John Deere has been publishing The Furrow since 1895. That is not a typo. For well over a century, one of the world’s biggest machinery brands has understood a simple truth: the people who win long-term are the ones who show up consistently with useful, interesting stories.
That opportunity is sitting on thousands of UK family farms right now.
Content creators everywhere face the same challenge: how do you generate original content week after week without repeating yourself? Farming has an unfair advantage. The seasons do the heavy lifting. Calving, lambing, drilling, harvest, soil health, stewardship, weather, machinery, markets, wildlife and people. The farm changes constantly and the story changes with it. There is always something real happening, and real beats manufactured every time.
The Need for Marketing
Historically, many farmers have had little need for marketing. Much of what we produce is a commodity, sold into established supply chains where we are price takers rather than price setters. But the moment a farm diversifies, the rules change.
Holiday lets, farm cafés, glamping, events, farm shops, experiences, retail and natural capital ventures live and die by public engagement. Footfall, bookings, enquiries, partnerships and community support do not happen by accident. They are earned through visibility, trust and a clear message.
How Storytelling Can Transform a Business
You only need to look at the success of Diddly Squat Farm Shop. Whatever you think of it, the lesson is obvious: storytelling and publishing can transform a rural business. Clarkson did not invent farming, he made people care enough to visit.
So here is a careers idea that more family farms should take seriously: work on the farm, but run the content marketing for the business.
Imagine a role where you are part of day-to-day operations, but your job is to capture it, shape it and distribute it. Short videos, behind-the-scenes photos, blog posts, newsletters, simple guides, project updates, tenant stories and local supplier spotlights. Not “influencer” content. Useful, grounded, entertaining content that builds a following and turns attention into income.
How We Can Help
At Dudley Peverill Associates, we help farms and estates with diversification strategy, planning and delivery. Increasingly, the winning projects are not just well designed, they are well communicated. Marketing is no longer a nice-to-have. It is an asset that compounds.