Clarkson’s Farm is a British TV series that follows former Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson as he attempts to run a 1,000-acre farm near Chipping Norton in West Oxfordshire. The first series launched in June 2021 and was a surprise hit on Amazon Prime, attracting more than 7.6 million viewers in its first 28 days.
But has this show’s huge popularity helped or hindered the British farm community? Read on to find out what the team here at Street End Farm reckon…
About Clarkson’s Farm
Jeremy Clarkson bought what is now named ‘Diddly Squat Farm’ back in 2008, but he only began working on the farm himself in 2021 after the farmer who had been running it on his behalf retired.
Clarkson, who had no prior farming experience, relied on the help of several local farm workers—particularly Kaleb Cooper, a 21-year-old farmer from Chipping Norton, and Charlie Ireland, a professional agronomist and land agent.
In each instalment of the TV show, Clarkson and his team are faced with a variety of challenges including the worst farming weather in decades, unresponsive crops, unruly animals, and of course an unexpected pandemic.
How Has the Show Been Received?
Fairly well! Despite initial scepticism from UK farmers that Clarkson would use the farming industry as a way to get extra laughs and extra money in his pocket, many in the farming industry have been pleasantly surprised with the show’s content.
It is the general consensus that Clarkson and his team have been successful in shedding light on a lot of the tough issues faced by farmers in the UK at the moment, such as poor mental health from long days of isolation out on the tractors, unpredictable weather as a result of climate change, the loss of farming subsidies, and so much more!
Those in rural communities have been glued to the programme because of its excellent representation of so many of these complex issues that farmers wrestle with in their everyday working lives. Star of the show Kaleb has also inspired many young people to join Young Farmers' Clubs, sparking interest and involvement with farming which is exactly what the industry needs.
Farmer and author James Rebanks has even been quoted as saying that Clarkson has “done more for farmers in one series of Clarkson’s Farm than Countryfile achieved in 30 years” and we’re inclined to agree!
Still, as great as the show is at bringing farming into people’s homes, it should be remembered that Clarkson’s experience is not a perfect reflection of the average farmer’s reality. He reportedly has a £48 million buffer to soften any costly mistakes he makes, and whether he succeeds or fails on the farm, we’re sure his other very many revenue streams, (including a newly opened pub! ) will help him fund the farm.
Overall, though, it’s a thumbs-up from the Really Wild Bird Food team. The show has drawn huge audiences around the country, so much so that it is on track to release a fourth season in the coming months. We at Street End Farm will definitely be tuning in to see what Clarkson gets up to next!
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