Love him or loathe him, there is no doubting the fact that Jeremy Clarkson has taken farmings story into more households than ever before.
His hugely successful Amazon Prime showClarksons Farm, which starts series two today (February 10), positioned the formerTop Gearhost as an unexpected champion for the industry.
His personal and eye-opening take on the challenges of a farming life, which were informed by his naivety and innocence about the realities of agriculture, struck a chord with millions of people, many of whom had never interacted with British agriculture before.
Series one ofClarksons Farmprovided a much needed shot in the arm for the industry and positioned Clarkson, along with his young sidekick Kaleb Cooper, as flag bearers for agriculture among farmers themselves.
Of course, his reputation as an irascible champion of farming causes has been made uncomfortable for some due to his comments about Meghan Markle inThe Sun; comments which should not have been committed to print. They were subsequently condemned and caused many, even in some parts of the farming press, to turn on him.
However, taken alone, his show continues to do a lot of good for the farming sector and at a recent meeting with college students as part ofFarmers GuardiansThis is Agriculture campaign, youngsters were asked who they saw as farmings main champion in the media, with a unanimous response that it was Clarkson who was spreading the word the most.
For farming he has played a dual role. On the one hand he is boosting the industrys profile among the public and on the other he is talking in a straightforward and direct manner about the challenges so many face, whether it is mountains of red tape, profitability or, in this series, the horrors of bTB.
He is also able to convey to farmers that they matter and that the job they do is important; notions which are not always expressed to such a large audience as the one he is able to muster.
He may be a polarising figure for some, but he is wildly popular for many more and that certainly helps farmings cause.
Farmers Guardian editor Ben Briggs said: "For farming, Jeremy Clarkson has played a dual role. On the one hand he is boosting the industrys profile among the public and on the other he is talking in a straightforward and direct manner about the challenges so many face, whether it is mountains of red tape, profitability or, in this series, the horrors of bTB.
"He may be a polarising figure for some, but he is wildly popular for many more and that certainly helps farmings cause."Read more here
