The Naked Farmer

What a brilliant idea to run with to show the daily struggles our farmers and local producers cope with. Not only with drought, isolation, floods, irregular income, and competition with cheap imports, but with the mental health issues that these things often bring. This puts such a real and vulnerable face to a part of our beautiful country that is often overlooked.

I felt a wide range of emotions as I read these very personal stories. There is tragedy, loss and hardship but also hope and strength. Being a rep in a country territory, I hear many stories from my accounts about the struggles their local farming population faces but I very much hope all people from all nations, whether city or country, will read these stories and increase their knowledge and understanding of the challenges those in our farming community face that are often invisible to many.

Founded by Ben Brooksby on May the 12th 2017, what started as an Instagram photo posted in fun, has developed into The Naked Farmer, a worldwide social media movement aimed at breaking down the barriers, and starting conversations, about mental health, particularly amongst farmers.

Ben, a 5th generation crop/sheep farmer from St Helens Plains in Western Victoria, Australia began experiencing panic attacks in his late teens. He fought hard to manage his anxiety, and when a photo of him in the back of a grain truck, naked, with a pile of lentils covering his sensitive bits, went viral, he was inspired to use his new found fame, to benefit the agricultural community.

“By using the liberating combination of nudity and farm work, the Naked Farmer is starting conversations about mental health across Australia because at the end of the day it’s easier to talk about what’s inside once someone has bared everything on the outside.”

The campaign began in earnest when Ben organised a photo shoot and then the publication of a calendar, with the help of photographer Emma Cross, using locals from his region. Ben and Emma then decided to go on tour to raise awareness of rural mental health, meet some of his social media followers, and encourage their participation in the project. It’s largely from that tour in 2019 that the stories in this book, The Naked Farmer, are drawn.

The Naked Farmer includes personal stories from around 40 men and women of all ages, from all over Australia. These are tales of hardship and trauma, but also resilience and hope, told with courage, and a wish to inspire others to share their story, and begin their own conversations. While the contributors are all involved in agriculture, their mental health is affected by varying issues, including anxiety, injury, illness, eating disorders, depression, financial strain, and grief, just like those in the wider community, so you don’t need to be a farmer, or to get naked, to benefit from this book. You needn’t be one of the 45% of Australians to be affected by mental illness either, this book provides insight into the lives of our nation’s farmers, and makes a connection between consumers and where their food and fibre comes from,

“Above all, The Naked Farmer is a conversation starter. The stories you’re about to read are from individuals around Australia who all have one thing in common: they’ve started their conversation. I hope this book inspires you to do the same.”

You can support The Naked Farmer campaign by following them on Instagram or Facebook, or by purchasing this book, the annual calendar (2021 is available now), or making a tax deductible donation. As a non-profit organisation, all monies raised are donated to the Royal Flying Doctor Service Mental Health Unit, who have dedicated mental health professionals that visit remote towns and properties to provide treatment and support, as well as education about mental health issues for individuals and communities in rural and remote areas of Australia. And you can start a conversation...

The Naked Farmer • Ben Brooksby
2020
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“Aussie farmers with the guts to take their gear off - and to talk about mental health”
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Farm incomes (which provide livelihoods for many people in rural and remote areas) are influenced by weather condi- tions, commodity and fuel prices, and exchange rates. The unpredictable nature of these factors can induce psychological distress and subsequent mental illness. For example, in 2008, a study found that among farmers who were in drought, 17 per cent had mental health issues, compared with 8 per cent who had not experienced drought in the three previous years.
The rate of suicide for male farmers is significantly higher than for non-farming rural males. In 2008, a study showed that 34 in every 100,000 male farmers die by suicide – significantly more than the 24 per 100,000 among rural men generally (a rate which in itself is significantly higher than the national average)
** Mental Health & Suicide In Rural and Remote Australia 2014 - rural health.org.au
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This book is extremely important. It’s brave and it is vulnerable. Australian men and women of the countryside take off their clothes, and they strip back their layers and discuss their struggles and hardships.
Anyone who knows me, knows that I am passionate about mental health. I love what @the.naked.farmer is doing. The country lifestyle can be closed off and isolating, talking about the tough things is still taboo for a lot of people. This book shares the experience of those who live on farms and in rural areas, the hardships that they face by living off the land and just life in general.
Ben has brought unity (and a platform) to these individuals, their stories rarely get a voice. And their voices need to be heard, Australia owes a lot to the farmers and their families. He should be very proud of this work. It’s a conversation starter, a conversation that will save lives