The funding comes through the new arm of the Mid Canterbury Rural Support Trust and under its umbrella local woman Angela Cushnie has been employed as welfare co-ordinator.
Cushnie’s appointment is part time and she has a team of three trained facilitators working alongside her.
All four are paid employees and less than four weeks into the role Cushnie said the support is being well received.
“There is huge support from the trust and we are aware that poor communications have been a challenge for farmers and a key part of what we are here for is to communicate with farmers – to let them know they are not alone on their journey and there is welfare support available.
“I am the first person farmers will make contact with and it’s my role to assess the need of the farmer and their wider farming business.
“Once a farm is put under a Notice of Direction then we reach out to them, making contact following notification from MPI.
“We’re touching base with the farmer and it may well be that they have a strong support network around them but it’s about them knowing we are here.
“Others with not such strong support around them are the ones we work quite closely with.”
Since the welfare team set up in mid-August it has touched base with 60 farms.
“In many cases farmers are finding the process particularly stressful through their inability to run their farm as they otherwise would. Then stress and anxiety take over.
“We can offer options and give guidance and MPI is providing us with the tools and lots of pathways to get successful outcomes.”
Cushnie said a key part of the welfare team’s work is about building relationships.
“Farmers need to know they can trust us and once that trust is established they open up.”
It’s not just farmers under restricted notice who might need welfare support.
From farmers battling for compensation, struggling with cashflow, the culling of animals and repopulating farms to farmers who fear they might be next, the welfare support is available to everyone.
“Everyone just needs to know that we are here and we can help. We’ve got a wide variety of skills and information to share.”
Community support has been amazing and the response from people who have made contact has been overwhelmingly positive.
“The trust here has established systems in place and has clearly got the respect of the community.
Thirteen months into the M bovis response a lot has been learned about the disease as MPI slowly unravels its complexities.
“There are a lot of positives happening and answers are more readily available now than they were earlier on,” Cushnie said.
She grew up in rural Mid Canterbury and over the past 20 years has worked with local businesses and organisations in marketing and communication.
Mid Canterbury Federated Farmers dairy chairman Chris Ford said Cushnie is the right person for the job.
“It’s a matter of farmers having the confidence to pick up the phone and give her a call.”
Ford applauded MPI for its support.
“It’s wonderful that MPI has recognised that these organisations do need support and come up with funding – long may it last.”
Ashburton IP farmer Frank Peters said he and his family are hugely grateful for the support they have received from the local community.
“And we can’t speak more highly of the RST.
“Only someone who has gone through this knows what it feels like and we are happy to talk to them.”
Peters is one of a small group of farmers now meeting MPI officials in Wellington to help untangle the complexities and inconsistencies of the response.
He is keen for farmers to keep him abreast of their issues so he can take feedback to the table. The next meeting is on September 21.
“Hopefully by ironing out the problems, the next day a disease comes along the farmer can avoid the sheer hell and we can make the process much more user-friendly,” Peters said.
NEED HELP:
Call Angela Cushnie, 0800 787 254
