2017-12-5: Pioneering rural women leaders look back on pivotal US study trip, twenty years on – ABC Rural

By Jess Davis

Just shy of twenty years ago, a large group of women working in rural industries embarked on an overseas study trip that would change the trajectory of many of their lives and point them towards the peak of their professions.

The second International Women in Agriculture Conference was held in Washington DC in 1998, attended by 120 Australian women and a select 30 from rural Victoria.

The Victorians were awarded bursaries from the State Government for the three-week trip that included an agricultural study tour.

Most had never been overseas before, and many of them now say it was a pivotal moment in their careers.

At 21 years of age, Caroline Coggin was the youngest delegate to attend the Washington DC conference.

“I actually feel that perhaps it has changed me more than I realised and perhaps I don’t give enough credit to travelling to Washington and being on that tour,” Ms Coggin said.

Farmer Health eNews December 2017

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

• From Inside the Farm Gate: Rural Women’s Stories of Thriving and Surviving
• ONLY 10 DAYS LEFT: ROUND 2 HMF701 – Over $15,000 worth of scholarships for HMF701
• Give a safe gift this Christmas – visit our Safety Shop
• Wellness Wednesday Topics

View the December 2017 eNews

2017-12-2: Gentlemen of Geelong 2017 lunch: Sheedy joins top blokes for good cause – Geelong Advertiser

Moustaches and RM Williams were on full display for the annual Gentlemen of Geelong lunch, which drew a capacity 220-strong crowd to the Bellarine Peninsula.

Men from across Victoria met at the Flying Brick Cider House for the event that aims to encourage them to talk about things historically off limits, such as depression and suicide.

After raising more than $50,000 last year, the event was set to collect a record figure around $60,000.

Flying Brick owner David Sharp said monies would be donated to a range of charities, including Headspace Geelong, Lifeline Geelong and the National Centre for Farmer Health.

“The lunch has been running for 14 years. About 10 years ago, we decided to give the lunch a lot more meaning,” he said yesterday.

“Men’s mental health is an issue close to a few of us who are on the organising committee.”

AFL legend Kevin Sheedy and local radio personality Ian Cover were among the special guests.

Donations can be made at www.au.movember.com — then type in Gentlemen of Geelong.

View article: 2017-12-2: Gentlemen of Geelong 2017 lunch: Sheedy joins top blokes for good cause – Geelong Advertiser

2017-11-22: Telling farm stories – The Telegraph

f you are a Victorian woman living in a rural farming community and have a story to tell, the National Centre for Farmer Health wants to hear it from you.

If you live on the land, you must have lived through some tough times and the centre wants you to share your experience, tell your story and help others by taking this supported opportunity to participate in a From Inside the Farm Gate digital storytelling workshop.

The centre’s Deakin University research fellow Alison Kennedy said feedback from previous digital storytelling workshop participants included:

‘‘It was a powerful, fantastic and at times quite full on experience.’’

‘‘It reinforced that people can understand… the underlying problems in peoples lives by watching and listening to their personal story.’’

‘‘Watching my video I am very proud of the outcome. Several people have watched it and have given back so much positive feedback.’’

‘‘Participating in the digital storytelling workshop was both a very humbling experiences well as inspirational, in working so closely with such a small group of other amazing farmers… shared their (stories) to initially a room of strangers, who three days later had then become very special friends. This could never have occurred without the amazing support from the (workshop facilitators) … Well done to all who participated.’’

Dr Kennedy said the centre was looking for 24 enthusiastic rural Victorian women whose lives had been affected by tough times in some way, such as physical health, wellbeing challenges for themselves or someone they have cared for, financial hardship, bereavement, natural disaster or leaving the farm.

She said participants needed to be comfortable using a computer, attend a three-day workshop and be passionate about telling their story to give voice to rural women and build knowledge and understanding of the rural experience in the broader community.

‘‘The good news is we can provide accommodation and most meals, and travel allowance to recognise the time off-farm or away from your community,’’ Dr Kennedy said.

‘‘We want to make a short movie/video (digital story) using sound, narrative, images and voiceover.

‘‘Typically, digital stories run for two to four minutes and contain an emotional component that enables personal perspective to be communicated.’’

More information can be found at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital—storytelling

The sessions will be in Hamilton from January 30 to February 1 (workshop one) and February 6 to 8 (workshop two).

The $2500 places are free to participants. To register your interest and learn more about the workshop, phone Dr Kennedy on 55518533 or email alison.kennedy@wdhs.net

This project has been supported by funds donated by the Victorian Women’s Benevolent Trust and the William Buckland Foundation.

View article here: 2017-11-22: Telling farm stories – The Telegraph

2017-10-17: ICOH Symposium – Zagreb, Croatia

Professor Susan Brumby was one of 9 invited keynote speakers at the round table discussion on Experiences in training health professionals: Current situation and unmet needs around the globe. Prof Brumby Chaired a Special Session on Education and training in agricultural health and safety – Exchange of experiences in teaching methods, b-learning and organising a repository of e-materials and presented Blended learning courses in farmers health, lessons learnt.

