Working on the land out in the fresh air, farming seems an idyllic way of life.

You answer to no-one but yourself and you get to live in the country, miles away from traffic jams and the hustle and bustle of city life.

But what is it really like to be a farmer in today's Britain?
Outbreaks such as blue tongue and foot-and-mouth have devastated livestock farmers, and there is ongoing controversy among farmers over the payment of subsidies from the Government and the EU.

On top of that, a bad summer can destroy a farm's crop for the year.

Many farms are diversifying and selling their produce from their own farm shop or establishing themselves as a tourist attraction, but is farming still a viable way of making a living?

Philip Painter runs Grafton Park Farm, now an arable farm after it ceased dairy farming 11 years ago.

Mr Painter lives at the farm in Grafton Underwood with his wife, who works in engineering, and his two young boys.

Here, he explains the truth about what it means to be a farmer today.

What is it really like to be a farmer?
It's hard work. We have to work out in all weather but it's my choice and I love it.
There is only one other profession that has a better office than me in my opinion and that's a ski instructor.

Do you make good money?
It's been hard over the last 10 years. Hopefully there is a change coming for arable farming but livestock farmers are in major trouble.
It is the Government's obligation to have cheap food for the people but us farmers need to be able to make enough money to re-invest into the farm and live.
Around half of farmers live in rented farms and houses because they can't afford a mortgage.

Don't you get lots of Government and EU subsidies?
We don't get any subsidies, we get support from the Government for countryside stewardship like hedge maintenance and caring for the countryside and the environment.
Mostly it comes to the farm a year after the Government receives the money from the EU so we submit a bid in May and people now are still waiting for last year's payment.
You quite often fill out that year's forms before you get the previous year's money, yet in France they get their money straight away.
Livestock farmers need this money because they are not making any money at all, they are losing money.

How much of an impact has foot and mouth and blue tongue had on farmers?
It has had an extreme impact in the livestock sector. There is very little movement of cattle allowed so farmers can't sell them but they still have to feed them and pay out on other costs like vet bills.
They need money to re-stock and to bring in next year's cattle and they still need to pay their rents.

What is the biggest misconception about farming?
People think we are all rich and they think we drive around in big four-wheel drives. I do but a Ford Focus couldn't haul a livestock trailer nor could I put bags of feed in the back.

What are your major worries about the future of farming?
The countryside is getting smaller due to the building of houses and the infrastructure surrounding houses.
People want parks and green space, and when you build a road it isn't just the width of the road, it takes vast swathes of land.
Once the houses are built you cannot grow crops on that land and I think we are going to be very short on food in the future. This is one of the reasons why the price of wheat is going up.
It is right to have food mountains because if something goes wrong such as bad weather then we have something to fall back on.
We used to rely on the Ukraine and Russia for wheat but they have extreme weather and don't always get the crops, and when the deep sea ports freeze up they can't ship the crops out.
We need a big supply of food being produced in this country.

Would you recommend it as a career to your children or grandchildren?
I am exactly the same as most parents – I would support my boys to do whatever they wanted.
If they wanted to go into agriculture I would help them but I certainly wouldn't push it.
It is a great way of life and it's a great way to bring up a family.

Would you ever sell up?
No. I feel very emotional about it – it's my job and I love it.