[2] The farming team was historian Ruth Goodman, and archaeologists Alex Langlands and Peter Ginn.

Much use was made of period sources such as The Book of the Farm: Detailing the Labours of the Farmer, Farm-steward, Ploughman, Shepherd, Hedger, Cattle-man, Field-worker, and Dairy-maid by Dr Henry Stephens, first published in London in 1844.

Apples are picked, milled and pressed to make cider while other fruits and berries are preserved as a spicy chutney.

A flock of Shropshire ewes is acquired and the first meal is cooked and eaten: a leg of boiled mutton.

A pigsty is built upon a foundation of bottles to provide insulation and three young Tamworth pigs and a pregnant Gloucestershire Old Spot sow are housed there upon completion.

[17] A ram is added to the sheep flock and marked with a raddle to ensure that he impregnates all the ewes, so that they will lamb in the spring.

A shire horse, named Clumper, is also added to the livestock and training in his use as a draught animal is performed.

When the wheat crop comes under attack, it is time for some pest control, Victorian style, as Alex and Peter join a pheasant hunt.

In this episode, the team embarks on a trip by steam train, Ruth begins a tough task in the dairy, Alex tries his hand at beekeeping, the sheep get sheared using the latest time-saving technology, and the lengthening summer days allow Alex and Peter to try out the new Victorian sport of cricket.

Ruth makes cheddar cheese in the dairy with her daughter, Catherine Goodman, using milk from the cow Forget Me Not and rennet from a neighbour's male calf.

It is Alex's birthday and Ruth makes him a cake and a picnic, while Peter buys him a book about setting up an apiary.

Once the wheat is dried and stored they ring the church bells, enjoy a harvest festival and reflect upon their time on the farm.

[20] Because of the popularity of Victorian Farm, Lion Television went on to produce a daytime series, Ben Fogle's Escape in Time (a format devised by Victorian Farm producer David Upshal) in which families were given the opportunity to live at Acton Scott for a week, learning and competing in historical skills.