2018-08-22: National Centre for Farmer’s Health consultant Olivia Pronk talks with farmers at AgQuip – The Northern Daily Leader

View article: 2018-08-22: National Centre for Farmer’s Health consultant Olivia Pronk talks with farmers at AgQuip – The Northern Daily Leader

What Happens to the Farm? Australian Farmers’ Experiences after a Serious Farm Injury

To investigate the experiences of farmers on returning to farming following a serious farm-related injury.

Cholinesterase research outreach project (CROP): point of care cholinesterase measurement in an Australian agricultural community

Australian farmers are routinely exposed to a wide variety of agrichemicals, including herbicides and insecticides. Organophosphate (OP) insecticides are widely used for agricultural production, horticulture and animal husbandry practices. Symptoms of OP toxicity are the results of inhibition of the enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE) which is found in many types of conducting tissue in human bodies such as nerve and muscle, central and peripheral tissues, motor and sensory fibres. Cholinesterase can be measured in red blood cells/erythrocytes (AChE) and plasma (PChE). This study aims to explore integration of AChE monitoring into routine health checks for those at risk and also to examine any association between AChE activity and agrichemical use in a Victorian farming community in Australia.

Online assessment of suicide stigma, literacy and effect in Australia’s rural farming community

In Australia, farming populations have been identified as having higher rates of suicide, in comparison to metropolitan, rural and regional communities. The reasons for this are unclear although stigma is considered a risk factor. This study was designed to understand the role of suicide stigma and suicide literacy and the relationship
between these.

2018-08-16: Health checks bring in farmers – Eyre Peninsula Tribune

Eddie Hughes gets his health check from Tam Phillips.
Article by: Kathrine Catanzariti

2018-8-10: A healthy farming family means a healthly farming business – The Weekly Times

2018-8-1: Press Release – 2018 Conference Keynote Speaker Announced

International expert to build local knowledge about agrichemical exposure on our farming families

The National Centre for Farmer Health is excited to announce internationally renowned Occupational and Environmental Health specialist Associate Professor Diane Rohlman as a keynote speaker at their Conference in September.

As one of the world’s most hazardous industries, there are many risks associated with working in agriculture, including the risk of injury and exposure to agrichemicals. Pesticides, particularly organophosphorus pesticides (OPs), are widely used throughout the world. However, research examining the effects of exposure to these agrichemicals has tended to focus on acute effects in adults. There has been limited research looking at the impact of repeated, low-level exposure to agrichemicals, particularly in children and adolescents. Dr Rohlman describes her research as “examining the impact of low-level occupational exposure to organophosphorus pesticides in adult and adolescent farmworkers”.

Associate Prof. Rohlman’s research has also extended to examine environmental pesticide exposure among children living in agricultural communities. Since many chemicals, particularly OPs, can attack the brain and nervous system, her research has focused on early detection of changes in memory, attention and learning.

Dr Susan Brumby—Director of the National Centre for Farmer Health—is excited by the prospect of Dr Rohlman’s involvement in the NCFH Conference, with the theme ‘Good health, wellbeing and safety: Making a difference to farmers’ lives’: “Dr Rohlman has been conducting very topical research that will be of significant interest to both health professionals and farmers across Australia. We’re thrilled to host this expert from The University of Iowa, where they have the only Agricultural Safety and Health program in the United States. It was this cutting-edge training program that inspired the development of our own Graduate Certificate in Agricultural Health and Medicine.”

Dr Rohlman will be presenting at the National Centre for Farmer Health Conference on Wednesday 12 September in Hamilton, Victoria. Farmers, health professionals, researchers and others working in areas with links to agriculture and health are encouraged to attend the Conference. Registration to attend the conference is free and can be made online via the Farmer Health website: https://farmerhealth.org.au/conferences/conference-2018. Registrations close on Friday 17 August.

Media contact: Images relevant to this article are available on request from the National Centre for Farmer Health via Cecilia Fitzgerald (03) 5551 8533 or cecilia.fitzgerald@wdhs.net

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS ANNOUNCED – READ MORE

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REGISTER FOR CONFERENCE NOW – Registrations close 17|8|18

Farmer Health eNews August 2018

Find out all the latest from the National Centre for Farmer Health

• 2018 Conference Keynote Speakers Announced
• Digital Storytelling Workshop
• Out & about with NCFH
• Wellness Wednesday

View the August 2018 eNews

Read past issues of eNews

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2018-7-28: Mental Health Crusader – The Hamilton Spectator

2018-07-24: NCFH $4M Promise – The Hamilton Spectator

2018-07-19: Farmer health is about growing awareness – Health Direct

If you are one of the 300,000 Australians who earn their living from the land, you’ll know how difficult and uncertain farming can be.

There are health and safety issues, such as working long hours in the sun, or with animals, chemicals and farm machinery. And a drought or severe flooding can affect a farming community for years, including the mental health of its families.

