Yorkshire Shepherdess meets flock of fans at Great Yorkshire Show

The self-proclaimed Yorkshire Shepherdess dreamt of pursuing a career in farming ever since she read Alf Wight’s books on the Dales vet, James Herriot, while still a teenager.

And yesterday she visited the Great Yorkshire Show to meet some of her legions of fans who have become fascinated with her life at Ravenseat, the hill farm she shares with her husband, Clive, and their nine children aged between two and 17.

From a hugely popular social media feed on Twitter documenting her day-to-day life in the Dales to becoming an author as well as television appearances including one as a judge on the BBC’s Masterchef show this year, Mrs Owen admits that her career has been eclectic.

And she hopes her experiences will help other women break down the gender stereotypes in farming and the wider countryside communities.

Speaking to The Yorkshire Post while promoting her 2019 calendar, Mrs Owen, 43, said: “Both Clive and myself are first-generation farmers, and we have had to learn so much with a little bluff and blag.

“We get 16,000 people coming through the farm every year as we are on the Coast to Coast route, and I am perhaps not quite what they would expect from a traditional Dales farmer. People are becoming more interested in the countryside and issues such as its health benefits, so I really do want to give something back from all that I have learnt.”

During yesterday’s visit, her fourth time to the show, Mrs Owen also met with the NFU’s president, Minette Batters.