[TV] Clarkson's Farm 3

[abc]

I say this as someone who has a couple of farmers in the family.

The reality is that a vast majority of farmers do not support a badger cull - most would prefer to inject their cattle to stop the spread of TB but DEFRA won't allow it. Most don't support fox hunting or even allow hunts across their land. I have seen the destruction a fox can do to lambs and chickens ( and even deer calf ). I have no issue farmers shooting them to defend their livestock. One of the farmers in my family that farmed meat probably shot around six foxes a year and then generally only during lambing season.

A vast majority of farmers supplement their income by using wildlife schemes such as being paid to repair or replant hedgerow - or even leave parts of their farm fallow.

One thing you are correct on though - most townies know eff all about farming and the difficulties ( e.g. you ) but at least Clarkson's farm is highlighting those issues regardless of if you like him or not ( clearly not in your case ).

All of this, spot on

 

[abc]

A reality that gets them supporting a badger cull when all the evidence shows that bad farming practise is to blame. A reality where foxes are shot because they MIGHT do some harm ( estimates are a 2-4% impact on lambs). A reality where they supplement income by supporting fox hunts and bird shoots (the former is cruel the latter does a lot of ecological damage).

I don't have an issue paying the true economic price for products but they will get no sympathy from me until they change their mindset i.e. townies know f*ck all about the countryside and we know best .

As for that gobshite Clarkson he is just another look at me Katie Hopkins type making outlandish statements to draw attention (earn more money).

If i may challenge some of your points?

Whether or not culling badgers is the right solution is emotive and certainly debatable. Bad farming practices are not the cause though. Since Badgers were declared protected, their population has exploded which has resulted in disease taking hold where they are living too intensely in one place. Miximitosis in rabbits re occurs for the same reason. You may not care about the impact on farmers but the assent of the badger has also wiped out our hedgehogs.

I know many farmers but not one that has ever been fox hunting. Don’t make the erroneous assumption that the men in red coats are automatically farmers, they are not.

There is a gulf in understanding about the countryside between those that live and work there and those that live in the towns. Your post underlines that. Anything that bridges that gap and creates mutual understanding is welcome.

 

[Diablo]

I say this as someone who has a couple of farmers in the family.

The reality is that a vast majority of farmers do not support a badger cull - most would prefer to inject their cattle to stop the spread of TB but DEFRA won't allow it. Most don't support fox hunting or even allow hunts across their land. I have seen the destruction a fox can do to lambs and chickens ( and even deer calf ). I have no issue farmers shooting them to defend their livestock. One of the farmers in my family that farmed meat probably shot around six foxes a year and then generally only during lambing season.

A vast majority of farmers supplement their income by using wildlife schemes such as being paid to repair or replant hedgerow - or even leave parts of their farm fallow.

One thing you are correct on though - most townies know eff all about farming and the difficulties ( e.g. you ) but at least Clarkson's farm is highlighting those issues regardless of if you like him or not ( clearly not in your case ).

A reality that gets them supporting a badger cull when all the evidence shows that bad farming practise is to blame. A reality where foxes are shot because they MIGHT do some harm ( estimates are a 2-4% impact on lambs). A reality where they supplement income by supporting fox hunts and bird shoots (the former is cruel the latter does a lot of ecological damage).

I don't have an issue paying the true economic price for products but they will get no sympathy from me until they change their mindset i.e. townies know f*ck all about the countryside and we know best .

As for that gobshite Clarkson he is just another look at me Katie Hopkins type making outlandish statements to draw attention (earn more money).

What bad farming practise is to blame for TB ?? I don`t think there is Badger culling here but I do know ,There is a trapping and vaccination program in this area for badgers. There is a percentage of the population that needs to be vaccinate for it to work. This is where the prob comes in, trapping is done by feeding traps. Generally the same Badgers come back and are caught again and again.
If ..and I`ve no idea where you get your figures re fox killing lambs you are right, I would suggest that 50 % of Lambs are born inside where no lambs would be predated. this immediately doubles your figure to 4-8% of Lambs born out side. Some will be less some will be more. Fox has no natural predator. Would you still deny the Farmer the right to shoot fox killing his Lamb or for that matter his chickens.Most farmers are tenants and do as their landlord says. Brighton Council and National trust I believe now don`t allow hunting on their lands. PS a fox is a killer...If it gets in a chicken Pen it will kill many not just one for its food.

Look up VESBA - VACCINATING EAST SUSSEX BADGERS

 

[clapham_gull]

Very good and challenging to watch, but has gone a bit Top Gear with the scripted disasters. Funny though they are.

This is where Clarkson starts to run out of ideas.

He is much better at social comment than he thinks he is and the Liz Truss pork markets bit was inspired.

 

[Barham's tash]

Whilst I completely get why Clarkson divides opinion to dismiss the importance of this series based on any predetermined ideas you have about him based on Top Gear, the Grand Tour or any other aspect of his media persona is quite ignorant to his general abilities as both a journalist and or his passion for such causes.

