About Farmstrong

Farming is a job with a unique set of challenges.

Many are hard to predict or control. They range from climate events like drought and flood to fluctuations in commodity prices, changing government legislation and new technology.

Along with these external factors, come the demands of running any business – financial and production planning, managing cash flow, hiring and managing staff, succession planning etc. These pressures aren’t going to disappear so it’s vital that farmers develop the skills and resilience to cope.

Research shows many farmers are great at looking after their equipment and stock, but, like other NZers, they can neglect their own wellbeing. As an industry, we can’t afford to let these pressures reach the point where they damage productivity and affect the lives of families.

Farmstrong is an initiative to help farmers, growers and their families to cope with the ups and downs of farming by sharing things they can do to look after themselves and the people in their business.

Here are some helpful resources about Farmstrong –

Acknowledgement

This material has been developed to help promote farmer wellbeing in NZ and stimulate discussion on these important topics. We gratefully acknowledge the following organisations and resources for their inspiration, ideas and input.

Dr Tom Mulholland’s Healthy Thinking, The Power of Healthy Thinking, Champions’ Guide Material. BSS NZ’s Managing For Mental Wellbeing, Fatigue Management, the Australian Centre for Agricultural Health and Safety’s Managing The Pressures of Farming and various presentations, advice and literature provided by The Mental Health Foundation of NZ.