Connecting the rural world with podcasting with Ben Eagle

Podcasting continues to grow in popularity, and today I’m joined by someone who has not one, but two podcasts- Ben Eagle from RuralPodmedia. Ben is known for hosting two fantastic podcasts, “Meet the Farmers” and “Rural Business Focus”, and today we’re going to find out all about Ben, his journey, his podcasts and more.

Ben’s farming roots

Ben’s roots are deeply embedded in farming. Having grown up on a dairy farm, Ben’s childhood was intertwined with the cows and farming life, but a challenging period in the 1990s led to significant changes, including selling the cows and transitioning to an arable farm.

What happened next?

Ben’s varied interests and desire to explore different avenues led him to travel, to brewing beer as his first business, working as an assistant at a school in Norfolk, and eventually pursuing a degree in environmental history at Bristol University. But the farming bug never left, and during his university years, Ben spent his summers working on farms, delving into his farming roots. Simultaneously, he volunteered with conservation organisations like the National Trust and Avon Wildlife Trust, gaining practical knowledge and experience. In fact, his first paid job after university was with the Essex Wildlife Trust.

What about farming?

Despite his background, Ben actively avoided farming for a while, encouraged by his dad to explore other possibilities. However, his interest in agriculture persisted, leading him to pursue an agriculture course at the Royal Agricultural University in Cirencester. This marked the beginning of his deeper involvement in farming.

During this time, Ben started the “Meet the Farmers” podcast, initially focused on sharing farming stories with a conservation audience. He realised the importance of listening to farmers and reshaped his own perspective on agriculture.

A pivotal point

During 2017, Ben’s own challenges saw him returning to the family farm, which turned out to be a pivotal moment in his life. He also bought into a friend’s sheep flock, deepening his connection with the farm and gaining a renewed sense of purpose. This led to further business and community based ventures, based at the farm, with community being something that has been important from the podcasting point of view too.

Focus, the birth of his second podcast, and the start of RuralPodMedia

Rural Business Focus came about when Ben realised the power of finding focus, really zeroing in on what he wanted to do in his life. He looked at where he felt he could give the most value, and make the most difference. There was the seed of an idea that was around communications work, podcasting, and with lockdown and the surge in podcasting, people started reaching out to Ben for help. And so RuralPodMedia was born.

To find out more about Ben, follow him on Instagram.

To listen to ‘Meet The Farmers’ – listen on Apple

To listen to ‘Rural Business Focus’- listen on Apple

(The podcasts are also available on other podcasting platforms)