Anyone in the agricultural industry knows what an incredible arena it is, but it’s not for the faint hearted! In such a physically and mentally demanding game, it’s vital to recognise how the two things are intertwined — the exact reason that we’re in awe of the Fat Farmers initiative. By putting our people first, they’re reminding us daily about what really counts — what a bunch of legends!
Set up in 2010 by a small group of farmers from Maitland, Yorke Peninsula, the Fat Farmers initiative is all about inspiring and encouraging rural communities to get up and active to improve their health and wellbeing. Today, there Fat Farmers groups far and wide across our state and they’re having a huge impact on our communities.
We caught up with Ben Marshman, local farmer and coordinator of the Lower North Fat Farmers group to find out what it’s all about.
“No matter what your age or ability, the idea is to get farmers and their families to put exercise and wellbeing on top of their list. I’ve been on the farm all my life and I know what it demands of you — being in top condition can make all the difference,” Ben begins.
“For me, the biggest motivator was my four kids. It’s so good to have a regular routine that involves some sort of fitness and it makes such a good example for the kids if we’re doing it ourselves. And not only is it important to keep up physically, it can make the world of difference when it comes to mental health. In rural industries, you can often end up working by yourself for the majority of the time and it’s a great opportunity to socialise with others and keep connected in the community.
“Our group meets up each week for a walk or a run in the morning — it could be a group of five or fifteen and all different ages, including our kids. And then we meet up for running events like the Clare Valley run or City to Bay when we can also fundraise to give a leg up to those battling mental health issues.
“In the first year, just our group raised over $7,500 for men’s health which was pretty awesome. We’ve also held fundraisers for the Pinery Fires to support victims of the fires, so there’s a real focus on not only health and wellbeing, but helping out others in our community which is something that’s so great for us as adults and it’s invaluable for our kids to learn too,” Ben says.
And if running’s not your thing, there are plenty of other options in each group, including group fitness training and plenty of tips and tricks to get you on the path to a healthier lifestyle on their website www.fatfarmers.com
In the 70 years of Ramsey Bros history, one of the things we admire the most is inspiring initiatives like this — by prioritising the people at the core of our industry, it opens the doors of all sorts of possibilities. And it’s for this very reason that we have an exciting partnership with Fat Farmers soon to be announced… stay tuned!
At the end of the day, we’re nothing without the individuals and communities that make up the agricultural industry and we love seeing them being put first. We couldn’t think of a more fitting thing to salute for the final of our 70 Year Yarn celebration.
