I’m sure we all enjoyed the wonderful weather we had for most of spring this year, and although we’ve had some rain of late the weather in general has been completely different to last year and far less stressful for any farmer keeping and caring for animals. Cows can calve out which is always healthier and the same goes for the sheep and lambs. For the latter, apart from the extreme weather, foxes will be their biggest danger for the first few days at least. Even the odd badger is known to take the opportunity of an easy meal. But, of course, if things are too dry then that can create different concerns including grass growth for livestock farmers and especially for those relying on growing crops, so the dry weather so far this year could have a real effect on what they can produce. And, in truth, many people in everyday life don’t really think about where their food has come from and how it is produced, and that’s why I think it’s important to give credit where it’s due to Clarkson’s Farm, which has just seen a new series released on Amazon Prime. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby. I don’t think anyone has done a better job than Jeremy Clarkson at highlighting what farmers go through and that’s due to the appeal he has with those who otherwise would not take an interest in farming. We know there’s some drama added here and there but the show is pretty realistic at depicting the ups and downs and the difficulties that farmers are experiencing day to day. Last year it was a disaster for farmers because of the wet weather and this year so far it has been the opposite, so there is always some challenge to face. Clarkson’s Farm seems to have struck a wonderful balance between conveying important messages around the farming sector and being very entertaining for the casual viewer. It is capable of having a much wider appeal for people who don’t really know where the milk or bacon that they had for breakfast comes from. It’s quite similar to what happened in rugby in one sense, when they decided to mic-up the referees. They did not do that to showcase what the referee does in a game but rather to help explain decisions and the decision-making process to the viewing public. Some people may have found the laws in rugby difficult to understand and being able to hear referees talking to players I think took it to a new audience. And with farming, that’s what Clarkson’s Farm has done. It’s made more people interested in farming and hopefully it can inspire people to want to farm. We’ve seen a concerning trend in recent years of people leaving farming and if this programme can highlight the good and rewarding sides of it that can only be a positive. A lot of people would not sit down and watch a farming programme unless they were a farmer, but I think that has now changed. Obviously, the appeal of Jeremy Clarkson has helped with that - he’s built up a following due to his other TV programmes over the years and is a very well-known personality. I don’t think I’ve spoken to anyone who has anything negative to say about the show. Some people may not like Jeremy Clarkson and might not want to watch it because of that reason, but as a farmer I think it really has put farming at the forefront of people’s minds and firmly in the shop window. You see a huge amount of people looking to buy local produce now, and our standards of food here in the UK is the best in the world and more people are conscious of that now and are buying British, rather than relying on food that is imported from all over the world. We must never underestimate the importance of our food security, particularly in a world that is getting more volatile by the day. Which brings us onto another key issue that Clarkson’s Farm has raised in its most recent series - the struggle of the traditional local pub. The village pub, along with the Post Office, the school and the shop, were the heartbeat of any village in Wales. A lot of the shops, primary schools and Post Offices have now closed, leaving the pub as the only social outlet left. In some villages they don’t even have that. Where I live we have one pub that is open occasionally, but we used to have two pubs. The next village along used to have two pubs, both of which are now gone. A lot of pubs are closing, and that has a huge effect on people’s wellbeing. We have seen a huge spike in mental health issues, particularly in rural areas, and that’s often because people don’t talk to other people, they don’t see anyone else. If you have nowhere to go to put the world to rights and have a chat with others, it can be devastating. It is only now we are seeing the damage caused by this. If the local pub isn’t there you end up losing that sense of community, and I don’t think we’ve seen the full effect of that problem yet. If pubs close people are not going to see other people within their communities, especially in the winter months. Clarkson’s Farm also highlights the difficulties and challenges faced by landlords and landladies when it comes to running a pub, and how vital they are to people living in rural locations. I never really sat down and watched Top Gear and I never really knew much about Jeremy Clarkson, but his programme has impressed me with its impact on both farmers and people who didn’t really show any interest in farming before. A lot of people have said to me that it’s been a big positive for him as well as perhaps it portrays him in a different light and as a different person compared to what people previously thought about him. I think we have seen a more human side to him and he’s created something which is both entertaining and educational. It’s a very realistic portrayal of farming and yet it also appeals to a huge audience. The characters in the show - especially Kaleb and Gerald - are the types of characters you get in rural communities up and down the country. Perhaps you don’t get as many of them anymore but they are still around. These are the people who will meet up in the local pub on a Friday or Saturday night, and you can still find them thankfully, and hopefully those local pubs can continue to serve their communities for years to come. That’s so important. Clarkson’s Farm is a wonderful watch and it’s done more good for farming than anyone could have imagined.