Apprentice star Nick Hewer is on a mission to save the small family farm.

LONDON: Tuesday 26th July 2012: Small family farms are in trouble. In order to survive they need to diversify and find additional ways to make money, but this needs strategic planning and business expertise.

In The Farm Fixer (starts BBC TWO, 9th July), trouble-shooting businessman and Apprentice star Nick Hewer turns his attention to struggling farmers.

Nick Hewer said; “The small family farm is the backbone of the UK countryside. I wanted to use everything I had learnt, over the past 40 years of business, to help them come through this difficult time.”

But his task is not an easy one. Farmers are notoriously stubborn and can be set in their ways and Nick’s direct, no-nonsense opinion is met with some wariness.

In this series Nick invests his time, knowledge and expertise to help five farms.

From projects as diverse as harvesting seaweed to brewing beer, producing flavoured pet water to entertaining cruise ship groups, Nick encourages the farms to move into areas of business completely new to them. He helps them to develop new products, create brands and find customers.

Nick begins his journey in Northern Ireland. His mother is originally from Bangor, Co. Down, and his Irish connections were further bolstered by his education at a school in Co. Kildare.

As in many rural areas of the UK, Northern Ireland is full of small farms that have been passed down through the generations.

But modern farming practices have changed. To succeed, especially with acreage under 200, takes imagination and a lot of hard work.

Although the journey is bumpy at times, Nick has one mantra that he applies to every business situation; “doing nothing is not an option”.

The Farm Fixer is a Waddell Media Production – and airs on BBC 2 from Monday 9^th July at 6.30pm

For review copies and further information please contact Taylor Herring PR