I’m returning to farming thanks to Clarkson’s farm, says student

Course tutor David Singleton said the college had seen a rise in applications for farming courses since Clarkson’s Farm first aired.

“It has had quite a big influence on student numbers,” he said.

“We’re finding a lot of people from outside the industry coming into agriculture and deciding to give it a go at 16 or 17.

“We’ve probably gone up about 30% since Clarkson’s Farm [began].”

Singleton said it was not only Clarkson who had had an influence, as other programmes, such as former Emmerdale actor Kelvin Fletcher’s ITV show Fletcher’s Family Farm, had helped encourage young people to consider a career in agriculture.

Some female students at Myerscough have also said they have been inspired by farming influencer Harriet Cowan, who joined the fourth series of Clarkson’s show as his main sidekick.

Melina, whose parents run a farm in Bacup, said Cowan “went on there like a girl boss, nails and lashes, proving the stereotype wrong”.

But, for all the media influence, there are still students at the college for whom a life in farming felt like an inevitability.

Connie said all she could remember was “going out with my dad and doing work”.

“I couldn’t see my future any other way,” she added.