Farming can be the 'best job in the world'

Pear Tree Farm in Aldwincle is home to lots of animals, including a beef suckler herd

A farmer says variety makes his profession "the best job in the world".

Tim Hankins, 63, runs Pear Tree Farm in Aldwincle, Northamptonshire, and has a diverse daily routine including milking cows, inoculating sheep, and crop planting.

His son Alan, 28, agrees, describing his job as an "absolute joy".

However, Mr Hankins conceded that "it's very worrying" that the stress of thin financial margins and bad weather "can get too much" for some people.

The BBC's Farmwatch project is shining a light on farming, following the highs and lows of those who feed the nation.

Tim Hankins said young people are put off joining the industry because farmers can be alone for long periods

Mr Hankins said there were negatives to farming, including the impact on mental health.

A recent study by wellbeing charity, The Farm Safety Foundation, found 95% of young farmers in the UK believed poor mental health was the biggest hidden danger in the industry.

Mr Hankins said the profession could be "isolating" which could put young people off joining the industry because they "don't want to be on their own".

But overall, Mr Hankin said he "loves everything" about the lifestyle and "wouldn't change it for anything else".

Tim Hankins does a daily check of all his animals before getting on with his other jobs