James Robinson: A fifth-generation farmer on the ups and downs of 'the most glorious job in the world'

'It's often the most glorious job in the world,' says James Robinson, a farmer in Cumbria whose family have been working the same piece of land since the 19th century.

The bad days, though, can be bleak, and when 'you're life's work is disappearing before your eyes' there are days when 'you wish you'd never started farming at all,' James tells the Country Life Podcast this week.

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It's an utterly fascinating look at the life of a farmer in modern Britain — full of joy and wonder, the beauty of nature and the satisfaction of working organically, with the land, yet also realistic, honest and at times heart-wrenching.

Honesty like this — and especially when it comes to facing up to the mental health challenges of being a farmer in Britain in the 21st century — have seen James grow a following online as he works the land with his father and son. And he's now working with the World Wildflife Fund's Prescription for Nature campaign, to help share his story to help others.

It's a wonderful episode of the podcast, and we hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

You can find out more about A Prescription For Nature at wwf.org.uk/prescription-for-nature

Episode credits

Host: James Fisher

Guest: James Robinson

Editor and producer: Toby Keel

Music: JuliusH via Pixabay

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