Former Emmerdale star Kelvin Fletcher and wife Liz battle heavy snow threatening their sheep in the latest episode of their ITV series
Kelvin Fletcher has been faced with a significant set back that could cause “disaster” for his farm. The ex-Emmerdale actor and his wife, Liz, ventured into farming in 2021 when they purchased a 120-acre plot of land in the village of Wincle near Macclesfield.
Their journey is being documented on their ITV series, Fletchers’ Family Farm, and it seems they have their work cut out for them in an episode airing on Monday (January 26). Trouble arose when a change in weather brought heavy snowfall to the farm, disrupting their plans.
Kelvin noted: “One thing we’ve learned about living in the Peak District is how changeable the weather can be and after a week of decent weather, it’s turned.”
He confessed: “When the weather changes, so do our plans and our priority is bringing in the next batch of pregnant animals as this cold snap could mean disaster for their lambs.”
Both Kelvin and Liz rolled up their sleeves and immediately began preparing the farm for the weather shift. The former soap star elaborated: “There’s light to heavy snow for the next four hours. I’m just thinking if we quickly prep these and go and get the sheep in.”, reports the Mirror.
He warned: “If the temperature drops so bad the mums will instinctively think that this is not good, I wanna get my lamb out. And if it’s a bit of a rain shower, then they get wet. There’s a good chance we could get pneumonia.”
He continued: “I think you always have to be pretty adaptive, especially where we are. We now are just feedable sea level. You know, we’re up north, we are glorious sunshine yesterday, 89 degrees, it felt like a proper spring day.
“And then today, well, I’ve just noticed on the water trough, that it’s all iced over, my hands are freezing, you’ve just gotta think fast and think on your feet, really.”
Despite the snow, the pair pressed on with tackling the problem as Kelvin explained: “So we are just lining the floor now, so help draw in any moisture that’s based over there. It’s just good to kind of kill any bacteria. Stall’s cleaned and bedding laid. It’s time to get the sheep in before this weather gets any worse.”
Meanwhile in the programme, feelings reached fever pitch as the family welcomed their inaugural public gathering.
At the same time, Marnie highlighted the significance of livestock care whilst tending to abandoned lamb Aga.
Bruce the boar made his debut at the smallholding to boost the prospects of successful pig breeding, whilst Kelvin and Liz got stuck in as they transformed the farm cottage into a holiday let to generate additional revenue.
Fletcher’s Family Farm airs from 7:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX
