Alongside working with her parents on the family’s 600-acre mixed sheep and arable farm at Grafton, just south of Boroughbridge, Rebecca Wilson has become a leading agricultural communicator.
Rebecca Wilson Farming, the Instagram account she launched in January 2022 and which documents the highs and lows of farming life, breaking down barriers between farmers and the public, has more than 50,000 followers.
Rebecca, 30, who graduated from the RAU in 2017 with an MSc in Rural Estate Management, is now also co-host of Wilson & Ashley, a fortnightly podcast with Cumbrian dairy farmer Charlotte Ashley.
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The series is recorded in a converted trailer studio at Hundayfield Farm, which is her family home.
Rebecca has quickly built a loyal audience – ranking in the top 10% of podcasts for listens – and has been praised for addressing farming issues, particularly those around mental health and rural isolation, with honesty, empathy, and humour.
Rebecca said: “I feel very privileged to have grown up on the farm and to have had all the experiences of that life. It taught me a lot about how much effort is involved in farming and I was exposed to everything – life and death – which taught me some really important lessons.”
However, whilst studying Human, Social and Political Sciences at Cambridge, she realised she wanted to return to farming and enrolled on the Rural Estate Management Masters programme at the RAU.
There she was surrounded by like-minded people and she improved her networks and contacts in the sector.
Rebecca went on to work with Dalcour Maclaren in Oxfordshire, and Vencomatic in Thirsk, but, when her father became unwell and was unable to drive for a period, she gave up her job and moved back home to run the farm with her mother.
She said: “I had always known that I wanted to go back and work on the farm eventually and I just saw this as an opportunity to learn the ropes a bit earlier than I had planned. Alongside the day-to-day work on the farm, I used my knowledge from the RAU to start really looking at soil health and the environment.”
Rebecca has helped lengthen crop rotation, incorporating cover crops and herbal leys on which the sheep could graze, as well as being involved in their on-farm trials using the latest technology and innovations, but she still felt she needed something outside farming to keep her mind occupied.
She explained: “I initially started a podcast called Boots and Heels with a friend from a non-farming background and then, in early 2022, I set up my own Instagram account to talk about farming. Then, earlier this year, Charlotte and I started Wilson and Ashley podcast.
“The arrival of Clarkson’s Farm on our TV screens had really opened up a conversation that just hadn’t been there before and had created a demand from the public to see more. I saw this as a great opportunity for farmers to tell the story themselves and to show the realities of the farming year every single day – the highs and lows and everything in between.”
At the RAU’s 2025 Alumnus of the Year at the University’s annual Graduation ceremony, which took place on Thursday (18th) at the University’s Cirencester campus, RAU Chair of Governors Dame Fiona Reynolds praised Rebecca’s contribution to raising public awareness of agriculture and the challenges and opportunities it faces.
Dame Fiona said: “She has built an extraordinary platform to share the story of British farming with the wider public and, through her advocacy on social media, she is helping to connect people with where their food comes from and inspiring the next generation to consider careers in agriculture.
“Rebecca’s story reminds us that agriculture is not only about the land, but also about communication, innovation, and leadership. She is a true ambassador for farming, for women in agriculture, and for the RAU.”
Earlier this year Rebecca was named one of the Sunday Times’ “Most Powerful 30 Under 30” and won the Influencer of the Year award at the National Women in Agriculture Awards in May. She has also become a sought-after speaker at conferences and a prominent media commentator on agricultural issues from inheritance tax to sustainability and farm diversification.
Rebecca added: “I don’t do what I do for reward or accolade – it’s really humbling to be recognised in this way. I am honoured to have the opportunity to speak for farmers and I hope I am seen to be flying the flag for all those farmers who can’t leave their farm or who wouldn’t feel comfortable speaking publicly about what they do.”