Country Focus

We hear how a Welsh fire service is preparing for the annual spike in deliberate grassfires and also what it takes to become an on-call firefighter. We visit the Powys village which has come together to set-up a network of volunteer responders in the wake of Storm Arwen and also meet the farmer from St Asaph looking to use her land to tackle local flooding. Plus the litter pickers tackling Snowdon this weekend as part of Spring Clean Cymru

The River Usk, or Afon Wysg in Welsh - is 100km or around 62 miles, rises on the slopes of the Black Mountain, in the Brecon Beacons, weaves it's way through Abergavenny before joining the Bristol Channel at Newport. But all is not well....agricultural pollution, sewage leaks, climate change - they're all adding up to loss of habitat for wildlife and depleted fish stocks on this iconic river and what's happening in this catchment, campaigners say, is reflected on waterways across Wales. Steffan Messenger travels along the banks of the river Usk to explore the issues, beginning his journey with Guy Mawle, the author of a report "A Dying River: The State of the River Usk" and continues on to find out what needs to be done to prevent further decline and restore it.

Soaring costs of production for farmers leads to fears over our food security, as the war in Ukraine, coupled with the Covid-19 pandemic, Brexit and the challenge of climate change all disrupt global food supply chains. We speak to an egg farmer in Wales and the Chair of the Women's Institute about the issues. We hear about the jobs on offer at a meat processing company near Llanidloes in rural Powys. We meet the Root Zero potato growers in Pembrokeshire, growing sustainable potatoes and saving yellowhammer birds. And for the Spring Equinox, we look up, and forward, to the night skies above.

The Government is consulting on whether to ban the sale of peat for horticulture in England and Wales to protect our peatlands - we hear from the Wildlife Trusts and a nursery in Gwynedd. But what are the alternatives to peat? Caroline Evans meets a farmer who's ambition is for every village in Wales to make Biochar! The Pembrokeshire farmers using a by-product of the cheese making process to produce Ewe Whey Vodka. And finally, we pay tribute to Dai Jones Llanilar - one of Wales’ best loved rural broadcasters - who sadly passed away last week.

Crab apple, wild cherry, sessile oak, alder or downy birch - which would you choose? The first phase of the Welsh government's plans to offer every household in Wales a free tree, to help tackle the climate crisis gets underway this month. 5,000 trees are up for grabs, at six hubs across the country. Caroline Evans visits one of the hubs, Blaen Bran Community Woodland in Cwmbran.

We go behind the scenes of the newly refurbished livestock centre in Carmarthen. BJP Marts’ tenure ended in controversy back in July 2020 , trading ceased and farmers had to go elsewhere. A year and a half later the new leaseholders, Nock Deighton Agricultural LLP, will finally open the mart doors on Wednesday this week.

We also hear about the wider livestock industry and why sheepdogs are selling fast.

Nature and Us - Natural Resources Wales want your views on the future of our natural environment. We meet the Powys winner in this year’s rural shooting awards, who says there’s huge potential in the Welsh wild game meat industry, but there’s just not the infrastructure in place to supply customers. Bat Boxes and Roosts - the project focussing on helping Lesser and Greater horseshoe bats in the Brecon Beacons. We meet the chefs in Carmarthen, who have all the ingredients for a local, seasonal and tasty recipe box delivery. And amateur astronomer, Katrin Raynor-Evans is back to guide us through the joys of the night sky

A memorial woodland to remember those lost to Covid - but what impact will it have on the countryside? How businesses in Ceredigion plan to make the rural county an attractive place for young people to live and work. We visit the largest of the last remaining quaking bogs in Wales, Crymlyn Bog on the outskirts of Swansea..... home to the great fen raft spider! It's National Nest Box week and Starlings need our help. And finally, the woman celebrating two decades as the town crier in Montgomery.

Wales' environment body, Natural Resources Wales is accused of failing in its duties over tree planting. We hear why a decline in Wales' otter population is a "wake-up call" about the state of the UK's rivers. Essential path maintenance or "environmental vandalism" - the row in Snowdonia to repair a mountain path. We explore the new buzz word of "resilience" in agriculture. And in our series on declining bird species, we hear about the mixed fortunes and folktales of the Rook.

It's a year since, Britain left the European Union but how have the last 12 months affected farming in Wales? We speak to the former conservative MP Gutto Bebb in his role as the Farmers Union of Wales' chief executive. Mental health - the personal tragedy that lies behind the festive cheer of a farmer who grows thousands of Christmas trees. What makes Gower Salt Marsh lamb an iconic British food? River groups call for a review of the way water pollution incidents are investigated in Wales. And it's RSPB Garden Birdwatch we have the first in a series looking at bird species under threat.