the west near Applecross where she comes face to face with the fearsome Belach na Ba - the 'Pass of the Cattle'. At more than 2,000 feet, it's Britain's highest road. Lucky for her, she gets to ride pillion on a motorbike to the top of the pass, where she meets Mark Beaumont, who has cycled the full 500 mile route non-stop in 37 hours. Ellie then snakes up the coast to Ullapool to find out how one small native fish could be the answer to the salmon-farming industry's prayers. Joe Crowley is in the east, riding the NC500 through Sutherland's fertile planes. He stops off to meet the young couple who have jacked it all in to live the crofting life and discovers they are just two of an increasing number of young people going back to the land. He then drives on to the Black Isle - so called because of its rich black fertile soils. Here, he meets the farmers growing premium barley destined for the whiskey industry. Tom's investigating the high number of traffic accidents that happen on our rural roads, whilst Adam discovers that the future of UK energy production may be straw powered!

Ellie Harrison and Matt Baker are in the Peaks in Derbyshire, looking at how the geology there gives rise to two distinct landforms - the Dark Peak and the White Peak. Matt is in the White Peak discovering that the limestone that characterises the region is the remnant of an ancient tropical reef. He ventures underground to see how the action of rainwater down the millennia has carved fabulous forms and caverns, which gave rise to the area's chief industry - lead mining. Ellie is in the Dark Peak, where it's gritstone that marks out the landscape. She takes a walk with an artist who maps the land and creates three-dimensional maps in metal. Ellie then ventures further north to catch a glimpse of England's last remaining population of mountain hares. At this time of year they shed their dull coats for cloaks of white. But, as Ellie discovers, this could make them vulnerable in a changing climate. Sean Fletcher is at Haddon Hall helping with some of the restoration of this famous building. He visits the quarry where they get the gritstone to make the repairs, and he gives Haddon's fabled gargoyles a wash and scrub. Also in this programme, Adam Henson recounts the story of the tractor, from its origins in the age of steam to the hi-tech GPS-guided self-driving tractors of today. And he gets to try his hand at building one. Wild boar had been extinct in Britain for at least 300 years, but now they are back. In the Forest of Dean alone there are now thought to be more than 1000. But, as Tom Heap has been finding out, not everyone is pleased to see their return.

It's Christmas, and Matt and Ellie are in the tiny Cornish fishing village of Coverack, helping the locals get the place set for the festivities. Matt joins the members of the Coverack Christmas Tree Committee as they head off to the woods to choose this year's tree. And, as Matt discovers, big trees don't squeeze easily through narrow streets. Ellie is doing her bit for wildlife by making a Christmas wreath made entirely of bird food. Will the tame robin she meets eat out of her hand? Meanwhile, John is in Truro finding out how the Cornish love of carol-singing gave rise to the most famous carol service in the world. Tom's in Hampshire to meet the community who are getting behind their fishermen is the most festive way possible. Adam's on the Cornish farm where Christmas Day is one of the busiest of the whole year, and Sean Fletcher gets a Christmas cookery masterclass from Rick Stein. And we finish up back in Coverack where Ellie joins Matt and all the villagers in a last minute rush to get everything set for the big Christmas lights switch-on.

From ploughing frosted fields in deep midwinter to welcoming signs of new life in spring, and the golden fields of summer when we bring the harvest home, the farming year is always a busy one. Adam Henson prepares for the new year ahead on his farm. There's also a look back at the farming year, with some favourites from the Countryfile archives. Show less