Matt Baker’s mum, Janice, became emotional as the family sat down to discuss major changes to their Durham sheep farm on Channel 4’s Our Farm in the Dales
Matt Baker’s mum, Janice, broke down in tears after she suffered from an accident on the farm. In a repeat episode of the series, which aired on Monday, Janice became emotional as they discussed the farm’s future.
Matt, accompanied by his wife and children, sat down with Janice and his dad, Michael, to explore potential solutions for safeguarding the farm. Both Janice and Michael expressed their concerns about their beloved farm, which they bought before Matt was even born.
Matt Baker: Our Farm in the Dales is a series that first broadcast on Channel 4 in 2021. It followed the Countryfile presenter as he explored the operations of his family’s remote, 100-acre sheep farm tucked away in the Durham hills.
Since departing The One Show in 2020, Matt has kept himself occupied, returning home to help his parents after his mum was knocked down by a flock of sheep, alongside his wife, Nicola, and their children, Luke and Molly.
“I think it’s fair to say that we’re at a point where we need to change things up a little bit,” Matt began. “If you want to keep farming,” reports the Express.
Reflecting on her accident, Janice responded: “Having my accident has really been quite an eye-opener, I think, for everybody.”
Michael interjected: “I’ve had a fear of this happening for years. If this happened in any respect, it could be the end of farming for us.”
“I’ve always had a young outlook on life,” Janice continued. “And pride myself on being fit and healthy, and then something like this happens, and we begin to feel ‘Oh, right, I’m a bit vulnerable.”
She added: “It does make you reassess and make you think ‘Okay, where are we going to go from here?'”
The Countryfile presenter put forward to his parents that one possible answer to save the farm could be to change their sheep flock.
Turning his attention to the sheep, Matt suggested replacing the breed they’ve raised there for numerous years. He explained: “The Hampshire Downs that we have bred here for years are big sheep. They are on the large end of the scale as far as sheep are concerned.
“I think, now at the stage that you’re in and what has happened, and this will be hard to hear, as you’ve put so much effort into the flock that we’ve got.”
“I just don’t think that they are the way forward for you now,” Matt said. Janice was swift to agree with her son as she noted, “I agree they aren’t the easiest to handle.”
Matt enquired: “Would you consider swapping over from Hampshires to a breed or a different breed more suited to where we are here?
“Yes, yes, I would,” Janice straightforwardly responded. To kick-start the process, Matt suggested his parents begin with a smaller breed to help them identify which would be the best fit for their farm. However, when it came to saying goodbye to the sheep and choosing her new flock, Janice became emotional, struggling to come to terms with the necessary changes to save the farm.
“It’s quite a strange feeling, really, sitting here doing this in the sunshine,” Janice confessed.
The star was clearly touched as she continued: “It’s the first time I’ve actually had to make a decision because of what’s happened. “It’s the right decision.
“I know it’s the right decision, and you reach a time in your life when you think ‘I really can’t do this anymore’. In that respect, it’s sad, but in a good way, a fork in the road might mean good things will come from it in a different way.”
Matt Baker: Our Farm in the Dales is available to watch on More4.
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