Clarkson’s Farm

[Acorn1]

I think people who watch, enjoy it because we all know Clarkson likes to play the buffoon and can afford it easily

He does bring to the masses how ridiculous the farming regulations and red tape are for normal farmers.

I don't care how much he's being paid by Amazon, better value than Gary Lineker

[Sway]

DeejRC said:

-Cappo- said:

Caddyshack said:

UTH said:

jammy-git said:

Pflanzgarten said:

It’s a perverse business model in the extreme!

Clarkson can piss about making his farm lose money for sts and giggles on the TV, write off those losses against the tax man and then coin it in by showing his “mistakes and bad luck” for all us to watch.

I'm not sure Clarkson, rumoured to be about to get a $250m deal to make three more series, after already making bank via Top Gear, really needs to worry about paying a few thousand in tax in farm profits...

Bloody hell, that's not all money to him is it???

Often the numbers spouted are rubbish but it is more likely to be a total budget and not his fee or profit.

Seems everyone is treating this light entertainment programme as a documentary.

The very impressive touch with the production and direction of the show, is that it manages to combine a light hearted nature and view of the industry with a more accurate than not slant.
Anybody who has ever raised lambs and sheep will recognise that. Or battled farm machinery and trying to attach sodding awkward equipments to the PTO and the swing arms. Especially when it’s cold and/or dark. And the bd things won’t go in. And planning permission. And the requisite livestock paperwork.

I hope he expands on the stuff Metcalfe has been raising recently regarding the insanity of the Red Tractor scheme...

[48k]

Lucas Ayde said:

PinkTornado said:

Fourth series now confirmed.

They're really milking it ...

But not sheeping it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57GzA43NkVQ

[bolidemichael]

Just to get my bearings… is it the second series in which he builds the restaurant, or the third?

[DeejRC]

The trouble is though Sway, “the insanity of…” is the default position as opposed to being the exception. You throw a bit of sheep poo in any one direction and you hit upon a scheme which is more insanity than useful, as opposed to simple normal, useful schemes from the powers that be.

[MesoForm]

bolidemichael said:

Just to get my bearings… is it the second series in which he builds the restaurant, or the third?

Second.
Third has not been aired yet.

[DodgyGeezer]

Acorn1 said:

I don't care how much he's being paid by Amazon, better value than Gary Lineker

not exactly a high bar though - my daily 'movement' is better value than GL

[Lucas Ayde]

Did the restaurant ever go 'live' ? As in serving to the paying public on an ongoing basis...

I got the impression that they put on a show for the cameras for one day with an invited group of guests, so as to have a nice finish to S2, but it seemed to me that as things were presented, it clearly wasn't workable as an operating business.

[rdjohn]

I stumbled into Ep1 last night. The format is predictable, but it does offer a good insight into just how darned hard and risky farming actually is.

Caleb, at just 21, is an absolute star as is the Lamborghini tractor with all those buttons

[119]

Lucas Ayde said:

Did the restaurant ever go 'live' ? As in serving to the paying public on an ongoing basis...

I got the impression that they put on a show for the cameras for one day with an invited group of guests, so as to have a nice finish to S2, but it seemed to me that as things were presented, it clearly wasn't workable as an operating business.

I guess yes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eU-JJiF5Twg

[biggbn]

DodgyGeezer said:

Acorn1 said:

I don't care how much he's being paid by Amazon, better value than Gary Lineker

not exactly a high bar though - my daily 'movement' is better value than GL

I think Lineker is absolutely fantastic at what he does.

[Evanivitch]

Lucas Ayde said:

Did the restaurant ever go 'live' ? As in serving to the paying public on an ongoing basis...

I got the impression that they put on a show for the cameras for one day with an invited group of guests, so as to have a nice finish to S2, but it seemed to me that as things were presented, it clearly wasn't workable as an operating business.

Yes, but I don't think it ever ran over winter because the practicalities and the legalities made it unsustainable.

https://www.countryandtownhouse.com/food-and-drink...

[Mars]

119 said:

Lucas Ayde said:

Did the restaurant ever go 'live' ? As in serving to the paying public on an ongoing basis...

I got the impression that they put on a show for the cameras for one day with an invited group of guests, so as to have a nice finish to S2, but it seemed to me that as things were presented, it clearly wasn't workable as an operating business.

I guess yes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eU-JJiF5Twg

That's not the restaurant - that's just food from a burger van next to the shop.

