When it comes to suicide, there is no price on making a difference to people’s lives and just how to do that is the focus of Agri Connect, the rural professionals’ seminar rolling out across New Zealand.
The mental health and wellbeing seminar is tailored to giving frontline agents – the rural professionals with whom farmers regularly speak – the tools to offer help.
Run under the umbrella of the “lean on a gate” Whatever with Wiggy charitable trust, Agri Connect is aimed at communities connecting to save lives.
Craig (Wiggy) Wiggins said he has always believed that connecting with friends and community is key to helping with mental health.
Wiggy’s message aims to rebuild community spirit and generate a nationwide connection across rural sectors.
In September 2021, after losing two friends to suicide, he decided to push his message “that we all need to take five minutes and check on each other, just like we used to at saleyards and other community events”.
“It’s a straightforward message aimed at urging people to stay connected and raising mental health awareness.
“Communities are resourceful, as we see all the time. It’s about connection, we have lost the art of connecting.
“We know that just a quick chat can often make a huge difference.”
While the campaign has a light-hearted vibe, the slogan has a serious undertone.
Speaking at the Agri Connect seminar in Ashburton, suicide prevention officer Pup Chamberlain urged rural service professionals to have the mental health conversation with the farmers they are connecting with.
“A lot of farmers are going around with a ticking time bomb and they don’t realise it.
“Farmers sleep in their workplace, they operate in a high level of intensity all the time, they have always got that reminder going on 24-7, that’s why getting off the farm is so very important, mentally and physically getting a break.
“Humans are herd animals we need each other; we need our tribe for caring.
“If I come in limping you will ask what’s wrong; if someone doesn’t seem to be their usual self, you are too scared to ask – how hard is it to say ‘I can see you are hurting’?
“Research tells us that 50% of our population think about suicide at some stage in their life so if a person is down there’s a 50-50 chance they are thinking about dying.
“In the past two weeks I have gone along to three doctors with young blokes because someone made a referral.
“Please, have the mental health conversation, have time to listen, listen and listen some more.”
Lack of succession planning was highlighted as one of the worst mental health issues with 30% of calls from farmers stemming from succession planning that hasn’t happened or been poorly planned and “tipped over”.
Forsyth Barr adviser Mark Grenside said succession is a bomb waiting to go off in most families.
“A lot of farming families are going to need a lot of support in that respect.
“Our duty of care in professionalism is to do our job really well and give people the confidence they need to speak out,” Grenside said.
Mental health advocate and former Māori All Black Slade McFarland has been on the mental wellbeing journey since finding himself on the “pile of players who have been there, come and gone” after he retired from rugby.
“I have had a therapist for 15 years. I call her my incinerator; I take her my rubbish bag full and she empties it every week.
“I know farmers tend to isolate themselves. Problems will only be heard if we are brave enough to share the braveness within ourselves, because we are men.”
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
