A round up of seasonal offerings from Farming Today.

The charity Farms for City Children turns 50 this year. Set up by writer Michael Morpurgo and his wife in 1976, the charity works to connect children with farming and the countryside. Fiona Clampin dons her wellies and joins the Morpurgos at their farm in Devon.

Farming life is full of traditions, and we hear from Rathfriland Livestock Market in County Down about one of these: the luck penny. Farmers selling their animals hand money back to the buyer, to seal the deal. It's a way of wishing the customer success with the stock and building up a trustworthy business relationship. Kathleen Carragher visits Rathfriland to find out whether it's still practised today.

Tradition also abounds at one brewery in Oxfordshire, which still uses heavy horses to deliver barrels of beer to local pubs. Vernon Harwood meets three of the shire horses delivering horse-powered pints.

Work is being carried out in orchards to DNA fingerprint cider apple trees to identify varieties whose names died with the people who created them, or were never named. The aim: to secure the future of forgotten cider apple varieties. Sarah Swadling speaks to Keith Edwards, Professor of Crop Genetics at Bristol University and Devon cider-maker Barny Butterfield who have been working on the project.

Historians in Cumbria are publishing extracts from the diary of an 18th century yeoman farmer. The writings of Isaac Fletcher, who farmed at Mosser near Cockermouth, are providing a window into rural life 250 years ago. Helen Millican has been for a tour of what would have been Isaac's farm.

Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Jo Peacey. A BBC Audio Bristol production.

Controlling wild goats is proving tricky in Scotland's border country. While herds can damage trees and outgrow their food supply, these fierce yet endearing creatures have a place in people’s hearts, and they are believed to be a link to our Stone-Age ancestors. As different landowners carry out their own culls, there are fears of a devastating impact on the population. Richard Baynes finds out how it's hoped herds can be controlled, but kept healthy.

Produced and presented by Richard Baynes.

Historians in Cumbria are publishing extracts from the diary of an 18th century yeoman farmer.

The writings of Isaac Fletcher, who farmed at Mosser near Cockermouth, will be featured by the Cumbria County History Trust on their website every month. His diary provides a window onto life in rural Cumbria 250 years ago, and an insight for farmers who work the land there still.

Helen Millican meets two of Isaac's biggest fans, historian Angus Winchester and local farmer Mark Clark, who give her a tour of what would have been Isaac's farm.

You can read the diary in more detail by visiting The Farming Year Diary on the trust's website - https://www.cumbriacountyhistory.org.uk

Programme produced and presented by Helen Millican.

Sarah Swadling finds out about a quest to save our hidden cider orchard heritage using DNA testing.

Work is being carried out in orchards to DNA fingerprint cider apple trees to identify varieties whose names died with the people who created them, or were never named. Keith Edwards, Professor of Crop Genetics at Bristol University, has been working with Devon cider-maker Barny Butterfield on the project. So far they've leaf sampled more than 10,000 trees on the hunt for DNA markers which aren't found in any of the national collections of apple trees, but are repeated in other historic cider orchards (so they're more significant than a lone tree grown from a pip). The aim: to secure the future of forgotten cider apple varieties, with the rediscovered trees being grown on from cuttings to preserve them for the future.

Produced and presented by Sarah Swadling.

Farmers at Rathfriland market in County Down still practise an old tradition when livestock changes hands. Farmers selling their animals hand money back to the buyer, to seal the deal. It's known as the luck penny and is a way of wishing the customer success with the stock and building up a trustworthy business relationship. At the old fairs, a couple of coins would be handed over - today it could be a £20 note. The tradition, said to have originated in Ireland and lives on in modern insurance policies covering livestock after sale. And in Rathfriland, it is celebrated with a sculpture of a giant bronze penny in the town square.

Produced and presented by Kathleen Carragher.

Elise Sutton is a new entrant to farming, but the herd of Longhorn cattle she looks after have a blood line that goes back 85 years. The Stoke herd, which graze the chalk grassland of Salisbury Plain, are seen as integral to the protection of rich and varied flora and fauna, including some orchids not found anywhere else in the world. Marie Lennon has a tour of Cherry Lodge Farm with Elise, as well as Debbi Dan from the Longhorn Cattle Society.

Produced and presented by Marie Lennon.

This year, Anna Hill marked her 30th anniversary as a presenter of Farming Today. Talking to her fellow presenter Charlotte Smith, Anna reflects on three decades of reporting on farming life, from Mad Cow Disease and Foot and Mouth to the lighter side of life on farms and her love of rural East Anglia. Produced by Beatrice Fenton and Chris Ledgard for BBC Audio Bristol

Britain’s pubs and bars will be busy with Boxing Day drinkers enjoying a seasonal pint or two today. But how many will give a thought to the way the beer they’re enjoying arrived in the store room or cellar? In this festive programme, Vernon Harwood visits one of the last breweries in the country to continue the tradition of delivering beer by horse-drawn dray. Hook Norton Brewery in Oxfordshire owns a trio of magnificent Shire horses named Brigadier, Balmoral and Cromwell who live in stables on site and graze the fields nearby. They have become local celebrities and crowds of spectators gather every time they appear in public to pull the brewery dray, loaded with kegs of ale, through the winding village lanes.

