AFTER A successful third series of This Farming Life, the BBC have announced they are looking for the next round of willing participants to star in its fourth series.

The programme has been a huge hit with both farmers and the general public, with jaw dropping footage of farms and crofts the length and breadth of the country, giving viewers an intimate insight into the daily going-on within the farming fraternity.

This year’s series took us across the water to Northern Ireland and the next one looks to cover Cumbria, Northumberland and County Durham as well as the usual focus on Scottish farms and crofts.

The Scottish Farmer spoke with executive producer Jo Roe ahead of the casting process which is due to begin over the next six weeks: “In This Farming Life we explore the highs and lows of running a farm, so we're looking for people willing to share the most challenging and rewarding moments of daily life. We're always looking for ways to explore farming issues such as succession, Brexit and unstable milk prices, and also farmers finding innovative ways to tackle changing times.”

Speaking to current contestants Lynn Cassells and Sandra Boer, who run a 150 acre croft in the Scottish Highlands, they shared what it was like to take part in the filming: “Overall, it was really good fun. Sometimes it was a bit scary as they were filming us doing pretty much everything on our croft for the first time - first time at a mart, first time working with livestock, first time beekeeping, first time shearing and of course first time bringing our animals to the abattoir. We just wanted to be honest and show people what it's really like when you are completely new to this way of living and working,” she explained.

“This Farming Life is such a brilliant way to showcase what we all do as farmers across the country. For us, we really wanted to show how passionate we are about farming with nature and that it is possible to build a new farm business from scratch on these principles. The response has been really positive, and it has all helped to promote what we do and help us build a new customer base. It's amazing to think that we have one of the biggest years of our lives recorded on film,” she enthused.

This year's series took us to the most northern part of Scotland, the Shetland Isles, to meet the Budge sisters, Kirsty and Aimee. Together they run a mixed livestock farm with sheep, some commercial cattle and Shetland ponies. Aimee recalls her filming experience: "We were keen to promote our hard working industry to the public and also farming on Shetland which presents its own challenges. We knew we had a different story to tell so wanted to show that even through tragedy you can pull together and get on with life," explained Aimee who, along with Kirsty, took over the family farm after their father passed away four years ago.

"The filming was different than what I thought it would be – I was the one who was keen to go for it but my patience soon ran dry with the camera so it was Kirsty who really got into it and got the best footage," Aimee continued. "The first week was enjoyable when we had it all set out but through the busy times it was a bit stressful," she admitted. "It seemed a lot of effort to explain each job but looking back it makes sense why we had to do that and that’s what makes good TV!"

Aimee recounted a couple of memories from the filming experience: "When we won the BBC’s Countryfile farming heroes award – that was great to catch on camera and I’m sure we’ll watch that episode over again. A fond memory would also be when we were working with cows on the top of the ward hill and it started snowing, with strong winds. This showcased farmers get on with it whatever the weather and you just have to work with what you get," she stressed.

"I think people should sign up for the new series to continue to engage the public in where their food comes from and increase their knowledge of everyday farming! Anyone who’s got a good team working with them should sign up to show a different style of life to your typical city worker," she urged.

Filming for the fourth series is due to begin at the end of August and will continue through until June 2020. If anyone is interested, or knows someone who might fit the bill, they are advised to contact kate.thomson@bbc.co.uk, or leave a message with their contact details on 0141 422 6771.