Jeremy Clarkson has announced that he is stepping away from traditional farming operations at his 1,000-acre Diddly Squat Farm in Oxfordshire, citing skyrocketing costs as the primary barrier to profitability. The 66-year-old former ‘Top Gear’ presenter bluntly states that making a profit through conventional farming is currently “impossible.”
In a candid interview with the Sunday Times, Clarkson explained that rising prices for essential inputs like fertiliser and red diesel—both critical to running tractors and other farm machinery—have created a dire financial situation for farmers across the UK. As a result, he’s had to rethink his farming approach.
Instead of large-scale crops, Clarkson has shifted focus to market gardening, primarily growing herbs, and has recently started breeding rabbits for meat production. “Honestly, we’re not doing any real farming this year,” he remarked. “There’s rabbits and market gardening—that’s it. There’s no point. It’s impossible to make money.”
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Clarkson also expressed concerns about further challenges ahead, particularly with a carbon tax on fertiliser set to be introduced next year, which he predicts will exacerbate costs for farmers. For now, the only profitable crop on his farm is oil seed rape, which he attributes to its status as an oil product.
His journey into farming began in earnest in 2019, following the retirement of the tenant managing the farm, which Clarke had acquired in 2008. With no one available to oversee the operation, he took the reins himself, an adventure that became the focus of the hit Amazon Prime Video series Clarkson’s Farm.
The show launched to widespread acclaim in 2021 and has quickly become a popular favourite, featuring farmhand Kaleb Cooper, Lisa Hogan, Clarkson’s partner, and land agent Charlie Ireland. Though Amazon has remained tight-lipped about viewership figures, reports suggest the series was viewed over 4.3 million times.
However, the upcoming fifth season will see no promotional campaigns, with Amazon hinting that certain events have made traditional media coverage inappropriate. Jeremy remained secretive when asked about this, saying only, “you’ll see,” and confirming, “We’re not doing any press on it.”
Alongside farming, the show will also document Clarkson’s management of The Farmer’s Dog, a rundown Oxfordshire pub he recently purchased. His commitment to exclusively sourcing British produce has contributed to the pub’s success. This dedication to British-sourced products inspired his venture into rabbit farming, after discovering that while most meats were sourced domestically by a local butcher, rabbit meat was imported from France.