Farmer health under spotlight

Aworkshop at Warracknabeal next month will highlight the need for farmers to look after their health and wellbeing.

The workshop is part of the award-winning Sustainable Farm Families program that focuses on the health, wellbeing and safety of farmers and their families.

SFF organisers are inviting farming men and women from the region to participate in the workshop.

Yarrilinks Landcare facilitator Tim Inkster will lead the session at Rural Northwest Health’s Warracknabeal campus.

The session is one in a series of programs being rolled out across Victoria.

Mr Inkster said while the region’s farmers worked tirelessly to plant and harvest their crops, it was important they took time to assess their health and wellbeing.

“Farmers have higher rates of preventable health issues, such as high blood pressure, than the general population,” he said. “However, small changes to lifestyle can make a large impact on improving health and wellbeing.

“The SFF program is designed to remind farmers that if they do not take the time to look after themselves, then it will have an impact not only on them but also on their farm business’s bottom line and their family.”

Rural Northwest Health chief executive Catherine Morley said her organisation was pleased to bring SFF to Warracknabeal. “It’s good to know that all SFF participants will receive full health assessments and have the opportunity to understand their own health risks,” she said.

“They will also learn how to manage those risks and how to more easily integrate them into farming life.”

The SFF program was developed specifically for farm men and women – by farm men and women – and involves interactive workshops that address their specific health, wellbeing and safety.

More than 2400 farmers have participated in the program across Australia.

SFF workshops cover a range of health topics including cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, stress, farm safety, men’s and women’s health, depression, respiratory illness on farm, anxiety, nutrition and exercise – all focused on farming communities.

The Warracknabeal workshop is on February 8 and 9 in meeting room 11 and 12.

The free program is a project of National Centre for Farmer Health in partnership with Yarrilinks Landcare and Rural Northwest Health. Interested farmers are urged to register their interest with Angie Cox.

More information is available from Mrs Cox by calling 53961 200 or online at www.farmerhealth.org.au/sustainable-farm-families/sff-programs.