Harriet Cowan Leverages Clarkson’s Farm Platform to Advocate for Farming Equality and Mental Health
She says she is honoured to be this year’s president at Chatsworth Country Fair
Clarkson’s Farm star Harriet Cowan says she is using her new found television fame to bring farming – its ups and downs – to the attention of the British public. Harriet, whose family farms at Belper, won over fans during the latest series of the hit show, when she stepped in at Diddly Squat Farm while regular sidekick Kaleb Cooper was away.
Remarkably, in a year that has proved a turning point for Harriet and her life, she has also been asked to be president of this year’s annual Chatsworth Country Fair – something she says she is very proud to be asked to do.
It is understood that 24-year-old has been juggling shifts as a nurse as well as farming on the family farm but it looks now as if she will be taking up farming and its promotion full-time.
Speaking to Derbyshire Live, she revealed that the first of a series of videos about what she is doing on the farm will be broadcast on YouTube this Sunday.
She said: “My advocacy about farming is about mental health in farming and women in farming. I am a massive advocate for women in farming because I think it is a massive industry where women’s roles are overlooked and we need to get the whole of the country to realise how much of an impact women have in farming.
“As regards mental health and farmers, the industry is such a low and dark industry where farmers don’t talk about mental health and don’t want to talk about it. If I can make an impact on those two things then I will have done my job.”
Harriet said that she loves meeting people and she had had some of the busiest months of her life recently. She said: “The way I have been welcomed by people has been great and I couldn’t ask for a better response. It’s nice and I love being in the public eye.
“Farming is in my blood and I have roots from my grandfather so it’s fantastic to be part of all this.
“It dawned on me as I was driving to Chatsworth that I was coming as president for the show and I am so proud. It is such an honour to have been asked.
“I am really looking forward to looking around and meeting plenty of people while I am here.”