Our very own farm

Our very own farm

Episode 1 (45 min) – Free-range pigs in Tecklenburger Land and a farm for animals in Portugal

Tim (33) and Vera (32) from Lienen in Tecklenburger Land are completely changing their lives. Together with their children Karl (3) and Hedi (2), they live on an old farm and want to breed free-range pigs there.

Nina (38) and Stevo (42) swap the big city of Cologne for a piece of wild country in Portugal. They want to set up a life farm here to save animals from the slaughterhouse and give them a good life.

First aired on: 17/04/2023 and in the ARD media library

Our very own farm

Episode 2 (45 min) – Dairy cows in the Sauerland and sheep farming on the Lower Rhine

Dominick (29) dares to turn his childhood dream into reality. He trained as a farmer, took out a million-euro loan and bought a farm with over 180 dairy cows near Lüdenscheid.

Shepherdess Dunja (51) and her husband Stefan (53) want to gain a foothold with Naturhof Kevelaer. They moved with their huge flock of sheep from a small farm in the Ruhr area to the large estate on the Lower Rhine. Dunja’s dream is to be able to make a living from breeding and selling good sheep products, also as a future for her children.

First aired on: 24/04/2023 and in the ARD media library

Our very own farm

Episode 3 (45 min) – Horses and sheep in Münsterland and Wittgenstein permaculture

Holger (46) and Peter (44) have fulfilled their dream of owning their own farm in Münsterland. In Ennigerloh, the two vets are passionate about keeping rare sheep, geese and chickens. And special, valuable horses: Trakehner. They are aiming high with their breeding.

Friederike and Frank from Erndtebrück have a big goal: they want to stop wasting energy and resources. They grow fruit and vegetables and keep chickens.

First aired on: 08/05/2023 and in the ARD media library

Our very own farm

Episode 4 (45 min) – Eifel nature conservation garden and Swedish self-sufficiency

Marcella (42) and her husband Sebastian (41) want to be self-sufficient in their kitchen garden in Heimbach in the Eifel region. The couple have a big dream and a mission: they want to use their own garden to feed themselves and their four children healthily. Without chemicals, purely organic, but independent of mass production for the supermarket.

Vivian, Alex and their two children dream of a self-sufficient life in Smaland, Sweden.

First aired on: 15/05/2023 and in the ARD media library

Our very own farm

Episode 1 – Family move with flock of sheep

150 sheep, two children and a grandmother: Dunja and Stefan dare the animal move with the whole family. They want to fulfill their dream of owning their own sheep farm. So it goes from a small farm in the Ruhr area to a large estate in Kevelaer, where the family wants to build a new existence. Full of enthusiasm, even 84-year-old Grandma Elfriede decides to move with them. Also: extraordinary chickens, self-sufficiency from our own garden and Asian vegetables in the middle of the Ruhr area.

First aired on: 07/02/2022 and in the ARD media library

Our very own farm

Episode 2 – Sick sheep

They wanted to earn money with sheep’s wool, skins and meat – but Dunja and Stefan had to postpone the opening of the farm shop. The other farmers are also facing challenges: the bad weather is not good for the tomatoes. In order to save the harvest, Kati and her husband David all have to lend a hand. In addition, a tomato house is urgently needed for protection. Kati and David paid 400 euros for the kit for a shelter – but the construction will still cause a lot of trouble.

First aired on: 07/02/2022 and in the ARD media library

Our very own farm

Tiny house for chickens

Mira and Daniel’s rare Swedish flower hens have offspring: the chicks get a new home in a converted trailer. The other farmers also rely on their young animals: Holger and Peter from Münsterland are training the foal Santa Gracia for the first competition. Meanwhile, Kathy and Sven take a big step with their sons Tom and Teo: they start a new life as organic farmers and breed pigs, goats, sheep and chickens. Kathy relies on old, rare breeds and wants to set an example that animal husbandry can also be sustainable.

First aired on: 14/02/2022 and in the ARD media library

Our very own farm

Episode 4 – About foal shows and piglet births

Tension at the horse breeders Holger and Peter: can the foal Santa Gracia convince the jury at the foal show? Also: pig farmer Kathy experiences the first piglet birth. A great day for her whole family! Meanwhile, Kati and her husband David are starting their first gardening season, a dream that finally comes true. Kati also infected David’s mother Christine with her enthusiasm. Born in Poland, she wants to cook bigos, a Polish herb dish, from Kati’s first white cabbage. Neighbor Adrian is to judge whether it succeeds.

First aired on: 14/02/2022 and in the ARD media library

Our very own farm

Episode 5 – Big plans

Kathy and Sven want to get into the organic egg business – but that takes a lot of energy and money. And the other farmers also have big plans: Marcella and Sebastian’s children have entered their garden in a competition. Will they become the most insect-friendly garden in the region?

First aired on: 21/02/2022 and in the ARD media library

Our very own farm

Episode 6 – Major project pig paradise

Sun protection for the pigs turns out to be a complex, large-scale project for Mira and Daniel. They just want to make their pigs happy. And the other farmers are also struggling with challenges: the vegetable harvest of Irfan and Aynur is threatened by a plague of snails. Meanwhile, after the costly move with 150 sheep, Dunja and Stefan hope to finally get some money back into the till – with an improvised farm shop sale. Will people accept your project and shop?

First aired on: 21/02/2022 and in the ARD media library

Our very own farm

Episode 7 – Goat control

Goats must also be officially recorded. An employee of the goat breeding association comes to check on Kathy and Sven. They experience a real miracle. Meanwhile, the self-supporters Mira and Daniel have to realize how tedious their task is and how much they are at the mercy of the whims of nature. They bring in crop failures. Bitter, because they have invested a lot of money and time in their sideline. The hope that chicken breeding will be successful is all the greater.

First aired on: 07/03/2022 and in the ARD media library

Our very own farm

Episode 8 – Slaughter chickens

Kathy loves her chickens, but she also needs to be able to make a living from them. That’s why visiting the mobile butcher is particularly difficult for her. Kathy must have 160 animals processed into soup chickens. Irfan and Aynur are self-catering with a large garden. But Irfan is still looking for new ways to make more of his piece of land. With another greenhouse, they want to extend the season and grow winter vegetables. The plan sounds good – but whether it really works is not in his hands alone. The native Koreans Kim and Kimi also provide themselves with all kinds of vegetables. How does it work with the green fingers?

First aired on: 07/03/2022 and in the ARD media library

Our very own farm

Episode 9 – A pigsty for the winter

The pigs Pumba, Rosa and Primel live outside all year round. Before the frost, Mira and Daniel have to winterize the stable. Do the pigs like that? Dentist Irfan and lawyer Aynur from East Westphalia are self-sufficient, with vegetables and fruit, chickens, geese and quail. A chick hatched two days ago and the couple don’t know if it will survive. There are also problems with the quail: they simply do not lay enough eggs. But animal lover Irfan quickly has a solution for this.

First aired on: 14/03/2022 and in the ARD media library

Our very own farm

Episode 10 – Pregnant or butcher

Sow Else just won’t get pregnant. But without offspring, the pig is not profitable for its breeders. Kathy and Sven have to make a decision: do they dare to try another boar or will Else be slaughtered? Meanwhile, exciting times are ahead for Holger and Peter. Because they take care of special offspring. Two of her four foals were under observation after an operation. Now they are setting up a new flat-sharing community on their farm. The question is: will the four young mares get along?

First aired on: 14/03/2022 and in the ARD media library