Waikato farmer Marc Gascoigne. Photo / Supplied
Content brought to you by Farmstrong
Marc Gascoigne runs a successful 150-hectare, 450-cow dairy farm south of Cambridge.
But for years that success hid a secret.
Gascoigne suffered from stress but never let on to anyone.
The moment he spoke up, his life changed for good.
Nowadays Gascoigne's not only a farmer, he's also a Farmstrong champion, attending events and helping at workshops that encourage farmers to learn skills to manage stress and pressure.
Here, he speaks to The Country's Rowena Duncum about his mission to help farmers doing it tough, to connect with others.
Listen below:
About Farmstrong:
Farming is a job with a unique set of challenges.
Many are hard to predict or control. They range from climate events like drought and flood to fluctuations in commodity prices, changing government legislation and new technology.
Along with these external factors, come the demands of running any business – financial and production planning, managing cash flow, hiring and managing staff, succession planning etc.
These pressures aren't going to disappear so it's vital that farmers develop the skills and resilience to cope.
Research shows many farmers are great at looking after their equipment and stock, but, like other New Zealanders, they can neglect their own wellbeing.
As an industry, we can't afford to let these pressures reach the point where they damage productivity and affect the lives of families.
Farmstrong is an initiative to help farmers, growers and their families to cope with the ups and downs of farming by sharing things they can do to look after themselves and the people in their business.
Find out more about Farmstrong here.
Read more about Marc Gascoigne's story here.
Sir John Key, Don Carson, Stu Duncan, Stu Loe, Jim Hopkins, Jeremy Rookes.