British farmers continue to endure strenuous conditions, with repeated heatwaves contributing to what has been described as the “worst harvest within living memory” this year. At his Diddly Squat farm near Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, Jeremy Clarkson was advised that sowing traditional crops like wheat or barley would likely be unsuccessful, prompting him to investigate alternative farming ventures.
One such venture included cultivating flax, a crop notable for its use in producing linen shirts and even components in Formula One cars. However, growing flax has proven more complicated than anticipated. Writing in the Sunday Times, Clarkson detailed the unique harvesting process: unlike wheat or barley, flax grain is left to fall to the ground, while the stalks are pulled up by the roots using specialised machinery he described as “an industrial accident that hasn’t happened yet.”
Following the use of this specialised equipment, much manual labour remained. With many farm workers occupied elsewhere, Clarkson had to enlist his trusted team, including Kaleb Cooper. Clarkson recounted: “It was down to Lisa, Kaleb and me to gather the stalks into stooks and tie each with string, as if we were living in an Enid Blyton novel.”
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The demanding work led to some friction. After several hours, it became clear the flax venture was not the success Jeremy had hoped for. “Kaleb… is not talking to me,” Clarkson admitted, “He says I need to stop coming up with harebrained schemes without thinking them through.”
Clarkson’s farming experiments have included other challenges, such as rabbit breeding. Initially assuming rabbits would multiply quickly and be easy to manage, he found the reality quite different. “It turns out that rabbits don’t breed like rabbits,” he said. “They breed like pandas. It’s extremely difficult to get them to mate, and even then, pregnancies are rare. Also, rabbits are surprisingly aggressive, which poses a problem when you’re on blood thinners.”
A foray into herb cultivation also yielded disappointing results. “Most of it was a waste of time,” he reflected. “We ended up with a ton of parsley, a handful of coriander, and a lot of dead thyme.”
Following the setbacks with flax, Clarkson conceded it had joined thyme and rabbits as part of his string of farm disasters.
Across the UK, farmers are similarly reconsidering how best to utilise their land in light of changing climate conditions. Charlie Taverner, policy lead at the Food, Farming and Countryside Commission, told the Independent: “Climate change is a constant reality our farmers are confronting – they are at the forefront. While there’s apprehension, we must also recognise opportunity. Crops once unimaginable to grow here are now feasible.”
Crops like sweet potatoes, sweet peppers, artichokes and chillies are increasingly viable, and chickpeas and lentils may become suitable as summers become hotter and drier. However, agricultural planning must consider not only hotter summers but also significantly wetter winters. Professor Carol Wagstaff, director of Agrifood Futures at the University of Reading, cautioned that Britain’s climate is not simply warming but becoming more extreme.
She warned: “It’s naïve to think that because we are experiencing temperatures similar to Spain’s right now, we can simply grow the same crops. We cannot, as we won’t have those same year-round conditions.”