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Mind Your Head
With the importance of Agriculture to both the economy and our ways of life, we need to ensure that we look after its workers. This article focuses on the Mind your Head Campaign bringing awareness to mental health in farming and links to resources to help.
Further to my earlier article about mental health today marks the start of the Mind Your Head campaign.
The Yellow Wellies group rightly has highlighted some key points about farmers mental health. Now some issues which they have isolated would be challenging to control or resolve. Now whilst there are specific agricultural loans to help with the business or equipment needs this, unfortunately, is often at a great interest rate as well as which when coupled with other stressors. Some of these stressors can be highly varied from the direct impacts such as the financial impacts on the business to the secondary elements such as one which livestock farmers face. Livestock farmers often face increased opposition to both the changing diets of the masses that has caused abuse and heated debates on both sides. However, whilst both sides of the debate have valid points and passionate views only one directly impacts their livelihoods. Now whilst this debate will likely be on going for a number of years as it one about ideology. Some positives have been drawn from it alternatives to different movements such as Reganuary which puts a focus on a more sustainable form of agriculture. Now rather then discuss this movement in this article the reason for highlighting it, is that this is a way for the industry to champion better practice by highlighting innovations as well as supporting the local businesses. This can also be seen with concerns between farmers and others who use the countryside or visit farmers lands. With an increased amount of walkers in the countryside farmers can be drawn into conflict when dogs are off lead distressing stock. If the stock animals are distressed or attacked by the dog the farmer has the right to shoot the dog but this can be deeply distressing either by seeing the damage a dog can do to the stock or through shooting the dog. Neither is an option that the farmer wants to pursue however it is something which does often happen with a lack of understanding of the environment.
Now when looking at stress in farmers it is important that all actions are taken to reduce stress. Finding people to talk with whether that be online or those in local support group by engaging in conversation and offloading some of the stress recognising they are not alone. Making sure that those that work on farms especially for those whose lives and work focus on the land need somewhere else to focus such as going off site, exploring a hobby or a trip. Making sure you also take the chance to regularly exercise and follow a suitable routine.
Now campaigns such as Fit to Farm also highlight characteristics about the various roles which are often not explored. The working hours which farmers often do can be up to 65 hours per week this is comparable to the 56 hours per week doctors do. Now not all farmers have this type of working environment but for those who do it should be rightly recognised the pressures they face. Especially at busy periods like harvest where they are flat out for days and hours at end. Now because of working and living on site taking leave from your family farm can be a far flung fantasy for some it is not as simple as leaving your home for holiday for those who business needs require careful monitoring but are tied to a fixed location. Many entrepreneurs or professionals can take their work with them and therefore find some release this is arguably the same for large companies but a challenge for the small family farms. Now respondents to the survey by the Fit to Farm campaign have outlined areas they need help in would it not be the best time for the communities to rely around them and support their efforts.
We also need to remember what great resources we have available to support us and those within our community. YANA specifically targets mental health in farming whilst the Yellow Wellies looks at farm safety follow the links below to find out more about their work and how to support them. Together we Can.
http://yellowwellies.org/StressManagementBooklet_0319/StressManagementBooklet_0319/?page=23
Mental Health in Farming
With Mental Health Week coming a close it comes as the Mind Your Head campaign starts specifically looking at how farmers safety and Mental Health needs a specific focus.
With my articles over the last week, I have played close attention to Mental Health and specifically the impacts on isolation. Now, something which I want to focus on is isolated sectors in rural Suffolk. The isolated primary industry is that of farming. Agriculture is both an industry which has given me a great deal of opportunity and experiences.
Still, I would be remised if I said that you did not notice the effects of being disconnected from many outside of your farm. Now my experience was only brief, often seeing and visiting many farms which Faccenda Foods had ownership of or were contracting out their growing of broiler chickens. Now, although many of my experiences was visiting a variety of farms from large industrial sites with bungalows or living areas for the manager as well as maybe an assistant on-site, this was not often the case for smaller farms where the need for a second staff member on-site was not as justified fiscally. Now the farmers often had family members on the site where their kids and spouse often worked or studied offsite. The farmer primarily stayed on-site for the crop's duration, taking the odd day off throughout the six to seven-week cycle. When off relief staff would work on-site by travelling from other areas to cover the staff member temporarily, and when the site was being prepared for the next crop they would often take the opportunity to holiday away from the site. This chance to leave the area is usually not possible on the traditional farming business. When the land is not working or being prepared for work, it still needs management or other maintenance. Therefore this leaves the farmers working tirelessly for our communities year-round which is both a service and calling which many would not trade.
