Carla Muller is a career woman and has a pedal-to-the-metal personality.

From 2014 to 2018, when New Zealand’s freshwater reforms were at the front of the government’s and farmers’ minds, she was knocking on doors as a consultant for DairyNZ.

While the job had its challenges, she enjoyed interacting with the farming community, the Hamilton city life and the freedom of a childless woman in her 20s.

She met her partner Sam, a shepherd at the time, in her second year at Massey University in Palmerston North.

Fast-forward 10 years, and Sam had the opportunity to manage a sheep station in a small town with a population of 207 – Tikitiki.

The closest supermarket is more than two hours’ drive away and same with the nearest hospital in Gisborne.  

“You start thinking of the ramifications of getting pregnant there,” Muller said.

In 2019, while working in her dream job for Perrin Ag, she fell pregnant. In July 2020 baby Maddie was born in Tauranga Hospital. It was a six-hour drive away, but the safer option with Muller’s parents living nearby.

The young couple travelled back to the farm within a week and the cracks in their new lifestyle started to show.

At the time Sam’s job on the 2000 hectare station was at its most demanding. He would often leave the house at 7am on horseback and return in the evenings. Long days for him, but arguably longer for her and their newborn.

According to the Mental Health Foundation, postnatal depression affects 10-20% of women who have recently given birth. Living through postnatal depression can be overwhelming, with feelings of great sadness and pain.

“I hadn’t realised that once you have had a baby you are fundamentally changed and it is very hard to explain how big that change is.”

Having worked 10 years in corporate roles predominantly in a city, she struggled with the remote life. 

“And all of a sudden you spend 24 hours a day in a house by yourself with a baby that doesn’t sleep … It was very lonely.”

Muller isn’t alone in the fact she gave up her world to become a mother with a farming partner. 

“We are the mothers. It might mean losing a job, leaving your friends. Losing what you have spent 10-15 years building up, a life of your own.

“To change that and realise it is not going back to where it was before, we need to be able to mourn that. It’s not that it is worse, but it won’t look the same.”

Rock-bottom was where Muller sat mentally. Having never suffered from depression, she struggled with opening up to friends, family or professionals.

“Every time you would go in you would see a different doctor so you never formed that relationship where you felt you could let that stuff out.”

Muller struggled with being vulnerable and felt she could get out of the hole alone. In hindsight she couldn’t and needed help.

“All of a sudden someone like me who was high achieving, I had to say no to projects … then you are constantly worried that you are not doing enough at work or doing enough for your child and you’re not doing enough for your partner. I felt in all aspects of my life, I was failing.

“And of course none of that was true. I was trying my best.”

The isolation and postnatal depression put strain on the couple’s relationship, when they should have been enjoying life’s blessings of a new child, she said.

The hardest part for her was that feeling she wasn’t even enjoying motherhood.

“I think the big thing with postnatal depression is the idea that if you have chosen to have children and you are struggling, it means that you don’t love your child … and that’s not true. You can love your child and really struggle with being a mum.”

The break for the family came two years later when Sam was offered a job near Ōhope: she could be near town where she could get off the farm every day, and he could keep farming, albeit on a smaller block.

Having been through the worst time in her life and coming out of the other side, and having recently welcomed her second child, Lottie, Muller realised that it wasn’t necessarily the isolation that made her postpartum depression hard, but also not being honest with herself and exploring other options like online support.

Now living in a busier region, she has found the biggest difference has been PlunketLine, medical support and awareness phone line. 

“We communicate better, you are aware of your triggers and that’s where counselling was critical. “

Getting off the farm is hugely important to her, as is having regular contact with friends.

Living in remote Tikitiki has given her respect for the many mothers in the rural back blocks of Aotearoa.

“They are incredibly strong and resilient with the challenges they face, but it is also rewarding. 

Suffering from stress or postnatal depression?

If you want to talk, PlunketLine can help. Call any time, day or night, on 0800 933 922, or call or text 1737 any time to speak with a trained counsellor. 

Suffering from depression or stress, or know someone who is? Where to get help:

Rural Support Trust: 0800 RURAL HELP

Depression Helpline: 0800 111 757

Lifeline: 0800 543 354

Need To Talk? Call or text 1737

Samaritans: 0800 726 666

Youthline: 0800 376 633 or text 234

More: The Farmers Weekly Rural Living series highlights the rich diversity and people of Aotearoa New Zealand’s rural communities, farming families and contributions to the food and fibre sector. 

