Like farmer, like son!
Shepherd Clive Owen’s son Reuben starts his own business…
Since he was young, Reuben Owen has starred in Our Yorkshire Farm, working on his family’s remote farm in the Yorkshire Dales with his parents, Amanda and Clive, and his eight siblings. But now, at 18, Reuben is branching out, starting a digging business with the help of his girlfriend, Sarah, and best friend Tom. And dad Clive is taking time out to support his son’s first summer in business. ‘As soon as Reuben was big enough to carry spanners, he took things to bits and learnt how to do things,’ says Clive. ‘That’s brought him to where he is now. They get up at 6am and work all day, so I’m really proud of them.’
Reuben has plenty of work on, including digging out ponds and helping with a barn renovation, but he’s poured his savings into second-hand machines, which proves disastrous when they break down.
Risky strategy
‘If a second-hand machine has had a hard life, it will break,’ says Reuben. ‘It’s never guaranteed what will die during the project.’
But as the team pulls together, they overcome challenges along the way.
‘This summer has been really good,’ he says. ‘But it might just be beginner’s luck!’