Tuesday, March 19, 2024

FARMSTRONG: Stop and smell the roses

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Time off farm is the number one wellbeing priority for farmers but many are still reluctant to take breaks.  Kate and Mike Gee-Taylor of Rangiwahia are on a mission to change that.
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They own a typical family farm, a 566ha sheep and beef operation in hill country at Rangiwahia in Manawatu. Mike grew up there and met Kate 28 years ago. They still both love the area and the lifestyle.

But life’s thrown up a few challenges too. Two years ago Kate fell ill and nearly died. It took 30 units of blood to save her.

“Mike was grey with worry and I was green and sick,” Kate says. 

But what she remembers most is the way the community rallied around them. 

“Our neighbours were absolutely amazing. They organised two men a day to help Mike during weaning. Our pantry was full of food. They mowed the lawns. They did housework.” 

The magnitude of such a scare took on a toll on Kate’s confidence too. She felt pretty down afterwards.

“I ended up going to a shrink. It was the best thing I ever did in my life. It made me realise the true value of friends and the importance of getting off-farm and catching up with them regularly.”

The whole experience made her determined to give something back to the rural community that had supported her. 

First up, she organised a pest destruction day for local dads. When that proved a hit she contemplated something more ambitious. 

By then Kate and Mike had made their own health much more a priority and taken up bike riding for a change of scene from farming. 

“I’d never got the link between activity and your mental health but the doctors are right, exercise really does make you feel better. It’s a great way to destress.” 

On one excursion the couple noticed a store in Ohakune where they could rent e-bikes. Kate decided to organise a group ride for local farmers.

“It was about being brave enough to just invite people. I went old school, got some nice invitations made up with the info and sent them out to everyone by mail.” 

The personalised approach worked. She ended up with 23 riders, including some who hadn’t been on a push bike since primary school. 

The group overnighted in Ohakune, rode to the Bridge to Nowhere, swam in the river and returned by jet boat. 

“It was one of those magic days – beautiful weather. The 30km we did back in the jet boat was like being in Jurassic Park, that river is so beautiful. We went mid-week and people had been given plenty of warning so they could work their schedule around the date.” 

The impact was transformational. 

“This was about getting farmers off-farm, meeting new people and talking about other things apart from farming. 

“For a lot of them it was the first time in a while they’d had a day off, of just doing their own thing. In the van they were all saying things like, ‘hey, we should this more often’ and ‘gosh, it’s nice to be off farm’. And they all asked afterwards, what are you going to organise next?” 

“What I learnt was that these men all realised they needed to take a break but it actually took someone else to organise it for that to happen.” 

Kate says the industry needs to challenge stoic attitudes that prevent farmers getting the downtime they deserve. 

“Farmers can be really reluctant to leave the farm but it’s important for their health and wellbeing that they do. Farming can get very pressured. To be sustainable you need to look after yourself.” 

Kate says maintaining connections with neighbours is the key to handling the ups and downs of not just farming but life in general. 

“It’s all about sharing the load. If you’re having trouble on the farm and your sheep aren’t getting fat, the chances are other guys will have a solution, maybe a drench you haven’t tried. Also, if you see people regularly you can soon tell if they’re under the weather and need a hand.

“You don’t need to organise an event. It can be as simple as ringing a neighbour and turning up in your farm clothes for a coffee or seeing if they’re up for a game of cards after dinner during the winter.

“Sometimes in farming it’s easy to just muddle along and get in a real funk. I’ve been there. Every so often you just need to stop and smell the roses.”

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