At the start of the 20th century Shire horses were a common sight in the British countryside as well as in our towns and cities. Around a million Shires worked the fields as plough horses, pulled canal barges and omnibuses, transported goods and carried passengers for the railway companies, among many other tasks. But those days are long gone and it’s almost impossible to see heavy horses genuinely employed to do a job of work today. The Shire Horse Society says only 250 foals are born each year which puts the breed firmly at risk of extinction. So why is the brewery so passionate about keeping its Shires, who looks after the animals and what are the advantages of delivering a horse-powered pint?

Produced and presented by Vernon Harwood.

Farms for City Children was set up by the writer Michael Morpurgo and his wife Clare 50 years ago. They were both young teachers and wanted to help children connect with farming and the countryside. We find out how their vision became a reality and hear from children visiting their farm in Devon.

Produced and presented by Fiona Clampin.

With a military pipe band and trumpet fanfares, Caz Graham joins pensioners at the Royal Hospital Chelsea for their Ceremony of the Christmas Cheeses, a festive tradition where dairy processors and farmers present cheese for the Hospital’s Christmas celebrations.

It dates back to the late 1600s when Sir Christopher Wren was commissioned by King Charles II to build a sanctuary for soldiers "broken by age and war". He asked the dairies of London to give cheese every Christmas to the veterans who became known as the Chelsea Pensioners.

Caz meets the Hospital’s Governor to hear about the origins of this ancient ceremony, farmers whose milk goes into some of the cheeses, and some of the pensioners taking part, including Andy Kay, the Chelsea pensioner who cuts the first slice of a huge 25kg Montgomery cheddar with a ceremonial sword.

There's also the latest news on the government's proposals for inheritance tax on farm businesses.

Produced and presented by Caz Graham.

We hear from both sides of the hunting divide about the Government's plan to ban trail hunting in England and Wales. Trail hunting was introduced after hunting foxes, and other animals, with hounds was banned under the 2004 Hunting Act. It involves hounds following an animal scent based trail. The Government and anti-hunting campaigners argue that the practice is being used by some as a smokescreen for intentional, illegal, hunting of foxes. They say the current law needs to be changed urgently. The Countryside Alliance says there's no evidence that the Hunting Act is unenforceable and that those who hunt illegally are prosecuted.

We drop in at a lunch organised to combat social isolation at Christmas for older people in the Highlands. And, how much trickier has Christmas tree production been due to this year's summer drought?

Presenter: Anna Hill Producer: Sarah Swadling

Colony cages for hens and pig's farrowing crates are to be phased out as part of the Government's animal welfare strategy which is launched today. Trail hunting and snares will be banned while new laws on livestock worrying will be introduced. Ministers say it's the most ambitious such strategy in a generation.

We hear reaction to the Batters' Review of profitability in farming. It was published last week and makes 57 recommendations to government and, as she put it, calls for 'a total recalculation' of farming's economic importance to England.

Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

The Batters Review into Farm Profitability in England was finally published this week. It was put together by Baroness Batters, former president of the National Farmers Union. More than 150 pages long, it has 57 recommendations for the government: it calls for a National Plan for farming, and a New Deal for profitable farming that recognises the true cost of producing food and delivering for the environment.

We look at the issue of supermarkets using veg like carrots and potatoes as loss leaders in their stores. Some are selling packs for as little as 5p for 2kg. We hear from the Fresh Food Editor of The Grocer magazine who says it's all about getting shoppers through the door, but can ultimately devalue food.

All this week on our sister programme Farming Today we've been looking at the rural heritage buildings that make up our countryside, from barns to country houses. Today we hear from students learning heritage construction skills, a church in need of renovation, and historic mill stones.

And we're at a livestock market carol service, where a silver brass band replaces sheep and cattle in the stalls.

Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Sally Challoner.

The major changes needed to make farming profitable - we hear from Baroness Batters on her long awaited review.

Charcuterie is often a favourite over the festive season, which means this is a busy time of year for Lizzie and Andrew Baker in Ammanford in South Wales. They rear rare breed pigs on their farm and have a charcuterie and smoking business too.

We’ve been taking a look at historic rural buildings this week, their cultural value and how to preserve them, and this morning we’re heading to Northern Ireland. When a local community group began the restoration of an old corn mill, in County Fermanagh, it sparked interest in a number of old mill stones long abandoned on local farms.

Presented by Caz Graham and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

We ask why veg is always a loss leader at this time of year, and whether farmers suffer as a result. For the price of a first class stamp you could buy 21 kilos of carrots if you head to one of the discount supermarkets. The stamp would cost you £1.70, the carrots are on sale at 8p for a kilo. Who takes the hit?

Extreme weather events mean it’s become hard to predict how farmed poultry will turn out come Christmas. We meet an organic farmer in Devon whose birds are smaller following the hot, dry summer.