This year’s National farm Safety Week (16 – 22 July) aims to raise awareness of the health issues that face the farmers who put food on Australian tables.

Mental health and stress

A tough, sometimes isolated life — and often financial insecurity — can challenge the mental health of farmers. And as well as the stress and uncertainty of farming, it can be difficult to find the same mental health resources in rural and remote areas that you would expect to find in towns and cities. Recognising when help and support are needed, either for yourself or for someone else, is very important.

• Find out about rural and remote mental health services.
• Read the National Centre for Farmer Health’s tips on coping with stress as a farmer.

Kids’ safety on farms

Growing up on a farm can be a great start to a child’s life, but it also has its hazards. Each year in Australia, around 5 or 6 children drown in farm dams and water bodies, including creeks, troughs and irrigation channels. Frequently this occurs when a toddler wanders away from supervision without being noticed. Kids in farming communities — and their visitors — often play where farmers work and without a safe play area, they risk dangers from farm machinery, motorcycles, horses and other farm animals.

• Visit Farmsafe Australia’s resources to help keep kids safe on farms.
• Learn more about rural child safety.

Injuries and accidents

Almost 22,000 people were hospitalised after being injured on farms between 2010 and 2015. Just getting around the farm can be dangerous, and riding motorcycles and quad bikes is a particularly risky part of farm life. Injuries involving motorcycles and quad bikes accounted for 42% of hospitalisations in children up to 14 years old. Quad bikes are not stable vehicles and are not safe for use in all terrains, says the National Centre for Farmer Health. Users should always wear a helmet and protective clothing, and children should never be allowed near quad bikes.

Lung conditions and respiratory diseases

Farmers and farm families are more likely to be exposed to dusts from pollens, animal dander, grain and hay, which can irritate airways and trigger asthma in susceptible people. Organic dust toxic syndrome (‘farmer’s fever’) is common and is caused by inhaling mouldy dust. ‘Farmer’s lung’ affects people whose immune system is sensitive to fungal spores inhaled from mouldy hay, straw, grain or compost. Farmers who experience flu-like symptoms should always tell their doctor if they have been exposed to dust.

• Learn about other health conditions that often affect farmers.

Getting medical help in a rural environment

Farming communities often find that living in a remote location means accessing health services is challenging. Having a contact list of health and emergency services is important. Phone and online support can also be helpful. When searching on the internet for health services, it is important to use reputable sources, such as healthdirect’s service finder. You can also call healthdirect’s free 24-hour helpline on 1800 022 222 for health advice and non-urgent assistance.

• Learn more about rural and remote health.
• Find out about rural health services in your state.

Read more: Visit the Healthdirect website

2018-07-01: Beyond the farm gate – Quest Magazine | Adult Learning Australia

In May 2016 Victorian farmer Karrinjeet Singh-Mahil sat fascinated during a vet’s presentation on calf rearing at a dairy women’s conference in New Zealand when her phone pinged. It was a text message that would change her life. Around the room other women’s phones started going off.

The message was from Fonterra dairy co-operative informing its suppliers it had dropped the price of milk from $5.60 to $1.91 wiping out 70% of Karrinjeet’s family income.

‘With one text message and no warning they grabbed over $100,000 from our budget,’ Karrinjeet says in the short film she has made about the event.

Karrinjeet’s story is one of 24 put together by women farmers as part of a National Centre for Farmer Health (NCFH) project to teach rural women in Victoria how to tell their stories in digital form. The result is ‘From Inside the Farm Gate’ a collection of stories that explore the struggles of life on the farm – from dealing with financial hardship, natural disasters, bereavement and the grief of leaving the farm altogether – and aim to educate, inspire and benefit others living in rural communities.

For Karrinjeet, the aftermath of the Fonterra decision was devastating. ‘When I look back I can’t remember what we did in those days I was so consumed by anger and shock. I was staying at my Mum’s place in New Zealand during the conference and  that night she had a whole bunch of people round to see me before I left but I can’t remember who came to see me off that night, it was all a blur.

‘It took our feet out from under us and we were scrambling to cope. Things were super tight, and for a while we didn’t have a brass razoo. One day at the greengrocer’s my debit card was declined and I had to race round to the Rural Financial Counsellor to get some IGA vouchers. But we sold lots of cows and that kept us going.

‘While my husband Brian’s reaction was to doubt himself, mine was to get really, really angry. I’ve never had issues with my blood pressure before but it shot up and I had to go on medication to keep it under control. Brian lost his voice, he says it’s not related to stress but I think it is.’

Karrinjeet’s digital story turns on the moment she realised something had to change. ‘One day Brian and I were in the dairy and he asked me a question and I just barked an answer back at him. He said, “Did you hear the way you just spoke to me? I’m not the one you should be angry with.” And I was about to snap back but I stopped myself and I thought, “Yes, he’s right”.

‘That was when I thought I need to come up with some strategies for handling this. And we began to fight back.’

