Opinion: Charismatic farmers – your country needs you

Can we genuinely say farmers promote themselves and their products successfully in the 21st century? I think we are rubbish at it.

We all may be extremely dedicated to our jobs, we may work all hours and our produce can compete around the world, but the truth is that the general public still see the British farmer as a prehistoric creature wearing a flat cap and with a bit of straw stuck out the side of his mouth.

Or, at the other end of the scale, as someone who drives around in a Range Rover, sits on his backside most of the year and collects his “giro” (or big subsidy cheque) from the government.

Social media

How do we change these perceptions? I think social media can help, as it alerts people to the fact that we are in the lambing shed at 3am, up to the guts in afterbirth, or sat on our combines burning the midnight oil, while our fellow citizens are at a barbecue on a summer’s night.

But social media is not for everyone and it can be quite intrusive to your business and life. It definitely scares the hell out of me.

See also: We’re playing the generation game in farming

To promote British agriculture we need more charismatic figures such as Adam Henson, Prince Charles and Jimmy Doherty, who really do help communicate “nitty gritty” of this business.

You often hear criticisms of such people, but at least they have the capability, the wherewithal and the guts to put across how hard we work.

It would be great if the BBC could give a whole programme to Adam Henson called Farming File, instead of Countryfile (which effectively is Environment Agency File).

It’s amazing how many people say Adam’s slot on the Countryfile is both-eye opening and stimulating to the general public.

Mundane or fascinating?

I used to write a small farming column in my local paper. It was a popular feature, (even if I do say so myself), about the things we do daily.

They might seem mundane to us, but for non-farming people who might be sat in an office from nine to five, it could be fascinating.

This is where we go wrong. A good salesperson has got to sell themself, before they even think of selling their product.

Some agricultural sectors are promoting their products really well, finding niche markets and/or retailing at farmers’ markets, but we should also sell “the farmer”.

And it’s intrinsically harder to sell the larger farmer.

In the sheep sector, it sometimes feels like the only way we’ve manged to get our product into the mainstream conscience is via Shaun the Sheep, bless him.

Meanwhile, our counterparts down under are taking over on the world stage. You have got to hand it to the New Zealanders, they certainly know how to promote their stuff.

It always baffles me how most sheep farmers moan about the British consumer buying New Zealand lamb – when they go and buy New Zealand Romneys for their breeding ewes.

I know the breed originally derived from this country, but we ditched it years ago. If you shear your own sheep then you might know they are not so easy to care for as they have more wool on their heads than Bob Marley had hair.

Stock pride

I don’t think we are proud enough of our livestock – nor do we have much faith in what we do in this country. Just because systems work abroad doesn’t mean they will necessarily work here.

We have the best all-round easy-care sheep in this country: the North Country mule. It is prolific, lambs itself and produces a lot of milk.

All that you are left with in the summer to shear is a small amount of wool on its back in the shape of a toilet rug. It’s such a great British icon.

The work of another great British icon, the border collie, is even being done on some farms by Huntaway sheepdogs.

Jedi knights

This amazes me, as sheep should be moved quietly and calmly, not barked at as the Huntaway does. It’s bad enough listening to your other half barking at you in the morning, asking you to put out the wheelie bin or pick the kids up from school, but listening to a dog barking at work in the sheep pens is my worst nightmare.

A border collie moves its sheep with its presence – like a Jedi knight. It’s no surprise these dogs sell for such big amounts in Japan and America.

You’ve probably noticed by now that I am very patriotic. My idea of a good film is anything made in the Pinewood Studios. I like Bridget Jones and James Bond movies and I would not buy a car without the word “Rover” on the end of its badge.

I am proud of agriculture in this country and we have to take inspiration from agriculture-related companies that have made themselves big world players, such as Barbour and Land Rover.

Then there’s that other great firm, Massey Ferguson, which has revamped itself during the past few years. Its quality of build and engineering is now on the same level as some of its green American or German rivals.

So if you are a charismatic person, come out from the shadows and put yourself forward. Even if you do have a bit of straw in your mouth, you can soon swap that for a microphone. It’s all in a good cause – explaining how fantastic British farmers and food are.

James Read farms sheep & arable crops on 400 hectares, on the edge of the Lincolnshire wolds at Louth. He and his wife, Sally, have a young son, Tom. He trains and trials sheepdogs. Find him on Twitter at @jimreadfarmer.