Escape to the Farm with Kate Humble | Series 3 Preview (Channel 5)

Ten years ago, Kate Humble took on the task of saving her little farm from the threat of being broken up and sold off. Having invested serious amounts of graft and dedication it's a thriving and productive patch of land again, and the rewards speak for themselves.

This special place, with its pigs, cows, sheep and wildlife, provides food for the local community and a living for a farming family once more.

But farming is going through one of the most challenging times in living memory, so Kate is renewing her efforts to secure the farm's future for the long term. She's on the hunt for innovative methods to make her small farm pay, visiting farms across the UK in search of inspiration.

Today she visits one in Shropshire which faced many of the same challenges as Kate finds in making a small farm pay. At Fordhall Farm they have found that selling meat direct to customers offers them the sort of returns Kate can only dream of.

Might it be worth following in their footsteps and investing in a direct selling business to make more of the farm's existing flock of sheep?

Making the farm more profitable is one way to secure its future, but maintaining it and continually improving it is another, so Kate is investing serious money in a new area for her beloved pigs. A new, cleaner area for them will ensure their welfare at the highest standard and help with feed costs.

But Kate's farming life is more than all work - she's also taking us on one of her favourite walks to meet a very special bird, foraging for edible freebies and cooking her own home-grown asparagus for the very first time.

Escape to the Farm with Kate Humble returns Saturday 6th January on Channel 5.