Taking charge

Karrinjeet has learned ways of finding joy in the everyday to counter the stress of hard times. She’s taken to hugging loved ones and wearing her headphones and singing along to music that lifts her spirits as she goes about her daily chores, milking cows and tending to the garden.

But the joy of giving has been a revelation. She gathers excess vegetables from her own and others’ gardens and donates them along with her fresh eggs to other farmers doing it hard.

‘It doesn’t matter if you’ve got nothing yourself it feels so wonderful to give. People have said to me, “You could sell those eggs” and I could but I just find I get more out of it by giving them away. Giving to others has been enormously healing for me. It’s hard to put into words but it gives me energy to do more. Focussing on what you’ve lost saps the life out of you. Turning it around and helping other people is extraordinarily powerful.

‘The thing I’d like people to take away from my digital story is that there are ways to cope and the ways we cope are different for each of us.’

Karrinjeet along with 12 other women created and crafted their digital stories in a three day workshop facilitated by Swinburne University and NCFH. Participants learned how to develop and put together a short film using photos, audio recordings, and video footage.

‘The voices of rural women are missing from past and recent history and this was an opportunity for us to hear those voices and to educate and inspire others by sharing their stories.’ Dr Alison Kennedy, National Centre for Farmer Health.

Research shows benefits of digital storytelling

Dr Alison Kennedy, Research Fellow at Deakin University’s National Centre for Farmer Health says ‘People generally come along to workshops with a desire to use their story to help others, but many don’t realise that it will have benefits for them too. Research shows that enabling people to tell these very personal stories in a supportive environment can have powerful mental health benefits. One woman told me that when she finished her digital story it was like a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders. So it can have a huge cathartic effect for people who come along. People are quite amazed at the impact of expressing feelings that they’ve carried around and kept to themselves for so long.’

Karrinjeet agrees. ‘After you’ve faced a problem and talked about the worst that could happen it doesn’t hold the same power over you.’

With the first stage of producing the stories complete, the next phase is sharing them with as many rural women as possible both on the web and at meetings and conferences.

‘Shaping that story in the workshop and paring it down to its essence helped me understand
more about myself than I had before.’ Karrinjeet Singh-Mahil

Personal stories offer lessons

People are often moved to tears when they watch Lyn Kelson’s story of being just 26 with two small children when her husband died by suicide.

‘You didn’t come home so I went to find you. And find you I did, hanging so high,’ she says in her digital story. Lyn says she wanted to tell this story to give hope to others.

‘I think there’s an altruistic element in our telling our stories. When new audiences see them for the first time I think they recognise an element of their own lives and see that they have that same strength in them as the woman whose film they’re watching.

‘My digital story really hit the mark because it shows how we have an inbuilt ability to overcome rather than be engulfed. Life is full of peaks and troughs but the stories show that we have true grit.

‘At my husband’s funeral I recognised then that a number of people were looking at me thinking “Thank God it’s not me”. But I remember thinking even then that others have done this before me and survived and I can do the same. When things were hard I saw opportunity through that loss that there could be some good to come out of it.

‘I wanted to do the course because I had lived through a tough time, and I thought in telling the story I could give hope to others through my own lived experience.’ Lyn Kelson

‘After my husband died, the community rallied around me. That’s a strong thread in all the stories, how vital a cohesive community is in times of hardship, how it forms a backbone when you need it, whether it’s financial or emotional.

‘People cared for me, for us. It was like a lobster when it’s injured has to grow a new shell and until it does it’s vulnerable. In my case the community protected me until I’d grown a new shell.

‘I think it is so important for us to share these lived experiences and to show that we can grow through hardship. Resilience is a skill that is so vital for today.

Learning technology together

‘I am so proud to be involved in this NCFH project. It was a huge learning curve. Meeting that wonderful group of women where we created a family of people through shared experiences and then filtering our stories out to the wider community has been fabulous.

‘The course was so well thought through, so well coordinated and delivered, and the care afterwards has been great. The facilitators were really great at establishing a transparent and trusting environment so there was this openness and honesty and acceptance that really helped that process along.

‘There were tears for a lot of us in revisiting those events, as we remembered the loss of a loved one or the loss of financial capacity, but it was worth it.’

‘The technology of using the computer and video programs was a bit daunting but the facilitators offered great support. And even when I had to wait for someone to come and help me that time was never wasted because at the same time I was learning the techniques of video production and having these wonderful conversations with other women.

‘At the end of the three days we sat and watched each others’ stories. There were 8 or 9 finished videos and you could see the pride in the women’s faces and we all recognised that we are all quite remarkable women, even though when we all arrived we felt we were just ordinary. But watching those videos we could see that “Hey, we are really something quite special.”’

From Inside the Farm Gate is funded by the Victorian Women’s Trust and the William Buckland Foundation and project support was provided by Swinburne University, Southwest TAFE and the Western District Health Service. You can view and comment on the stories online.
farmerhealth.org.au/inside-farm-gate

View Quest Magazine Online: CLICK HERE