Ashley Ahearn
Professional Podcaster
Methow Valley and Johnston Wilderness Cabin, WA
August 26 - September 3 and November 22 - November 28, 2024
For one of the first weeks and final weeks of the program, we had the pleasure of working with Ashley Ahearn, award-winning journalist and pocaster. Her most recent project is a podcast series for NPR called “Mustang,” which follows her journey training a wild horse and explores the complicated politics of horse management in the West.
When we pulled into Ashley’s property in the Methow Valley back in late August, she greeted us stylishly on horseback and immediately made us feel welcome. The rolling hills of the valley were perfect to explore, and her beautiful renovated grain bin- complete with stained glass windows- was a cozy place to work.
During our time with her, we learned about the tools of building a podcast, from the moment we start recording to when we arrange clips in our editing software. She stressed the importance of making a good first impression on our speakers, always recording ambient sound, and getting at what she called “the heart tape.”
Ashley worked hard to get us acquainted with not only the strategies of creating a good podcast, but also with the unspoken rules of her new community, where we were beginning our Semester-long journey. She reminded us to never ask a farmer how many cows he has, because that’s about the same as asking how much money he has in his bank account- “it’s not country polite.” She was very open with us about her initial struggles to integrate into a community where she stands as an outlier- however, it became very obvious to us how deeply connected she had become to her neighbors, some of whom we were able to meet during the week.
Overall, Ashley was an incredible resource to us at a time where many of us were overwhelmed with new technology and storytelling mediums. She reminded us that we were at “Rough Draft Ranch”- where the goal was always to workshop and ask for help if we needed it.
We were all excited to see Ashley when we arrived back at Johnston Wilderness Campus in late November. Just like we remembered, she was incredibly present during all of her time with us. She spent a lot of time helping us with the scripts of our final podcasts, both collectively and individually. She also laughed with us around the fire after dinner, encouraged us to go on runs with her newest puppy, and even watched “Red, White, and Royal Blue” with us after many had gone to bed.
by Alice O’Brien