Wilson & Ashley

Put your thoughts into the mix
In this first part of our two-part series, we step back into 2001 — to the beginning of the Foot and Mouth outbreak. An outbreak that would change British farming forever.
What started as a single confirmed case quickly escalated into a national crisis. But behind the headlines and statistics were real people, real farms, and real lives being turned upside down.
In this episode, we hear directly from those on the front line. A farmer from an affected area shares what it was like to live through the uncertainty, fear, and reality of the disease arriving at the farm gate. We’re also joined by a vet who was working on the ground during the outbreak — an experience so profound it ultimately led him into politics.
Together, their stories paint a picture not just of how the disease spread, but of how it felt — the decisions, the pressure, and the moments that have stayed with them ever since.
This episode runs in a slightly different format to usual, allowing space for these stories to be told properly — because the human impact of Foot and Mouth was far-reaching, and is still felt today.
Disclaimer: This episode contains discussion of the 2001 Foot and Mouth outbreak, including references to animal culling and suicide. Some listeners may find this distressing.
Thank you to our contributors. 
Sources:
https://www.woah.org/en/reflections-on-the-foot-and-mouth-disease-epidemic-of-2001-a-united-kingdom-perspective/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-12483017
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/foot-and-mouth-disease 
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/hand-foot-mouth-disease/ 
https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2001/mar/21/footandmouth.angeliquechrisafis 
https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/7075072.brigadier-tells-chaos-epidemic-fight/ 
https://www.farminguk.com/news/uk-not-prepared-for-foot-and-mouth-outbreak-vets-warn_68307.html 
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@wilsonandashley
@rebeccawilsonfarming
@charlotteashleyfarm
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Whilst we endeavour to research podcast topics to the best of our ability, we cannot guarantee the accuracy and completeness of all conversations and as such, the podcast does not constitute professional advice.

Put your thoughts into the mix
What really happens when you put rewilding, farming, and real-life rural voices in the same conversation?
In this unfiltered and often hilarious episode, we dive deep into one of the most controversial debates in modern agriculture:
👉 Should land be rewilded—or should it feed people?
From sleep-deprived lambing nights and muddy farm realities to the growing pressure of government schemes, rising costs, and public opinion, this episode pulls back the curtain on what farming actually looks like in 2026.
We unpack:
🌱 The truth behind the rewilding movement—and why it divides farmers
🚜 The financial realities of farming (and why ideology doesn’t pay the bills)
🐑 The impact of predators, policy, and “perfect” environmental narratives
💸 Subsidies, carbon credits, and whether sustainability is being driven by money or morals
🌍 Why food security might be closer to crisis than we think
👩‍🌾 The social side of farming life—from relationships to rural identity
Expect strong opinions, candid storytelling, and a no-nonsense look at the balance between nature, food production, and survival.
Because behind every headline about rewilding…
there are real farmers, real families, and real consequences.
🎧 If you care about food, the countryside, or the future of farming—this one’s for you.
Join our Listener Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1110531760649475/
If you’ve got a story, a strong opinion, or an idea for an episode… Slide into the DMs or drop us a voice note — we want to include your thoughts in our conversation. 
Subscribe now and let’s get into it!
@wilsonandashley
@rebeccawilsonfarming
@charlotteashleyfarm
Powered by Ridgeline Clothing
Whilst we endeavour to research podcast topics to the best of our ability, we cannot guarantee the accuracy and completeness of all conversations and as such, the podcast does not constitute professional advice.

Put your thoughts into the mix
In this episode of the Wilson and Ashley Podcast, off the back of a great reel from Schöffel Country and The Country Food Trust, we talk about how game meat is being used to tackle food poverty in the UK. 
When you actually look at the numbers, food poverty is hard to ignore - millions of people in the UK are struggling to access enough food, there are now more food banks than McDonald's restaurants, and demand for emergency food is still rising. At the same time, we’ve got a growing deer population, not enough being culled, and huge amounts of nutritious, sustainable meat that could be used far better. When a relatively small number of deer can produce hundreds of thousands of meals, it feels like utilising this meat for those in need is a no brainer. 
We also touch on food waste and our own experience trying to get fresh produce into food banks, and how complicated it actually was. It all feeds into a bigger conversation around access to proper, nutritious food to fuel the body and the mind. 
In the second half, we talk about declining mental health and why we need to back our farmers as part of the solution. There’s a clear trend showing younger generations are struggling more, and while there’s no single cause, diet keeps coming up as part of the conversation — especially the rise in ultra-processed foods, even in products people think are healthy.
It all links back to farming. If we’re producing less real, whole food in this country, what replaces it? And what does that mean not just for food security, but for long-term health?
When you join it all up — food banks, malnutrition, game meat, ultra-processed diets and mental health — it keeps coming back to the same point. Good food is vital for the health of people and farmers are uniquely placed to provide it.
Join our Listener Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1110531760649475/
If you’ve got a story, a strong opinion, or an idea for an episode… Slide into the DMs or drop us a voice note — we want to include your thoughts in our conversation. 
Subscribe now and let’s get into it!
@wilsonandashley
@rebeccawilsonfarming
@charlotteashleyfarm
Powered by Ridgeline Clothing
Whilst we endeavour to research podcast topics to the best of our ability, we cannot guarantee the accuracy and completeness of all conversations and as such, the podcast does not constitute professional advice.

