THREE farming friends are swapping their quad bikes for the mic as they’ve produced a podcast that can be downloaded on Spotify.

Ben Chilman, Ted Davies and Nick Rogers have ditched the wellies and instead donned a pair of headphones to bring you the Ewe Turn Podcast. But, if you think this is going to be a farming podcast informing listeners about the latest prices of sheep feed and discussing their favourite cattle breeds – think again.

Instead, the idea has been born out of the fact the trio each struggled with their mental health during the various lockdowns brought on by the coronavirus pandemic, and they want to smash the stereotype of people in the farming community being impervious to struggles with depression and isolation.

“It’s going to be only vaguely agricultural,” admits Ben, the youngest of the trio, at 21.

You don’t have to own a John Deere or list the young people’s village or Royal Welsh Show week as your ideal holiday destination to be able to enjoy what the lads will be offering in the pod – with the first episode available to listen to now.

“We started it due to the issue of mental health, something in rural life that is ever-present,” said Ben. “I don’t think many people outside farming realise that, while inside it perhaps people don’t want to admit it.

“But the pandemic has accelerated it. As three mates we’ve realised over the last year that we needed to do something. I think during tough times you feel you have to grin and bear it in farming, it’s seen as a tough and hardy industry, in which people are outside working in all types of weather at any time of year.”

And in case you stumble upon Ewe Turn and think you’ve taken a wrong turn, don’t judge so quickly.

“If you want to know about feed and tractors, it’s probably best you go elsewhere,” added Ben.

“In producing the show we’ve listened to a lot of other agricultural podcasts out there and we’ve found that they’re either extremely serious, where they are discussing things like lamb prices, or they tend to be a bit too loose, with a lot of effin and jeffin.

“This definitely isn’t going to be a farming podcast. I’d say it’s more a rural affairs podcast. It will be vaguely agricultural. It’s more about living in small, rural communities like we do here in Powys. We’ll touch on a bit of sport and local news.”

The first episode is a gentle introduction to the hosts, but future guests lined up to appear on the show include Emma Picton-Jones of the DPJ Foundation. Mother-of-three Emma created the foundation in 2016 following the death of her husband Daniel. The agricultural contractor took his own life having suffered with mental health issues his whole life, and she wanted to improve mental health awareness among farmers in Wales.

Ceredigion farmer Dewi Jenkins is also set to appear. You might remember him for breeding the world’s most expensive sheepdog. Tynygraig Jet, a 10-month-old fully home-bred black and white bitch, fetched a staggering £12,000 at Skipton Auction Mart last year.

The three mates are all from the Presteigne area. Ben, the baby of the group, is at Harper Adams studying agriculture with farm business management. Ted, 26, juggles farming at the family home with his job at McCartneys, and also plays rugby for Builth Wells; while 27-year-old Nick also farms at home and is a Presteigne and Norton town councillor.

Creativity is very much seen as part of the fabric of being a young farmer in Wales. The YFC movement is hugely popular among those growing up in rural communities and has no doubt sparked the podcast’s creation – with the lads now feeling like a new vehicle (and not a tractor) is needed to take their ambitions further.

“I think we just needed a laugh and it came about as we’ve now been able to see each other after such a long time of not being able to,” said Ben.

“We’re getting to age now where the other two are leaving YFC and want to do something else. We’ve been overwhelmed with the outreach we’ve had for the pod so far.

“The first episode is a simple introduction to ourselves and getting to know us. How we’ve come to be where we are.

“We’ve got guests lined up for forthcoming episodes, including Emma Picton Jones of the DPJ Foundation and sheepdog man, Dewi Jenkins. We want it to be about other people. Lots of podcasts run on a loose topic and then there’s lots of comedy involved, that’s what we want ours to be about, we want it to be fun. Depending on how successful it is, maybe we’ll do an episode from the members tent at next year’s Royal Welsh Show.”

The Ewe Turn Podcast is available now on Spotify and will hopefully be downloadable on iTunes in the future. The second pod drops this Friday, May 14, and they will be out every two weeks going forward. Get in touch with the lads at @eweturnpod on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.