Old ways yield harvest of new ideas for TV farmers Dave and Jimmy
Subject:Dave Finkle Location:Jimmy’s Farm, Pannington Hall Lane, Ipswich, Suffolk IP9 2AR Special Instructions:Dave has taken over at the farm as manager Pictured: Dave Finkle with Saddleback/Welsh piglets and thier mum Photo by Anthony Channer
By Martin Green Martin.Green@Essexchronicle.Co.Uk
FAMOUS farmers Dave Finkle and Jimmy Doherty are working together in a bid to bring the bent carrot back toBritain.
Writtle College lecturer Mr Finkle, 31, of Danbury, hit the headlines across the globe after carving the faces of celebrities into pumpkins at Hallowe’en.
His new-found fame earned him a spot as a judge on the BBC2 show A Farmer’s Life For Me, alongside Mr Doherty, and another famous Danbury resident, Paul Kelly, the farmer who provides the Queen with her Christmas turkeys and holds several world records for turkey carving.
The show ended this week, but during filming Mr Doherty poached Mr Finkle and made him manager at Jimmy’s Farm.
The farm has featured in several BBC programs after celebrity chef Jamie Oliver loaned best mate Mr Doherty the cash to swap the city life for a stab at breeding rare Essex pigs.
Jimmy’s Farm lies on the Essex-Suffolk border, north of Colchester.
Mr Finkle, expecting his first child with wife Kirsty in eight weeks, believes it is the most famous farm in the UK and told the Chronicle he is honoured to run it. “I have taken over and there are lots of new things, big ideas and a bright future,” he said.
“We are working closely with a company called Thompson & Morgan to bring back vegetables that pre-date the Second World War .
“I will be proactively growing the type of vegetables that your nana and granddad ate.
“Our heritage varieties were not allowed because of EU regulations, but those have now been relaxed and we are bringing them back.
“We are basically trying to bring back the bent carrot.”
Mr Finkle has also opened a new restaurant at the farm only serving its own produce.
“We believe in a field to fork experience,” said Mr Finkle .
He is also going to be the star of a feature on Channel 4’s new 5pm chat show with Fern Britton, which kicked off this week with a million viewers.
Every Monday for the next four weeks, Mr Finkle will appear on a slot called One Born Every Monday, where he will show off new animals born on the farm.
“I can’t say too much but it will be all about how spring has sprung and focus on the beginning of new life,” said Dave.
He added that he hopes to stay at Jimmy’s Farm for a long time and cement its status as the most celebrated farm in Britain.