National Centre for Farmer Health - Campfire

Kelly Barnes (2020 Victorian AgriFutures Rural Woman of the Year award winner) is reaching farmers through their best canine mates to talk about mental health and wellbeing. Catch up with Kelly in this Campfire podcast episode as she discusses the key learnings from the Mates dog school, and how your working dog can support your mental and physical wellbeing. 

On-farm injuries, particularly severe ones, create two immediate, often long-lasting problems – what happens to the farm and, more importantly, what happens to the farmer?
In this episode, we discuss the often long-lasting mental and physical impacts of an injury on the farm - and what you can do to prevent them. 

Under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (OHS Act) employers and self-employed persons must notify WorkSafe immediately after becoming aware a notifiable incident has occurred.  If employers/farmers are unsure if they need to report an incident they can call WorkSafe on 13 23 60.

Many challenges that farmers face, you can see coming, and can meet face on.

Being robbed is different; it’s an invasion of your private life.

In this episode, we chat with Victoria Police about the mental and financial impacts of farm crime - how you can prevent those impacts - and how the new farm security units, located around Victoria, can support you. 

Stress and isolation are trending conditions in a COVID world - but this is nothing new to a farmer living in the middle of nowhere. Restrictions, lockdowns, and the closure of sources of social connection only compounded the isolation experienced by many farmers.
Some farmers lost contact with their mates, and spent too much time their own head, overwhelmed by worries.

In this episode, we discuss positive steps to tackle a sense of isolation, stress, and depression in agricultural workplaces.

Bullying in farm workplaces is far more common than many would like to admit - and workplace culture can encourage 'putting up with it', rather than speaking out. It should never be your responsibility to walk away from a job, to solve a bullying problem – there should be systems in place to prevent it ever happening. Bullying causes significant stress and long-term mental health impacts - and can even lead to physical dangers, if you are upset or distracted on farm.

In this episode, we discuss preventative strategies and the agricultural workplace's obligation to set a culture and standard that does not tolerate bullying. 

Getting “bushfire ready” is something most farmers take very seriously - preparing for bushfire season is firmly earmarked in the calendar.

Even if not severely impacted by a fire, many farmers have difficulty in getting back to feed livestock, access vehicles or have to urgently find ways to contain their animals after fencing had been destroyed. Many don't know how mentally stressful the aftermath would be for their business.
Bushfire season can add to mental health risk factors, especially if the fire service is far away from a farming property. People who have experienced bushfires can also experience feelings of fear and anxiety when reminded of a traumatic experience.

The overall mental health of your farm often depends on how the workplace is designed. Some farmers realise the hard way that they need to provide structure and feedback to employees, to keep them engaged and motivated.

Ask a farmer what they love about their job and the word “freedom” usually comes up.
The flip side to the great freedoms of farming, can be a lack of organisational structure. This can lead to employees having a lack of clarity about their role, increased feelings of stress, and conflict. When this is combined with the high job demands of farming, it can ultimately lead to poor mental health outcomes.

The Rural Financial Counselling Service is a free, independent and confidential service operating across Victoria (with similar services in other states).

When you call the RFCS, you’ll get a counsellor who lives and works locally and is a specialist in local conditions. The aim is always to get the farmer to a better place.

You can be a good farmer, who understands the nuances of farm business and agricultural science. But if you have poor communications skills with family and coworkers - your business, and the mental health of yourself and your workers, can suffer. 

What saves many famillies – and farms - is sitting down with a family business professional, who helps create a clear line between the workplace and family relationships. It also enables farming families to understand that stress from workplace conflict also affects the functioning and productivity of the family business.

In this episode, we discuss strategies for good communication in a primary production workplace, and how it can prevent work-related stress.

Many Australians have dreams of becoming farmers. But owning a farm is hard, if you don't have land or generational ties to start off with.
Some park their dreams, and go on to different careers. But many come back to their original dreams, and begin find a way to make a farming life work. It can be a difficult juggle - financially, physically, and mentally. Various stressors on-farm can impact the mental health of those new to farming. In this episode, we discuss different journeys into agricultural work and life - the various mental hardships that can be prevented and overcome - and how you can do the same. 

Your health, wellbeing and safety are your primary production business' number #1 asset. Like you maintain your equipment, it's essential to maintain your physical and mental health - and your safety procedures - to ensure you (and your enterprise) can operate at your best.  

In this Campfire podcast episode, AgriSafe clinician Morna Semmens joins Telangatuk East cropping farmer Tom Dunstan to discuss how the AgriSafe program can help to prevent work-related risks to mental health for primary producers.

To hear more about 'Strengthening Your Support Team: AgriSafe', join our virtual Bonfire on June 23rd at 7:30pm. You'll have the opportunity to hear from AgriSafe clinicial Morna Semmens, and Telangatuk East farmer Tom Dunstan about how AgriSafe can help create and support a mentally healthy workplace, and participate in a live Q&A.