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From his farm in the Cotswolds, Adam Henson guides us through the farming year – from the new life that spring brings to the toughest days in the depths of winter. To guide us through the farming calendar Adam look’s back at some of his favourite farming moments on Countryfile and looks ahead to the prospects for 2016. Plus, of course, Adam needs to prepare his farm and his animals for the cold months that lie ahead.

Every February, the ‘Big Farmland Bird Count’, run by The Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust, takes place all over Britain. This UK conservation charity asks farmers, landowners, birdwatchers and gamekeepers to spend 30 minutes recording the species and number of birds seen on a particular area of their farm. Ellie Harrison heads to the GWCT’s research farm in Leicestershire to join a group of farmers taking part in a Bird Identification Day. She meets Peter Thompson, the Trust’s Biodiversity Advisor, to discover the challenges facing our farmland birds and how we can help them to flourish once more.

Matt Baker loves being back home on his mum Janice’s farm.  On this visit, he’s giving her a well-deserved rest and helping with the sheep - which are lambing - the miniature donkeys and the rest of the Baker brood.  Matt also meets volunteers from the Heart of Durham who do some much needed woodland work with farmers in the area. He then heads to the old mining town of Wheatley Hill to meet a group of mother’s who’ve been looking after the town for 65 years.

Matt meets the pupils from Brockhill Farm Park School who have a week-off to show the animals from their farm at school at the Kent County Show. The students get themselves, and their cattle, ready for the big day. Matt hears how the students don’t go for the rosettes - it’s all about giving the students the experience of being away from home, having the responsibility to look after themselves and the animals and enjoying the camaraderie of being in a team.

Adam is visits his farming friend, Neil Heseltine, who has a herd of Belted Galloway cattle on his farm in the Yorkshire Dales - which overlooks Malham Cove. The herd grazes the hill as part of a conservation project to increase wild flowers numbers. But they need moving before the spring flowers start to emerge, otherwise they will eat them. So, in challenging snowy conditions, Adam helps to move the cattle to the lowlands.

Anita Rani helps out at a farm that grows organic herbs and flowers for skin care products. Botanist Dr Paul Richards has been growing herbs at Eardisley for more than 17 years. Anita discovers the delicate process for making these precious balms that are powered by nature.

Adam meets turkey farmer Tom Copas as he prepares for autumn in an unusual way.  He’s training 38,000 turkeys for fireworks night on the 5th of November. In the weeks leading up to bonfire night Tom and his team get the turkeys used to the sound of the fireworks by introducing fireworks into their daily routine. Eventually this progresses into the night until the turkeys are familiar with the sounds. Then by the time the fireworks start on the 5th of November, and birds are familiar with the sounds, they no longer get scared and injure each other.