麻豆社

At Lower Drayton farm in Staffordshire, Richard Bower and his father Ray run a business with so many farm diversifications that it's hard to keep up. Starting with a maize maze several years ago, the family then moved on to growing pick-your-own pumpkins, and now run a "Harvest Hoedown", where visitors can take a wheelbarrow and gather their own vegetables to take home - watched over by life-size dinosaurs! But the biggest part of their business is not agricultural at all: four years ago they opened a play barn, which now pulls in 125,000 visitors a year, and makes four times as much money as the farming activities. For Richard, it's not a case of "get off my land" so much as "please come onto my land"!

The farm still grows combinable crops, potatoes, carrots and parsnips - and has 200 acres of permanent pasture for its 100 sheep and 125 beef cattle. Caz meets Ray Bower as he helps train some agricultural students in livestock care.

Elsewhere on the farm, a reservoir is now under construction. Once complete, it will help keep the farm's thirsty vegetables supplied with water - especially important in a time of climate change. Richard shows Caz where the excavations are up to, and they put their wellies on to slide down the bank and take a closer look at the project. Although he admits his business is now primarily an entertainment venue, Richard has no intention of abandoning food production - saying that unforeseen events like the Covid lockdown, which stopped the play barn in its tracks, have only underlined the value of continuing in conventional agriculture.

Producer: Emma Campbell