Round table discussion: Experiences in training health professionals: Current situation and unmet needs around the globe

A short introduction on OSH in Australia

Current situation: In Australia the industry with the highest number of fatalities during 2015 and the second highest over the last decade was in the Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing Industry. Whilst there has been improvements in other industries, Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing has remained constant over the last decade. There are numerous reasons for this. In Australia, the major killer of people on farms is the four wheel bike (or all-terrain vehicle) as it is known. It has replaced tractors as the major cause of death. Currently there is a variety of schemes and government responses to address these fatalities including a focus on roll over and crush injuries from Quad bikes. Unmet need: There remains a lack of knowledge, awareness and will in some areas of the industry as well as the tyranny of distance, working alone, poor phone and internet coverage, vast distances and access to services should assistance be required. This discussion will present and show a variety of methods currently being used in Australia to reduce OSH risk, injury and fatalities.

About Professor Susan Brumby

Professor Susan Brumby is the founding Director for the National Centre for Farmer Health, a partnership between the Deakin University’s School of Medicine and Western District Health Service and is based in Hamilton, Australia. The Centre provides leadership to improve the health, wellbeing and safety of farmers, farm workers and their families across Australia.

She leads the implementation of five key strategies which includes inventive and award winning service delivery models, farmer research, education and training, the farmer health website https://farmerhealth.org.au and works with an Advisory committee comprised of academics, farmers, health professionals and government representatives in order to achieve the mission of ‘making a difference to farmers’ lives’.

Susan is the course leader for the Graduate Certificate in Agricultural Health and Medicine, Principal Investigator of the award winning SFF^TM project, Chief Investigator on National Health and Medical Research Council grants and previously Chief Investigator on Australian Research Council, Rural Industries Research Development Corporation and beyondblue grants. She has been recognised for her contribution to rural health, awarded a Victorian travelling fellowship in 2006 and an overseas study program in 2013 to examine farmer health. Her PhD was on Farm Work and Family Health across selected Agricultural Industries in Australia. In 2014 her team was awarded the Vice-Chancellors award for Excellence in Teaching. She is an appointed member of the Victorian Rural Advisory Council that advises the Minister for Agriculture on matters such as rural adjustment, regional issues, training, drought and other matters as requested by the Minister. A graduate of the Australian Rural Leadership program, Susan has presented and published nationally and internationally.

Farmer Health eNews November 2017

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

• HMF701 Round 2 Scholarships OPEN!
• 2017 Run 4 Farmer Health wrap up
• 2017 Honours Students
• Wellness Wednesday Topics

View the November 2017 eNews

2017-11-01: Working towards healthier farms – GippsDairy Newsletter – How Now Gippy Cow

Now entering its ninth year, Australia’s only postgraduate agricultural health and medicine unit for professionals servicing farming communities continues to attract participants from across Australia.

Designed to confront the high morbidity and mortality rates in the agricultural industry, the internationally recognised course better equips health providers, rural professionals and our farming communities with the knowledge and skills they need to help turn things around.

To date, 150 professionals working in agriculture, medicine, allied health and nursing from all over Australia have undertaken the course. The National Centre for Farmer Health’s (NCFH), Dr Susan Brumby said that a healthy workforce is vital for a productive agricultural industry, but through the work of the NCFH, we have learnt that farming families and their communities face poorer health outcomes than their urban counterparts.

“Agricultural workers have a high rate of injuries including fatalities and suffer chronic diseases at high rates,” she said.

“A growing number of agricultural and health professionals are addressing the health disparities in our agricultural and rural populations and making a real difference to the lives of farmers and their families and employees.”

Moira Tulloch, a Registered Nurse and Clinical Manager from Briagolong received a GippsDairy scholarship in 2017 which helped her manage rural patients better.

“The knowledge I have gained has become an integral part of my [rural] nursing practice,” she said.

“It was a great experience learning from other rural professionals from both Australia and overseas.”

This was also the case for 2017 GippsDairy scholarship recipient, dairy farmer and registered nurse, Kathryn Croatto.

“I now try to include as much health information into my consultations, I am more aware of patient occupations and potential hazards,” she said.

GippsDairy regional manager Allan Cameron said GippsDairy saw the scholarships as a practical way to improve health outcomes for the dairy community.

“The scholarships put knowledge in the hands of local health professionals who then take that into the wider community,” he said.

“Each scholarship recipient adds to the store of information on health issues for farmers, which is already making a difference to the way health professionals are approaching patients from farms.”

Round Two Scholarships are now open for the exciting 5-day-intensive Agricultural Health and Medicine unit (HMF701), being offered through Deakin University and the National Centre for Farmer Health (NCFH) in Hamilton, western Victoria, from February 26th to March 2nd 2018. The presented topics cover a broad range of agricultural health, safety and wellbeing issues ranging from mental illness and addiction through to emergency medicine, agrichemicals and agricultural trauma. The course has also been accredited for professional development points in areas of medicine, veterinary science, social work and nursing. Applications for Gippsland health and agricultural professionals are now open and close 5th December 2017.

