The Lemon Fool

Love him or hate him, another series. Very funny and thought the other 2 series were great, but remind me never to get into farming.

Oops. Amazon Prime.

nimnarb wrote:Love him or hate him, another series. Very funny and thought the other 2 series were great, but remind me never to get into farming.

I just started watching season 1 so early days for me but my first thought was exactly that: why would anyone take something like this on at age 59? And that farm is huge.

Of course other than the footage it is entirely possible that others did all the work. And that the show drives the farm rather than the other way about.

Lootman wrote:I just started watching season 1 so early days for me but my first thought was exactly that: why would anyone take something like this on at age 59? And that farm is huge.

Of course other than the footage it is entirely possible that others did all the work. And that the show drives the farm rather than the other way about.

Clarkson bought the farm in 2008 as a commercial concern and employed someone to run it. The farm manager retired in 2019 and rather than hire a replacement he decided to have a go himself. And make a series of it.

Clarkson does quite a bit of the work himself. Especially during lockdown and in series 3 with the pigs. He's happy with others taking the limelight, particularly Kaleb.

I've seen articles which mention that the farm has 17 employees.

What Clarkson has done is shown the public how difficult it is to make a living as a farmer, having to cope with a lot of bureaucracy and a local authority that is very hostile towards small businesses (and has decided to make an example of him).

SalvorHardin wrote:

Lootman wrote:I just started watching season 1 so early days for me but my first thought was exactly that: why would anyone take something like this on at age 59? And that farm is huge.

Of course other than the footage it is entirely possible that others did all the work. And that the show drives the farm rather than the other way about.

Clarkson bought the farm in 2008 as a commercial concern and employed someone to run it. The farm manager retired in 2019 and rather than hire a replacement he decided to have a go himself. And make a series of it.

Clarkson does quite a bit of the work himself. Especially during lockdown and in series 3 with the pigs. He's happy with others taking the limelight, particularly Kaleb.

I've seen articles which mention that the farm has 17 employees.

What Clarkson has done is shown the public how difficult it is to make a living as a farmer, having to cope with a lot of bureaucracy and a local authority that is very hostile towards small businesses (and has decided to make an example of him).

I woke this morning to a very interesting programme on R4 where he was discussing the history and back story to "Clarkson's Farm". In it he says specifically that the farm business drives the TV programme, not the other way around. He would be farming whether or not there was a telly programme to be had out of it.

Here's a link to the prog:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001yy8w

We watched the first two of this series last night. Not quite as funny as the first two series, but still reliably better than much of the other dross on TV. And still making good points about the obstructiveness of local councils at a time when farmers are getting hammered from every direction.

No spoilers, but it's ridiculous to suggest that none of the more elaborate (and expensive) mishaps were staged.

Kaleb for Prime Minister!

BJ

Amongst the farming community Clarkson is a hero. He highlights all the stupid rules and reglations imposed not only by councils, who have never even visited a farm let alone worked on one. Long may he continue, I'm thoroughly enjoying series 3 and agree a lot of the incidents are staged but believe you me I've seen funnier and more tragic in real life. Mind you if he lived in Wales he might have led a revolution against Drakeford and his numpties in the Senedd who seem to spend all their time coming up with stupid ideas to make it impossible for Welsh farmers to make a living.

R6

Next few episodes now available....................very, very funny.

Mike4 wrote:

SalvorHardin wrote:Clarkson bought the farm in 2008 as a commercial concern and employed someone to run it.

Isn't there also an Inheritance Tax angle, that it can be passed on IHT free?

nimnarb wrote:Next few episodes now available....................very, very funny.

Indeed. I was given one of those oyster mushroom packs last year, so I don't need telling how that one ends.

BJ

Alaric wrote:

Mike4 wrote:

Isn't there also an Inheritance Tax angle, that it can be passed on IHT free?

Indeed:

You can pass on some agricultural property free of Inheritance Tax, either during your lifetime or as part of your will. Agricultural property that qualifies for Agricultural Relief is land or pasture that is used to grow crops or to rear animals.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/agricultural-relief-on-inheritance-tax

I'm not sure if this is a good thing. I understand the intent is to stop farms being sold up\broken up to pay IHT. It certainly inflates land values and consequently makes it harder to buy farm land. There have been mutterings about reforming the tax, and likewise Business Relief, by a future Labour government.

RC

ReformedCharacter wrote:

Alaric wrote:Isn't there also an Inheritance Tax angle, that it can be passed on IHT free?

Indeed:

You can pass on some agricultural property free of Inheritance Tax, either during your lifetime or as part of your will. Agricultural property that qualifies for Agricultural Relief is land or pasture that is used to grow crops or to rear animals.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/agricultural-relief-on-inheritance-tax

I'm not sure if this is a good thing. I understand the intent is to stop farms being sold up\broken up to pay IHT. It certainly inflates land values and consequently makes it harder to buy farm land. There have been mutterings about reforming the tax, and likewise Business Relief, by a future Labour government.

Yeah, a friend of mine has a few acres and grows veggies and raises the odd animal for slaughter. It's basically a house with a hobby farm. He is convinced there will be no IHT but I am doubtful given that all the food he produces is for himself or to give away. He doesn't sell any of it so I do not see how it can be classed as a business.