草榴社区

Jeremy Clarkson is a good ambassador for farming, according to a poll of more than 1,500 people.

More than 1,500 people responded to polls on Twitter and Instagram, with an overwhelming 95 per cent having a positive view of the TV star.

草榴社区 Guardian editor Ben Briggs said: "For farming, Jeremy Clarkson has played a dual role.

On the one hand he is boosting the industry鈥檚 profile among the public and on the other he is talking in a straightforward and direct manner about the challenges so many face, whether it is mountains of red tape, profitability or, in this series, the horrors of bTB.

"He may be a polarising figure for some, but he is wildly popular for many more and that certainly helps farming鈥檚 cause."

Following year two of the celebrity and self-confessed 鈥榓mateur鈥� farmer鈥檚 countryside venture, Diddly Squat, the latest series of Clarkson鈥檚 Farm focuses on his new beef enterprise and the trials and tribulations that go with it.

Along with the light-hearted moments featuring misbehaving cattle, some parts struck a sombre tone as the realities of farming in a bTB hotspot were conveyed.

When a local dairy farmer told Clarkson one of her in-calf heifers had just gone down with the disease, meaning she had now lost half of her herd, agriculture鈥檚 newest patron had this message to viewers: 鈥淭hat is what life is like for many cow farmers struggling with TB 鈥� soul destroying,鈥� Clarkson said.

One episode also gave an insight in to the stress and anxiety surrounding bTB testing and the tense, agonising wait for the results. Another showed Clarkson taking part in a study to test road-killed badgers for bTB.

Wildlife

Ahead of the series airing, Clarkson told journalists it was important to communicate to the public the seriousness of the disease and the role wildlife plays.

鈥淭hat was one of the most difficult areas to cover because the badger is much-loved by most people in the country,鈥� he said.

鈥淲e thought, if you want to make a popular show you have to say, 鈥極h, look at the little cuddly-wuddly badgers鈥�. But I thought, no, it鈥檚 a farming show, and you would lose your core audience, the farmers, if you went around, saying, 鈥榣ook at these sweet little animals鈥�.

鈥淪o, I showed people what they actually do. It鈥檚 truthful.

鈥淭hese are not nice animals. Do not be fooled by Brian May. This is what badgers do. This is how much heartache they鈥檙e causing to people who鈥檝e worked for generations to build up a farm that鈥檚 been wiped out by badgers.鈥�

But Clarkson and his young contractor mentor Kaleb Cooper also showed off the fun and glamorous side of farming when they were honoured at the British Farming Awards.

Flying the Flag for British Agriculture

The annual prize-giving, run by 草榴社区 Guardian鈥檚 parent company AgriConnect, saw the farming duo receive a special award for Flying the Flag for British Agriculture after arriving at the Birmingham venue in a Lamborghini.

Series two also documents Clarkson鈥檚 lengthy battle with his local planning authority as he attempts to get his diversification 鈥� an on-farm restaurant 鈥� off the ground and local residents鈥� anger over the major traffic jams sparked by visitors flocking to his farm shop.

In one episode, Clarkson suffers a deep cut to his thumb when using a mandoline to cut home-grown potatoes for his crisps enterprise. Filmed being 鈥榮ewn back together鈥� by a plastic surgeon, Clarkson tells the camera: 鈥淧roof that cooking is more dangerous than farming.鈥�

Criticism

And he does not hold back in his swingeing criticism of the Government鈥檚 handling of changes to agricultural policy.

Highlighting cuts to farm subsidies and the lack of detail around payment for public goods at the time of filming, he said: 鈥淚t鈥檚 like FIFA saying, 鈥榃e鈥檙e having new rules in football next year.鈥� 鈥榃hat new rules?鈥� 鈥榃e don鈥檛 know what they are, but there are going to be new rules鈥�.

鈥淲ell, you can鈥檛 prepare for that. How could you possibly prepare for next year鈥檚 farming when you don鈥檛 know what you鈥檙e going to get paid for?鈥�

Series two launches on Friday, February 10 on Prime Video.