Hit TV Show ‘Clarkson’s Farm’ Inspires Thousands of Students to Pursue a Career in Agriculture
Jeremy Clarkson's popular Amazon Prime TV show, Clarkson's Farm, is inspiring thousands more students to pursue a career in agriculture, according to statistics from leading agricultural colleges across the UK.
The latest figures have revealed that student applications for agricultural courses have risen substantially over the past five years, with experts attributing the so-called “Clarkson effect” as a key factor.
Land agent and agronomist (expert in soil management and crop production) 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 farm has highlighted the variety of roles the industry offers.
The Royal Agricultural University (RAU) has reported an 11% increase in applications for its three-year rural land management BSc course 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.
The UK food and farming industry is worth £153 billion to the national economy, offering a variety of career prospects in areas such as land and property, business and agri-technology.
Agriculture is the single largest employer in the world and provides almost 4.4 million jobs in the UK across the entire agri-food sector. This includes agriculture plus manufacturing, wholesaling, retailing, and catering.
Clarkson’s Farm has helped to shine a light on the realities of farming and how far-reaching it is. As a result, the show has raised awareness and made careers in the industry more accessible to those in urban areas who might not have considered agriculture as a career before.
Study agriculture at Capel Manor College
At London’s environmental college we offer a variety of hands-on agricultural courses. Our courses are taught by tutors that are industry experts and will give you the qualifications you need for a career in cultivating the land, growing and harvesting crops, and providing high standards of welfare to a range of livestock species.
Our students gain first-hand, farming experience working at our certified organic Forty Hall Farm in Enfield, as well as at Mudchute Farm (run in partnership with our Mottingham Campus), developing the practical skills and knowledge required for progression to higher education or to start a career in the agriculture industry.
Both of our farms are registered with the Rare Breeds Survival Trust (RBST), who support the breeding and welfare for rare breeds across the UK.
Image sourced from GB News.
