Friday, March 29, 2024

Ram raffle backing Farmstrong

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A ram raffle run by Raupuha Studs owners Russell and Mavis Proffit to raise awareness of mental health in rural communities raised more than $7000 for Farmstrong’s rural wellbeing programme.
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The Proffit family, who run Raupuha Studs at Mahoenui in King Country, about 30 minutes southwest of Te Kuiti, have been selling rams for over 40 years. Russell and Mavis have managed the stud for a decade.

In addition to breeding pedigree Perendale, Romdale, Suftex and Suffolk sheep Raupuha is recognised as a leader in facial eczema genetics.

Russell Proffit has been farming for 18 years and likes the variety his job brings. 

“We’ve got a dairy grazing block, a sheep stud and a commercial operation. 

“I like farming because I get to control what I do.

“We’re breeding sheep and bulls for commercial farmers and what we do benefits the whole of the sheep industry.”

The pair also pride themselves on doing things a bit differently and decided to create an event and give something for people to talk about.

“We were running our third on-farm ram sale and I came up with the idea of auctioning off a ram for Farmstrong. 

“Mental health in rural communities is a topic we think is really important.

“I think farmers do have to cope with a lot of pressure – legislation changes, market changes, the climate, the media. 

“It’s important that we look after ourselves and each other and talk about this stuff,” Proffit said.

The couple sold a couple of hundred tickets, got 20 local businesses involved and ended up raising more than $7000. It was a family occasion and a great chance for the local community to connect. 

“All the kids were home so it was great. 

“People were coming anyway because of the auction but the raffle created a bit of talk. 

“Farming can get pretty lonely and this was a good chance for people to get off-farm. 

“This is probably one of the few times at this time of year that people will get off-farm to buy a ram so it’s a great chance to catch up with fellow farmers.”

The catalogue featured Farmstrong ambassador Sam Whitelock passing on tips for farmers under the pump.

“We just did it because it’s a good thing to do. 

“Everyone that read our catalogue talked about Farmstrong and promoted it on Facebook. That’s a great thing. The more people who talk about these issues the better. 

“They might not need help now but maybe in two or three years’ time if they’re under the pump they’ll head to Farmstrong for help about what to do.” 

No one in farming is immune from pressure or unexpected, stressful events, Proffit said.

“For example, nowadays, we breed eczema tolerance in our sheep. That’s a disease that can sneak up in autumn on your sheep or cattle herd. Once you see it, it’s too late, you’ve missed the boat. 

“My father got hit really hard by it in 1999 and got really depressed by it, as anyone would when they had to go and shoot their own sheep.

“So we breed to prevent it now and I guess that’s part of the reason we got behind Farmstrong because like any farm we’ve known tough times. Those sort of things can come out of nowhere and you’ve just got to be resilient enough of cope with it.” 

He agrees staying connected with mates and local industry networks is crucial to feeling good.

“One of the trickiest things with mental health is that people can look fine and seem fine. It’s not like a broken leg, you can’t always tell if someone’s not 100, can you? The key is to keep talking about it as a community and check how people are going.

“I guess I’m lucky that my job has a social side. 

“This time of year I’m busy meeting people and selling and delivering rams to farmers. 

“It’s still pressured because the guy you’re selling the rams to is depending on your genetics to improve his bottom line. But I do enjoy my job.” 

The industry still has a way to go to deal with issues like work/life balance, stress and burn out. 

“In our industry the harder you work, the greater the reward but you’ve got to have some balance too. I’m probably as bad as anyone at not taking my time off simply because I love what I do.

“Like most farmers I just want to get on and get stuff done. 

“But if something affects you so much that you can’t function, you’ve gotta do something. 

“If people, especially young people, in our rural communities are struggling, they need to turn off Facebook, turn their phone off and go and talk to someone. There’s always someone out there who can help.

“My main message to young farmers is just worry about the things you can control. Forget about the rest. 

“You can’t control what other people say. Just worry about what you can do. Surround yourself with good people who will give you decent advice and support.”

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