We’re the Farmhouse Kitchen!
What’s a Farmhouse Kitchen? Well, you know that feeling when you take a short break from the fields and the weather to enjoy a hot cuppa and a biccy coupled with the warmth you get after a great chat with someone who just listened?
Blend those two feelings together, and that’s what our living rooms offer. A place to drop by and chat where you can talk openly and freely with people who understand. Where farmers can support and be supported through the trials and tribulations of farming life. Anyone can be a Farmerado. Drop into, volunteer at or set up a farmhouse kitchen and help us grow this community nationally.
A Farmerado is someone who understands the struggles faced by farmers. Like our friends over at Camerados say, we are somewhere between a stranger and a friend. Someone who listens without judgment and doesn’t try to fix. You don’t have to be a farmer; anyone with some agricultural understanding can be a Farmerado.
We do have some simple values you can try that have been found to be effective, whatever the situation:
Farmers come in all shapes and sizes, and we can learn so much when we step outside our usual circles and talk to people with different perspectives, ideas and experiences.
This one can seem a little illogical, but it’s the secret sauce of the Camerados.
Farmers are proud and resilient, but that can take a toll. As stresses and strains mount, it’s easy for people to get caught up in their own problems, often feeling like a failure as the odds seem stacked against them and triggering a downward spiral. But when you take the time to truly listen and acknowledge their struggles, and then ask them to help YOU with something, suddenly, they feel they have something to offer, something to bring to the table, and it can make a huge difference to their overall well-being.
Talking to friends and family can be hard. They tend to feel a sense of responsibility and want to be able to fix things when all we need is to offload. A Farmerado isn’t close enough to feel this burden when hearing your worries but is supportive enough to truly listen without judgement or opinion. Sometimes, it’s enough just to feel heard.
A huge part of being a Farmerado is acceptance. Of other people, their views, beliefs, opinions and choices. Rather than argue differences, we can listen, be curious and maybe even learn whilst sharing a hot cup of tea.
Laughter is a great stress reliever, and laughing together is even more so. So while there may be serious topics being discussed, you can also come and just enjoy a lighthearted environment, a moment where pulling the right Jenga block is the only care in the world.
It’s much easier to connect with each other when we are honest about how we feel. There’s no competition here. You don’t have to bring your A-game or have something to boast about. We’re all human. We all make mistakes and have off days. Being honest about that makes everyone feel a little better.
