FARMSTRONG
The team on Tracey and Roger Miller’s farm in Southland often catch up over a cuppa and share their ups and downs.
You matter, let’s natter Farmstrong’s You Matter, Let’s Natter campaign is encouraging farmers to catch up with colleagues and neighbours over a cuppa to see how they’re going. Southland dairy farmer Tracey Miller is one of a number of farmers who’ve put the billy on to help promote the idea.
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racey and her husband Roger run a 1000-cow dairy farm near Riversdale in Southland. It’s a busy operation with four fulltime staff and a couple of calf rearers. Tracey says the team must be functioning at its best to keep on top of it all, which is why they gather each morning to share breakfast and chat over a cuppa. “Everyone sits down together for a good hour or so. Me and another calf rearer prepare a cooked breakfast. We plan out the day, talk about what we’ve been up to and how things are going in general,” Tracey says. She says that a sense of camaraderie is a big part of keeping people well. “Sharing the ups and downs of farming helps manage stress. It’s my chance to do that too. Like a lot of farmers, I find
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it much easier to talk about everyone else’s problems rather than my own, but scheduling a regular get-together like that encourages people to open up,” she says. “Yesterday, for example, I’d had a tough morning, so I just opened up to the others at breakfast today and everyone was like, ‘oh, what happened? Tell us.’ Being able to share how you’re feeling like that with others is so helpful. “That’s why I think You Matter, Let’s Natter is an awesome idea. Grab a cup and go and have a natter with someone you care about. A lot of farmers are still very staunch about asking for help. But even if you find just one other person to tell how you’re feeling, that will help you feel a lot better if you’re feeling stressed. Whether it’s your partner, boss, colleague or a relative, everyone needs to be able to
confide in someone. As farmers we need to support each other.” Tracey says the team doubles down on efforts to connect during the busy season. “Often when you’re busy you don’t make time to talk, but that’s exactly when you need to talk the most. So even in the middle of calving I cook everyone a big dinner once a week to show that farming is a team game and fueling yourself with the right food is really important,” she says. She says the business has prioritised wellbeing in several other important areas. For example, the staff housing is of a high standard. “It makes a huge difference to how you feel if you’re coming home to a warm, dry house after spending all day outside on a cold, wet day. I think farm owners need to
DAIRY FARMER
October 2021