The HMF701 unit can be completed as a stand-alone course, and has been accredited for professional development points through selected colleges and associations, with some health professionals eligible to become AgriSafe™ providers.

For more information about Agricultural Health and Medicine and how you can get involved, contact Dr Jacquie Cotton, Lecturer Rural Health at NCFH on 03 5551 8533 or Salle Clynes, Gipps Dairy on 03 5624 3900 visit https://farmerhealth.org.au for further information.

Course details are also available at http://www.deakin.edu.au

To read full newsletter CLICK HERE

2017 Glove Box Guide to Mental Health – The Land

View full issue: 2017 Glove Box Guide to Mental Health

2017-10-10: Victorian Country Hour – ABC News

Interview with Dr Alison Kennedy and Nick Shady about farmer mental health in the context of Mental Health Week.
Click here and listen from the 22 minute mark.

Farmer Health eNews October 2017

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

• Looking for information on farmer health? Read this recent literature review by Siggins Miller
• Don’t compromise your health this harvest – plan ahead to stay ahead.
• Rush to the ‘G’ for Run 4 Farmer Health
• Wellness Wednesday Topics

View the October 2017 eNews

Farm safety – harvest health

There are simple safety measures that can ensure harvest occurs safely and efficiently. As harvest approaches, it’s crucial that all machinery is checked to ensure a smooth and timely harvest. But simply mending the header and servicing the tractor won’t cut it if you want to protect the key component – you. Considering your health, wellbeing and safety is so important with the upcoming long hours and pressure to get the job done.

Have a quality harvest this year – don’t compromise your health

Take some time to protect yourself against injury and accidents by planning ahead with these tips:

1. Check your tractor cabin to make sure you’ve got the right filter in place.

Harvest can be a dusty business so make sure you have an appropriate – and clean – dust filter fitted into your cabin. If you’re using chemicals, an activated carbon filter is recommended. These should be recharged every 6-12 months (or after 400 hours of service). If you have cabin dust, or if you can smell the chemicals you’re spraying, you need to recheck your filter. For more information, read: Useful tips on carbon filters

2. Check the safety of your equipment.

Does your auger have a guard in place, and how about the PTO? These two pieces of equipment are the main cause of injury to hands and feet. Also consider the risks unguarded equipment has for children and pets – they don’t understand the equipment you use or how dangerous it can be. To make sure you have considered everything on tractor and machinery safety – Click here

3. Plan a healthy harvest diet.

Sitting in the tractor or header all day, you won’t need to eat as many calories as you usually would. Have a good breakfast of low-GI carbohydrates (oats, barley- or bran-based cereals, grainy breads, eggs and/or cooked veggies). Don’t skip meals – pack a wholegrain sandwich and some fruit, nuts and veggies to nibble on. Avoid ‘convenient’ snacks like muesli bars, biscuits and chips as these are often high in sugar, salt and saturated fats. For lunchbox ideas, visit our page: Diet and Nutrition – Fuelling Farmers’ Lunch Boxes

4. Avoid dehydration.

Plan to drink a few litres of water a day – have plenty of fresh water on hand to make this easy. Doing this will help avoid the constipation that can result from sitting for hours on end. Keep an eye on your urine – if it smells or is dark yellow, you need more water.

5. Exercise.

Sitting in a bent or rotated position puts you at increased risk for of spinal and joint pain. Plan to make regular stops to get out of the cabin and walk around. Here are some exercises you can do in the cab, too:

• point your toes and use your big toe to write your name in the air,
• do some marching on the spot (while sitting down),
• sit up straight and gently twist side to side,
• arch your back then straighten up tall, and,
• turn your head side to side to stretch out your neck muscles.

They might sound a bit silly, but it’s better than a sore neck or lower back pain!

Why not stick up our Tractor and Header Exercises sheet in the cabin! Click here

6. Manage fatigue

Your body needs sleep to regenerate, refresh and repair. Despite the pressure to get the crop off, make silage or hay, you need to plan your sleep so that your mind and body can function properly. To familiarise yourself with the symptoms and fatigue-management techniques: Click here

“It sounds basic – and it is,” says Professor Sue Brumby of the National Centre for Farmer Health, “But it never seems to amaze how many people neglect to do all, or any, of the above. Yet we all know, or know of, someone who has suffered, and suffered badly, during harvest.”

“It might have been an accident because they have fallen asleep, suffered a heart attack, hurt themselves in machinery, or tripped and sprained. With the proper planning, however, nearly all this can be avoided”.

Don’t forget the impact an incident or injury can have on your family and business.

Reduce the risks – plan ahead.

Fast facts:

• Farmers’ health, wellbeing and safety are often neglected when facing the pressures of harvest
• Simple safety measures can dramatically reduce the risk of injury and illness
• When planning for harvest, take time to integrate these measures to protect the health, wellbeing and safety of you, your family and other farm workers.

2017-09-30: Deakin University survey finds members of commercial fishing industry experiencing high levels of psychological distress – NT News