Discover the importance of farmer health checks in our latest podcast! Join Simon Green, a farmer at Elmhurst, as he shares his firsthand experience with health checks and the benefits he discovered. Also hear from agrihealth professional Rosi Bear how she empowers farmers with knowledge to enhance their health, wellbeing, and safety outcomes. This podcast is part of the NCFH’s #BuildingFarmSpirit campaign funded by the Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions as part of the Victorian Governmen...
Mar 06, 2024•21 min
When you are concerned about how a farming friend, workmate or family member is going, getting them to talk about what is troubling them is the first step to finding solutions or getting help? Knowing how to get that conversation happening is a great tool to have in your back pocket. Really listening to their response and keeping the conversation going over time could be a real gamechanger .
Dec 15, 2023•22 min
Jane Nursey from Phoenix Australia explores how floods and difficult farming seasons can impact the mental health and wellbeing of children and adolescents in farm families.
Aug 30, 2023•31 min
This Campfire podcast episode features speaker Dr Lauren Stracey, from Rural Aid. Lauren Stracey is an experienced and passionate psychologist who expertly manages Rural Aid’s team of counsellors from her Sydney base. Rural Aid is dedicated to improving the mental health outcomes of rural Australia - offering free, confidential support to farmers and their families. They are trained to help their communities with a range of services, from early intervention and health promotion, right through to...
Jan 23, 2023•18 min•Season 2Ep. 12
Have you been enjoying the Campfire podcast? Would you be willing to give us your feedback? Reimbursement is available for your time. For more info, email campfire.ncfh@wdhs.net or phone (03) 5551 8533, or fill out the form at Campfire | National Centre for Farmer Health . This podcast is part of the Primary Producer Knowledge Network led by the National Centre for Farmer Health to promote mentally healthy workplaces. Campfire , part of The Primary Producer Knowledge Network , is funded by the V...
Jan 08, 2023•18 min•Season 3Ep. 1
Have you been enjoying the Campfire podcast? Would you be willing to give us your feedback? Reimbursement is available for your time. For more info, email campfire.ncfh@wdhs.net or phone (03) 5551 8533, or fill out the form at Campfire | National Centre for Farmer Health . This podcast is part of the Primary Producer Knowledge Network led by the National Centre for Farmer Health to promote mentally healthy workplaces. Campfire , part of The Primary Producer Knowledge Network , is funded by the V...
Dec 13, 2022•20 min•Season 2Ep. 11
Have you been enjoying the Campfire podcast? Would you be willing to give us your feedback? Reimbursement is available for your time. For more info, email campfire.ncfh@wdhs.net or phone (03) 5551 8533, or fill out the form at Campfire | National Centre for Farmer Health . Safety first - what's the rush? Aurora Dairies, one of Australia's largest milk producers, operates over more than 16,000 hectares across 33 pasture based dairy farms. Led by CEO Ben James, they know that making changes to the...
Nov 03, 2022•24 min•Season 2Ep. 9
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. This podcast is part of the Primary Producer Knowledge Network led by the National Centre for Farmer Health to promote mentally healthy wo...
Sep 29, 2022•19 min•Season 2Ep. 9
Farmers are changing their mindset on climate issues, but preconceptions, misconceptions and political opportunism sometimes leave the Aussie farmer as “the meat in the sandwich" when it comes to the climate debate. For some farmers, climate change predictions are leading to more than just concern - it is actually creating a new wave of stress and uncertainty, some of which may become mental health challenges. Focusing on the solutions rather than the problem can help you to keep a positive mind...
Sep 16, 2022•20 min•Season 2Ep. 8
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....
Aug 28, 2022•16 min•Season 2Ep. 7
Bringing up the topic of succession isn't easy - but it’s much harder to work on farm when there’s uncertainty about the future. In this episode we discuss why exactly the process of succession can be so stressful for farmers and farming families - and provide strategies to reduce the strain when it's your turn to sit down around the table. We also feature a Victorian farmer's lived experience with succession planning - complimenting Mike Krause's (P2PAgri) expert advice. This podcast is part of...
Jul 29, 2022•18 min•Season 2Ep. 6
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. This podcast is part of the Primary Producer Knowledge Network led by the National Centre for Farmer Health to promote mentally healthy workp...
Jul 01, 2022•20 min•Season 2Ep. 5
This podcast is part of the Primary Producer Knowledge Network led by the National Centre for Farmer Health to promote mentally healthy workplaces. Campfire , part of The Primary Producer Knowledge Network , is funded by the Victorian State Governments WorkSafe WorkWell Mental Health Improvement Fund....
Jun 16, 2022•18 min•Season 2Ep. 4
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. T...
May 03, 2022•18 min•Season 2Ep. 3
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 ...
May 03, 2022•29 min•Season 2Ep. 2
You can do everything right when planning and executing a succession plan. You can get some help from a professional, to work through some of the trickier bits. However, what some farmers realise is, that they forget about themselves – and never really discussed their ongoing role on the farm, once the transition was over. Physically ageing farmers can often experience hearing loss. This not only poses a risk for accidents and injury, but can also affect farmers’ social connection and mental hea...
Mar 29, 2022•24 min•Season 2Ep. 1
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...
Nov 08, 2021•25 min•Season 1Ep. 7
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 ...
Oct 19, 2021•18 min•Season 1Ep. 6
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. A better place could be a better asset to liability ratio, a better production system, a better succession plan, a better relationship with banks and creditors, a better rel...
Aug 23, 2021•15 min•Season 1Ep. 5
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...
Jul 26, 2021•23 min•Season 1Ep. 4
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 agricul...
Jul 15, 2021•19 min•Season 1Ep. 3
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 prod...
Jun 17, 2021•18 min•Season 1Ep. 2
Victorian primary producers represent a unique group of industries, with a large proportion of businesses family owned and operated. Working in a family business can be hugely rewarding, but it does have its challenges. As well as working together, many families in business also live in the same environment--blurring the lines between the workplace and the home front. This can create strained relationships, increased conflict and confusion about roles within the business. In this episode, Drew R...
May 17, 2021•17 min•Season 1Ep. 1
