will evans

How did ex - dairy farmer Will Evans become a professional footballer ? How did it feel to score against Manchester United? Is he set to return to his farming roots?

He’s been hitting the headlines over the past couple of weeks so we couldn’t resist inviting him onto the podcast .

Will Evans, Newport County AFC’s forward, has started a storm with his goal against Man United in the recent FA Cup home game but his life wasn’t always on the football field.

In fact, his life began in the fields of his families dairy farm where after school activities included tending to the cows before playing the Xbox.

Talking all things farming and football, we find out how Will got his big break, what it was like playing against The Red Devils, and we ask the controversial question:

Should footballers be paid more than farmers?

You’ll want to listen to this one until full time.


As always, thank you to our sponsor Howden.

Another hundred episodes has gone past and we’ve been all over the British Isles from the north of Scotland to Cornwall and the Isle of Man to Sussex and met farmers from pretty much every sector - dairy, pigs, poultry, horticulture, cereals, potatoes, sheep and beef. We’ve discussed the environment, politics, culture, new entrants, challenges, inputs, policy, trade and profiled some amazing personal stories. We’ve championed some fantastic farmers, which is what this podcast is all about. In this episode we look back through the archive at some of the last hundred episodes.  Ben is joined by Will Evans – who is an arable and beef farmer from north Wales, the current Chair of the Oxford Farming Conference, Farmers Weekly back page columnist and Ben's co-host over on the Kite Podcast. Will started the Rock and Roll Farming podcast at about the same time that Meet the Farmers started in 2016. 

About Ben

Ben Eagle is the founder and Head of Podcasts at RuralPod Media, a specialist rural podcast production agency. He is also a freelance rural affairs and agricultural journalist. You can find out more at ruralpodmedia.co.uk or benjamineagle.co.uk 

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A-Plan Rural Insurance

This episode is sponsored by our primary sponsor A Plan Rural. 

Show References

Image credit: Will Evans

Timestamps

00:27 Ben introduces the show.

2:00 Will comes in.

2:14 Will talks about his farm and how farming this year has been so far. 

4:00 Ben explains the context for this week's episode.

5:00 Episode 102 example with Sally Williams and Will Evans.

7:00 Ben asks Will to tell him about his early days as a Director of the Oxford Farming Conference and how the conference has changed over that time. 

12:30 Abi Reader discusses TB

14:45 Ben and Will discuss TB.

18:48 Bill Northey talking about carbon and climate.

20:30 Ben and Will discuss carbon and climate. 

24:35 Sponsor message from A Plan Rural Insurance.

25:19 Ben introduces the episode with Chris Clark.

25:55 Chris Clark on the link between nature and farming and putting nature on the balance sheet. 

27:24 Ben and Will discuss Chris's comments.

30:40 Ben and Will discuss agflation and the rise in the cost of inputs.

33:46 Janet Hughes 

35:54 Ben and Will discuss Janet Hughes' influence. 

38:54 Ioan Humphreys and his message to the public and message to farmers. 

41:25 Ben and Will discuss the egg crisis, supermarkets and Ioan's comments. 

45:19 Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones and personal purpose. 

46:17  Ben and Will discuss mindset.

49:48 Emma O-Sullivan talking about the death of Daniel Picton-Jones. 

51:40 Will and Ben discuss mental health. 

55:26 Russ Carrington talking about mindset shift in regenerative agriculture.

58:42 Ben and Will discuss regenerative agriculture and whether we talk about it too much?

01:00:30 Sponsor message for A Plan Rural Insurance.

01:00:54 Ben introduces Jess Langton

01:01:14 Jess Langton on getting the next generation involved in policy direction.

01:02:26 Ben and Will discuss positivity and Jess's comments. 

01:04:42 Will's message to the public.

01:05:49 Will's message to farmers.

01:07:15 Ben rounds up the episode. 

Discovered my harmony knack thanks to the Baptist church's echoes. Acoustic vibes ground me, inspired by nature—surfing in freezing waves fuels my verses. Juggling art and bills is hard; streaming's a joke, and the pandemic nixed touring, my cash cow. I thrive live, not on screens. Shelved songs mean they're not hitting right; best tunes flow in a day, raw and real.

Songwriting's my therapy, a self-boost on stage. First album strayed, took two to return to roots. Turbulent recordings, but a roots award nod in New Zealand said, "You're on track." New kid, new emotions, richer music—I trust 'em 'cause they're real. My music's for everyone, reviving raw, communal vibes. Values? Compassion, truth, honesty, thanks to my hardworking dad. Joy's in diverse crowds connecting.

Nature sparks creativity; surfing births impromptu lyrics. Podcast tackled societal splits; my take? Bring back empathy. Hung with indigenous folks, learned loads. Pausing, breathing, embracing perspectives—like sitting with a tree.

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Catherine Cunningham set herself the challenge of creating an online business from the family farm in County Antrim with a small initial investment. 5 years later, The Present Tree sells thousands of tree gifts every year, and are planning further expansion.

Will Evans is in Northern Ireland to discover the secrets behind Catherine's success, and explore the benefits and challenges of diversifying without potential customers coming onto the farm.

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