Winter On The Farm | Preview (5)

The nights may be long and frosty, but there’s plenty of warmth and good humour as Winter on the Farm returns to Cannon Hall Farm in South Yorkshire. Helen Skelton and Jules Hudson are back with Rob and Dave Nicholson - the brothers at the heart of one of Britain’s best-loved farms - to celebrate the resilience, ingenuity and community spirit that shine brightest in the coldest months.

From halter-training young Highland cattle for the big end-of-year show in Carlisle, to welcoming new pygmy-goat arrivals, life at the farm is as busy as ever. While the brothers juggle livestock and rosettes, Helen and Jules hear uplifting stories from the Farmy Army - including a Scottish farmer who volunteers for the RNLI - and catch up with viewers from across the UK and beyond.

JB Gill swaps the stage for the sheep pen as he joins farmer Ruth to check on Cannon Hall’s growing flock of Dutch Spotted sheep, while rapper-turned-farmer Fekky proves there’s more than one way to make your mark on the land.

There’s a taste of winter comfort too, as Yorkshire chef Tim Bilton dishes up hearty seasonal recipes, and “Mr Plant Geek” Michael Perry shares clever tips for bringing nature indoors during the darker days. Heart-warming, hands-on and full of festive spirit, this is the perfect start to a brand-new season at Cannon Hall Farm.

The second episode, there’s new life in the barn as the team welcomes a batch of adorable Swiss Valais lambs, born hardy enough to handle the winter chill. Meanwhile, we meet 91-year-old farmer Tom Walne, who’s spent a lifetime championing the endangered Suffolk Punch horse - even gifting one of his foals to Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

Rob and Dave continue their Dutch adventure, learning about the magnificent Friesian horses - known as the “Black Pearls of the Netherlands” - while closer to home, JB Gill lends a hand scanning Cannon Hall’s American Miniature Horses to see if tiny hooves might soon be on the way.

Back on the farm, all eyes are on Eddie the billy goat as he gets to work ensuring a busy spring season, with expert help from The Yorkshire Vet’s Shona Searson. Further afield, the team travels from a community-powered urban farm in South London to the Isle of Bute’s rookie sheepdog trials.

In the third and final episode, there’s excitement in the barn as the brothers welcome a new Highland calf after a dramatic birth, while Jules lends a hand helping some nocturnal neighbours - barn owls - settle into their new home on the farm. With advice from nature expert Sally Coulthard, the team also shares simple ways we can all help wildlife through the colder months, from creating cosy habitats to choosing the right plants and lights for our gardens.

Back at Cannon Hall, Rob and Dave expand their menagerie with new rare-breed pigs, and JB Gill is on hand to check they’re settling into their woodland surroundings. There’s also time for the brothers to continue their Dutch farming adventure, trying their hand - and feet - at traditional clog-making.

Finally, Yorkshire chef Tim Bilton rounds things off with a sweet seasonal treat: hazelnut profiteroles inspired by a nutty new farming enterprise in Somerset.

Winter On The Farm returns Wednesday 10th December on 5.