A Farmer and His Dog

Bestselling author, Countryfile presenter and the nations most recognisable farmer, Adam Henson, explores the relationship between farmers and their dogs in this celebration of Britain's working breeds

Adam Henson presents Countryfile, often from his 650-hectare farm in the Cotswolds. Having studied Agriculture at college, Adam took over Bemborough Farm from his father, Joe. The farm now grows wheat, spring barley and oilseed rape, runs a flock of 400 commercial ewes and has the UK's leading collection of rare breeds, many of which are in demand for film sets and advertisements. Cotswold Farm Park (www.cotswoldfarmpark.co.uk) offers a total countryside experience for all the family, welcoming more than 100,000 visitors each year. 
 
Adam presented Lambing Live with Kate Humble, writes for Countryfile magazine and has appeared on Radio 4's On Your Farm and Farming Today. He is the author of three previous books, Adam’s Farm: My Life on the Land, the Sunday Times bestseller, Like Farmer, Like Son and A Farmer and His Dog.

There is nothing quite like the relationship between a farmer and his dog. 
 
‘For me, the bond I have with Peg, my border collie sheepdog is priceless. I know how very lucky I, and thousands of other shepherds and farmers, are to have these extraordinarily bright, enthusiastic dogs at our side.’ 
 
In A Farmer and His Dog, Adam Henson explores the unique relationship between a farmer and his most loyal friend. Sheepdogs come in a variety of shapes and sizes from border collies to Australian kelpies (rumoured to be a distant relative of the dingo). Not only are they essential to the running of a farm, but they are also fiercely intelligent and exceptionally devoted companions, having evolved over millennia to make the make the work of a shepherd possible. 
 
But it is not just the farmer working the land who benefits from the extraordinary relationship between man and dog. Beginning by introducing us to the dogs who have been faithful companions to the Henson family over the years, Adam goes on to explore the impact made by the UK’s hardest working breeds. From traditional herding dogs and gundogs – such as the Labrador’s he grew up with and the Hungarian wire-haired Vizslas like Boo and Olive who live with him now – to the assistance dogs, sniffer dogs and even search and rescue dogs, whose stories have reinforced Adam’s belief that we humans owe an enormous debt to our wet-nosed, four-legged friends.

Like Farmer, Like Son

The Sunday Times bestselling memoir from Countryfile presenter Adam Henson - now in paperback

‘People say “Like father, like son”, and the story of my life has mirrored my father’s to a quite uncanny degree. Right from when I was a little boy, he was my rock; my mentor; my hero. It is no exaggeration to say that he taught me virtually everything I know about both country life and television. Without him, I certainly would not be doing what I am today ...’ 
 
Like Farmer, Like Son is a truly remarkable account of Adam’s life that explores a hidden family history and the unbreakable bond between Adam and his life-long hero: his father Joe. In the 1940s and ‘50s, Joe, the son of stage and film star Leslie Henson, chose a completely different path, alien to his thespian parents and decided to pursue a career as a farmer. In addition, Joe overcame a serious stammer to become a regular broadcaster on Country Matters and also became the saviour of Britain’s rare breeds. He even put his business and his reputation at stake to open the world’s first Farm Park. 
 
Here, for the first time, Adam reveals the family traits, childhood experiences and farming wisdom which have made him the man he is today. As he trawls the family archive and discovers his own bloodline, Adam learns to understand and appreciate the famous grandfather he never knew and pays tribute to the wonderful father he has so recently lost.

My Life on the Land

Countryfile: Adam's Farm

An absorbing look at a year in the life of the UK's most famous farmer.

Adam Henson is the best-known farmer in the UK. After 8 years as a roving presenter on Britain's most watched countryside show, Countryfile, he now presents his own section of the programme from his farm every Sunday. But after the TV crews leave, Adam returns to the job he loves most - working the land and looking after his livestock. This book is a searchingly honest account of the highs and lows of a year of life on the farm. 
 
 It begins with the joy of new life - lambs in March. But the constant battle against TB is always at the forefront of Adam's mind - a positive test could mean the slaughter of his animals and financial disaster. And as a promising spring turns into a wet summer, Adam falls behind with his harvest and the year begins to look more grim. 
 
 Adam inherited not just the farm from his father, Joe, but also his passion for farming. Imagination is essential for the farm's survival and Adam has many an entertaining tale as he explores new sources of income. He explains his commitment to rescuing breeds from extinction, the aspect of the farm that is perhaps closest to his heart, as well as the money-spinning work of hiring oxen out to film directors and training pigs to sit on Hollywood stars. 
 
 Life on the land is unpredictable, emotional and varied, but never dull, and in this frank book, Adam shows us what a farmer's life is really like.

Adam Henson presents Adam's Farm on Countryfile from his 650-hectare farm. Having studied Agriculture at college, Adam took over Bemborough Farm from his father. The management of this 650-ha farm includes commercial sheep, wheat, spring barley and oilseed rape but also includes the UK's leading rare breed collection. Cotswold Farm Park (www.cotswoldfarmpark.co.uk) attracts over 70,000 visitors a year and also loans its sheep, cows, pigs and oxen to film sets and advertisements. 
 
Adam presents Lambing Live with Kate Humble, writes for Countryfile magazine and has appeared on Radio 4's On Your Farm and Farming Today. He has a long heritage in TV - his father, Joe Henson, presented Animal Magic with Johnny Morris, his grandfather, Leslie, was a comedian and his uncle, Nicky Henson, has appeared in Faulty Towers and Inspector Morse.

In 2001, Adam Henson was chosen from 3,500 applicants to become a presenter on Countryfile. Adam's agricultural knowledge and open manner soon made him a popular figure and when the programme moved to its current Sunday evening slot in 2009, he began to present a weekly report from his own farm in the Cotswolds. 
 
There, the ups and downs of the farming calendar, as told in Adam's straight-talking fashion, soon became one of the most popular parts of the programme as viewers watched him endure the stress of TB testing and his sadness at losing valuable cattle as well as the highs of spring lambing. 
 
This is the first book by Adam Henson, and it is an enthralling, first-person account of the drama, emotion and sheer hard work that is life on Adam's Farm.

Adam Henson

My Adventures with Britain’s Rare Breeds

Discover a forgotten British heritage. 
 
The protection and promotion of the UK’s native rare breeds is something that’s in Adam Henson’s blood. His father, Joe, established the Rare Breeds Trust in 1973, and they have been a core attraction at their Cotswold Farm Park, and a part of the Henson family story ever since. 
 
In A Breed Apart, Adam Henson takes readers on a very personal journey around the nation, discovering the animals that have shaped our lives and our land throughout the centuries. From postcard perfect Highland Cows to the Cotswold sheep (for whom the Cotswolds are named), to the fearsome, four-horned Manx Loagthan ram and the Ulster White Pig, Adam travels the length and breadth of the British Isles, uncovering the history of these ancient animals, meeting the specialists and farmers who are passionate about their preservation, and shares his hopes for the future of these magnificent and unique breeds and his fight for their survival. 
 
This is the story of Britain, told through the native breeds that have nourished and nurtured the nation.

Adam Henson

Books by Adam Henson

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