Disclaimer: This article discusses suicide.

Monday December 3, 2018. 

That was the day Jason Herrick decided to take his life. 

Months of heavy rain, the pressure of excessive regulation, negative sentiment towards farming, and an inability to share his feelings left him at breaking point.

“It had been building up for quite some time,” says Herrick, who’s now Southland Federated Farmers president.

“It started all the way back with the earthquakes in Canterbury, which were just devastating to live through as a family.

“I lost some good mates to suicide in that time, and then my wife had some serious health challenges, and I never really knew how to deal with any of it. 

“We moved to a sharemilking position in Southland and that’s when I got so overwhelmed by the barrage of new regulations.”

Herrick says constantly reading and hearing negative comments about farming was weighing heavily on him. 
“That public perception against farming – you see it in the news and on social media, farmers getting hammered all the time.

“I just broke because I couldn’t handle people perceiving me in that light.”
Herrick finally snapped on that wet, muddy day in December, driving to cliffs on the southern coast to end his life. 

“I honestly didn’t think there was a way out. I didn’t think there was a way forward. I was ready to end it.” 

Looking back, he’s incredibly grateful a local police officer found him after being alerted by Jason’s worried wife. 

“I don’t remember much from that day, but I know he used GPS tracking on my phone and managed to talk me down off the cliff.” 

Herrick was escorted to a mental health facility, which was the start of a long, hard road ahead.
“My parents did a beautiful job of bringing me up, but I was raised as a southern man, taught to harden up, not show emotions, not show any sign of weakness.

“I slowly had to learn how to talk about what was going on in my head.”

Herrick found a counsellor he connected with, learned strategies to cope with pressure, and gradually rediscovered his love of farming. 

“I identified some triggers for me really early on and started learning how to manage those. 

“For example, watching the news at 6pm every night was so negative and would send me down the wrong path in my head, so I stopped watching TV and haven’t watched it since.” 

He now spends a lot of time listening to motivational podcasts and talks to friends and family about how he’s feeling. 

A turning point was when he and some friends founded the mental health support group Ag Proud NZ, to help other farmers through tough times. 

“Putting myself out there to help other people has given me so many rewards.

“Every time somebody reaches out to me and every time somebody tells me I’ve helped them, it’s a win that makes me feel good.

“It’s hard to describe that feeling, but that’s definitely the reason I talk about my own experience.”

Six years later, Herrick’s mental health is in “A1 condition”, he says.
“Don’t get me wrong: I still have some tough days, but I now have tools to get through them.” 

He says he wants to help bring a shift in rural communities and farming families, making it more acceptable for people to share their mental health battles. 

“It’ll take a long time to change everything, but we need to bring generational change. 

“We need to show our young ones it’s okay to talk, it’s okay to show emotion, and it’s okay to reach out and ask for help.”

As the country marks Mental Health Awareness Week, Herrick has a message to any farmers in a similar place to where he was in 2018. 

“Reach out to somebody, and if you don’t have anyone you think you can trust, dial 1737. There are plenty of people on that phone number who will help you.

“Rural Support Trust is also an absolutely phenomenal organisation. They’ve got access to so many resources.

“And, if all else fails, reach out to me. I’ll have no problem talking to people and I’ll point them in the right direction.

“You’re not the only one in this situation, and that’s sometimes the hardest thing to get over is recognising you’re not the only one.”

Hear Herrick’s story on the Federated Farmers Podcast as part of Mental Health Awareness Week 2024.

Federated Farmers, New Zealand’s leading independent rural advocacy organisation, has established a news and insights partnership with AgriHQ, the country’s leading rural publisher, to give the farmers of New Zealand a more informed, united and stronger voice. Federated Farmers news and commentary appears each week in its own section of the Farmers Weekly print edition and online.

Suffering from depression or stress, or know someone who is? Where to get help:

Rural Support Trust: 0800 RURAL HELP

Depression Helpline: 0800 111 757

Lifeline: 0800 543 354

Need To Talk? Call or text 1737

Samaritans: 0800 726 666

Youthline: 0800 376 633 or text 234

In Focus Podcast | Sheep outlook: the future of our flock

Sheep farmers are doing it tough right now, with farmgate returns dropping back after a few good years and input costs rising. Add to that the march of pine trees across the land, and there’s talk of an existential crisis. Bryan asked AgriHQ senior analyst Mel Croad to give him the lay of the land and asked her what the sector needed to do to find prosperity again.

