By Debbie James

Every Sunday evening, after his four young daughters are safely tucked up in bed and the rest of Wales is contemplating the week ahead, the spare bedroom in Will Evans’s rambling farmhouse morphs into a recording studio.

Equipped with laptop, headphones and microphone, farmer Will is transformed into podcast presenter, with a line-up of inspiring guests ranging from a Hebridean crofter to a farm safety campaigner.

The podcast, which now gets over a thousand downloads, developed from an online blog Will launched a year ago.

He inherited his love of writing and reading from his grandmother, a prolific diarist who chronicled day-to-day activities on the family farm near Wrexham.

As a teenager, Will was keen to leave school at the earliest opportunity to join his parents on the farm and that is what he did, at 15 and with no qualifications. “Like a lot of farmer’s kids I hated school and couldn’t wait to leave.’’

Although he didn’t embrace the academic aspect of school, his love of reading never waned and, with the advent of social media, he spotted an opportunity to channel that interest.

“I had read quite a few farming blogs and always had it in my mind that I might like to do something similar but there was always that doubt that I could do it.’’

But encouraged by his wife, Sarah, he put pen to paper – or finger to computer keyboard – and his first blog came to life.

The seed for that first piece was sown while he was ploughing a field at Lower Eyton, the beef, arable and poultry farm where he farms with his parents, John and June.

“I was unearthing lots of horseshoes and clay beer bottles and, as I’m a big history geek, it got me thinking about the previous generations of people who had been ploughing there before me.’’

With a positive critique from Sarah, he posted the article online and ‘Father and Farmer’ was created. “I had some nice comments and it has grown from there.’’

Spurred on by that positive feedback, Will saw the potential in developing the written word into the spoken one, by launching a podcast.

“I know my way around a computer but didn’t know anything about making creative projects. But I didn’t want to be that person who had an idea who didn’t follow it through so I contacted 20 people and asked if they would be prepared to be interviewed.’’

His research brought him into contact with Rob Sharkey, who broadcasts a podcast from Illinois.

“He asked me if I would like to be interviewed for his podcast which I did and it was great fun and it was quite well received,’’ says Will.

Buoyed by that experience, he watched hours of online tutorials on how to produce a podcast, downloaded software and bought the necessary equipment.

Will’s first interview was with James Robertson, a friend of his who farms in Cumbria. Since that first recording, he has never been short of interviewees.

Every interviewee has been inspiring, he says.

Will’s own farming activities keep him busy as do his four daughters, Gwendolyn, aged seven; Ffion, five; Mainr, four, and the baby of the family, two-year-old, Branwen. As such, all his interviews are done by phone.

“The biggest obstacle is terrible rural communications, either people have poor broadband, no phone signal in their house or a crackle on the line,’’ says Will.

“My broadband is dreadful; every week is a challenge. Some weeks it feels like we are flying by the seat of our pants!’’

The podcast style is conversational. “I didn’t want it to be too polished. I wanted it to come across like two people talking in the livestock market or pub and that seems to work well for the people I interview and for me.’’

*To download Will’s podcast visit rockandrollfarming.libsyn.com. It is also available on iTunes.