Strong uptake of good wintering practices
DairyNZ has seen a significant increase in the number of farmers improving their wintering practices, which results in a higher standard of animal care and environmental protection.
Wellness is as much a science as the study of grass species or cow conditioning, Carver says.
Her workshop on this topic at last year's South Island Dariy Event was highly rated, many people asking for a repeat.
"Most said they knew of someone else who would benefit from coming along, and we're hoping that will happen. It's encouraging that so many people in the industry are starting to talk about wellness and resilience.
"We're keen for farmers to discuss tips from the workshop with family and colleagues in their networks."
Her talk is themed, 'The resilient farmer: keeping yourself strong amidst the ever-increasing pressures of farming'. She will talk about what it means to be healthy and how to deal with stress, with practical examples.
"The stressors aren't going away, but there are things you can do as an individual that will help you; these don't cost anything and don't need to take up a lot of time," she says.
For example, set aside time to turn off the television and play a board game with the family, get off the farm once a fortnight for three hours, or make a simple change to diet.
Carver will tell stories of changes made by some farmers who attended previous workshops, including one who now jogs the 2km from his home to the milking shed – and back – each morning. "It's made all the difference to his stress, and it's a cool example of what a small change can make."
She will speak about understanding your personality and values, and how this can help with decisionmaking, handling the unexpected, stress and burnout.
And she will remind farmers that farming should be enjoyable as well as profitable.
