The circus is coming to town this weekend— that is the Big Circus Media company from the UK!
Matt Baker, co-founder and creative director of Big Circus Media, will visit Schoch Dairy with his production team to see their farmstead cheese operation. Additionally, they plan to visit a local artichoke grower. On Friday, January 27, the crew will be visiting the Monterey Farmers Market at the Del Monte Shopping Center. On Saturday, January 28, they will be filming a segment at the Aptos Farmers Market for a new series about farmers and farming that goes beyond the UK.
“We’re very excited to have Matt and his production company visit California and our farmers market,” says Catherine Barr, executive director of the Monterey Bay Certified Farmers Markets. “Many farms are multi-generational and keeping the family farms running can be challenging but rewarding.”
According to the website, “Matt was born in Durham where he grew up on his family’s sheep farm. He was asked to join Countryfile over 10 years ago for the move to its prime-time Sunday night slot. He helped to craft Countryfile into a family show and since then it’s become one of the biggest British TV hits of the last decade. As a farmer at heart, Matt is hugely passionate about nature and our environment. He owns sheep dogs, chickens, donkeys, and goats to name but a few, and is all about bringing the natural world to a wider audience.”
One of the most popular documentary series he developed is Our Farm in the Dales. Matt’s parents own and run an active organic sheep farm that dates back to the 1600s. When his mother had an accident and his parents needed help running the farm, Matt moved his wife and two children back to his remote childhood home in the north of England. During this time, Matt and his family had to make big decisions about the future of their farm and make changes. The series chronicled many of the challenges that most farmers face every day — long ‘to-do’ daily lists and limited budgets for repairs which make reusing and recycling an everyday necessity.
The series deeply resonated with viewers and has become one of the most popular programs in the UK. As a result of its popularity, there is a big demand by the audience for more series like Our Farm in the Dales.
If you’d like to watch the series, here’s a link to their YouTube channel.
Photo Credit: Photo courtesy of Big Circus Media website
