Ag Proud member Jon Pemberton says stress among farmers from a recent winter grazing media campaign by activists was the catalyst for its formation. It launched last week by hosting a free barbecue in Invercargill to engage with city people.
It does not have an agenda other than to celebrate the rural sector and to share that pride and information about what farmers do and why.
The movement also hopes to highlight the issue of mental health among those in rural NZ.
“It’s about being proud to be a farmer and to create awareness of the mental wellbeing and stress among rural NZ families.”
Similar Ag Proud groups are forming in Otago and Canterbury and Pemberton, a dairy farmer, says the vision is to take it nationwide.
Within 48 hours of footage gathered by the activists surfacing in the media the group was formed and with support from 100 agricultural people hosted the barbeque.
It aims to promote what is good about farming and farmers by talking to people in open and honest discussion.
“Unity is the key on this and anyone with an agenda has got to put it to one side.”
Ag Proud plans to host an evening farmers market in Invercargill in mid December.