Now farming is quoted as having one of the worst safety records, which is exaggerated by the number of time farmers spend working in isolation. The larger farms will often see collaboration between owner and employee or generally between generations. Smaller sites are may be unable to justify offering work outside the family and if there is no one within the household to assist then the work can be more isolating. The long hours in the fields tied with the many hats they have to wear; mechanic, accountant, weatherman, and engineer. Now when your livelihood and to an extent your history is deeply rooted in your land, the looming financial uncertainty is a deep concern. With the risks around changes to income and direct payments changes looming post-Brexit, the stress can be too much for those with no one to talk again. This is why the work that charities such as YANA do is so valuable and the results of educators like myself to highlight these groups to the next generation is critical. The Mind Your Head campaign, which I will discuss later this week, needs to be shared and continually championed. After all, although we see shifts in our habits or dietary preferences and sometimes are attitudes, we need to remember the differences in our communities highlight them and ensure that we all continue to move forward together.
Lockdowns Effect on our Community
How can we all stay connected with our communities during the ongoing lockdown. With the continued pressure that lockdown has on mental health particularly in young people what can, we do to help out those in our communities. This is also something that can benefit our businesses and each other.
Whilst listening to the Front Row yesterday, the discussion looked at how the next generation of learners is affected by the pandemic. Now part of the impact that the pandemic has had on them is exploring different opportunities available. Understanding how we can best promote knowledge sharing the skills we can encourage, techniques they can be taught, industries which they can see. Lockdown affords us the chance to use communities to support businesses and refine how our communities develop and grow this is an area that I believe we should investigate. Alongside the provisions that we can provide the next generation with we can use the same community to benefit businesses. We all intend to share products, craftsmanship, knowledge and talents.
This article addresses the concerns that affect businesses and our students with thoughts on building back better. With the researcher's main point being highlighted, the individuals at a disadvantage in the labour market. The general focus is lack of opportunities immediately available to young people in the present circumstances. With many people being furloughed or out of work, it is not just the lack of job prospect post-college or school. Still, it also allows us to learn or experience whilst again to grow academically with all but a small number of work experiences being offered by businesses able to field these rare opportunities. Learners need to work with various companies to understand how they work within the sector and establish their likes and dislikes. Employers also need to recognise the next generation's strengths and weaknesses, working with educators and tutors to fill these skill gaps (Johnston and Maddox, 2021).
This brings me to the point about lockdown sectors the first jobs for many the opportunities to develop soft skills. Those who go onto university can recover academically from this disruption, but those emerging into the job market are disadvantaged here (Dias et al., 2020). With other impacts being the effect on people's mental health, the implications of many in the community isolated coming together in new ways to share our experiences should be encouraged. Many have concerns about health, education, careers, and livelihoods having a sense of community where people can share their thoughts before returning to normalcy (Peter Madeley, 2021).
However, how this is delivered is equally as important as the messages discussed. Providing a sense of routine whether that be a discussion by business groups, talks about soft skills, mental health days or sharing a craft all need to be provided in a way that encourages positive habits to form (Mental Health, 2020).
This is where a community is needed rather than letting lockdown impact our lives. We have the chance to promote and showcase what communities can do. Allow people to find out about hidden talents within groups, allowing us to restore our link attachments. A pandemic which has forced us to be disconnected could bring us a greater sense of togetherness.
What we can do to build this sense of togetherness and community. Enabling businesses to share what they do and what they produce it gives individuals a sense of involvement in the process. By following the steps you take, we can learn from your experiences, collectively feel involved with your business and its place within our community. This can let people know what your offering, gives someone insight into your profession and build that link with your brand. Teachers, individuals and professionals can also share their content and experiences to best provide tips for working through lockdown, helping someone discover a new hobby or just helping someone get through the day. If there is something we can provide to wider communities in either core or fringe subjects that gives them a similar advantage to their peers, we should encourage them. There is no equivalent exchange for part-time jobs or being with our peers in terms of soft skills, yet what we can do is share our experiences and knowledge openly talking about mental health, finance, work-life balances (Nick Morrison, 2021).