It has been a big week at home this week.
Our farm lane is finally being tarmacked after years of cars having to slalom through various potholes. Up until now, it has really only been farm machinery which has felt comfortable travelling at more than a few miles per hour.
I am not sure we realised just how much work would go into getting ready for it. Dad especially has put so many hours into getting everything right, and it is good to see his hard work bear fruit.
The weather has also finally broken after the hot spell we have had. I know farmers will be glad to see some rain, and hopefully the grass responds quickly.
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Hawkstone Farmers' Choir on BGT
There was only one story I really wanted to talk about this week: The Hawkstone Farmers' Choir winning Britain's Got Talent.
I particularly enjoyed seeing such a positive farming story covered on national television and across the media, with millions of people watching.
Farming has had a very challenging couple of years. And when you look at Inheritance Tax changes, farmer protests and Government policy which, at times, has felt hard to understand, it has often culminated in a lot of negative headlines.
It has therefore been easy for the public to see farming only through that negative lens, and perhaps begin to think we moan more than we celebrate.
I think that is where Jeremy Clarkson has done us a favour and, credit where it is due, whatever you think of him, Clarkson's Farm has opened doors to an audience farming has not had before.
The Hawkstone Farmers' Choir probably would not exist without Jeremy Clarkson, and it is another brilliant example of farming being put in front of the public.
What stood out to me most watching the choir over the past few weeks was the honesty of its members.
They have spoken openly about isolation, mental health and how farming really can, at times, involve quite solitary work.
It is long hours, it is working alone and it is an important conversation for our industry to have.
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Why the farming community is special
However, what the choir has also done is showcase our brilliant community, which I genuinely think is unrivalled.
We know rural pubs have been closing. Rural churches are under pressure. Village life is not always what it once was.
Technology can connect us in a way where we often feel like we know somebody half a world away better than we know our own neighbours.
But farming is different.
Farming still brings people together and we still support each other, rallying around one another during difficult times.
I think young people need to see this, especially if we want them to consider agriculture as a serious career.
The Hawkstone Farmers' Choir showed that friendship, community and unity are still things we offer which many other industries do not.
If one person watched Britain's Got Talent this weekend and thought, ‘I would like to be part of that', that matters to me.
Open Farm Sunday
Finally, a quick reminder that it is Open Farm Sunday this weekend which is another great opportunity to get farming in the public eye.
To anyone considering a career in agriculture, visiting a local farm would be a great place to start. It is a chance to see what working in our industry is like, beyond what you hear or see online.
If you get the chance to go, please take it.
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