On Sunday night’s episode of Countryfile, presenter Adam Henson found himself on The Paddas’ family farm in the Vale of Evesham, where three generations have been nurturing the land and growing strawberries for decades. Embracing the spirit of Wimbledon season, Adam eagerly tried his hand at picking prime strawberries, though he quickly realized it was harder than anticipated.
“I’ve done four and already my fingers are hurting,” he admitted, struggling to keep pace with experienced pickers. A farmer advised him, “Try to do both hands,” to speed up the process. “Oh, both hands, you didn’t tell me that!” Adam exclaimed, turning to Bal Padda, the family member showing him around. Bal joked, “Adam, you’re costing us money here!”
The Paddas family aims to harvest around 2,000 tonnes of strawberries each year, which are then packed and distributed to retailers and wholesalers across the country. Adam also had the chance to meet the dedicated team that transforms the farm’s fresh fruit into homemade jams, and learned about the seasonal workforce that comes to help with the harvest from various countries for six-month shifts.
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The episode also highlighted the inspiring story of the farm’s founder, Makhan Padda, and his wife Palvinder. Starting their farming journey in 1966 with just a small patch of land, their hard work and dedication have expanded the farm to its current success. “We were both working in the field, picking sprouts and gooseberries, cutting rhubarb together,” Makhan shared with Adam.
Adam noted the palpable sense of community on the farm. “There’s a real sense of community here, of a wider family, grounded in farming and in faith,” he commented appreciatively.
Although Makhan’s sons, including Bal, now run the farm, Adam was surprised to learn their father has no plans to retire anytime soon. When asked if it was time for him to step back, Bal laughed, “No! The Queen never retired, did she?” He went on to explain, “For him to leave, I can’t see him ever doing it personally. Our culture is all about the beauty of farming. Once you’re a farmer, you are that—that’s who you are, because it’s in your blood.”
Countryfile continues to showcase rural stories like this every Sunday at 7pm on BBC Two and on iPlayer.