BBC Countryfile's Adam Henson sparks concern as he shares 'very sad' farm news

Countryfile enthusiasts have been left feeling "very sad" following Adam Henson's concerning update about the drought conditions plaguing his Cotswold farm.

Away from the cameras of Countryfile, Adam tends to his farm, a legacy started by his father. He's known for candidly sharing the realities of farm life with his Instagram audience, celebrating successes and acknowledging challenges.

Yet, his latest Instagram post has raised alarm among his fans. In it, Adam detailed how a severe drought is taking its toll on his crops. Accompanying a video that highlighted the parched earth, Adam captioned: "The drought has brought real challenges to both our crops and livestock."

He continued with optimism, stating, "Thankfully, it has rained since filming, and we're starting to see signs of recovery in our grassland."

In the footage, Adam expresses his concerns: "I wanted to talk to you about how the heat and drought have affected the farm, both in our grassland, our livestock, and our arable cropping," reports Gloucestershire Live.

He further explains the local soil conditions, saying, "Up here on top of the Cotswolds, we've got very thin soil known as Cotswold brash. So it's thin and very stony, and droughts out very quickly. And so, as you can see in this field, it's just brown. We have had a little bit of rain over the last couple of days, and it's cloudy today, but look at the ground here. It's just brown and looks incredibly dead."

He elaborated: "Usually there'd be green grass growing in here for the sheep to graze on, to produce milk to feed their lambs, and the muck you can see on the ground is rock hard and hasn't been washed in by the rain and pulled down into the soil by the dung beetles and the worms.

"So there's this brown, dead grass covered in sheep muck, which is really not good for farming. So a lot of farmers across the country, whether they're dairy, beef, or sheep farmers, have had their animals on full winter rations."

Adam concluded the video by stating, "Of course, in the winter months, the grass stops growing, and then you have to feed them hay and silage that you've cut during the summer.

"But already, even though now in the middle of the summer, they'd usually be grazing the grass we're feeding them that hay and silage to give them fine to eat because, basically, there's nothing for them out here."

The video received an outpouring of support from fans, many of whom expressed their concern for the farmers' plight.

One supporter commended the video: "Great video, Adam. What a tough year our farmers have had. Here's to hoping we get some proper rain soon."

"Worrying times," another wrote, while a third shared: "Very sad to see, I have the opposite, rain, wet, humid, and high worm forecasts!"

Another viewer noted: "Good educational post, this one, Adam."

Yet another added: "It's been awful. Thanks @adamhenson_ for highlighting this."

One supporter concurred: "Awful, nobody thinks about that. Great eye opener."