Hartpury University and Hartpury College has become a key sponsor of a new podcast dedicated to highlighting and improving the mental health of farmers. The Keeping on Track podcast is the result of a collaboration between BBC Countryfile presenter Adam Henson and Team Doctor, aiming to erase the stigma around mental health and raise awareness of the challenges faced by those in the rural profession.
The podcast launched across all streaming platforms on 2 October and will be promoted to all agriculture students at both Hartpury University and Hartpury College. Hartpury University’s Associate Head of Agriculture Phil Watson was also interviewed to feature on one of the podcast episodes (released on 2 October and available now), following up previous research he has conducted in this area.
Adam embarked on the project after losing a close farming friend to suicide. The podcast was also partly inspired by RABI’s Big Farming Survey, which has become known as the largest ever project into the mental health and wellbeing of the farming community.
This is in line with research carried out by Hartpury student Joe Goodenough who picked up an NFU Centenary Award last year into the mental health and support of dairy farmers, noting the impact of business performance on their wellbeing.
Hartpury has frequently supported awareness days and campaigns around mental health and is committed to ensuring its agriculture staff and students are well supported and know where to access support and resources.
Claire Whitworth, Deputy Principal of Hartpury College said: “Hartpury is delighted to be a key sponsor, supporting such a valuable initiative. It’s so important that collectively we do all we can to erase the stigma around mental health in the agricultural community.
“We have over 500 students studying agriculture at Hartpury who will no doubt take some valuable messages, advice and support from others in the farming community who’ve faced and overcome challenges.
“This also allows us to highlight the range of mental health and support services we provide for our staff and students. We will continue to take every opportunity possible to raise awareness of mental health in farming.”
Earlier this year, Hartpury threw its weight behind the Farm Safety Foundation’s #MindYourHead week, with staff and students collectively talking about prioritising mental wellbeing and accessing help when needed. The recent WellFest event, held each September at the Hartpury campus, also ensured students were well informed about the range of resources available to help them with any issues they may face.
Through his work as a farmer, author and BBC Countryfile presenter, Adam has a close connection with the farming community and understands all too well the mental challenges of the day to day running of a farming business.
He added: “As anyone working in farming knows, every day brings potential joy and disaster – you never quite know what is going to happen and there are many things you can’t control. This is one of the reasons for the high suicide rate within the farming sector.
“The podcast will hopefully make people realise that they are not alone and that sharing their worries and concerns will help lift the burden. It will also signpost those who are struggling to where they can get support.
“There is no denying that life is difficult for some farmers at the moment, but we want to provide a reminder that they needn’t suffer in silence.”
Accessing the podcast
Learn more about the podcast and find out more about the charity partners behind it here: //teamdoctor.org/farmers