Put your thoughts into the mix
In this episode of the Wilson & Ashley Podcast we’re looking at two topics that have been making plenty of noise both online and in real life: the controversy surrounding multi-million follower account, Ballerina Farm, and the ongoing debate around taking children out of school during term time.
If you spend any time on the rustic American farming side of social media, you’ve probably come across Ballerina Farm. Run by former ballerina Hannah Neeleman and her husband Daniel in Utah, the account has built a huge following by sharing a vision of traditional family life, home-produced food and farming with their eight children. But recently the farm found itself at the centre of a debate after it stopped selling raw milk following reports of high coliform bacteria levels in some testing. While the business says the decision was a commercial one and that the milk passed the required state tests while it was being sold, the story quickly grew online and raised wider questions about food safety, influencer responsibility and the way farming is portrayed on social media. We talk about what raw milk actually is, how it’s regulated in both the US and the UK, and whether the conversation would even exist if this were just an ordinary dairy farm without millions of followers watching.
We also discuss the bigger issue of how farming and food production are presented online, and whether there’s a growing gap between the romanticised version of rural life people see on social media and the realities of producing food safely and responsibly.
In the second half of the episode we turn to a topic that had a big response from our followers on social media: the rules around school attendance. Nearly half a million fines were issued last year for children being taken out of school during term time, as the Department for Education continues to tighten enforcement in an effort to improve attendance rates. Fines start at £80 per parent per child and can escalate quickly, with the possibility of court action for repeat offences. But what happens when your job simply doesn’t fit neatly into the school holiday calendar? For farming families in particular, there are times of year when work is completely dictated by the season and taking time off during school holidays just isn’t always possible.
We talk about whether the current system fairly reflects the realities of rural life, whether farming families should ever be considered an exceptional circumstance, and where the line sits between protecting children’s education and recognising that some professions operate on a very different timetable.
Join our Listener Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1110531760649475/
If you’ve got a story, a strong opinion, or an idea for an episode… Slide into the DMs or drop us a voice note — we want to include your thoughts in our conversation. 
Subscribe now and let’s get into it!
@wilsonandashley
@rebeccawilsonfarming
@charlotteashleyfarm
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Whilst we endeavour to research podcast topics to the best of our ability, we cannot guarantee the accuracy and completeness of all conversations and as such, the podcast does not constitute professional advice.

Put your thoughts into the mix
This week we're asking should farmers be wearing SPF like it’s PPE? From influencer 50-step skincare routines and £100 moisturisers to the harsh reality of UV exposure in agriculture, we dig into why so many farmers skip sunscreen — and whether that says something bigger about how the industry approaches wellbeing in general.  With 17,500 new melanoma cases in the UK each year and outdoor workers at significantly higher risk, is it time farmers started taking sun protection seriously? We've had a lot of responses from our followers on social media and the results make for a great conversation!
Then we turn to the controversy around DEFRA awarding a contract (worth up to £650,000) to the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust’s Allerton Project to deliver agricultural training for civil servants. Is this a smart move to improve farming policy? A waste of taxpayer money? Or proof that government is too disconnected from rural life?
We break down what the training could involve, why it’s caused backlash on X, and whether better-informed policymakers could mean better outcomes for British farmers.
Join our Listener Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1110531760649475/
If you’ve got a story, a strong opinion, or an idea for an episode… Slide into the DMs or drop us a voice note — we want to include your thoughts in our conversation. 
Subscribe now and let’s get into it!
@wilsonandashley
@rebeccawilsonfarming
@charlotteashleyfarm
Powered by Ridgeline Clothing
Whilst we endeavour to research podcast topics to the best of our ability, we cannot guarantee the accuracy and completeness of all conversations and as such, the podcast does not constitute professional advice.