Adam Henson runs a farm in Gloucestershire alongside his work on BBC One’s Countryfile
Adam Henson admits he will “never be rich enough” to own his farm. The Countryfile star runs Bemborough Farm in Gloucestershire with his business partner Duncan Andrews.
They took over the farm from Adam’s father, Joe, in 1998. As well as being a working farm the site doubles up as the Cotswolds Park Farm visitors attraction, which welcomes around 70,000 visitors each year.
Adam, who admits that running a farm is tough, says he operates the site as a tenant. Speaking to the BBC , he said: “I’d love to, but I’ll never be rich enough to buy it.”
He has previously admitted he could leave the farm when the tenancy agreement expires in 12 years time. Instead he will swap the massive site for a bungalow with his wife Charlie.
He said: “So when the tenancy runs out in 12 years’ time, Charlie and I are moving to a bungalow close by in Winchcombe, where we have a few acres and will keep a few sheep and the dogs.”
He added: “It will be the end of an era, but I will still be able to enjoy the lovely countryside.”
Adam admits his farm has been battered by extreme weather this year. And while he has a flock of 350 commercial ewes as well as other farm animals, Adam says it is the rye grass that pays the best.
He has also enrolled a third of his farm in environmental schemes. He added: “Spring was horrible. The crops won’t yield, and prices are low for the grain we’ll sell.”
His sheep however “lambed well” in 2025 meaning he is likely to break even on them. The TV presenter says it is support of the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) that will help him this year though.
He explained the fund as “public money for public goods” that “supports conversation and wildlife”. Adam’s career branched out into the world of television in 2001 following a nationwide hunt for a new Countryfile presenter.
Since then he has fronted a host of shows about rural life. Adam will be back on screens with Countryfile from 5.15pm tonight (October 19) on BBC One.
This week Adam will be joined by Charlotte Smith and Matt Baker in Kent as they explore the influence of France on the ‘Garden of England’ as the Kent Downs National Landscape. The site is on the verge of becoming a UNESCO Cross-Channel Geopark.
Matt is set to visit a Kentish vineyard while Charlotte will be heading to a wildlife reserve that has been created using spoils from the Channel Tunnel excavation. Adam will be speaking to a farmer who raises French Charolais cattle.