‘Farm gate counselling’: Rural Aid supporting female farmers
In response to the crippling effects of drought and as part of their Farm Recovery Event, non-for-profit Rural Aid will host a morning tea for “Ladies-Who-Farm” in June at the Eudunda sporting club in the Mid North.
David Thiele, the community events coordinator for Rural Aid Australia, said the volunteer-run event will let female farmers connect over a cup of tea or coffee, a casual approach that is vital as farmers are under stress while experiencing record-low levels of rainfall across the state.
The drought is impacting not only their yields and finances but also their mental health, he said.
Thiele said gender discrimination multiplies the challenges women farmers face, and many are left overburdened by their responsibilities and isolated from their community.
“Wives are often responsible for looking after the kids, getting the kids off to school, doing the grocery shop… they tend to carry the mental load of the family side of the farm,” he said.
The Farm Recovery Event seeks to change that.
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Not only will it give female farmers the space to catch up and chat in a casual environment, there will also be a mental health and wellbeing practitioner available.
According to Thiele, this “practical connection” is vital when working with farmers – he calls it “farm gate counselling”.
“It’s not about coming to our sterile office and sitting on the couch and talking about things, it’s a practical approach,” Thiele said.
“It’s an excuse to get the farmers off the land… and just be mums and be ladies, and to have a cup of tea and talk to other women in a similar situation.”
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In addition to the morning tea, Rural Aid host a range of initiatives across Australia to support farmers.
“We provide on-farm support with the use of our volunteer workforce to farmers or primary producers that are affected by storms, droughts, fires and floods,” Thiele said.
“If we can support their overall mental health and wellbeing then [they can] come home to a place they actually enjoy coming home to”.
Connecting with farmers has its challenges and normalising the conversation around mental health is no easy feat, he said. However, the casual approach and informal structure creates a space for farmers to engage in conversation, and the events have been growing in popularity.
“We’ve seen a lot of new registrations to mental aid and ongoing counselling support,” Thiele said.
“We’re trying to normalise the conversation around mental health.”
The Farm Recovery Events are entirely not-for-profit and volunteer-run, with the volunteers preparing, catering, and hosting the events. As much as possible, they source everything for the events locally, doing everything possible to support farmers and contribute to the circular economy.
“If the money’s tight, farmers aren’t spending money at the IGA or the bakery,” according to Thiele, so the organisation supports local shops because contributing to the community has a circular effect and a wide range of impacts beyond the farm.
The event will be held at the Eudunda Sporting Club on Wednesday, 18 June from 9.30am to 11.30am and is open to all women in the farming community.
