Emlyn, is a 13-year-old sheep farmer who lives in Wales. All year round, alongside his dog Patch, Emlyn is responsible for over a thousand sheep, helping them to deliver healthy baby lambs that will allow the family to survive. As a bitter winter hits the farm, hundreds of lambs’ lives are at risk and Emlyn rushes to help them pull through.

He’s following in a long tradition - his family has been farming for more than 150 years - but tragedy struck when Emlyn was four years old when his father died. Now he takes responsibility for helping his mum to keep the farm going, which is crucial for the family’s survival.

Emlyn combines life as a secondary school student with the demands of a busy sheep farm. He’s up at 6.30 every morning, touring the farm on his quadbike before breakfast, and then again for a few hours after school. There are always jobs to do from rescuing sheep that have escaped to spreading manure on the fields, fixing fences and feeding the sheep.

As the year progresses Emlyn and his flock of sheep have to battle with one of the coldest winters on record, grappling with freezing conditions as hundreds of baby lambs struggle for survival. Emlyn has a vital role in helping out the ewes when things go wrong, assisting them to deliver their lambs, and keeping the new-borns warm, especially in the wintry conditions, sometimes even in the family’s oven. The work never stops, even on Christmas morning when the unwrapping of presents has to wait until the farming jobs are over.

Reflecting on a challenging year on the farm, Emlyn concludes: 'As hard as this year’s been, I’ve never felt once like I should give up. And the great thing about farming is I get to do it all again next year!' Show less