āIf I get a nosebleed on stage, itās totally normal. It happens every time I go past Stow-on-the-Wold. Iām nervous but excited. I hope everyone has a really good laugh and learns something about farming they didnāt know before,ā Kaleb told Student Farmer ahead of his 34-date theatre tour which kicks off next year, and the launch of his second book, āBritain According to Kaleb; The Wonderful World of Country Lifeā.
Due out in October, the book will be a whistle-stop tour of rural British traditions with musings on Morris Dancing and country fairs.
Speaking to Beth about the latter, he said: āI donāt like sheep but seeing the little kids running around the ring with them just puts a great big smile on my face. Itās teaching people about farming but in a really fun way.ā
Kaleb shot to fame after appearing on the Prime Video series Clarksonās Farm, helping Jeremy to manage the farming. Born in 1998, he grew up in the Cotswolds and has been working in farming since he was at school.
Although not from farming background ā āmy mum was a dog groomer and my dad a carpenterā ā Kaleb fell in love with the industry from an early age.
āMy mum, for my 13th birthday, bought me three chickens and within months I set up a business and had about 450. Thatās how I started, with my own chicken company. I was selling eggs round Chipping Norton to teachers and local people,ā he added.
After his poultry endeavours, Kaleb turned his hand to breeding sheep and working on a dairy farm, and a year later, aged 15, he bought his first tractor.
A helping hand
Itās this love of farming from a young age thatās inspired Kaleb to help the next generation, a pledge which has seen him partner with the RAU (Royal Agricultural University) to launch a new bursary scheme for those looking to begin a career in agriculture.
The annual bursary will provide Ā£3,000 to support a student in exploring different paths into agriculture, as well as the opportunity for a work placement with Kaleb himself, or one of his industry partners, either during the course of their university studies, or as a gap year placement.
āIf I can help somebody get into farming or support them along their journey, that would really mean the world to me.ā
Kaleb Cooper
Open to RAU undergraduate students who are living in the UK, the bursary will open for applications in September with the first student receiving their award in early 2024.
āI know how hard it is to get into farming, to the point where I thought Iām not going to do it, nobody is going to take me on, Iām not getting any work,ā he explained.
āSo, if I can help somebody get into farming or support them along their journey, that would really mean the world to me. I canāt wait until, maybe six- or seven-yearsā time, for the people Iāve sponsored to come up to me and go āI was put through your bursary and now Iām in wherever farming 3,000 acres. Thanks to you, Iām where I am todayā. Thatās going to honestly make my day, just as much as it does when young kids dress up as me on World Book Day.
āThatās whatās giving me the hype and the adrenaline to go out there and help as many students as possible.ā
Paying it forward
Kaleb is also working on addressing the issue of student placements.
āIāve got a young apprentice on my farm. I left school and went straight into work, and he said he wants to do the same so I was like: āright, weāre awayā.
āWith the RAU, I can support people, but the biggest problem is trying to find a placement and thatās what Iām trying to tackle at the moment. I donāt want students to have to worry about having a placement. Iām trying to get farmers together where they can go out and agree to taking one or two students each year.ā
Itās all about paying it forward.
āThe average age of a farmer is 62, which is fine, but those 62-year-olds have got to teach the young kids the industry. Theyāve got so much knowledge up here [pointing vigorously to his head] that they need to pass on to these younger kids coming through who are going to be the future of farming. Then, in another 60 years, they can then go āI got taught this at 13 years old, so Iām now going to teach another 13-year-oldā.ā
Photograph: Paul Nicholls and the Royal Agricultural University.
Dreams donāt work unless you do
For young people keen to get into farming, Kaleb has one main message: āDreams donāt work unless you do.ā
He added: āIām a firm believer in setting a goal and getting there. Thereās going to be a few barriers along the way but you either put your head down and go through those barriers or you stand still.ā
He also champions the old-school approach of going down to the farm gate and simply chatting to the farmer.
āGo down to your local farmer and offer to help. Theyāre probably going to be stubborn because theyāre thinking āIāve got to pay another personā but while youāre speaking to them, just give them a hand if you can because as soon as you do, theyāll go āoh, youāre actually really useful, actually I could do with another person on this farmā and then youāll get the job, Iām sure you will.ā
Heās also passionate that farming is open to everyone.
āIt doesnāt matter if you get As or Us, or if you donāt do GCSEs at all. I did okay on my GCSEs, and I went to agriculture apprenticeship. I got two of them and it went well and Iām where I am today, but there are so many jobs in farming that you can go and do.
āIf youāre a scientist, farmers need scientists more than anything, the stuff that crops go through as a scientist is incredible. If youāre a tecchie guy or girl, you can go and design GPS or new systems [pointing at his GPS in his tractor] ā look at that, I donāt understand that, someone has set that up and designed that, itās amazing.
āAnd if you want to go out there and just farm; it doesnāt matter your qualifications, who you are as a person, gender, nothing, there is a job out there for everybody and the industry is so much bigger than everyone thinks.ā
Best job in the world
As to whether being thrust in the showbiz spotlight has changed him, Kaleb said no.
āI donāt think it changed me at all, I think Iām still the same person as in season one, Iāve just got a bit of a beard now and Iāve got four-and-half chest hairs, and two kids.ā
And while he loves learning the new industry that is TV, itās clear that farming still has his heart.
āNo day is the same in farming. Every day is different and the day I wake up and go āugh, I have to go to work todayā is the day that Iām not in the right job. Twelve years on, Iāve never done that. I wake up every day and I go āright, what am I doing today?ā and I do it with a smile and Iām the happiest person ever.ā
As to what the future holds, Kaleb said he is a firm believer in that everything happens for a reason but one thing is for certain: āIāll still be farming, thereās no doubt about that.ā
For applications to Kalebās agricultural bursary with the Royal Agricultural University, visit:
Britain According to Kaleb; The Wonderful World of Country Life will be published in hardback, ebook and audio on 12 October 2023. Go to for The World According to Kaleb tour tickets.