Arran Trust is recalling specific batches of its Arran Farm brand raw (unpasteurised) drinking milk, as the product may contain Campylobacter.

New Zealand Food Safety acting deputy director-general Jenny Bishop said the concern with the unpasteurised milk is that Campylobacter, a foodborne bacterium, can make you sick.

The affected product is Arran Farm raw drinking milk sold between August 23 and September 17. The milk was sold through a vending machine at Arran Farm Milk Shop in Feilding. It has not been exported.

“This raw milk should not be consumed. Return it to Arran Farm for a refund or, if that’s not possible, throw it out,” Bishop said.

“You can also heat the raw milk until just boiling for one minute to kill any bacteria present before drinking it. Drinking raw milk carries inherent risks as it may contain harmful bacteria that are killed through the pasteurisation process.”

Symptoms of Campylobacter infection are vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, fever, headache and body aches.

If you have consumed any of this product and are concerned for your health, contact your health professional, or call Healthline on 0800 61 11 16 for free advice.

The product under recall was identified through routine testing.

“As is our usual practice, we will work with Arran Trust to understand how the contamination occurred and to prevent its recurrence,” Bishop said.

Raw milk is not pasteurised, which means it misses out on an important process that kills harmful bacteria.  

BASF New Zealand’s Safety Champs programme will focus on sun safety this year, promoting awareness of sun protection for children growing up on farms.

Safety Champs packs have been designed to support parents and caregivers in facilitating conversations with kids about the importance of sun protection. 

The fun and educational safety pack comes in a re-usable drawstring bag and includes:

• An explorer bucket hat

• Printable safety-themed activities

• A farm safety pledge for families to complete together

• An official BASF Safety Champs certificate

Skin cancer, including melanoma, is the most common form of cancer in New Zealand and accounts for an estimated 80% of all new cancers identified each year.

Increasing awareness of skin cancer is crucial for children growing up on farms, where they are often exposed to the sun for extended periods. 

It not only protects their health but also instils habits that can prevent skin cancer.

“The majority of farms are not just busy workplaces, but family homes with the presence of kids just like urban homes,” said Parvana Wali, head of agricultural solutions for BASF in Australia and New Zealand.

“To build awareness of farm safety at an early age, BASF developed and supports the Safety Champs programme for our farming community. This year, we are focusing on sun protection. By educating children about the risks of sun exposure and the importance of sun safety, we aim to prevent the sun-related hazards to ensure these kids grow up in a safer, healthier, and more enjoyable farm environment,” she said.

To find out more about the Safety Champs programme in New Zealand or to order a Safety Champs pack for your child, visit their website. The free packs are available while stocks last.

Rural Women New Zealand is calling for more mental health support for rural communities, following an impassioned plea in Parliament by ACT MP Mark Cameron.

“We want to offer our heartfelt support to Mark Cameron for having the courage to stand in Parliament’s debating chamber and share his whanau’s grief after recently losing his son to suicide,” Rural Women New Zealand chair Sandra Matthews said.

“The more we acknowledge and talk about these issues the better, as we know our rural communities are doing it really tough.”

Cameron’s son Brody died in May in a suspected suicide that he confirmed. 

Speaking during a general debate on September 11, Cameron described the impact his son’s death has had on him.

“Yesterday was World Suicide Prevention Day; hard for some, bloody hard for me. I buried my boy and he is gone,” he said. 

“I am a father to a lost son, a parent to a lost child, but I turn up every day in this House because I believe in rural New Zealand,” he said. 

Cameron described his son as “a contractor, a farmer, an everyday good Kiwi bloke”.

“I might be able to help rural people preserve their way of life. There’s a novel idea, and I don’t just mean in passing, giving them a passing ear; actually listen to these people. Politicians need to stop and actually listen to rural folk.”

Cameron said the “scourge of suicide” took his son and it must not take any more children. He urged his fellow MPs to think of the people affected when laws are made in Parliament.

Matthews said there is a wide range of issues at play in rural communities at the moment ranging from communities experiencing significant job losses from the closure or scaling back of major local employers, to public sector job losses in the regions.

