Mind yourself and others

Members of Macre na Feirme as they marched towards Thomas Street in Dublin City. The Steps for our Future protest left Kildare last night, as members of Macra marched 100km from Athy, Co Kildare head to Government Buildings to protest for policies which will guarantee a future for young people in farming. Photograph: Eamonn Farrell

I had the pleasure of making a presentation at the Ballinadee Community Hall last week, along with speakers from the Cork-based Kinsale Your Support Services and Make the Moove, a Macra na Feirme initiative aimed at supporting farm families mental wellbeing.

There was a good deal of crossover between the presentations despite the fact the my own dealt with farm finance and succession planning and the others dealing with mental health. Farmers and rural dwellers face pressures from many different sources, many of which are ultimately linked to or impact on farm finances.

A breakdown in herd health, an extended spell of bad weather, a drop in output prices, the breakup of a relationship or marriage all have a negative effect on farm income. It can be the difference between thriving, surviving, or struggling to stay afloat.

Over the past couple of years, and perhaps at an accelerating rate, farmers are facing yet more pressure. The changes foisted upon farmers as a result of climate change actions such as banding and reduced stocking rates due to higher nitrogen co-efficients are ebbing away at farm profitability.

The drop in the quantity of stock one can carry is only the tip of the iceberg, the higher costs of compliance, the increase in land rent costs and the pressure to make the right decision of scaling up or down is leading to increased stress, anxiety, and mental health issues for farmers.

This past week we have seen Macra members march to Dublin over their concerns for the future of farming for young farmers. This, to me, hits the nail on the head. We now know the changes coming on stream over the next three or four years and the lead-up to our climate commitments for 2030.

The greater issue is what is coming down the tracks for the two decades following as Ireland has committed to net carbon neutral by 2050. This is leading to farmers experiencing a constant state of stress, dealing with the calamities of day-to-day farming but wondering: In what way will regulation, bureaucracy or climate change initiatives ramp that pressure up another notch?

Throw in the seemingly ever-expanding urban/rural divide, the lack of understanding and respect for what farmers actually do and a smattering of anti-farming BS and a melting pot of negativity ensues. The bitter reality is that some farmers succumb to that pressure and either experience mental health breakdowns or have taken their own lives.

A University College Dublin study on farmers’ mental health generated shocking results that nearly one quarter of farmers surveyed were at risk of suicide and half had suffered from depression.

Bill Gleeson, who spoke on the night on behalf of Make the Moove, explained many of the factors which can cause mental pressure and some useful strategies for helping cope in such circumstances.

Good diet, sleeping well, exercising regularly, talking problems out with friends, fellow farmers and advisers and spending time away from farming can help, but getting yourself back on an even keel takes a lot of work and sometimes it takes a bit of outside help.

If a tractor wasn’t running on all cylinders one would call a mechanic, the same applies to ourselves, there is no stigma in looking for help. Shockingly both, Bill Gleeson and retired garda, James O’Mahony on behalf of Kinsale Your Support Services, highlighted that some farmers were even turning to drugs to cope with pressure.

If you are feeling pressure reach out for help, talk to friends or turn to any of the many organisations who are on stand by to help such as the Samaratans, Pieta House, or Make the Moove.

If you know someone is under pressure and you don’t know how to help them, contact these organisations who will point you in the right direction. If you are struggling financially and are worried about your financial situation consider airing your concerns with your accountant or agricultural adviser who may be able to give you options. Take care.