Brief
Amanda Owen says screens are essential lifeline for her Yorkshire farm family
The 52‑year‑old star of Channel 4’s Our Farm Next Door says screens support her diversification and give her children freedom in the countryside.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Yorkshire shepherdess Amanda Owen told the Press Association that screens are a "lifeline" for her family’s farm business and that banning them would be "incredibly hypocritical". Owen, 52, appears in Channel 4’s documentary series Our Farm Next Door: Amanda, Clive and Kids, which follows her life on remote Ravenseat Farm in Swaledale, North Yorkshire, as she and ex‑partner Clive Owen raise nine children.
What happened
Owen explained that the internet is only accessible inside the farmhouse, creating a "perfect split" between online and offline activities. She said the family does not set limits on screen time because the countryside offers ample alternative pursuits such as animal care and land work. The series showcases the renovation of a centuries‑old derelict farmhouse, Anty John’s, into a modern home, a project she says would not have been possible without media exposure.
What the report adds
The Standard notes that Owen’s nine children – Raven (25), Reuben (23), Miles (20), Edith (18), Violet (16), Sidney (15), Annas (13), Clemmy (11) and Nancy (10) – benefit from the farm’s open space, reducing the need for strict screen‑time rules. She also highlighted that her farm’s diversification relies on media platforms, which she describes as essential for a sector she calls "in dire straits".
What was said
"It would be incredibly hypocritical to say, ‘Oh, no screen time, screens are death knell of society’, because that would totally and utterly not what I believe," Owen told the Press Association, as reported by the Standard. She added, "Screen is what has been our lifeline. It’s what has given us the ability to put ourselves out there and basically to prop the whole business of farming up."
How it came about
Owen said her life changed after reading The Hill Shepherd – A Photographic Essay, which inspired her to write books, including a new children’s volume, Cosy Bedtime Stories From The Farm. She described her school experience as average and credited the book for setting her on her current path.
Key facts
- Amanda Owen describes screens as a lifeline for her farm business and family (standard.co.uk)
- Internet access on Ravenseat Farm is limited to inside the farmhouse (standard.co.uk)
- Owen co‑parents nine children with ex‑partner Clive Owen (standard.co.uk)
- She stars in Channel 4’s documentary series Our Farm Next Door (standard.co.uk)
- Owen has written a new children’s book, Cosy Bedtime Stories From The Farm (standard.co.uk)
Sources
- [1] standard.co.uk — originally reported as “Yorkshire shepherdess Amanda Owen says screens have been her family’s ‘lifeline’”