Public awareness of the plight of our farmers, rural community life and or certain environmental considerations surrounding modern farming practices simply wouldn't be anywhere near the mainstream collective consciousness were it not for his ability to make engaging series.

 

[Pevenseagull]

I have always had animus for Clarkson.

But this is good TV


Edit, and his love of 'Supertramp'.


And remaining in the EU.

 

[bluenitsuj]

Great tv and what makes it better is that it winds up people on a football forum telling us its rubbish when we know otherwise

 

[Pavilionaire]

If he has promoted farming, how do we measure the outcome? What are the benefits he has created?

Or is this like promoting LGBT+, i.e., making people aware of it and aware that it's OK?

People are now aware of farming and recognize that it's OK? Hooray!

Does this mean Clarkson deserves a knighthood, or even a peerage, for services to farming?

And I sneer this as someone who, at the time, very much enjoyed Top Gear, even the way Clarkson bullied the faux hippy and the tiny man (who, let's be honest, deserved it. And they were paid very well). Clarkson wrote the liner notes for a Caravan (the band) CD of mine. But it all.....eventually.....went wrong.

And now he's a farmer. Oh well. Never mind.

The fact is he has got a farm, with employees. And he tries stuff, like opening a restaurant, a farm shop, farming different kinds of livestock. And this is the beauty of the series - the challenges, the pressures, the red tape and the outcomes.

This isn't about Clarkson, or comedy, or making money. This is about shining a light on the good, the bad and the ugly of British farming today in a very watcheable way. The support cast deserve a mention - Kaleb and Charlie are real farm folk and I find them fascinating.

 

[Pevenseagull]

Great tv and what makes it better is that it winds up people on a football forum telling us its rubbish when we know otherwise

I think you will find that people are generally in favour of the programme.

What a strange take on matters.

 

[Pevenseagull]

The badger cull down here in Sussex was largely fueled by bones being found outside sets.

It was then founf that badgers are opportunist omnivores who would take stillborn lambs back to the set. Hence the piles of bones.

Badgers don't hunt lambs.

 

[Wardy's twin]

What bad farming practise is to blame for TB ?? I don`t think there is Badger culling here but I do know ,There is a trapping and vaccination program in this area for badgers. There is a percentage of the population that needs to be vaccinate for it to work. This is where the prob comes in, trapping is done by feeding traps. Generally the same Badgers come back and are caught again and again.
If ..and I`ve no idea where you get your figures re fox killing lambs you are right, I would suggest that 50 % of Lambs are born inside where no lambs would be predated. this immediately doubles your figure to 4-8% of Lambs born out side. Some will be less some will be more. Fox has no natural predator. Would you still deny the Farmer the right to shoot fox killing his Lamb or for that matter his chickens.Most farmers are tenants and do as their landlord says. Brighton Council and National trust I believe now don`t allow hunting on their lands. PS a fox is a killer...If it gets in a chicken Pen it will kill many not just one for its food.

Look up VESBA - VACCINATING EAST SUSSEX BADGERS

The major increase in TB in cattle correlates with relaxing controls on the movement of cattle and the increase in densities of herds , 95%+ of TB infections are caught cow to cow often from cows from other herds. The checking for TB in cows is reliant on a test which is not very good so is ineffective. In addition independent reviews indicate that poor handling of slurry waste is also a major issue.

Vaccinating badgers is only one of the answers , you could vaccinate the cows which are a captive audience the problem here though is little money has gone into this area rather than the millions spent on killing cows and badgers. All you end up doing is having an ever increasing pile of dead animals with angry farmers wanting to kill more badgers after seeing their cattle killed.

Regards foxes killing lambs ,I have seen the figure bounced around a few sites not sure if it comes from a single source. Maybe if all lambs were born inside then the problem would disappear. Unfortunately the only figure reducing is the numbers of foxes in the countryside(as opposed to urban areas) and that ironically is partly due to land owners just killing them as they can't hunt them but farmers play a large part during lambing season.

Around Woodingdean where I live the farms are tenanted but that has not stopped the shooting of foxes, including in the cemetery area which is not farmland.

The thing with foxes is if you kill them others move into the territory so the clever thing to do is to protect your lambs and chickens in proper secure areas. Regards the chicken in the hen house scenario, yes they will kill and if left to it they will then stash each chicken away so it has food going forward. Agree they don't have a natural predator ( men wiped out the wolves) but a lot are killed on roads and there is a natural tendency for numbers to remain in balance - they have fewer cub in hard times when food is less abundant.

I don't think we as a nation can be critical of countries in Africa and South America which are pushing animals to extinction when we look to try to drive down our food production costs by killing our wildlife. As I said i am quit happy to pay more for food which is produced in an ethical manner i.e. on that respects our wildlife.

 

[NorthstandRacoon]

A reality that gets them supporting a badger cull when all the evidence shows that bad farming practise is to blame. A reality where foxes are shot because they MIGHT do some harm ( estimates are a 2-4% impact on lambs). A reality where they supplement income by supporting fox hunts and bird shoots (the former is cruel the latter does a lot of ecological damage).

I don't have an issue paying the true economic price for products but they will get no sympathy from me until they change their mindset i.e. townies know f*ck all about the countryside and we know best .

