Andrews wanted to raise awareness among farmers and their families of the importance of looking after themselves.
He and his partner Tash O’Neill organised a quiz night and silent auction at the Mosgiel RSA in June, attracting about 60 people.
Those who couldn’t make it on the night were encouraged to donate to the cause on the couple’s Givealittle page.
Jamie MacKay was on hand to do the honours and cut Andrews’ waist-length dreads, which had been 14 years in the making and weighed in at a hefty 3kg.
The couple’s Living Without Dread event raised over $2400 for Farmstrong and shone the spotlight on issues close to Andrews’ heart.
“We need to do more as a community to talk about it and support each other so we decided to jump on board with Farmstrong and do our bit,” he said.
“Partnering with Farmstrong was a great way to promote positive messages about wellbeing in our community. I also thought Simon’s dreads deserved to go out with some pomp and ceremony,” O’Neill said.
The couple contract manage 310 milking cows on a 100-hectare property in Momona, near Dunedin.
They also have three kids so life’s busy.
Andrews loves farming but says managing the workload and pressure, especially during busy times, is a skill in itself.
Last year was a big one for the couple who took on a farm management role for the first time.
“Taking on all that extra responsibility was overwhelming at times. Being proactive, not reactive, in the way we managed our work and family life was essential for keeping on top of things,” he said.
“Communication is the big thing,” O’Neill said.
“I really believe that a problem shared on a farm is a problem halved.”
Having the right mindset is also important, Andrews said.
“You can’t worry about things that are out of your control in farming.
“If something goes wrong you’ve just got to reset the mind and carry on.
“For example, earlier this year we had a couple of bad milk grades after we made a mistake, which was a real low point for us.
“But we just dealt with it, changed our processes so it couldn’t happen again and moved on.
“My motto these days is always onwards and upwards.”
He urges any farmers feeling under the pump to head to the Farmstrong website.
“There are a tonne of practical tips there to help farmers look after themselves and each other.
“Some of these things sound so simple – like taking breaks, getting exercise, eating properly and getting a decent night’s sleep – but when farmers get busy we often don’t think about them.
“All these things add up so you’ve got something to call on when you need to,” he said.
O’Neill said it’s also important for farming families to enjoy the benefits of rural living and not take life for granted.
“We love being able to bring up our kids on a farm.
“Seeing the cows, being able to keep chickens, the fresh air and the peaceful moments you get on farm. My advice is don’t lose sight of what you love about farming.”
Andrews’ main message for farmers is simple. “I think far too many people in our rural communities are struggling with depression or taking their own lives. Everything you’re striving to look after is going to suffer, if you don’t look after yourself.
“If your animals are in a healthy condition, it’s just common sense that you should be too.”
Andrews and O’Neill are running a follow-on fundraiser that runs till the end of September.
Anyone wishing to donate to rural wellbeing can head to their Shave To Support Givealittle page.
Simon’s and Tash’s top wellbeing tips
Communicate – Don’t bottle things up. Discuss issues with your partner and fellow workers before they become problems. If you don’t know how to do something on farm ask a question, don’t struggle on. That’s how you grow your skills.
Take Your Breaks – Sometimes it can be hard to get off the farm, especially during calving and mating, but we make sure we get regular breaks to spend time with friends and family in town.
Learn to manage stress – We’ve got better each season at managing the busy times. Last year was our first year as contract managers, which meant a lot of extra responsibility. But stress-wise and mood-wise we feel like it’s been our best year. We’ve learnt to recognise our triggers and give ourselves time and space to recharge.
Keep Active – We like doing bush walks with our kids to relax, doing something that works the body as well as the mind. It could be something as simple as chopping wood.
Eat well – Fuelling up properly is important for farm work. Our freezers are stocked full of meals we’ve prepared for busy times like calving.
