Farmers' club growth partly due to Clarkson's Farm

An organisation for young farmers said it had seen a big rise in membership, thought to be partly due to the success of the TV show, Clarkson's Farm.

The Norfolk Federation of Young Farmers Clubs (YFC) said it had gained 100 new members in the last year, as it continued to rebuild following the Covid-19 pandemic.

The group's new chairman, Benjamin Johnson, said Clarkson's Farm helped to put "agriculture in the spotlight" and the isolation faced by many farmers.

Norfolk YFC is open to anybody aged between 10 and 28, regardless of their farming background.

The group was formed in 1944 and claimed to have gone from "strength to strength".

"I think it's mainly the social aspect," said Mr Johnson, a 23-year-old funeral director from Watton.

"I think young farmers gives young people the opportunity to meet weekly and meet other like-minded people."

Clarkson's Farm, a TV show on Amazon Prime, followed the former Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson as he experienced the highs and lows of becoming a new farmer.

Over two series, he experienced problematic weather, a lack of crops and the Covid-19 pandemic.

Mr Johnson added: "Groups like ours can help with mental health and social isolation so young farmers can talk with each other.

"We also have mental health firstaiders across the county who can help when people need them."

Every year, Norfolk YFC hosts competitions, fundraising events and training sessions.

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