"It is a very welcome trend, because you’ve got over seven million people watching Clarkson’s Farm"
Jeremy Clarkson's hit Amazon Prime TV show, Clarkson's Farm, is inspiring thousands more students to pursue a career in agriculture, according to statistics from the UK's leading agricultural colleges.
Land agent and agronomist Charlie Ireland, or Cheerful Charlie as they call him on the show, has been partly credited for the rise in applications, as his key role on Jeremy Clarkson's Cotswolds farm has spotlighted the variety of roles the industry can offer.
The latest statistics have revealed that student applications for agricultural courses have risen significantly over the past five years, with colleges attributing the rise in part to the so-called ‘Clarkson effect'.
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UCAS and university stats
At the Royal Agricultural University (RAU), one notable change was in its three-year rural land management BSc course, as applications rose by 11% this year compared to last.
Applications also rose significantly for the course with an added farm placement, up 18% year-on-year.
On the RAU's two-year rural land management foundation degree, applications rose by 14%.
Will Marsh, director of external relations at the RAU, said the increase on these courses ‘could well be inspired by Jeremy Clarkson's land agent ‘Cheerful' Charlie.'
He added: "We have also seen an increase this year in visitors attending both our undergraduate and postgraduate open days, as well as applications to study agriculture and farm management, which are up by 4% compared to last year."
Overall, statistics from admissions body UCAS revealed an 8% rise in 2024 in the number of students accepted onto agricultural courses, compared to 2023.
Even more revealing, since 2019, the admissions service reported a rise of almost 20% in agriculture, food and related degrees.
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Harper Adams University
Professor Ken Sloan, vice-chancellor at Harper Adams University, said TV shows like Clarkson's Farm helped to shine a light on the realities of farming, and have appealed to those in urban areas who might not otherwise have considered agriculture as a career.
"One of the strengths of these shows is how they demonstrate the breadth of experience new entrants to farming, even celebrities and soap stars, need to draw upon to make their farms a success," he said.
"That is reflected in the attention prospective students are paying to subject areas such as land and property, business, and agri-technology, like robotics and automation.
Urban area interest
"It is also why we have expanded into urban Telford, to encourage more new entrants to see the agrifood industry as a good career option, just like Jeremy Clarkson."
He added: "It is a very welcome trend, because you've got over seven million people watching Clarkson's Farm. They are also watching other programmes like The Yorkshire Shepherdess and Fletcher's Family Farm."
Everything which can be done to promote land-focused careers to a ‘broader range of people' is a good thing, according to Professor Sloan.
"So right now, while that programme has been on, there has been an overall 20% increase in applications across the country for food, farm and related courses. We are also seeing similar trends within the further education sector as well."
Senior lecturer Andrew Black, who teaches on Harper Adams' land and property courses, said: "The impact of Charlie's role in Clarkson's Farm is far more wide-reaching, and we are starting to see a ripple effect in the number of students enrolling on our open days as a result."
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