Jeremy Clarkson, the former Top Gear presenter and star of the popular Amazon Prime series Clarkson’s Farm, has admitted feeling “a little embarrassed” as his Diddly Squat Farm gears up to welcome 30,000 farmers for the prestigious Cereals event in the Cotswolds.
Set to premiere its fifth series on June 3, Clarkson’s Farm documents Jeremy’s hands-on experience running his agricultural venture. However, Clarkson revealed in his Sunday Times column that despite hosting one of the UK’s largest farming gatherings, “not much actual farming is going on” on his land at the moment.
Clarkson expressed pride in being chosen to host Cereals, a two-day event uniting farming professionals from across the nation, but also shared his discomfort: “I’m very proud… but also a little embarrassed, because 30,000 farmers will be talking nonstop about farming on a farm where not much actual farming is going on.”
READ MORE: Mum’s Horror as Baby Scalded by Hot Dessert at Tewkesbury Pub
READ MORE: US Air Force Investigates Accidental Fire at RAF Fairford Following Protests
The cause of this unusual situation is linked to advice from his land agent, Cheerful Charlie, who recommended against sowing crops such as spring barley and durum wheat this year. Despite ideal weather and proper farming practices, Clarkson was told he would likely face financial losses due to the current global grain surplus and low prices.
Clarkson explained, “Last year’s harvest was one of the worst in living memory, with yields down by as much as 40%. However, the poor harvest was confined mainly to northern Europe. Elsewhere, harvests were plentiful, flooding the markets with grain and pushing prices down. With high UK energy, labor, and tax costs, growing wheat this year would have been unprofitable.”
Rather than leaving his 1,000-acre farm idle, Clarkson has taken to operating a 13-tonne digger, embracing the heavy machinery with his characteristic humor. He joked that having “a digger and spare time is the most dangerous combination in the world for a man,” recounting how he has been busy excavating a pond, building a dam, and dismantling a hedge.
The fifth series of Clarkson’s Farm promises to continue showcasing the highs and lows of rural life, including challenges like bovine TB outbreaks, planning disputes, and financial pressures that have tested Clarkson and his team throughout the show’s run.