“We also have communities grappling with the ongoing impacts and slow journey to recovery following Cyclone Gabrielle and the North Island extreme weather events; various communities facing ongoing drought; as well as farmers affected by low market prices at the same time as rising input and living costs.”

She welcomed the government’s continuation of rollout mental health support to primary and intermediate students in Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti and the recent announcements to increase support for drought-affected communities and increase funding for Rural Support Trusts.

“Rural communities rely on volunteers and we know people are overwhelmed and at the risk of burnout from the plethora of issues they are having to face.

“With Mental Health Awareness Week just around the corner, we urge the government to continue to invest in providing increased resources and access to rural mental health services, including counselling and medical assessments.”

Suffering from depression or stress, or know someone who is? Where to get help:

Rural Support Trust: 0800 RURAL HELP

Depression Helpline: 0800 111 757

Lifeline: 0800 543 354

Need To Talk? Call or text 1737

Samaritans: 0800 726 666

Youthline: 0800 376 633 or text 234

Patoa Farms in North Canterbury has joined farmer-led charity Meat the Need, donating one pig a week to supply pork mince to the region’s food banks and community organisations.  

Patoa Farms wholesale and procurement manager Jelle Edzes said the free-farmed family business is honoured to be able to donate.  

“Often it is more of a blessing to be able to give than to receive a gift, and in this case we feel that way. It causes us to reflect on everything we have and be thankful,” Edzes said.  

“One of Patoa’s core values is to be a blessing to its people and local community. Meat the Need fits the criteria for caring for those in need in our community and we were keen to see pork distributed alongside the other proteins Meat the Need makes available.” 

Edzes said nutrition is vitally important and meat protein is essential to nutritional needs.

“By providing easy-to-prepare pork to food banks via Meat the Need, we know we can alleviate the pressures on those in our local community who need help. By providing a consistent supply of pork, we can help food banks do what they do best, and through that we can all work together to help our community thrive.” 

Meat the Need and Feed Out general manager Zellara Holden expressed her excitement and gratitude for the new partnership, and the immediate effect it’s had on nourishing those who need it most with the introduction of five new food banks.  

Meat the Need and Feed Out facilitate donations of meat and milk to supply to over 110 food banks and community organisations across the country with support from processors Silver Fern Farms, Miraka and Fonterra.  

Looking out the window from her office in her Norsewood home, Charlotte Heald has the perfect view of the heifers springing up and not far off calving. The farm is coming to life with colour again in the first days of spring, it’s picture-perfect. But not by accident, by spiralling up.

“It’s a real honour to be a farmer, but especially at this time of year. I feel so grateful to be sat here, looking out at all this. A past version of myself would be so happy to see me here,” she says.

Charlotte and her husband Russell run an award-winning 170 hectare, organic-certified, regenerative dairy farm in Norsewood. Charlotte, originally from a sheep and beef background, got into dairying when she met Russell and the rest, as they say, is history – but there have been plenty of bumps in the road since.

“I think back to those early days, Russell was working such long hours, we were raising a family and were under a lot of pressure, we probably both got burnt out. It was a low-payout year and we just felt like we were so far in it that we couldn’t get out; we had to find a way to farm our way out of it.

“I got unwell and got my rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis and that’s when we realised something needed to change.”

They adopted once-a-day milking and started using some aspects of biological farming, which saw the beginning of their regenerative and organic farming story.

“We were learning so much about the linkages between what you do on the farm, human health and the impact the way you farm has on all the systems. We started with some small changes, saw some positive results, and thought, ‘Ah, we’re onto something.’ I call it spiralling up.”

Her health journey with rheumatoid arthritis and background in rural nursing provided the foundation of her health coaching business but an underlying desire to help people has been the key to its growth and success over the last six years.

With a mix of one-on-one sessions and group sessions both in person and online, one of the key areas of focus in what Heald offers is in self-care, wellbeing and connection.

“One of my real passions is getting women to put themselves first. We don’t do it nearly as much as we should and it has a really profound impact on our lives. Russell actually had to encourage me to do this this year! I wasn’t going to play hockey this year so I could focus on the kid’s sports, but he said ‘If not now, then when?’”

Time and time again she was hearing from clients and her community that despite women being busy in their lives, they were lacking the deep, trusting conversations with people that make navigating life that bit easier. So she began running a local “women’s circle”.

