Countryfile presenter Adam Henson, who has been fronting the BBC show since 2001, has opened up about a ‘very challenging’ year for the farming and tourism sectors
Countryfile’s Adam Henson has described 2024 as a “very challenging” year for the tourism and farming industries, primarily due to the extreme weather conditions.
The past year recorded the sixth wettest spring in history, followed by an underwhelming summer that only saw a brief heatwave in August. In fact, the 2023-24 season witnessed the highest number of named storms since the naming system began a decade ago.
The persistent rain carried on into September and autumn, wreaking havoc on the harvest, according to Adam.
He said: “Yeah, it’s been very challenging for, well, tourist enterprises, outdoor tourist enterprises and farms right across the UK, just because it’s been horrible.
“We’ve certainly got some fields with quite a lot of crops in them that we haven’t actually harvested and we never will. “
In a conversation with Minerva magazine, Adam mentioned that nowadays, over 60 per cent of farmers take on a second job as a safeguard against poor seasons. “Duncan, my business partner, over the last 30 years, continued developing the farm park, and then to grow and expand on the types of diversification we’ve got,” he elaborated.
At 59-year-old, Adam reflected on the wisdom he gained from his father Joe Henson, who hosted a TV programme called In The Country. He remembers his dad emphasising that adaptability is crucial for enduring tough times.
Adam shared how witnessing his father’s career flourish through television work and the popularity of the Farm Park taught him the importance of having diverse sources of income at the farm.
Adam took a hands-on approach to the family venture in his teens. “I love the Farm Park – the camping and glamping element too as well as the farming. We have a beautiful spot here and I love to share that. “
But he warns that farming comes with its shares of highs and lows. I believe you must be incredibly committed to farming. Many of my friends, who were farmers when I was a kid, never knew whether or not they would have a good year.
Adam’s family farm’s survival was threatened by the Foot and Mouth Crisis, which put him in a dire position.
Adam described that time in The Countrywoman’s Guide as “a really difficult time for us.” We had a lot of money borrowed, on top of our significant overdraft, to help the business advance, and we were both farm tenants. We were also heavily invested in Cotswold Farm Park. “
Soon after he and his business associate Duncan had taken out loans to expand their business, the outbreak began.
The UK was in shock as more than 2,000 cases were recorded nationwide and more than 6 million sheep and cattle were killed to stop the spread.
Adam claims that the epidemic left his company stranded forever. He acknowledged that “it was horrible and we were in trouble.” “Our landlord and the bank were closing in on us, and the farm closed.”
Source: Mirror
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