Little Dewi is a born farmer, and he loves all his sheep. No wonder CCTV footage of him penning up a set of newly born lambs in a shed has won millions of hearts.
Dewi lives with his farming family in Shropshire, UK, on a beautiful rural hill farm, where he routinely works like a mini shepherd.
When Dewi was 3 years old, his parents Poppy Archer, 27, and Ieuan Bowen, 29, were amazed to see him interacting with newborn twin lambs.
The proud mom says her little boy displayed “the utmost respect and care” for the sheep and the lambs.
“The moment we realized we caught the footage of Dewi on the lambing shed’s camera, it was truly incredible, breathtaking, and heartwarming to see how natural he was with the sheep,“ Ms. Archer said. ”His instinct was to put them in a pen so they can be safe together, so they can bond and become a family.
Watch the viral video:
Raising the Next-Generation Farmer
Dewi is now 4 years old and says he wants to be a sheep farmer just like his mom and dad.“The future for Dewi is what he wants,” his mom said, adding that if her son does decide to follow in their footsteps and carry on generations of farming, it will make her and his father extremely proud.
“We think he’s such a natural farmer already!” she said. “It’s just come natural for him to know how to care for [livestock]. His dad is his role model; he watches him all the time with the sheep, loves to copy and do exactly what he does.”
Dewi will tend to the flock in the sheds, feeding them hay and water, making sure the beds have fresh straw down at all times, and entering the lambs’ nurseries to make sure they’re getting enough milk from their mothers. If they’re not, he’ll bottle-feed them by hand.
“The jobs are endless, but to Dewi, it’s not difficult. It’s just how Dewi is with his animals—he loves what he does,” Ms. Archer said.
To ensure the budding farmer is safe when working, Dewi’s parents have taught him how to respect and understand the livestock.
“We’ve always guided him on how to read the animals’ emotions, their movements, and how to approach them with caution always. We as parents are always there, we never leave his side and we have Dewi in our sight at all times,” Ms. Archer said.
The Hardwork
Ms. Archer feels very fortunate to have been born into English farming life. While Mr. Bowen’s family is from Shropshire, Ms. Archer is from the county of Worcestershire. She comes from a family of 10—six girls and four boys—and the clan continues to farm sheep and cattle as they have for generations.Living and working on the family farm Mr. Bowen was raised on, the couple is involved in farming both hill and commercial breeds of sheep.
“We farm 1400 sheep and counting. We also have 10 working collies, chickens, pigs … all that contributes to keeping the farm alive,” Ms. Archer said.
Both Ms. Archer and Mr. Bowen also hold professions off the farm in order to keep it thriving. Ms. Archer manages the servicing department at Land Rover, while Mr. Bowen works as a professional sheep-shearing contractor.
“He’s been shearing since he was a young boy,” she said, stating that he can shear up to 30,000 sheep a year for farmers all over the country.
‘Children Are the Future of Farming’
Ms. Archer describes her little son as “a very strong-willed, energetic, smiling little boy with a fantastic sense of humor” who has always been on the farm. It’s clear to see where Dewi gets his affinity for animals.“Since Dewi was born, he was in the lambing sheds in the pushchair or in the front carrier, and you could just tell he loved sheep!” his mom said.
When he started walking at 11 months, Dewi adored spending time with the family dogs, guinea pigs, pigs, sheep, and chickens. In 2022, his parents observed their son taking a special liking to a particular breed called “badger-face Welsh mountain sheep”, so they bought a flock of 19 for him.
“This year, he has his very own badger lambs,” said Ms. Archer, “and he’s been so excited. We’ll be taking his ewes and lambs to the local agricultural shows to show off Dewi’s sheep.”
Dewi’s parents have watched the footage of their son caring for the lambs and their mother over and over again, feeling proud of him every time. After sharing the clip online, they say they’re heartened by the positive response it has received.
“To see the support for the farming community is so refreshing, as we put in so many hours every single day to feed the world, to care for our livestock to the best of our abilities,” she said.
“We want to show people that children are the future of farming.”