“Mostly it’s a lot of being open to listening, sharing and letting those that need to talk, talk. If a person finds a resolve in speaking then it’s a good result, and that’s what makes it powerful. It’s such a special time, a lot of laughs, and a few tears – it’s something women really want and need.”

Over the past few years, the Healds have started opening up their farm for open days, hosting events like yoga in the sunflowers, picnics and more. It’s been an opportunity for them to share their story and show others what they’re doing and the impact that’s having.

“Sometimes, you just need to come and see things being done to get an appreciation for it. Come and see the cows grazing in our diverse pastures, see how we manage things, feel the soil.”

While the farm and the business are passions for the Healds, everything centres on family. With three children, Isabelle, Henry and William, life can get busy with homeschooling and the whole family being into sports and a number of other activities during the year. 

“I’ve stepped back in terms of where my commitments are. I have a full life and I choose to do a lot of things but sometimes if you’re ‘busy’ all the time, you’re not actually being productive. By slowing down and not filling all the gaps in my schedule, I’m more productive.”

Heald stresses the importance of their community in being able to manage it all, too. With connections made through farming, homeschooling, health coaching and sports, she said they’re lucky to have such a good support system to lean on when needed and give back to when they can.

Sitting at her desk and watching the heifers graze, Heald reflects on their journey and can clearly see the web of connections of the changes they’ve made to their lives and farm and the benefits it has had to her health and wellness.

“At a certain point in my life, I couldn’t see any possibility of healing myself. But more recently I’ve been reflecting and have got to a place where I have been able to acknowledge with a lot of gratitude that I have achieved a lot of healing in my body from where I was five years ago, to the point where I consider myself ‘healed’. It’s been a lot of work to get there, and I respect my body so much more now. 

“I look at my health journey and how it has been neatly woven into the changes we’ve made on farm and smile because it makes sense, everything begins with soil health.”

More: The Farmers Weekly Rural Living series highlights the rich diversity and people of Aotearoa New Zealand’s rural communities, farming families and contributions to the food and fibre sector.

Today, September 10, is World Suicide Prevention Day, a time to reflect on New Zealand’s confronting suicide statistics. This was the message from government as it launched consultation for the draft Suicide Prevention Action Plan 2025-2029.

Reflecting on the day, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey said “every death by suicide is a tragedy – a tragedy that affects far too many of our families and communities in New Zealand. He said that as a country we should do better to address this.

“I am particularly concerned at the increasing levels of distress among our young people, and New Zealand’s youth suicide rate remains unacceptably high. 

While there has been some progress in strengthening NZ’s suicide prevention and postvention system, he said, there are still gaps that need addressing.

A study released last year also found that rural suicide rates are higher than its urban counterpart.

Research led by University of Otago Professor Garry Nixon shows twice the number of people under 30 living in rural areas die compared to those in cities.

Doocey said with current action plan is coming to an end later this year, it is now appropriate to refresh the focus of the country’s suicide prevention efforts to best meet the current challenges.

“This draft action plan responds to feedback shared with us by the communities, families and people affected.”

He said the actions in the draft plan reflect the government’s mental health priorities to improve access to suicide prevention and postvention support, grow a workforce able to support those at risk of or impacted by suicide, and to strengthen focus on prevention and early intervention across the range of factors. 

“The small set of focused actions – with clear milestones and lead agencies – will help ensure we can hold agencies to account for delivery.  

New Zealanders are urged to have the say on the draft proposal, to help inform the new Suicide Prevention Action Plan, which is expected to be released in 2025.

“I look forward to hearing from people affected by suicide and those working to support them. Your feedback is crucial to ensure we have a strong approach to preventing suicide over the next five years.”

The consultation closes at 5pm on November 1.

Suffering from depression or stress, or know someone who is? Where to get help:

Rural Support Trust: 0800 RURAL HELP

Depression Helpline: 0800 111 757

Lifeline: 0800 543 354

Need To Talk? Call or text 1737

Samaritans: 0800 726 666

Youthline: 0800 376 633 or text 234

Fifth-year medical student Katey Milne has been announced as one of 27 recipients of scholarships designed to help grow the rural health workforce.

Grants of between $2500 and $5000 have been awarded as part of the programme, which is distributing $90,000 to students through a partnership between Rural Women New Zealand (RWNZ) and Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora. 

