YORKSHIRE Shepherdess Amanda Owen has turned the story of her family’s life on a remote hill farm into a £250,000-a-year business.
The former model and husband Clive – who opened up about their marriage woes this week – have become household names thanks to them lifting the lid on life on their 1,000-sheep farm in North Yorkshire.
Millions have tuned in over the years to see telly shows about how they make ends meet eking out a living in the Yorkshire Dales.
But thanks to five bestselling books and ten years on the telly, Amanda is now earning a fortune.
The 47-year-old mum of nine also rakes in cash from ads for products like dog good and is in demand for magazine interviews.
She has set up own firm called the Yorkshire Shepherdess Ltd and her first accounts show she’s got a cash and assets surplus of £74, 411.
The firm has a creditor in the form of a Corporation Tax bill to the tune of £36,456.
That means the firm’s earnings before costs and expenses are deducted is around £250,000-a-year.
Amanda is currently starring on Channel 5’s Our Yorkshire Farm.
Since 2015, she has given advice in the pages of her five published books.
Her first two books are called The Yorkshire Shepherdess and A Year in the Life of the Yorkshire Shepherdess.
She followed these up as she penned Adventures of the Yorkshire Shepherdess and Tales from the Farm.
And the latest – Celebrating the Seasons – is out this week.
Amanda lives miles away from the nearest shop so buys food in bulk, and manages to feed her large family for just £130 a week.
Their water is free, channelled from the stream on the moor, and they heat the house and water with a roaring fire, which burns every day no matter what the weather.
The biggest utilities bill is electricity, which costs £160 per month.
Amanda recently said the family rely on tourism to make money and their explained how that income was dashed during the pandemic.
She said: “I know a lot of people will think ‘Well, not a lot has changed with your life as a shepherd’ and while it may seem like in the countryside, the pandemic is so very far away but that’s actually not the case.
“In the first instance, we have diversified as a farm and we are very reliant on tourists.
“The first six months of the year is very hands on with the sheep throughout the winter but, come the end of lambing season, we’re looking after people instead, shepherding tourists.
“Of course, that never happened last year – the people never came.”
She also revealed some essential jobs on the farm won’t make them any money.
She said: “It is a funny one that people don’t realise. People say ‘how do you make your money? Do you make your money from wool?’ No, it’s literally worthless.
“We have to shear the sheep purely for the fact that they need shearing.
“They’ve been domesticated for thousands of years, the wool needs to come off so we shear the sheep. But we, you know, get £200 maybe.”
This week it was revealed that their relationship was under strain – as the former model confirmed to marriage woes with husband Clive, 66.
Amanda is said to be staying at a rental property away from the farm in Swaledale.
The latest episode was broadcast on Tuesday night and Amanda’s new book even promotes the virtues of domestic life.
In a joint statement the couple said: “The constant intrusion into our lives from the media has amplified a rocky patch.”
Do you have a story for The Sun Showbiz team?
Email digishowbiz@the-sun.co.uk or call us direct on 02077824220 .
We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.
