BBC Countryfile's Adam Henson leaves fans 'very sad' with 'worrying' update

Daily Mirror

2 days ago

Countryfile presenter Adam Henson took to social media to share a video of his farm, which he runs in the Cotswolds
Countryfile viewers were left feeling "very sad" as Adam Henson delivered a "worrying" update on the state of his Cotswold farm.
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Away from the cameras, Adam tends to his farm, a legacy passed down by his father. He's known for sharing the realities of farm life with his Instagram fans, including both triumphs and tribulations.
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Yet, his latest Instagram post raised alarm bells among his followers when Adam revealed that a severe drought was wreaking havoc on his crops.
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Accompanying a video that highlighted the parched earth, Adam captioned: "The drought has brought real challenges to both our crops and livestock."
He continued with a glimmer of hope: "Thankfully, it has rained since filming, and we're starting to see signs of recovery in our grassland," reports Gloucestershire Live.
In the brief video, Adam expressed his concerns: "I wanted to talk to you about how the heat and drought have affected the farm, both in our grassland, our livestock, and our arable cropping."
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He elaborated on the local conditions: "Up here on top of the Cotswolds, we've got very thin soil known as Cotswold brash. So it's thin and very stony, and droughts out very quickly. And so, as you can see in this field, it's just brown. We have had a little bit of rain over the last couple of days, and it's cloudy today, but look at the ground here. It's just brown and looks incredibly dead."
Adam painted a stark picture of the current farming struggles, remarking: "Usually there'd be green grass growing in here for the sheep to graze on, to produce milk to feed their lambs, and the muck you can see on the ground is rock hard and hasn't been washed in by the rain and pulled down into the soil by the dung beetles and the worms."
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He went on to describe the dire conditions: "So there's this brown, dead grass covered in sheep muck, which is really not good for farming. So a lot of farmers across the country, whether they're dairy, beef, or sheep farmers, have had their animals on full winter rations."
Wrapping up his message, Adam said, "Of course, in the winter months, the grass stops growing, and then you have to feed them hay and silage that you've cut during the summer."
He further explained the unusual measures taken due to the harsh conditions: "But already, even though now in the middle of the summer, they'd usually be grazing the grass we're feeding them that hay and silage to give them fine to eat because, basically, there's nothing for them out here."
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The video has since sparked a wave of support in the comments section, with fans commending Adam for shedding light on such a critical topic, while others expressed their worries for the farmer's plight.
One admirer lauded Adam's efforts: "Great video, Adam. What a tough year our farmers have had. Here's to hoping we get some proper rain soon."
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Another shared their concern: "Worrying times," and a third added their voice: "Very sad to see, I have the opposite, rain, wet, humid, and high worm forecasts!".
A different user praised the informative nature of the post: "Good educational post, this one, Adam."
Yet another follower expressed appreciation for the awareness raised: "It's been awful. Thanks, @adamhenson_, for highlighting this."
One supporter concurred: "Awful, nobody thinks about that. Great eye opener."