Milne grew up in Kerikeri and has a particular interest in rural medicine. The scholarship will support her with travel costs to placements and enable focused study on an extracurricular course she’s confident will be invaluable for rural practice. 

“It’s a lovely honour to be recognised in this way,” said Milne, who’s currently on placement in Whangārei Hospital and commuting around an hour each way from her home in Waimate North, Northland. 

“It’s really great there are organisations resourcing students like myself to be able to pursue career interests in rural New Zealand. There are extra costs like transport associated with living rurally, so it’s awesome to have this backing.”

For Milne, who started the six-year Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery at the University of Auckland in 2020, news of the scholarship means an additional radiology course she’s keen to participate in is all the more achievable. 

“The extra course will cover reading X-rays, MRIs and CT scans, which is a really important skill for doctors working rurally. The scholarship means I can really make the most of the course because I won’t need to also try and fit in paid work in between placements.”

Milne is part of the Regional Rural Admission Scheme to encourage people to train and return to their rural areas to work. Next year she will need to move for her final placement to Hamilton.  

“The scholarship will help significantly with removal costs too,” says the 22-year-old, who got married in 2023 and loves to hunt, fish and freedive. 

“From high school age I knew I wanted to help people, and was really interested in healthcare in general as an amazing way of being able to do that.

“There’s a really big need for doctors and healthcare professionals in rural places and it comes with a beautiful lifestyle and community aspect as well – so in my mind it’s the full package!

“Specialising in rural medicine involves a training scheme which covers many specialties so I’ll know a little about everything to help keep people safe. It also encompasses women’s health, children’s health, and emergency medicine, which I’m really interested in too.”

RWNZ has consistently advocated for the government to incentivise health professionals to move to and remain in rural areas to improve equity of access to healthcare. The scholarships announced have come from a funding pool provided to RWNZ by Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora.

“We had a huge level of interest in these scholarships, and I want to congratulate each of the grant recipients,” said RWNZ chief executive Marie Fitzpatrick. 

“It can be extremely difficult to undertake study from a rural community and anything we can do to make study a little bit easier is great.

“We know New Zealand faces a significant shortage of health professionals in our rural towns and regional communities, so it is great to see recipients studying in a broad range of fields including in the areas of medicine, nursing, midwifery, pharmacy, physiotherapy and counselling.”

Said Dr Sarah Clarke, National Clinical Director Primary and Community Care at Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora: “I would like to congratulate the successful scholarship applicants and recognise their hard work and commitment to their studies. 

“Addressing the rural health workforce shortage is a priority for Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora and we are committed to improving health outcomes for our rural communities. I look forward to seeing these scholarship recipients joining our rural health workforce over the coming years as they complete their studies.”

Farmstrong caught up with Tararua dairy farmer Mike Burmeister and asked him to share his tips for keeping well on farm. 

Mike and his wife Heather farm 710 hectares just north of Pahiatua and milk 980 cows on 324ha with a team of seven, many of whom have worked with them for years. 

After decades in the industry, he’s clear on his priorities. 

“My first priority is my family’s wellbeing, my second is my staff’s wellbeing and my third is my stock’s wellbeing.” 

He said an episode of burnout early in his career helped shape his thinking. 

“I was in my early 20s, milking about 260 cows and working day in, day out, all hours of the day and half the night, and it reached the stage where I turned up for milking one morning feeling so exhausted that I told the guy working for me ‘I’m going back to bed for a couple of hours’. I didn’t wake up until the next day! I was just doing way too many hours. When you’re that tired, you’re running round in circles achieving nothing. That was my first real wake-up call.”

Smarter hours
Thirty years on, it’s no surprise that working smarter hours rather than longer hours is a hallmark of his operation. They milk three times in two days (3 in 2). The milking roster has not only proved kinder on staff (every second day’s a 7.30 start), it’s brought a host of other benefits too. His cows are collectively walking 420,000 fewer kilometers a year, improving their welfare: 10 million fewer litres of water are being pumped through the cowshed per annum in a catchment where water use is at a premium; and the roster has freed up over 1000 hours of labour that can be applied to other tasks, all while maintaining milk production and increasing profitability. 

Workload during busy times like calving is also carefully managed (a six-on and two-off roster) – another legacy of Mike’s early days in the industry. 

“I used to work long hours during calving like everyone does, come home late and then head out again at nights to check on the calvers. Mentally and physically that was really tough. You wouldn’t get home again until about 9pm. It was exhausting.”