As for that gobshite Clarkson he is just another look at me Katie Hopkins type making outlandish statements to draw attention (earn more money).

Deluded man. Genuinely not surprised someone on here has this mindset. I can assure you, most farmers aren’t like this. I was bought up in a village surrounded by farmland near Haywards Heath, so know many who aren’t like that. My parents live on a farm, and the farmer there manages the land exceptionally well, as does the next door farm, as does the farmer who puts sheep on our land. All 3 do none of the above practices. We have a badger set near the cowsheds and the farmer leaves them be and gets vaccines in place if needed.

Foxes not even thought about, as the lambs are taken to the secure farmland
You are generalising massively here on such an important industry which with, we would be a VERY different country.

Clarksons farm rightly highlights a lot if issues they face, abandoned by the traditional support of the torys, brexit etc.

 

[CaptainDaveUK]

I think you will find that people are generally in favour of the programme.

What a strange take on matters.

Maybe we need a poll to be sure!

 

[Wardy's twin]

I say this as someone who has a couple of farmers in the family.

The reality is that a vast majority of farmers do not support a badger cull - most would prefer to inject their cattle to stop the spread of TB but DEFRA won't allow it. Most don't support fox hunting or even allow hunts across their land. I have seen the destruction a fox can do to lambs and chickens ( and even deer calf ). I have no issue farmers shooting them to defend their livestock. One of the farmers in my family that farmed meat probably shot around six foxes a year and then generally only during lambing season.

A vast majority of farmers supplement their income by using wildlife schemes such as being paid to repair or replant hedgerow - or even leave parts of their farm fallow.

One thing you are correct on though - most townies know eff all about farming and the difficulties ( e.g. you ) but at least Clarkson's farm is highlighting those issues regardless of if you like him or not ( clearly not in your case ).

No that's what many farmers think not what I think and to note the word townies is a derogatory word used by farmers for anyone who challenges their practices..

Plenty of 'townies' have a very good understanding of our environment and are not swayed into taking actions because they have to make a living from it.

My view is that farmers shouldn't be forced into destroying wildlife because they have to achieve a level of sustainability because their prices are being driven down by supermarkets....

 

[Wardy's twin]

Deluded man. Genuinely not surprised someone on here has this mindset. I can assure you, most farmers aren’t like this. I was bought up in a village surrounded by farmland near Haywards Heath, so know many who aren’t like that. My parents live on a farm, and the farmer there manages the land exceptionally well, as does the next door farm, as does the farmer who puts sheep on our land. All 3 do none of the above practices. We have a badger set near the cowsheds and the farmer leaves them be and gets vaccines in place if needed.

Foxes not even thought about, as the lambs are taken to the secure farmland
You are generalising massively here on such an important industry which with, we would be a VERY different country.

Clarksons farm rightly highlights a lot if issues they face, abandoned by the traditional support of the torys, brexit etc.

NFU which represents farmers supports the cull.

There are regular reports of multiple foxes shot around Woodingdean (plus what I have seen) . Maybe where you live it is better ,maybe crops so farmers aren't so fussed about wild animals. Gratifying that they secure their lambs in line with my view.

You are correct the problem with generalisation is that is that there are always exceptions, though there is plenty of evidence that fox hunts are supported by farms and farm workers.

So what mindset is that ? I said farmers should be paid enough for their produce so that they don't have cut corners which impacts wildlife. Not your cup of tea , do you think it's ok to destroy our wildlife.

 

[OzMike]

I watched a couple of episodes in season 1 and Clarkson comes off as adsolutely useless.
He doesn't do much for me anyway.

 

[Papa Lazarou]

I watched a couple of episodes in season 1 and Clarkson comes off as adsolutely useless.
He doesn't do much for me anyway.

He does. He grows your food.

I'll come clean. I love this programme. I'm not directly from a farming background (my Mum is), but there is definitely something special about it.

It's very honest about the challenges faced by farmers in the UK, and I've changed my views on Jeremy himself watching this.

 

[clapham_gull]

At the end of the day, it's a beautifully shot, written and edited programme.

Stunning at times.

Was very surprised the odd scene with the weighing scales made the edit. Clarkson doesn't do improvisation.

The stunts are starting to get a stupid and far too Top Gear for me, but what an education on farming.

 

[abc]

The badger cull down here in Sussex was largely fueled by bones being found outside sets.

It was then founf that badgers are opportunist omnivores who would take stillborn lambs back to the set. Hence the piles of bones.

Badgers don't hunt lambs.

No they don’t. They are, however, the only predator that can kill a hedgehog when in its in its defensive ball. Making badgers a protected species and the subsequent population explosion (Badgers have no predators bar man) has all but wiped out the hedgehog.

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

Watched episode one a few days ago.

What a load of twoddle.

Completely scripted but filmed to make it seem like it's all off the cuff.

You’re telling me ‘reality’ TV isn’t actually real and is TV for idiots!?!? I’m cancelling my subscription to Clarkson’s Farm immediately, and Gogglebox while I’m at it.