Adam Henson, the beloved Countryfile presenter and farmer, has expressed growing concerns about the future of hands-on farming experiences. Speaking recently at Cannon Hall Farm, he cautioned that increasing health and safety restrictions threaten to fundamentally alter how farms operate, particularly those open to visitors.
During the event, Adam reflected on the evolving role of farmers in the digital age, joking about their newfound status as online personalities. “You got your faces out there on Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube. You’re influencers. Soon you’ll be in a boxing ring, boxing famous people,” he quipped. Farmer Rob Nicholson responded by emphasizing that farming and influencing remain distinct: “When someone says influencer, don’t you think ‘I’m not an influencer, I’m a farmer.’ The day you call yourself an influencer might be the day not to be one.”
While embracing this viewpoint, Adam steered the conversation to more urgent challenges facing farming today. He shared wisdom passed down from his late father, Joe Henson, who founded Cotswold Farm Park: “The day we have to put animals behind glass is the day we close.”
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Adam underscored that farms are taking necessary steps to safeguard visitors and animals alike, with strict hygiene, health and safety measures, and facilities to prevent zoonotic disease transmission. “We’re all very conscious of health and safety, hygiene, zoonotic diseases that pass from animals to people… I think it’s great that we’re so professional and careful around that,” he said.
However, Henson is resolute about preserving visitors’ ability to interact directly with animals. “But the day that we’re not allowed to handle a chick, or stroke a rabbit, or bottle feed a lamb, for me, that’s the end of it.” Rob Nicholson agreed, noting the importance of balancing engagement with protocol: “Do it, but make sure we observe first-class protocol.” “Absolutely,” Adam responded. “I think that’s where professional organizations like you, and I like to think us, really lead the way.”
At 60, Adam Henson remains a leading figure in British agriculture and countryside broadcasting. Since joining Countryfile in 2001, he has been a trusted voice on farming, environmental issues, and rural life. Beyond television, Adam operates his working farm in Gloucestershire and continues to nurture Cotswold Farm Park’s legacy as a centre for rare breeds conservation and agricultural education.
Despite his public role, Adam prioritizes his family life with his wife Charlie and their two adult children, Alfie and Ella, who have pursued careers outside agriculture. For Adam, safeguarding the future of hands-on farming is not just a professional mission but a personal passion — one rooted in respect for tradition, education, and the countryside way of life.