Rare Breed: A Farming Year

Season 1

Watch Free
This 12 part series follows a dozen Irish farming families across an entire year. Working and living in harmony with nature we witness the highs and lows as they battle ever-changing weather and fluctuating commodity prices. Made for ITV.

12 Episodes

  • January
    E1
    JanuaryWallace Gregg gets to work with the twice-daily milking in Co Antrim, while David Wilson prepares his prize Hereford bulls for the annual sales in Co Fermanagh. In Co Down, the largest deer herd in the UK and Ireland is being fed, and the cold weather means the arable farmers cannot get into the fields.
  • February
    E2
    FebruaryDavid Wilson has a tricky task on his hands when he tries to get a ewe to adopt a lamb. The slurry teams take time out from their busy schedules to attend a ploughing match, Allan Chambers discusses his new venture - malt barley - and TB tests take place in Ballymena.
  • March
    E3
    MarchWallace Gregg introduces new bloodlines to his herd, Allan Chambers begins ploughing and sowing as the weather brightens up, and potatoes are planted in Comber. Pregnant cattle are scanned at an organic farm in Strangford, and John Killen turns his herd out to grass.
  • April
    E4
    AprilTyrone pig farmer Mark Adams has his hands full with new arrivals, and David Wilson shears his sheep early due to the unseasonably warm weather. Dale Orr worries about the threat of foxes taking his newborn lambs, Miceal McCoy keeps an eye on his pregnant cattle, and the Killens begin the painstaking preparations for the upcoming Balmoral Show.
  • May
    E5
    MayThe annual Balmoral Show takes place, and tension is high following weeks of preparation, with farmers knowing good results can boost their reputation and raise the value of bloodlines. The Wilsons from Fermanagh show their Hereford cattle, and the Chestnutts bring their Texel sheep.
  • June
    E6
    JuneAllan Chambers sprays his barley in Co Down, as the good weather begins to attract pests, while Cloughmills dairy farmer Wallace Gregg invests in a new cattle shed. The moment of truth arrives for the Killens' near Crossgar when the butcher pays a visit.
  • July
    E7
    JulyBallymena farmer Seamus Kane prepares for the arrival of 30,000 chicks, and Christmas comes early for Olive and Donald Elliot as they take delivery of highly prized bronze turkeys. David Wilson tackles broken machinery in Fermanagh, while Victor Chestnutt picks the best cuts of his silage.
  • August
    E8
    AugustFermanagh's David Wilson visits the renowned Hereford Champion Show, becoming the first local breeder to compete at that level. Victor Chestnutt brings his sheep to the annual Texel Sales, while in Ballymena, Seamus Kane's chickens are almost ready for the supermarket shelves.
  • September
    E9
    SeptemberWallace Gregg worries when the size of his maize harvest is much less than he was expecting. Near Comber, Ivan McKee picks parsnips, which must be on the supermarket shelves within 24 hours, but heavy rain brings costly delays. The mating season for deer begins near Downpatrick.
  • October
    E10
    OctoberThe wet and cold weather causes problems on many farms. Co Tyrone contractor Alwyn Young battles through mud to harvest maize, while in Co Down, Allan Chambers struggles to prepare for next year's crops. Near Bushmills, Victor Chestnutt gets his animals ready to move indoors for the winter.
  • November
    E11
    NovemberThe continuing bad weather proves costly for arable farmer Allan Chambers, with his entire crop of linseed being wiped out. Wallace Gregg also tries to salvage his maize harvest, working late into the night to save what he can. At the Wilsons' farm in Fermanagh, the sheep are scanned to see how many lambs there will be in January.
  • December
    E12
    DecemberThe Wilsons in Fermanagh weigh and groom their bulls in preparation for the January sales. Wallace Gregg worries about a proposed new road, and the possibility that it could cut his farm in Co Antrim in half and severely damage the business. Customers start queuing up to collect their Christmas turkeys from the Elliotts' farm near Portaferry, Co Down.

 

  •   
  •   
  •   
  •   
  •   
  •   
  •   

Take Plex everywhere

Watch free anytime, anywhere, on almost any device.
See the full list of supported devices