Clarkson’s Farm

[Condi]

Sway said:

Especially if they advertise as 'local produce' (as you've seen on the show, there's really strict rules about that!).

Just don't do it from supermarkets - as they're utter, utter s.

Please explain why not from supermarkets? I've NEVER understood this, despite working with livestock for 10 years.

Mr farmer takes his cow to market. It's a bog standard, cross breed. Maybe Angus/Simmental, whatever. Buyer from the local abattoir buys it, kills it out and packages for the supermarket.

If it goes to a local butcher it will go through exactly the same process, will be exactly the same cow, will get killed in exactly the same way. The only differences may be how long it is hung for, and the butcher will likely buy a full carcass, but the animal is the same. If you've got a really good butcher he might select one or 2 carcasses himself, but most will simply order "a carcass". If you pay for the best of the best butchers maybe he buys direct from farm and sends it to be killed, but you have to go a bit beyond most butchers for that.

One place I used to work at had a farm shop on site but used to buy the meat in from elsewhere as their own cows were not good enough, and plenty of places we've sent cows to slaughter, half of which ended up in a high street butcher and half of which went to the supermarket!


Bit like people bh about McDonald's meat. It all comes from British or Irish farms, and is exactly the same as what you find in supermarkets everywhere! They take the cheaper cuts, but your sirloin steak could come from the same animal your McDonalds burger was made you had yesterday.

[Sway]

I'm not just talking meat.

However, on meat - the packaged cuts (especially mince and the like) is full of added water.

So, might be the same animal - but the outcome is that the 'cheaper' price per kilo is driven by you actually getting less net beef.

Here's one example though - as we saw, prices went through the floor last year. Did you see the supermarkets reducing their prices?

They're the largest purchasers of meat in the country - they could very well have maintained the market rate they were paying.

[Condi]

Sway said:

I
They're the largest purchasers of meat in the country - they could very well have maintained the market rate they were paying.

Meat last year was super cheap for the consumer too. All the expensive cuts were going spare because restaurants were closed. I remember walking into local Asda and there was half an isle of steaks all at knockdown prices.

Simple supply and demand, prices are set by auctions. Demand crashed off, so prices crashed off. There is no "market rate", it changes every week even in a normal year.

[Sway]

I certainly don't recall seeing loads of expensive cuts at knock down prices...

I get that prices fluctuate constantly. However, based on my experience last year, I didn't see prices fall - and there's absolutely nothing stopping a supermarket choosing to pay their 'last year average' price.

Saying that, are supermarkets buying their meat at auction? Certainly for other forms of produce, they are very good at locking in both supply and pricing irrespective of what that means for the producer...

It's years ago, but one fresh produce grower/processor I worked for (on the factory side) nearly went bankrupt fulfilling it's contract for a specific product that had pretty much failed across the entire UK. It had to bear all the additional costs for the supply into the packhouse.

[LeadFarmer]

8 x episodes was too short, was hoping for 12.
Maybe it was a tester to see what the viewings would be like, with hopefully a 2nd series coming.
It certainly something that could benefit from more than one series.

Edited by LeadFarmer on Wednesday 16th June 21:22

[TEKNOPUG]

You'd have to make it significantly different though. New crops, new machinery, new techniques, different livestock. You can't rely on the weather or JC naivety to introduce some jeopardy. Neither can it be enough just to see if he is successful this year, as again, there is no financial jeopardy. Otherwise you'll end up with a whole series of manufactured incidents. No one is going to watch if it all runs smoothly.

[DaveGrohl]

Condi said:

CustardOnChips said:

There has to be some money in Farming. I don't know many serious minted people. But of those I do know, two are farmers. But they have huge farms that have been in the family for generations.

It depends how many generations the farm has been in the family and where the money came from initially. Farmers who own their own place are hugely asset rich and cash poor, but the bank will lend very readily against the land, so day to day it's not a massive problem. On the other hand there are loads of tenant farmers with no assets and who earn considerably less than minimum wage, for them cash flow and borrowing are much more of a problem.

At a guess the people you know who are "seriously minted" didn't earn all that farming. Just about everyone I've worked for, or know, who own a farm and are "seriously minted" didn't make their money in agriculture, but made it in business, be that shipping, shopping malls, vacuum cleaners, whatever. There are some who have hereditary money, and titles dating back hundreds of years, but they are in the minority.

Speaking as a farmer I can't like this post enough. Tenant farmers have a dog's life, it's a constant battle which many lose every year. When you look around you only see the farmers who are left. They get bigger by default because the really big ones buy up the land that becomes available and the medium ones feel like they have to get bigger. Some of those build and survive but some of these middle farmers fall off the cliff edge like the little farmers they've bought land off. It's just the way it is. When the bank decides the debt levels have become too high they pull the plug. Owning your own farm is a big advantage for this reason alone.

Much of farming survivability has revolved around the fact that land prices have been rising for a long time now, this makes the asset rise so the banks allow piss poor profitability in the knowledge that "their" asset can always be realised. Then you have the huge farmers who, let's face it, aren't really farmers.

[DaveGrohl]

Sway said:

Just finished the series.

That, and the report on 'ultra processed foods' has just had my other half completely shift her position on food.

Thanks to me, we've always used our local farm shop - but for 'treat' type meals. Last year, we started 'growing our own', and this year that has morphed into an allotment (a quarter standard plot).

I have a feeling we've just hit a tipping point (despite years of me pointing out the ste quality and added water in supermarket meat, etc.) - she now wants to support British farmers, and eat whole foods.

