Suffolk celebrity Jimmy Doherty talks about his new book, his farm's 20th anniversary and the future
Celebrity farmer Jimmy Doherty has a busy year ahead of him as his famous farm and wildlife park celebrates its 20th anniversary.
After transforming a derelict pig farm just outside Ipswich into the nationally famous wildlife reserve, its owner has quite the tale to tell.
His latest book, 'Tales From Jimmy's Farm', launches next month, which will cover farm life, his inspirations, reasons to choose a natural life and everything in between.
After more than six months of work, the book is set to release on October 13 - and the man himself will be at the farm at a signing event for fans.
In an interview with SuffolkNews, he said his journey has come full-circle, with the book being similar to another he wrote when he first opened the farm.
Jimmy said: "The farm has been through lots of changes in the last 20 years, starting out as a small rare breed free range farm, to becoming well-established and moving into the world of conservation after we gained our zoo licence and I hope the book will tell the story of that journey."
He hopes to take readers on an adventure through the timeline of the park.
The book is based around the changing seasons, because it not only impacts how the park is run, but also affects everyone.
It has allowed him to hark back to previous events while providing a window into how the farm is set up and operates.
Jimmy noted: "The book really goes into the whys, hows, and when - how we started, why we did it.
"It will detail how the change in season dictates what we do at the park, and I thought it would be a nice way to talk about the animals. both domestically and from the perspective of a wildlife park.
"It also features recipes, tips on wildflower planting, and things like that.
"I also wanted to talk about what our plans for the future of the park are."
Despite its name, he noted the book isn't really about him - it's about the animals, the characters, the people who help out, the farm itself and how it got to where it is today.
He recalled that writing the book was similar to having a conversation.
It also gives him a platform to talk about his influences and what drove him to open the park in the first place, which he said he's never really spoken about before.
He really wants to encourage readers to get excited about seasonal changes and what the farming calendar means for everyone.
Jimmy opened a farm because he has had a passion for the natural world, and animals, since childhood.
At four or five years old, his family moved from London to rural Essex, where is fascination began.
He graduated from studying bugs to collecting animals.
He added: "I used to keep tropical fish as a kid, and I would wash cars to fund this hobby.
"Some of my earliest memories are of me, at around seven or eight, going around the village washing cars - I'd charge extra to wax that car - although I'd often only do the side facing the house as a way to get it done faster and increase profits to buy my aquarium.
"I'd spend hours in the nearby woods, pretending it was the Amazon rainforest, trying to catch fish and watch animals.
"This is all backstory to my eventual career and form part of the bigger picture we find ourselves looking at today."
He said he'd buy birds, salamanders, snakes, and place them in his bedroom or garage - which he said he once turned into an aviary.
The farmer said: "It was about obsessing over animals."
He later bought chickens from a local boy in the village, and the notion that animals could produce food that he could share with his family nurtured a love of farming.
However, the game-changer came at the age of 13, when he got a job in a nearby wildlife park, working in the tropical butterfly house.
Jimmy's Farm has had its own tropical butterfly house for eight years, which was inspired by this job.
He later went on to study animal biology at university while volunteering at the Natural History Museum in London, testing theories and looking at statistics, before studying for a PhD in entomology.
However, he feels this caused him to become divorced from the colour of nature.
After reading a copy of Ark Magazine, published by the Rare Breed Survival Trust, he decided a change was due.
Jimmy added: "At this point farming had quite a negative reputation - the big foot-and-mouth outbreak had happened, but at the same time, farmers' markets were on the rise - you could sell directly to the public, which provided a way in.
"In 2002, I decided to open the farm and haven't looked back."
Farming is difficult right now, from fuel costs to labour, he added, so strength of brand is key.
Jimmy stressed: "I wanted this to be serious - I didn't want to 'do it at the weekend', so to speak - I was going to put my all into it.
"I wanted to look after traditional breeds as a business, and to do that, I needed an outlet, and with the rise of farmers' markets, the stars finally aligned."
It's been 20 years since the farm opened and there are many events planned, from a party event inspired by Oktoberfest, to a Halloween event.
However, the big news is the founding of a biodiversity conservation charity, which will not only look after habitats, but also look after both native and non-native wildlife, from tapirs to hedgehogs.
They will also look at whether animals they breed could be released into the wild abroad.
As for the future, plans are already in motion.
Jimmy added: "We're planning on carrying on down the same route, focusing on conservation, farming and food production, while also engaging the general public in these goals.
"We're working with other wildlife parks to get ideas for future enclosures to see where we can go next.
"But at the core, our goal is to be the heart of the community. It's once thing to work with other organisations here and abroad, it's another to be a fixture of local events, be it through events or education.
"They key takeaway is that, whatever your dream is, don't hesitate to have a go at it. Failure is another starting point. It's better to have tried and failed to follow your dreams than not at all."
