Eggs, Bees and a Breach Calf: A Real Talk on Rural Resilience

Tonight I flew solo for a good while thanks to some spectacular tech gremlins, then finally welcomed agricultural chaplain-turned-founder Graham Miles to talk candidly about mental health in farming and his new nationwide initiative, Farmers Support UK. We dug into the reality of isolation on farms, the courage it takes to make that first call for support, and why a familiar, confidential voice on the end of the phone can buy precious time in a crisis. Graham also shared how policy, input costs and uncertainty are weighing on families, what he’s hearing from wives and partners, and the importance of keeping support truly 24/7 and farmer-led.We balanced the heavy with the everyday: grading mountains of eggs, rescuing a tricky calving that ended well, and swapping beekeeping tales (including why the odd sting might ease those aches). We celebrated local food resilience too—fresh veg harvested hours earlier, breed choices like Red Poll, and farm shop realities—while thanking everyone who keeps backing small, local producers. If you’re struggling, you’re not alone; there’s always a light somewhere beyond the dark, and there are people who will pick up when you call.'Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA)': https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-environment-food-rural-affairs'National Farmers' Union (NFU)': https://www.nfuonline.com'Country Land & Business Association (CLA)': https://www.cla.org.uk'Suffolk Show (Suffolk Agricultural Association)': https://suffolkshow.co.uk'South Suffolk Show': https://southsuffolkshow.co.uk'Hadleigh Show': https://hadleighshow.co.uk'BBC Radio Suffolk': https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/live:bbc_radio_suffolk'Farmers Guardian': https://www.fginsight.com'Red Poll Cattle Society': https://redpoll.org