鈥淚f I get a nosebleed on stage, it鈥檚 totally normal. It happens every time I go past Stow-on-the-Wold. I鈥檓 nervous but excited. I hope everyone has a really good laugh and learns something about farming they didn鈥檛 know before,鈥� Kaleb told Student Farmer ahead of his 34-date theatre tour which kicks off next year, and the launch of his second book, 鈥楤ritain According to Kaleb; The Wonderful World of Country Life鈥�.
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: 鈥淚 don鈥檛 like sheep but seeing the little kids running around the ring with them just puts a great big smile on my face. It鈥檚 teaching people about farming but in a really fun way.鈥�
Kaleb shot to fame after appearing on the Prime Video series Clarkson鈥檚 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 鈥� 鈥渕y mum was a dog groomer and my dad a carpenter鈥� 鈥� Kaleb fell in love with the industry from an early age.
鈥淢y mum, for my 13th birthday, bought me three chickens and within months I set up a business and had about 450. That鈥檚 how I started, with my own chicken company. I was selling eggs round Chipping Norton to teachers and local people,鈥� 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
It鈥檚 this love of farming from a young age that鈥檚 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 拢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.
鈥�If I can help somebody get into farming or support them along their journey, that would really mean the world to me.鈥�
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.
鈥淚 know how hard it is to get into farming, to the point where I thought I鈥檓 not going to do it, nobody is going to take me on, I鈥檓 not getting any work,鈥� he explained.
鈥淪o, if I can help somebody get into farming or support them along their journey, that would really mean the world to me. I can鈥檛 wait until, maybe six- or seven-years鈥� time, for the people I鈥檝e sponsored to come up to me and go 鈥業 was put through your bursary and now I鈥檓 in wherever farming 3,000 acres. Thanks to you, I鈥檓 where I am today鈥�. That鈥檚 going to honestly make my day, just as much as it does when young kids dress up as me on World Book Day.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 what鈥檚 giving me the hype and the adrenaline to go out there and help as many students as possible.鈥�
Paying it forward
Kaleb is also working on addressing the issue of student placements.
鈥淚鈥檝e 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: 鈥榬ight, we鈥檙e away鈥�.
鈥淲ith the RAU, I can support people, but the biggest problem is trying to find a placement and that鈥檚 what I鈥檓 trying to tackle at the moment. I don鈥檛 want students to have to worry about having a placement. I鈥檓 trying to get farmers together where they can go out and agree to taking one or two students each year.鈥�
It鈥檚 all about paying it forward.
鈥淭he average age of a farmer is 62, which is fine, but those 62-year-olds have got to teach the young kids the industry. They鈥檝e 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 鈥業 got taught this at 13 years old, so I鈥檓 now going to teach another 13-year-old鈥�.鈥�
Photograph: Paul Nicholls and the Royal Agricultural University.
Dreams don鈥檛 work unless you do
For young people keen to get into farming, Kaleb has one main message: 鈥淒reams don鈥檛 work unless you do.鈥�
He added: 鈥淚鈥檓 a firm believer in setting a goal and getting there. There鈥檚 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.鈥�
He also champions the old-school approach of going down to the farm gate and simply chatting to the farmer.
鈥淕o down to your local farmer and offer to help. They鈥檙e probably going to be stubborn because they鈥檙e thinking 鈥業鈥檝e got to pay another person鈥� but while you鈥檙e speaking to them, just give them a hand if you can because as soon as you do, they鈥檒l go 鈥榦h, you鈥檙e actually really useful, actually I could do with another person on this farm鈥� and then you鈥檒l get the job, I鈥檓 sure you will.鈥�
He鈥檚 also passionate that farming is open to everyone.
鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 matter if you get As or Us, or if you don鈥檛 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 I鈥檓 where I am today, but there are so many jobs in farming that you can go and do.
鈥淚f you鈥檙e a scientist, farmers need scientists more than anything, the stuff that crops go through as a scientist is incredible. If you鈥檙e a tecchie guy or girl, you can go and design GPS or new systems [pointing at his GPS in his tractor] 鈥� look at that, I don鈥檛 understand that, someone has set that up and designed that, it鈥檚 amazing.
鈥淎nd if you want to go out there and just farm; it doesn鈥檛 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.鈥�
Best job in the world
As to whether being thrust in the showbiz spotlight has changed him, Kaleb said no.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think it changed me at all, I think I鈥檓 still the same person as in season one, I鈥檝e just got a bit of a beard now and I鈥檝e got four-and-half chest hairs, and two kids.鈥�
And while he loves learning the new industry that is TV, it鈥檚 clear that farming still has his heart.
鈥淣o day is the same in farming. Every day is different and the day I wake up and go 鈥榰gh, I have to go to work today鈥� is the day that I鈥檓 not in the right job. Twelve years on, I鈥檝e never done that. I wake up every day and I go 鈥榬ight, what am I doing today?鈥� and I do it with a smile and I鈥檓 the happiest person ever.鈥�
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: 鈥淚鈥檒l still be farming, there鈥檚 no doubt about that.鈥�
For applications to Kaleb鈥檚 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.