Fletcher’s Family Farm on ITV1 and ITVBe sees Kelvin Fletcher and his wife Liz share the peaks and troughs of life on their Peak District farm.
Strictly Come Dancing 2019 champion Kelvin – known to many from his time on ITV soap Emmerdale as Andy Sugden – and fellow actor Liz, began farming two years ago and now they have welcomed a range of animals to their holding.
Now, as Fletcher’s Family Farm follows their work, here’s everything you need to know about the series…
Fletcher’s Family Farm release date
The eight-part series will air weekly in the UK from Sunday, October 15 on ITV1 at 11.30 am and on ITVBe at 7 pm.
The episodes will also be available on streaming site ITVX. We will let you know if a US TX is announced.
Fletcher’s Family Farm — what is it about?
The series follows Kelvin Fletcher and wife Liz as they experience the ups and downs of farming life while raising their four children – daughter Marnie, seven, son Milo, four, and one-year-old twins Mateusz and Maximus.
In the opening episode, the Fletchers welcome some pygmy goats to their busy farm, and face the challenge of helping their sheep to give birth. The series also sees the Fletchers venture into pig breeding, while they make preparations to open the farm for a public event.
Fletcher’s Family Farm — interview with Kelvin Fletcher and Liz Fletcher
Viewers followed your early days as farmers in BBC One’s Kelvin’s Big Farming Adventure last year. How would you describe Fletcher’s Family Farm?
Liz Fletcher: “It’s the next step on our farming journey. The family has evolved – the older kids have grown and we’ve got two extra ones! You see where we’re at now. I can’t believe how Kelvin has changed. The things he was squeamish about, he now gets stuck in with. We’ve still got so much to learn but it’s an amazing adventure.”
Kelvin Fletcher: “Hopefully, the audience will laugh, cry and care. You’ll see us trying to give our animals the best life we can. We’re celebrating farming, the countryside and our young family; it’s uplifting TV.”
We hear pygmy goats arrive on the farm in episode one!
Kelvin Fletcher: “We’ve gone from a family with no pets to all these animals! We started with a puppy, then sheep and now pigs, goats, alpacas, chickens and a farm cat. We’re only two years in and we’re trying to create a system and that means getting other animals and different breeds and things changing.”
Liz Fletcher: “Pygmy goats were my dream animals to have. But they’re so cheeky, they escape everywhere. The other day, they were all just standing in the yard but Marnie put her wellies on and got them all back where they should be!”
How have you found the pigs?
Liz Fletcher: “They’re great but they run so fast!”
Kelvin Fletcher: “We try to have rare native breeds and they are Oxford Sandy and Blacks. We were told we’d never get them to breed, but all the sows got pregnant, so we did alright for two new farmers!”
In the series, we follow you during lambing season. Could you tell us a bit about that?
Liz Fletcher: “It was my first lambing experience because last year I was pregnant [pregnant women are advised to avoid close contact with sheep during lambing to avoid the risk of possible infection].
"It takes a lot to hold a lamb when you pull it out. Marnie did it before me, though, so I thought, ‘I can’t be soft now!’ You get to know your flock and we had one sheep who we thought was having twins and I said, ‘Something’s not right’, and there was a third lamb. It’s a farmer’s instinct.”
Kelvin Fletcher: “The bravest thing is to trust your gut. You’re constantly questioning yourself but you’ve got to figure it out rather than keep relying on neighbours or vets. And it’s a privilege to witness something being born, it’s unbelievable.”
What is the biggest thing you have learnt as farmers?
Kelvin Fletcher: “The sense of responsibility. We’re still kind of winging it, but there’s a protocol you have to adhere to and our reputations as farmers to think about, so there’s pressure. There’s a lot to take on as a first-time farmer, but that all comes with the beauty of having a farm and we’ve embraced it. Juggling the family dynamic is challenging, and then there’s everything else, like getting more sheep or having bad weather. But you just do your best.”
Liz Fletcher: “Yes, you just become reactive as things change. When you want a smooth operation, sheep often have another plan! We just deal with it.”
Finally, where do you see your future?
Liz Fletcher: “Kelvin’s a farmer at heart now, he has found himself. The hope is that we expand. We started small with a few sheep and learnt about the breeds and we’ve got bigger. We just keep trying new things, and that’s exciting as we don’t know what’s around the corner.”
Kelvin Fletcher: “We want to build a proper farming business here that the kids can continue and enjoy. I can’t imagine not doing this now. I love grafting and it makes you cherish acting more, too. I get the best of both worlds!”
