Amanda Owen opens up on kids quitting farming life as Our Farm Next Door star admits ‘they’re going their own way’
Our Farm Next Door star Amanda Owen has been reflecting on family life as some of her children prepare to leave home as they grow older.
The More4 series has seen Owen, 50, and ex-husband Clive, 69, reunite to build a legacy for their nine children, restoring a derelict farmhouse a stone’s throw away from Ravenseat farm.
The original Channel 5 series, Our Yorkshire Farm, covered the family’s life on Ravenseat, and came to an end in 2022 when Amanda and Clive called it quits on their 22-year-long marriage.
Our Farm Next Door: Amanda, Clive and Kids follows the family rebuilding the neighbouring farmhouse, Anty John’s, to establish a permanent family home.
The project has been beset by issues, including the regular struggles of farming, construction delays and Clive’s “serious” health issues.
Now, as the Anty John’s refurbishment nears completion, Owen gathered her brood together for a family photo during the latest episode of the More4 series.
“I wanted to get all the family together, to get a photograph standing on the hillside with Anty John’s there in the background,” the mother of nine explained.
“Six girls, three boys. All looking roughly tidy and ready for a photoshoot. And we’ve even got a little bit of decent weather. It’s great to have the whole gang back.”
Owen described the photo as a “record of that moment in time” that the family “can look back on”.
The photo took on a particularly poignant meaning for The Yorkshire Shepherdess as some of her older children are preparing to fly the nest.
Discussing the bittersweet feeling, Owen said: “We’ll see the kids growing up and going their own way and we’ll also see the house evolving as well.
“All of a sudden, (they) want to head towards civilisation. They want to head to places where the phone works and where you can order a Deliveroo. Y’know, living the high life.”
However, Owen is convinced her children will grow to miss the rural lifestyle as the city “wears a bit thin”.
With a grin, she revealed: “You realise that it’s actually quite fun riding horses, slobbing about in wellies and they all come back again.
“You can have the best of both worlds. And I think that’s great!”
Raven, Owen’s eldest daughter, explained that “wrangling” the whole family together has become “quite a difficult thing” with the difference in their ages.
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Speaking about her eight siblings, she said: “You’ve got the three younger ones who absolutely love it – they are all cheesy grins.
“And then you’ve got the teenagers who are like, ‘Please don’t take my picture. Don’t do that.’”
The Yorkshire Shepherdess herself had a blunter take on the family photo: “When this is all done, I’ll get him (Clive) in a headlock, she’ll (Raven) kick him, and you’ll get the most realistic photo ever.”
