“By any standards I’m a busy man. I make two year-round television shows, run a farm, and every week I write three newspaper columns. On top of all this I have a brewery, a book deal and I’m in a constant battle with the local council to keep my farm shop open.” – Jeremy Clarkson.
Welcome to “Pigs Might Fly”; the third chapter of the Diddly Squat Farm series. Clarkson has earned the title of the UKs favorite new farmer. It has been three years since Jeremy took the reins, and he’s faced more challenges than he ever predicted. One lesson stands out: in farming, what you want or need, is never what you get.
Jeremy has plans to diversify but as expected, these plans run headlong into the stubborn resistance and bureaucratic hurdles thrown up by the Council Planning department. Jeremy’s journey has been anything but smooth with the council. Even his trusted ally Kaleb cannot resist poking fun at some of Jeremy’s more outlandish of ideas. But what Kaleb calls outlandish, Jeremy considers innovative.
Jeremy sets his mind to rewilding, and is quoted in his book, “In theory, this new-fangled trend for ‘wilding’ sounds tremendous. Because instead of spending the weekend mowing the lawn and deadheading your roses, you put nature in the driving seat and go to the pub. Where you tell everyone that you’re at the cutting edge of green thinking.”
He shares his pig farming experiences, from purchase through to the inevitable abattoir end. Jeremy said, “But last week I had to take seven of my boy pigs to be killed and that was gut-wrenching. I know that I’m trying to be a farmer and that this is what farmers do. And I know I will enjoy the bacon and ham, and pork chops that result.”
As for the farm itself, it is a lively menagerie: the sheep are gone, the cows have welcomed a new resident bull named Break-Heart Maestro, and the goats? Well, let’s just say they have a penchant for chaos. Yet, through the difficulties, Jeremy’s unyielding optimism continues to shine at Diddly Squat.
This book, as with the others, is written beautifully and in a style that is 150% Clarkson. He writes as he thinks, there is no filter and if I am honest, there should be more of that. It is refreshing to read someone saying exactly what they think and not filtering it for fear of offending someone. Life is way too short and if you don’t like his style of writing…. don’t read it.
Personally, I love his style. I love the show and the books. Refreshing honesty in today’s world. After all, on Clarkson’s Farm, when you are harvesting blackberries with Henry the vacuum cleaner, how can you not be happy!!
Thanks Jeremy. See you for book 4.
