Snow Tractors and Turkey Chaos: A Yorkshire Farm Christmas
Even an avalanche couldn't keep Reuben Owen from his girlfriend Jess Ellwood, as Channel 5's favourite farming couple prepare for a typically chaotic Christmas in North Yorkshire. The Life In The Dales star, who shot to fame on Our Yorkshire Farm, has exclusively revealed to The Mirror that he and Jess haven't spent a single day apart since meeting at a Young Farmers' convention in 2024.
"We got snowed in last year," says Reuben, who lives and works at his family's 2000-acre Ravenseat farm in Swaledale. "It was going to be the only day I hadn't seen her since we got together. But I wasn't going to let a lot of snow stop me. It took me a long time to get the tractor started and even longer to dig myself out, but I did it. I'd do it again a thousand times."
From Turkey Farming to Wedding Bells
The couple, who went public with their romance last November, have been rearing turkeys from chicks for their Christmas dinner - a decision they've come to regret. "We do rue the day we decided to do that," laughs Jess. "Those turkeys have given us the run around. They've escaped so many times, we've had to rebuild their fences twice. Poor nana has been out in the freezing cold in her nightie and slippers rounding them up."
Their Christmas TV special, airing on December 23rd, shows the conversion of an old barn on Jess' family farm for a festive feast. The couple now have bigger plans for the space, potentially as a wedding venue. "We've talked about using it as a wedding venue," Reuben reveals, though he remains coy about whether there will be an engagement ring under the tree this year.
The Reality of Farming Life
Christmas on the farm is anything but restful. "All our jobs still had to get done before we could open our presents," Reuben explains. "The animals are just as hungry as we are!" Jess adds: "It's the most difficult bit of farming - you never get days off. The hardest bit is constantly being tired."
The couple represent the next generation of British farmers, with Jess noting significant changes in the industry. "I went to agricultural college and we had the highest number of students in our year ever recorded," she says. "And half boys and half girls. Things are certainly changing for the better."
This Christmas will see both families coming together across their two farms. "I'll probably wake up at Jess' family farm, have lunch with her and then we'll head home for a second Christmas dinner at my family farm," Reuben says. And for those wondering about Christmas presents? Last year Reuben gave Jess a cordless angle grinder. "Because, of course, nothing says love like a cordless angle grinder."
Reuben Owen: Christmas in the Dales airs on Channel 5 on Tuesday 16th December at 8pm.
