Clarkson’s Farm

[ralphrj]

ninja-lewis said:

rigga said:

I'm wondering what the farm's use was, before JC took over the running. He had someone running the place, but then retired, so what was he actually farming? Can't have been the same as Clarkson intended to do, otherwise there would have been the necessary machinery already there, or wouldn't there have been?

The auction he bought the equipment at was apparently his ex-tenant farmer's.

I think he said that the farm was run by a contract farmer. Either a tenant farmer renting land to work or another farmer leased the land to grow more crops in addition to their own.

It was mentioned that the previous farmer retired so it is plausible that the auction was the retiring farmer selling his (no longer needed) machinery.

[Condi]

rigga said:

I'm wondering what the farm's use was, before JC took over the running. He had someone running the place, but then retired, so what was he actually farming? Can't have been the same as Clarkson intended to do, otherwise there would have been the necessary machinery already there, or wouldn't there have been?

The other bloke most likely ran his own farm along side Clarkson's farm, and so will have had all his own kit. If he was retiring then maybe it was all sold off, or perhaps it passed down to his kids who had no interest in the contracting side of the business?


I've only seen episode 1 so far, but some of it was quite obviously put on for the camera's (NFU girl turning up to show him how to drive a tractor, for example), while other bits were far more genuine and it was good to see him wanting to learn. Frustrations with machinery, frustrations with the weather, and the quite frankly boring job of driving up and down in straight lines all day was exactly why I stopped bothering with that silly game years ago. It's a nice hobby if you have made your money elsewhere, but certainly not a route to riches.

The one thing I'm amazed he didn't have was GPS steering on the kit. Everyone uses GPS these days, it makes such a difference to the drivers for a fairly small cost.

[willy wombat]

My father was an NFU Area Manager for 20+ years and no way could he have driven that tractor (he didn’t look like that, either).

[DSLiverpool]

Surely the biggest talking point is that Jeremy has the last CRT pc monitor in the world on his desk.

[farmeryellow]

ralphrj said:

I think he said that the farm was run by a contract farmer. Either a tenant farmer renting land to work or another farmer leased the land to grow more crops in addition to their own.

It was mentioned that the previous farmer retired so it is plausible that the auction was the retiring farmer selling his (no longer needed) machinery.

Correct, Clarkson purchased the farm in 2008 from the Fleming family who basically used the farm for there hunt (notice the dry stone walls are lowered and have flat tops on for the hunt horses to jump)
The agricultural land was farmed by a local family who owned a farm next to Clarksons, who then contract farmed Clarksons land for him. The farm machine sale was indeed the old retiring farmer selling off his stuff.

[Supercilious Sid]

djc206 said:

Funk said:

Now he's saving wildlife, producing food, creating a local farm shop etc I don't think they know how to hate him. The author of the piece opens with his 'contempt for farming' when it's abundantly clear from the show he's found a real passion for it. It's like she set out wanting to hate him and the show before it even started...

That review is utter nonsense. I didn’t see anything but admiration for the industry and those who work in it.

They are so emotionally invested in hating someone who they see as a moustache twirling villain, they lose any objectivity and are consumed by their hate.
There were a couple of commentators on the Telegraph review who kept coming back time after time to snipe. They are powered by bigotry.

[Smoggy XJR]

DSLiverpool said:

Surely the biggest talking point is that Jeremy has the last CRT pc monitor in the world on his desk.

I'm glad I'm not the only one to spot that.

[r159]

Binged the first 4 episodes today, I thought it was well made and some very funny bits.

[LeadFarmer]

Charlie is William Hague. Fact.

[pidsy]

Away from Clarkson and his farm - what sort of fee would Charlie be earning for his role?
How much could a farmhand like Kaleb be expected to earn?

[Condi]

pidsy said:

Away from Clarkson and his farm - what sort of fee would Charlie be earning for his role?
How much could a farmhand like Kaleb be expected to earn?

Land agents are not cheap! That Audi 4x4 and those Schoffle jackets don't come for free... But tbh I have no idea how much. I would guess at £100/hr for someone in a senior position?

As for Kaleb, if he's salaried then £30-35k at his age as a farm manager, although that would normally include use of a company truck and some other freebies, eg subsidised house comes with that quite often. More experienced managers might get £45k. Worked out per hr it's not that much as harvest hours might well be 80hrs a week for 10 weeks or so. If he's paid per hr then £12-15 + overtime for anything over 40hrs would be pretty standard.

[pidsy]

Interesting. Thanks.

[DodgyGeezer]

really enjoying this. As an aside it is amazing at the amount of programmes you can watch which can confirm the feeling of "...nope, fk that. NOT trying that as a living..."

[Red9zero]

DodgyGeezer said:

really enjoying this. As an aside it is amazing at the amount of programmes you can watch which can confirm the feeling of "...nope, fk that. NOT trying that as a living..."

Having gone out with a farmers daughter when I was a lot younger and fitter, and got roped into some of the harvesting, I have to agree. The farmers brother had a much better job, racing in the BTCC, none other than Andy Rouse.

[rigga]

Finished watching all of the episodes tonight, and thoroughly enjoyed them all, he really does seem attached to that way of life ......yes I'm sure making the TV stuff is his real thing, but he came across to me, as invested emotionally too.

Kaleb and Gerald share the same surname ...... related?

[Evoluzione]

Are Kaleb and Jacob related? Both have the same surnames.

I just got to the end and it's wrapped up with some heartwarming feelgood scenes along with the predictable figures of harsh reality.
You do wonder how they can move on from here to do another series or if it'll stay as a one-off....

[Evoluzione]

LeadFarmer said:

Charlie is William Hague. Fact.

Adrian Newey.

[Doofus]

Sending Kaleb to London was so obviously done just for comedy effect. Clarkson has so many other people he could have sent, including his girlfriend.

[farmeryellow]

rigga said:

Finished watching all of the episodes tonight, and thoroughly enjoyed them all, he really does seem attached to that way of life ......yes I'm sure making the TV stuff is his real thing, but he came across to me, as invested emotionally too.

Kaleb and Gerald share the same surname ...... related?

No

[Sway]

First episode down. Loved it, as did my other half.

I've worked in agriculture, but in a far removed from the field operations side - Harry's Farm kicked off an interest (along with some lockdown veg gardening and now an allotment).

Kaleb is utterly brilliant - exactly like a few mates from the fishing village I lived in for over a decade. One, now mid 30s, has never been more than 20 miles from his home his entire life. Staggeringly hard working, incredibly knowledgeable about the one thing he does - and essentially zero interest in anything else at all other than having a quiet beer with mates.