International Day of Rural Women: Two DairyNZ Farmers’ Stories
Today, 15 October, is the International Day of Rural Women, which recognises rural women’s contribution to farming, communities and the environment.
DairyNZ specialist Dana Carver will speak about “the resilient farmer – keeping yourself strong amidst the ever-increasing pressures of farming”.
Her talk has been presented widely and is said to be popular across New Zealand.
“People love it because it focuses on real-world and farmer-specific solutions to the practicalities of keeping healthy. Telling someone they must sleep well is fine, but what are the practical things you can do for yourself when you’re spending half the night awake and worrying?” she says.
Her statistics will show that a lot more farmers are experiencing excessive stress, and she will talk about why farming is now more stressful than 30 years ago. “We will look at why the stresses are there, and think about what we can do as an industry to change the culture.”
Carver, herself a farmer, will outline research about what to do about stress so farming can be enjoyable. “This is the more exciting research – it focuses on the day-to-day reality of what it means to be healthy and is presented with a farming slant.
“I’m after practical questions from farmers on the detail of how to implement change, like how to fit exercise into a busy lifestyle, and what is needed to plan meals for healthy eating.
