18 Christmas gift ideas for farmers
‘Tis the season to be jolly. And exchange gifts galore! Christmas shopping can be a time-consuming and expensive feat, so we have pulled some ideas together to inspire and help you.
We have got a selection of present ideas for the home, for the kids, for foodies and for the more practical readers.
From flasks and socks to steak stamps and cheese subscriptions, we have got it all. If you’ve got your shopping under control already, you can always share this as a subtle hint…
FOODIE
Cheese subscription
Sign up for the Courtyard Dairy Cheese Club and every month a lovingly selected box of cheeses will arrive on your doorstep.
Most of the farms the club works with rear traditional breeds such as Ayrshire, Red Poll and Dairy Shorthorn – typically in herds of fewer than 70 cows.
All the cheeses are still made by hand on farm, with most farmers using their own unpasteurised milk from a single herd.
Cheese is then cloth-bound and aged in a traditional store. It’s the stuff dairy dreams are made of.
Price: Three-month subscriptions from £84
www.thecourtyarddairy.co.uk
Steak stamp
When you want your steak cooked rare, anything else just won’t do.
Eliminate any confusion on the barbecue with the ultimate cooking utensil for carnivores.
Heat it up on hot coals or gas for a few minutes and when your steak is cooked to your personal preference, brand it with “Black & Blue”, “Little Bit of Blood” or “Nearly Burnt”.
Price: £19.95
www.luckies.co.uk
British tea
Thought a cup of tea couldn’t get any more British? The climate at the Tregothnan Estate in Cornwall mimics that of the high foothills of the Himalayas – the perfect conditions for growing tea.
Their classic British blend combines hand-picked Cornish leaves with Assam from India for an incomparable cuppa.
And for the most committed tea enthusiasts, you can buy a tea plant nurtured from a cutting to grow and enjoy.
Price: 25 classic loose leaf pyramids £9.95. Tea bush £14.95
www.tregothnan.co.uk
Corkcicle
White wine lovers will thank you for buying them the Corkcicle.
Keep the icicle-shaped cooler in the freezer and whenever you want a perfectly chilled glass of wine, just pop it into the neck of the bottle and it will keep your tipple cold for up to an hour.
Price: £19.99
www.johnlewis.com
HOME
Tractor cakes and ice cubes
Give any birthday or special occasion a tractor-shaped touch with this silicone cake mould.
There is also one that can be used as an ice cube tray.
You’ll earn extra points for authenticity because they are from John Deere’s official range of merchandise.
Price: Cake tin £10.89. Ice cube tray £5.15 (prices may vary)
www.johndeereshop.com
Scratch map
On the surface this looks like a fairly humdrum map of the UK and Ireland.
But scratch the surface (literally) and it will reveal all the finer details of the towns, villages and counties.
Rub off all the places you’ve lived, worked or been on holiday to create a unique record of your travels.
A brilliantly imaginative gift for lovers of this fine land.
Price: £16.95
www.scratchmap.co.uk
Wall stickers
Your love of the countryside doesn’t have to stop at the front door.
Oakdene Designs has a range of vinyl wall stickers that instantly add a rural feel to your interiors.
Our favourites include a stylish twist on the original butchers’ diagrams and a mischievous digging dog.
Price: Digging dog £18
Butcher’s pig £29
Butcher’s cow £31.60
www.oakdenedesigns.com
Pheasant boot bag
Banish muddy wellies from cupboards, hallways, boot rooms and the car with this water-resistant oilcloth bag.
It zips up to contain all the mud and muck, leaving you to enjoy the majestic long-tailed gamebirds printed on the outside – not to mention your dirt-free floors.
Price: £30
www.sophieallport.com
Tweed cushion
Timothy Foxx’s new Tractor Tweed cushion would look at home in a traditional or contemporary interior.
Handmade by farmer’s wife Rosalie Gregory from Buckinghamshire, this sofa accessory is made from sections of Scottish Tweed, ribbon and cotton fabric with the reverse being completely in tweed fabric.
Size is about 17″ x 17″. Feathered pad included.
Price: £55
www.timothyfoxx.co.uk
Bowl overs
These are the brainchild of Harriet Campbell, who hated using cling film so much she made her own 100% cotton alternative.
Use them to cover bowls when putting away leftovers in the fridge or larder.
They can be washed and reused over and over again.
Price: £12.50 for a pack of six (2 x large, 2 x medium, 2 x small). Single Bowl Overs from £2.50
www.bowlovers.co.uk
PRACTICAL
No-fuss flask
It’s called the “Hulk of Thermos flasks”, and for good reason.
Dent-resistant with rubber bumpers for extra protection, it’s so robust it comes with a five-year guarantee.
Plus it keeps hot water hot or cold water cold for 24 hours – which means no lukewarm tea, even during the longest shift in the tractor cab.
Price: Thermos Work Series steel flask £29.11
www.molevalleyfarmers.com
Home Farm
Love reading the Farm Life section of Farmers Weekly?
If so, you’ll love Home Farm, a new 100-page spin-off country title bought to you by Farmers Weekly.
Packed full of articles for all the family, it has everything from recipes and diversification stories to humour and pets.
Price: £5.99
www.fwi.co.uk/homefarminfo
Glowrings
The ultimate versatile gift for outdoorsy types.
From marking a safe route round your garden or yard, to identifying the start button on a diesel generator – whenever you need to find your equipment or your way in the dark, attach a GlowRing and it will safely guide your path.
Unlike many luminous devices, GlowRings will continue to glow for years, even when they’re kept in darkness.
No electricity, charging, batteries or maintenance required.
Price: Traditional tinted GlowRing £10.99 (or £9 when you buy six or more)
www.niteglowrings.com
Waterproof socks
No gift list would be complete without socks, but this is no ordinary pair.
SealSkinz specialises in making waterproof socks, guaranteeing cosy, dry feet in even the coldest, wettest weather (something us Brits know all about).
This is its Country design – a classic knee-length style with a ribbed woollen turnover.
Price: £45
www.sealskinz.com
KIDS
Muddy Puddles Bib & Brace
Once upon a time there was a farmer whose children loved getting really, really muddy (sound familiar?), so she lay the smallest one down, drew around him and made him a waterproof suit.
Muddy Puddles was born and it has been making some of the best technical outdoor clothing for kids ever since.
Price: Original Bib & Brace £24 (sizes 18 months to 12 years)
www.muddypuddles.com
Animal head torch
Help them find the best creepy crawlies, read under the covers or just make the dark a friendlier place.
Perfect for little explorers, these adjustable head torches leave kids’ hands free for even better adventures (two AAA batteries included).
Price: £6.95
www.glow.co.uk
Tractor clock
Handmade in the UK, Little Timbers pendulum clocks will be an instant hit with any youngsters who are machinery mad.
Just pop in two AA batteries and the little tractor will swing to and fro – the perfect encouragement to start telling the time.
And don’t worry about noisy ticking – the clock is equipped with a silent system so it won’t disturb their sleep.
Price: £34.99. Enter the discount code FARMER 2015 at the checkout for a 10% discount September to December 2015.
www.littletimbers.co.uk
Landy slippers
Working out of an old farmhouse in Oxfordshire, Sonia Spencer designs charming felted creations.
Her Landy kids slippers were inspired by her beloved Land Rover Defender, which – despite the iffy air-con and bumpy ride – she refuses to even consider replacing.
Also in the farm collection are Fergie tractor, sheepdog, pig, sheep and cow slippers.
Price: Landy kids slippers £26.95 (Kids designs £24.95-£26.95, adults from £39)
www.sewheartfelt.co.uk