Jeremy Clarkson, renowned television presenter and former Top Gear host, has openly shared the more difficult aspects of operating his Diddly Squat farm in the Cotswolds. Since taking over the farm in 2019, Clarkson has gained a substantial following through his Amazon Prime series, Clarkson’s Farm, which highlights the day-to-day realities of farming life.
Despite the show’s popularity and critical acclaim, Clarkson emphasises that managing a farm is far from straightforward. He notes that scheduling a summer holiday is nearly impossible due to the unpredictable timing of harvests, stating that while this year’s harvest began in mid-July, it can sometimes be delayed until late September.
Clarkson also detailed some of the more unpleasant tasks encountered on the farm. Writing in The Sun, he described how “sexing rabbits is annoyingly difficult” and how “disposing of dead piglets is heartbreaking.” These challenging duties reflect the emotional and physical demands placed on farmers.
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“Some jobs on the farm are unpleasant. Sexing rabbits is annoyingly difficult, and disposing of dead piglets is heartbreaking.”
Despite such hardships, Clarkson expresses a profound passion for farming and insists there is “nowhere you’d rather be.” However, he candidly admits there is a significant drawback. He attributes financial frustrations to the combination of a hot summer and what he describes as “this government’s strange hatred of farmers,” claiming that farmers often receive little or no payment for the wheat and barley they harvest.
He further revealed calculating that, ironically, taking an expensive holiday may be more cost-effective than farming under current conditions.
Clarkson has been transparent about the challenges on his Oxfordshire farm since purchasing it in 2008 and choosing to manage it himself. He has previously highlighted the bleak economic outlook for British farmers, explicitly calling making a profit from food production “impossible.”
In an earlier column, he shared, “Action is needed now because farmers have reached the point where it is quite simply impossible to make money from growing food.” He added that on 200 acres of his farm this year, nothing was grown because planting wheat or barley would have guaranteed a financial loss.
He also discussed the devastating impact of bovine tuberculosis (TB) on his farm last year. On his programme, Clarkson described the emotional toll of having to send pregnant cows to be euthanised due to TB, calling it “heartbreaking.”
During a conversation with Times Radio, he elaborated on the cruelty of the disease and the impact of the regular mandatory testing every six months. He said, “Then the vet looks up, as he did yesterday lunchtime, and said ‘I’m really sorry this one’s failed.’ So that means we’re now locked down and it’s just dreadful, absolutely dreadful.”
Among those lost was a beloved cow named Pepper, the first calf born on his farm, who was carrying twins when she had to be put down due to TB.
This candid account from Clarkson offers a sobering insight into the difficulties and emotional challenges faced by modern farmers in the UK.