And should the old grand houses that dot our countryside be regarded as vital heritage which must be preserved? Or are there other ways of dealing with them? All this week we’re looking into what the future may hold for historic buildings in rural areas.

Presented by Caz Graham and produced by Sally Challoner.

Village churches are as much a part of our rural landscape as trees and hedgerows. However according to a recent survey by the National Churches Trust, as many as nine hundred of Britain's countryside churches are in danger of closing in the next five years. We visit a church in North Cumbria where the farming community is determined to save it. We also speak to the National Churches Trust about their fears for the future of small rural churches.

There's also discussion of the latest government changes to planning regulations.

Producer: Rebecca Rooney

The Prime Minister has told a select committee he is aware of the pressure farmers are facing because of the government's plan to reimpose inheritance tax on them. However, despite close questioning from his own MPs, he made no commitment to change. Sir Kier Starmer was in front of the Liaison Committee which is made up of all the Chairs of the House of Commons Select Committees, who head up investigations into government departments.

The countryside charity the CPRE, says it's concerned that most new housing is being built on green-field sites. It fears the government will create urban sprawl as it tries to fulfil its manifesto pledge to build 1.5 million new homes over the course of the next parliament.

All week on Farming Today we’re talking about the rural heritage buildings that make up our countryside, everything from old farm barns to country mansions. All of these buildings will need maintenance and repair, but there's only one centre in the UK teaching NVQ Level 3 qualifications, in Heritage Construction skills. We visit the Tywi Centre in Carmarthenshire,.

Presenter = Anna Hill Producer = Rebecca Rooney

Caz Graham talks to the President of the Irish Farmers Association, Francie Gorman, about the journey he's embarking upon from Dublin to Brussels by tractor as part of a Europe wide protest. Farmers are concerned about Common Agricultural Policy reforms, which could see the budget ringfenced for farm subsidies cut by around 20%. They're also angry about the potential impact of a trade deal between the EU and the South American bloc MERCOSUR, which could mean an increase in beef from Brazil and other cheap imports.

An environmental group in Northern Ireland plans to demonstrate the benefits of nature friendly farming on a 90-acre hillside farm it’s recently bought in County Fermanagh. The Ulster Wildlife Trust says the new Fedian Nature Reserve is a rare example of farmland largely free of chemical or fertiliser inputs.

Traditional rural buildings are rich with history and a unique record of how farming and country life has changed over the centuries. But many are under threat; they’re expensive to maintain and often not practical for modern use. Throughout this week we’re going to be hearing about efforts to preserve them, and we start in Nottinghamshire where an old farmstead has been repurposed as The Walks of Life Museum in Tuxford.

Presenter: Caz Graham Producer: Sarah Swadling

Despite the impact of avian flu, which has been devastating for some turkey farmers, the industry says there will not be a shortage this Christmas. Poultry farms were hit so badly in 2022 that many farmers brought in contingency plans to cope with the possibility of the disease striking them.

Rural roads are significantly more dangerous than urban ones. The latest figures from the Department for Transport show that 956 people were killed in 2024, that's 72% more than on urban roads. The figures have been analysed by NFU Mutual insurance, and it's now calling for more specific training for driving on rural roads, especially for those who break the law.

The Spanish region of Catalonia is still coping with the arrival of African swine fever, which was first diagnosed in wild boar on November 28th. There have now been 13 confirmed cases in wild boar, and 80,000 pigs are having to be slaughtered as a precaution. The authorities are looking into the possibility that the disease may have leaked from a research facility.

Thousands of people are still not connected to the National Grid and rely on generators for power, according to the energy regulator. Ofgem estimates up to 2,000 properties in the UK are still off-grid. Some have been asked to pay hundreds of thousands of pounds if they want a connection. Now a charity in Northumberland says the government should do more to help.

All week, we've been talking about rare breeds of livestock and at just 15 years of age, Sebastian Carr is quite the celebrity in the world of rare breed pigs. He's won awards for his herd of Saddlebacks. His passion for pigs began when he was just eight and he received four piglets as a Christmas present.

Presenter = Caz Graham Producer = Rebecca Rooney

The Food Standards Agency has agreed to a public consultation on the fees it takes from abattoirs. They are charged by the FSA for their official vets and meat hygiene inspectors who monitor food safety and animal welfare. The smallest abattoirs already get a 90 percent discount, but under the new system being proposed that reduction would benefit more businesses. We’ve been exploring the world of rare and native livestock breeds all this week, and they don’t come much rarer than the Ancient Cattle of Wales. There are only around 200 of them left. Earlier this year they were added to the Rare Breeds Survival Trust Watchlist, and now the Ancient Cattle of Wales Society is on the case, trying to reverse the decline in numbers by promoting the breed. And we meet a couple of retired tenant farmers who now go around the country offering holiday relief for farmers, who struggle to leave their livestock for holidays. Presented by Caz Graham and produced by Sally Challoner.