[thatsprettyshady]

Mars said:

119 said:

Lucas Ayde said:

Did the restaurant ever go 'live' ? As in serving to the paying public on an ongoing basis...

I got the impression that they put on a show for the cameras for one day with an invited group of guests, so as to have a nice finish to S2, but it seemed to me that as things were presented, it clearly wasn't workable as an operating business.

I guess yes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eU-JJiF5Twg

That's not the restaurant - that's just food from a burger van next to the shop.

Did anyone see the little green creepy crawly crawling in the lettuce when he was showing the (open) burger? YUCK

[paulw123]

Glad to hear about the 4th series. It's a great show and does help highlight the plight of farmers who don't have 'Amazon backing'
Looking forward to S3.

[Tom8]

It is entertainment ultimately, but no one, no matter the financial backing goes in to make a loss for a bit of a laugh. Any farmer (Clarkson is one) cares about the land, the crops and the animals, that is what the business is, you make the best product at the best price for the best return.

The problem is that most of what happens is out of your control as farming livestock or crops is heavily impacted by the weather. You spend 250k on a tractor, plow, drill, fertilisers, seeds etc. The crop then gets flooded and washed away or drowned your income is gone. This is why farming sees so much suicide.

I own a smallholding but do my day job to pay the bills. I could not bear the stress of it if it was my only income. I was bad enough this year when we were really struggling to get enough dry days to make hay.

Clarkson is doing farming a huge favour through the show, something yfile completely fails to do despite being from the national broadcaster. Hope it carries on for many more series.

[Fallingup]

Well said sir.

[LimmerickLad]

Well said indeed............hello fellow smallholder

[Evanivitch]

Tom8 said:

It is entertainment ultimately, but no one, no matter the financial backing goes in to make a loss for a bit of a laugh. Any farmer (Clarkson is one) cares about the land, the crops and the animals, that is what the business is, you make the best product at the best price for the best return.

Clarkson has started and failed at least one on-site business, has ruined half his crops, had destroyed grazing with halfwitted machinery use and is on his third livestock experiment in as many years...

He's definitely not farming for the good of the land, the animals or the profit margin. But who cares? The show makes mega bucks and the beer sells at a massive premium.

Tom8 said:

The problem is that most of what happens is out of your control as farming livestock or crops is heavily impacted by the weather. You spend 250k on a tractor, plow, drill, fertilisers, seeds etc. The crop then gets flooded and washed away or drowned your income is gone. This is why farming sees so much suicide.

But Clarkson hasn't suffered any shocks like that, his failures have largely been obvious from the very beginning (poor fencing, local planning, inappropriate crops).

Tom8 said:

Clarkson is doing farming a huge favour through the show, something yfile completely fails to do despite being from the national broadcaster. Hope it carries on for many more series.

Perhaps because you're comparing to a show with one that has actual farmers who need to have a viable farming business.

[Tom8]

Evanivitch said:

Tom8 said:

It is entertainment ultimately, but no one, no matter the financial backing goes in to make a loss for a bit of a laugh. Any farmer (Clarkson is one) cares about the land, the crops and the animals, that is what the business is, you make the best product at the best price for the best return.

Clarkson has started and failed at least one on-site business, has ruined half his crops, had destroyed grazing with halfwitted machinery use and is on his third livestock experiment in as many years...

He's definitely not farming for the good of the land, the animals or the profit margin. But who cares? The show makes mega bucks and the beer sells at a massive premium.

Tom8 said:

The problem is that most of what happens is out of your control as farming livestock or crops is heavily impacted by the weather. You spend 250k on a tractor, plow, drill, fertilisers, seeds etc. The crop then gets flooded and washed away or drowned your income is gone. This is why farming sees so much suicide.

But Clarkson hasn't suffered any shocks like that, his failures have largely been obvious from the very beginning (poor fencing, local planning, inappropriate crops).

Tom8 said:

Clarkson is doing farming a huge favour through the show, something yfile completely fails to do despite being from the national broadcaster. Hope it carries on for many more series.

Perhaps because you're comparing to a show with one that has actual farmers who need to have a viable farming business.

I disagree with most of this. You think he somehow controls the weather? I have been through all that he has gone through and it is genuine effort on his part to do the right thing (albeit with some silliness for entertainment). I've cocked up on ours many times, you learn every day. Have you ever had a go at keeping livestock or maintaining land? Have you ever done fencing? I suspect not based on your comments here but maybe give it a try and you may see whay he is genuine in his efforts.