South west England is Britain's farming capital, producing more food than the whole of Scotland and twice as much as Wales. At its heart is Exeter Livestock Market, the biggest agricultural auction in the region. On a busy day they sell over 3,000 animals, from cattle to pigs, sheep to calves, in around four hours. It takes a whole team of auctioneers to do it. Turnover can be as much as £700,000 a day.

For Chris Creeper, selling four calves, there's a lot at stake. The young farmer, supported by wife Connie and three-year-old daughter Sophie, has only been farming a few years - margins are tight, and good prices at auction are vital. At the other end of the scale, buyer John Laramy, nearly 80, has been coming to this auction for 50 years. He still does most of the buying for the family sheep farm that he runs with his son and grandson. Pig seller Andrew Freemantle is under pressure too. He needs to sell his sows at auction today because he can't easily take them back to his farm. Show less