Walking my talk

Module Overview

It’s a new season and a new farm. Hayes Garland shares what he does to stay Farmstrong when life gets busy.

Tell us about your operation Hayes.

I farm on the Hauraki Plains in the Waikato contract milking 330 cows on 145 ha.

How’s the season going?

She’s been pretty wet. I’ve just moved up from Taranaki this season so there’s been quite a lot of adjusting, learning the land and different systems. We’ve definitely had our ups and downs [laughs].

What do you like about the job?

I love the freedom of farming and working outdoors. The wind in your hair, the air around you. I’m also just grateful I live in one of the best countries in the world and do one of the best jobs in the world.

Farming can be a tough gig at times, what are your main pressures?

I’ve found that anything to do with the cows is usually not a problem – it’s all the things on top of that can be challenging. It’s never just one thing in farming either, it’s everything involved along the way. Those little pressures can really build up.

What do you do to manage them?

It’s all about preparation for me. Preparing yourself mentally to deal with setbacks. That way if the worst does happen, it doesn’t feel out of your control because you’re prepared for it.

What do you do on days when things aren’t going according to plan?

I’ll have a bit of a whinge and whine to myself, then I’ll go, ‘right I accept that’. I’ve learnt the faster I accept setbacks, the better the outcome will be. When you endlessly ponder things that have already happened, you’re just prolonging the misery. As soon as you accept it, you can move on.

I used to be a chronic overthinker and suffered from anxiety, so I’ve learnt to kill those negative thoughts as fast as I can so they don’t bring me down like a ton of bricks.

How do you do that?

I use a technique called ‘catch it, check it, change it’. If my head is flooding with negative thoughts such as: ‘Why is this happening to me’ or ‘Jeez, I’m useless at this’, I’ll stop, pause the negative thinking and replace it with something more positive.

I’ll reflect on the good things I’ve achieved and accomplished so far. I’ll tell myself ‘I am good at this, I do this job well and I love what I do.’  When you’re working on a farm, you’ve got to motivate yourself like that so you can soldier on.

Any other tips for when you’re feeling ‘under the pump’ like that?

Yes, if you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed when you’re milking, it’s usually not the cows at all, it’s what’s going on in your head. If I can’t shut off the worries in my head, I just go out of the platform for a minute or so and take some big breaths. That deep breathing really works. You can just feel the bad juju leaving your body. Admiring your surroundings and doing some deep breathing is definitely right up there for me in terms of relaxing the mind. It snaps you out of your shit so you can move on.

What about rest and recovery time? Do you have any hobbies or interests?

One of the reasons I moved to Hauraki was to tick the last box in my dairy career and enjoy a better work-life balance. I’ve done the hard grind, now it’s time to invest some time in myself.

You’re off to a flying start. I saw you in the farmers and growers tent at the rugby the other day mate.

[laughs] Yes, it was a good excuse to get off the farm. It was the first time I’ve been off the farm this season and it was awesome mate. It was a good vibe with some really good chat. For me being Farmstrong is about ‘walking my talk’. Sometimes you just need to accept that you need that break and go. I just told myself, ‘right, I run the farm, the farm doesn’t run me.’

What else turns your crank?

One of the other reasons why I’m farming near the Coromandel is that I love fishing and I haven’t been able to go fishing in a long, long time. Once I get the line in there, I just relax and don’t have a worry in the world. That’s my CCC place.

What’s that?

Cool, calm and collected. Somewhere I can just chill. You need that time in farming.

I see you’ve also joined the Farmstrong champions network. Why did you do that?

I love Farmstrong because the advice is coming from the horse’s mouth. When you hear other farmers who are actually involved in the business that really lands with me.  That’s what I love about it. You see all these people who are going through the same thing as you, knee deep in challenges and they’re still finding a way through. That’s inspiring. It gives you light at the end of the tunnel.

How do you stay Farmstrong?

I remember reading that Farmstrong tip about celebrating the little wins. That’s so bloody true. If you’re always waiting for the big win in farming, it’s a long time for your body and mind to go through the gauntlet. If you can focus on the little wins that keep you happy each day that’s when you’re really winning.

You’ve obviously found the right job.

I was in my early 30s when I started farming. I wasn’t happy with my prior life, got a taste of dairy farming and never looked back. 15 years on, I’m still doing it, and although we have our ups and downs every year, I still love it. It’s given me satisfaction. It’s given me a home and security. In a lot of ways, mate, it’s saved my life.

Looking back on your career what have you learned?

You get your turn at everything in farming. Many of the challenges are out of your control, but how you choose to experience them is definitely up to you.

I’ve become a real advocate for rural mental health and one of the best tools we can use is reaching out to friends, family, colleagues in the industry, organisations like your local Rural Support Trust and even farming friends on social media. Our farming community is very caring. We are all available for a yarn if needed. I’m always there for anyone who’s struggling and needs to chat.

Farmstrong is a nationwide, rural wellbeing programme that helps farmers and growers manage the ups and downs of farming. Last year more than 15,000 farmers attributed an increase in their wellbeing to the programme. For free tools and resources visit www.farmstrong.co.nz .