After building a new milking shed over the winter of 2004 Mike was exhausted and something had to give, so he decided not to do the night check on the calvers. The result was a game changer. 

“I realised as long as they were well fed by 5pm, they’d be fine. And I was right. I didn’t lose a cow that spring. That was 20 years ago and I’ve never been out at night again since. It means I can get eight hours sleep, even during calving, which makes a huge difference.”

Building a Farmstrong team
He’s put similar thought into creating a workplace culture where people feel valued and want to stay. 

“It didn’t happen overnight. In the early ’90s, I was so young and inexperienced, I had high staff turnover. I wouldn’t have worked for me!” he laughs. “There’s always going to be guys leave to extend their career, but in general, they stay with us for a long period these days, with two guys having reached their 10-year service bonus.”

There were a couple of significant turning points for him in the early 2000s. The first was getting pneumonia for the second time and his doctor telling him to change his lifestyle and reduce his stress or it would kill him. The second turning point came around the same time when he employed someone from a corporate background who was keen to get into dairying. 

“I learnt so much off him. We started having staff meetings, where everyone could sit down and have their say. Over time we formalised it, added a health and safety component, and started keeping minutes. It’s only for half an hour once a week, but it’s made a huge difference.”

Stuff-up of the week
Nowadays Mike and the team celebrate key points of the season with team dinners and family gatherings and add a little fun to each week with a “stuff-up of the week” morning tea to make light of the inevitable “cock-ups” that go with any job. 

Mike reckons coaching schoolboy rugby taught him a lot about people management. 

“I learnt that you can still get results by having fun and brought that back into the business. It also taught me the value of taking the time to find out what makes people tick. You can’t play a game of rugby with a team of half backs Everyone has different skill sets. If you cut people some slack and accept getting 90% of what you’re after out of them you’ll have a happy team.” 

Grabbing some time out 
That’s great for the team, but who looks after the coach? Mike rang the changes here too. “When the kids were young, we bought a caravan at the beach and committed to spending one weekend a month and one week every school holiday down there, we’d make the effort to get there no matter how busy things were.

It was something his wife Heather insisted on. 

“She’d be all packed up with the kids ready to go at 10 past three on the Friday. I was never ready, but I still got in the car. And as soon as I did that, I’d switched off from the farm and enjoy the rest of the weekend. I’d come back mentally refreshed.”

These days the bolthole is a beach house but Mike’s approach to work-life balance remains the same. His go-to during the week is a quick game of social squash.  

“I’m not that good but it’s great to go and do something physical like that. Some days when I’m heading there, I think ‘Why am I doing this?’ But then when I’m driving home, I’m thinking ‘Shit, that was a great idea.’ The beauty is I can leave here, play a game and then be back an hour later, feeling great.”

Decision day
Although his farm is prone to flooding, it was a drought that gave Mike the greatest insight into how best to manage worry and uncertainty. 

“A farm consultant gave me a wonderful piece of advice: he suggestion that allocating one day a week as decision day could really reduce the endless pressure that a drought can load on you. That particular year, Monday was our decision day, our strategy was to dry off 50 cows every week until we got rain. So we made all our decisions on a Monday and then stuck with them, regardless of whether it was right or wrong. It really took the pressure off.  

“During the first covid lockdown we had a big drought. Because our discussion group couldn’t meet in person we switched to Zoom, which was completely foreign to most of us. Some of the guys were really struggling with the on-farm conditions, combined with the isolation that covid bought, so it was a great way to support each other from a distance with ideas and management strategies.”

Staying Farmstrong 
Reflecting on how farming has changed over his life, Mike concludes, “Farming was very physically demanding for our forefathers. These days I think it’s mentally harder. There’s more of everything, and people are time poor. We have larger farms, larger herds, bigger teams of people to manage, and there’s more compliance and regulation. You never get to switch off and you’re always looking over your shoulder.

“Farming’s my passion. It’s all I ever wanted to do. So I’m very lucky that I’m actually doing something I love. But there’s no doubt that the steps I’ve taken to look after myself have made a massive difference to my longevity.”

Farmstrong is a nationwide, rural wellbeing programme that helps farmers and growers manage the challenges of farming. Last year, 14,000 farmers attributed an increase in their wellbeing to the programme. For free tools and resources visit www.farmstrong.co.nz