John Craven's 25th Anniversary

Countryfile celebrates John Craven’s 25 years on the programme by making him the show's guest editor.  John is given the job of deciding what goes into this special edition – and that’s a big job for someone who’s reported from as far away as Iceland and the Falkland Islands, as well as just about every corner of the UK. He works out the content of the programme with some of the Countryfile team and chats to his old friend Adam Henson about the changes he’s seen in farming, the countryside and the programme itself over the last quarter of a century. Together, they revisit some of the significant moments in his Countryfile career. John looks back on the foot and mouth crisis of 2001 and remembers his planting of a memorial tree in an airfield turned nature reserve where half a million animals were buried. He also talks about his role in the re-introduction of red kites to England, his favourite picture from the thousands he has judged since the photographic competition started and the host of characters he has met, including two other John Cravens!

On John's first ever report for Countryfile, he investigated the rise of organic farming. 25 years later Tom Heap looks at a new wide-ranging study that shows a significant difference between conventionally grown crops and their organic alternatives. For supporters of this pesticide-free produce the new report is a huge step in the direction of proving that organic food is actually better for you. But as Tom discovers, rather than giving a clearer picture, the research has actually reinvigorated a decades-old debate, with the critics saying there is still no reason to believe that organic produce has more nutritional value.

Ellie Harrison is in Essex to investigate the state of nature in Britain today. She discovers there have been big changes in British wildlife over the 25 years that John has been presenting Countryfile.  She’s off on a mission with scientist Jenny Dunn to find a species once common and now on the brink of extinction, the turtle dove. Ellie also visits a suburban garden to see otters. They were almost extinct in the county 25 years ago but have now made a miraculous comeback.

Find out more about turtle doves

Matt Baker takes to the road and heads to a hill with a classic car connection. Aston Hill in Buckinghamshire is the site of an historic race and the place that gave Aston Martin its name. Matt not only tries his hand at repairing vintage vehicles, he also gets to drive a couple and re-runs the Aston Hill climb in one of the earliest Aston Martins ever made.