Clarkson, if you're reading this - thank you. You've done what (I think) you set out to do... At least in this household.

Wow. So glad to see there are people out there who can put two and two together in the face of the ststorm of misinformation out there. I think the penny is finally dropping with a lot of people at last.

[DaveGrohl]

LosingGrip said:

Sway said:

Just finished the series.

That, and the report on 'ultra processed foods' has just had my other half completely shift her position on food.

Thanks to me, we've always used our local farm shop - but for 'treat' type meals. Last year, we started 'growing our own', and this year that has morphed into an allotment (a quarter standard plot).

I have a feeling we've just hit a tipping point (despite years of me pointing out the ste quality and added water in supermarket meat, etc.) - she now wants to support British farmers, and eat whole foods.

Clarkson, if you're reading this - thank you. You've done what (I think) you set out to do... At least in this household.

Ill be finding a way to support British farmers more. What’s the best way?

I’ve loved the show. I live in the country and my girlfriends Aunt and Uncle own a farm but I just never knew how hard it was and for how little money!

This is the difficult part. Farm shops aren't even a haven of British produce, most might have a small selection of local produce but the majority of stuff comes from middle ground distributors who aren't too choosy where they source goods. Easy answer is use your local butcher and greengrocer. They do exist if you look. Other than that, it's look very very carefully at labels. So much stuff has produce of UK or something similar which is hiding where it's actually come from. Labelling is a national scandal.

[PurpleTurtle]

Condi said:

Meat last year was super cheap for the consumer too. All the expensive cuts were going spare because restaurants were closed. I remember walking into local Asda and there was half an isle of steaks all at knockdown prices.

[DaveGrohl]

Can I just say how heart-warming it is to see such a wave of positive comments about farming from people who are watching this series. It clearly isn't just Clarkson that is making this such interesting viewing for many people. We as a profession have been getting such a kicking from the media/clueless politicians lately (looking for the latest silly bandwagon) that it is comforting to know that not everyone thinks like them. Considering this is PH the lack of negative comments is tremendous.

[Red9zero]

DaveGrohl said:

Can I just say how heart-warming it is to see such a wave of positive comments about farming from people who are watching this series. It clearly isn't just Clarkson that is making this such interesting viewing for many people. We as a profession have been getting such a kicking from the media/clueless politicians lately (looking for the latest silly bandwagon) that it is comforting to know that not everyone thinks like them. Considering this is PH the lack of negative comments is tremendous.

Lockdown gave us a push to shop more local. All meat is now bought from our local butchers, who source all their meat locally and have their own abattoir and we are regulars at a couple of local farm shops.

[Hugo Stiglitz]

Only one episode in so far but he reminds me of the JC of old.

Unforced, relaxed and out of his depth.

We were sat here watching gobsmacked at the amount of work needed. I'd have walked out on the venture personally unless I could hire a farm manager pronto.


One thing- son/wife both said where is all the original farm equipment? Why did he have to outlay?

Worn out?

Caleb's knowledge at just 21 is astounding.

[liner33]

We buy most of our meat from a local farm shop , especially Sunday joints it seems to be much better quality and tastes better.

Plus you can buy more unusual cuts like breast of lamb which has more or less disappeared from supermarkets

I enjoy Harry’s farm as well as this series it is eye opening although we live in the country opposite a farm to get to see the day to day operations

[AJB88]

Hugo Stiglitz said:

Only one episode in so far but he reminds me of the JC of old.

Unforced, relaxed and out of his depth.

We were sat here watching gobsmacked at the amount of work needed. I'd have walked out on the venture personally unless I could hire a farm manager pronto.


One thing- son/wife both said where is all the original farm equipment? Why did he have to outlay?

Worn out?

Caleb's knowledge at just 21 is astounding.

Farmer probably retired and sold it all for cash to retire on. Some farms get sold on as working farms ie they have livestock equipment etc but looks like it wasn't a working farm when sold.

[caminator11]

Very much enjoyed this series. Have a far greater understanding and respect for farming in general and will be making more thoughtful choices when considering where I source my food.

[Sway]

Hugo Stiglitz said:

Only one episode in so far but he reminds me of the JC of old.

Unforced, relaxed and out of his depth.

We were sat here watching gobsmacked at the amount of work needed. I'd have walked out on the venture personally unless I could hire a farm manager pronto.


One thing- son/wife both said where is all the original farm equipment? Why did he have to outlay?

Worn out?

Caleb's knowledge at just 21 is astounding.

Tenant farmer retired - sold all his kit. Indeed, the auction JC attended and bought from was that auction! So the kit had all been used on that exact farm before...

Caleb has probably been involved for ten years or more. As a Londoner moved rural, young farmers and young fishermen are a 'rare breed'

[Blackpuddin]

Sway said:

Hugo Stiglitz said:

Only one episode in so far but he reminds me of the JC of old.

One thing- son/wife both said where is all the original farm equipment? Why did he have to outlay?

Tenant farmer retired - sold all his kit. Indeed, the auction JC attended and bought from was that auction! So the kit had all been used on that exact farm before...

While watching that auction I wondered what black thoughts were going through the minds of all the other farmers who were there to buy kit.

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Hugo Stiglitz said:

One thing- son/wife both said where is all the original farm equipment? Why did he have to outlay?

Worn out?

Good question...I'm guessing the previous tenant took, or sold the stuff when he moved out? I'm also guessing Clarkson was living in the farm house all the time the previous tenant was farming the land?

[Sway]

Well he seemed to stay overall under "Cheerful Charlie's" guide prices, so it doesn't seem like he just threw money around to buy whatever he wanted.