Farmer Wants A Wife is back and better than ever, and we’re seeing a new group of city girls heading to the farm for the chance of love.
Much like every other viewer tuning in this year, I can’t help but watch and think: Would I trade my own city life for a farm romance?
Every year, when FWAW comes around, I am always shocked by the women’s willingness to uproot their entire lives and risk it all to move to the farm for love.
It makes me think, what would it take for me to move out to the sticks? Would an apple farmer or a sheep farmer be enough to start a new life in the countryside?
Many city dwellers long for the small-town appeal of the rural lifestyle, but as someone who traded all that for the city, it might take more to sway me back.
As a Brit, I grew up on the small island of Jersey in the Channel Islands (not heard of it? I don’t blame you), which has one high street, beaches and a lot of fields.
While not typically what comes to mind when you think of the country, I lived in an area of country lanes, fields, animals and (of course) knew all my neighbours.
It was very much a small-town upbringing, where everyone knows everyone, and I dabbled in the “farm” life by horse riding and helping out at the stables.
However, much like every other 18-year-old from a small place, I traded in the rural dream for the big city and hopped over to mainland England.
Moving first to Brighton and then London, I fell completely in love with the bright lights and bustling nature of the big city, and there was no going back.
From West End plays at the weekend to endless bars and shops to explore, it’s safe to say that London completely stole my heart.
My love for London has only been rivalled by my love for Sydney, which brings me back to the beaches and outdoor lifestyle of my childhood, without sacrificing the city feel.
Could this be the first sign that I’m ready to move back to the countryside?
Maybe, but I’m not sure I’d risk what I’ve built in the city to move to the farm on the promise of love.
Call me unromantic, but I think I’d have far too much fear to make such a bold move. What if I didn’t like the farm after all? What if the relationship went south? What about my job and city life?
Fair play to the women who sign up for FWAW because it’s a big change, and a lot to give up.
Though I’ve never worked on a farm, I’ve spoken to many farmers who have described it as a 24/7 job, one that only the very passionate farmer is cut out for.
So, I imagine living on a farm is slightly different to the quiet, countryside life people imagine, though you’d still very much get the tranquillity of being out in the bush.
While most people watch FWAW to root for the farmers to find their match (which, of course, I do too), I also worry about the women and wonder: Are they truly ready to make that change?
And as much as the countryside life is romanticised, I’m sure the idea of a city girl moving to the farm for love also feels like a starry-eyed concept for the farmers themselves.
I’d personally love to see a version of FWAW where they matchmake farmers with country bumpkins, or maybe the city men could be paired up with female farmers this time around.
Ultimately, while I applaud the women for giving up their city lives for love, I’m not sure I’d be able to take that leap.
However, maybe I’m a hypocrite talking about the risk of it all, as I did move to the other side of the world and start dating a Kiwi.
So, you never know, maybe it will be the New Zealand countryside that beckons me to the farm.
