Farmerados believe that problems can feel a little lighter when shared with others who understand farming life.
Anyone with some agricultural knowledge can be a Farmerado. All it takes is to start a conversation, listen without judgment or opinion, and be willing to share your own experiences with others.
Farmerados don’t fix or try to solve. We just provide a friendly, supportive space to share and connect with others in the same boat. That’s not to say we don’t appreciate the severity of some situations, and we may be able to point you in the right direction for more specific help should you need it.
The Somerset Mental Health in Agriculture Group was spawned by leading mental health practitioner, Becky Wright of New Leaf, in 2017 and consisted of a variety of individuals and organisations who were passionate about improving the mental health of farmers. This led to a range of projects that supported the sector in understanding and addressing the issue of poor mental health including videos and information z-cards. Becky then found Camerados, and the rest is history!
So, Farmerados is a seedling propagated from the social movement, Camerados, first set up in 2015 to bring people together in a friendly, supportive environment to just talk and listen without judgement or being told what to do. We came across Camerados and loved the whole ethos. So much so that we thought this would be a great way for farmers to build connections and share their burdens and their knowledge to help support each other through the tough times.
Farmers are proud and strong, so talking about problems doesn’t come easy. We want to change that because bottling things up and struggling alone never helped anyone. Our mission is to cultivate communities where farmers can share the load, learn from others and leave feeling a little lighter.
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.
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