All articles about Health and wellbeing

Farmers’ physical and mental health and wellbeing are often pushed to one side as the important tasks of managing a busy arable or livestock farm take over. See ideas to help you keep fit and healthy on the farm and combat rural isolation and stress.

Advice and tips

HEALTH AND WELLBEING

How on-farm adaptations are helping ease physical strain

Bad backs, bad necks, bad knees, bad shoulders. For many farmers, problems like these are simply part of the job – the result of years spent lifting, carrying, bending and…

HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Winter wellbeing strategies to boost business resilience

Anyone who is suffering, or suspects a staff member or colleague is struggling this winter should act early and use the wide range of dedicated agricultural support groups. Experts from…

HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Farm Doctor: What to do if you suffer from hearing loss

Working in agriculture can take its toll on hearing as farmers are exposed to many loud noises which, over time, may damage the inner ear. In fact, farming is an…

HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Considering a new future: Ways to deal with farming pressures

It is no secret that stress and poor mental health are endemic among the people who make their living from the land. As the UK moves away from direct farm…

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Case studies

LIVESTOCK

How off-farm pursuits are benefiting two livestock farms

A change is as good as a rest, the saying goes, and getting away from the farm to do something completely different is a great way to recharge the batteries.…

HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Video: Son's death leads family to back mental health charity

The parents of a 22-year-old farmer who took his own life are urging youngsters facing a similar situation to seek help and support. Leonard Eadon, from Napton, in Warwickshire, died…

HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Britain's Fittest Farmer 2021: 4 strong women's entries

Farmers Weekly's popular health and wellbeing competition, Britain's Fittest Farmer, is attracting entries from across the country.  There's still plenty of time for you to enter the contest if you're…

HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Fit2Farm: How a better work-life balance benefits farm

Achieving a better work-life balance is top of the list for Britain's farmers – many of whom are working long hours with little time off. The average farmer works 65…

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Community

HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Lancashire woman completes epic 10,000-cow milking challenge

Agricultural professional Marie Stephenson has completed a gruelling challenge to milk more than 10,000 cows in 10 days, raising more than £5,700 for farming charity Rabi. Ms Stephenson, 45, from…

HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Market health hub brings NHS care closer to farmers

More than 700 farmers and rural residents have accessed healthcare through a market-based health hub in Devon, helping improve access to services for hard-to-reach communities. The Market Health Hub, based…

HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Farmer adapts to life with stage 4 kidney disease

A Welsh hill farmer has described how adapting her working day, accepting help and listening to her body has enabled her to continue farming despite living with stage 4 chronic…

HEALTH AND WELLBEING

From tragedy to hope: 10 years of the DPJ Foundation

When Emma O’Sullivan lost her husband Daniel to suicide in 2016, she was determined no other farming family should face the same ordeal without support.  Ten years later, the charity…

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Insights

HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Poor physical health: The hidden farm safety risk

Farm safety messaging has long focused on the obvious dangers of agriculture – moving machinery, handling livestock and working at height. Those risks remain very real, but for many farmers,…

HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Rural poverty in Britain: The crisis hiding in plain sight

Rural poverty in Britain is a structural and often overlooked issue that risks widening inequality and weakening local economies if left unaddressed. That is according to a report that highlights…

HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Level the Field survey reveals widespread physical challenges

Farming has always demanded physical resilience. But Farmers Weekly’s latest research suggests that for many in the industry, resilience is no longer about strength or stamina – it is about…

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News

FARM POLICY

Defra opens £1.5m farmer welfare fund

A £1.5m government fund aimed at improving farmer wellbeing and business resilience has opened for applications. Defra’s expanded Farmer Welfare Grant will provide funding over three years for charities and…

HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Australian farmers front new mental health campaign

Farmers speaking openly about depression, grief and isolation are at the heart of a new Australian campaign that could offer lessons for UK agriculture. The five-part video series, developed by…

HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Female farmers invited to shape wellbeing project

Women farmers in Wales are being encouraged to help shape a new wellbeing project exploring how creative activities can strengthen social connections across the farming community. Researchers are keen to…

HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Over 100 farmers access free cancer screening at NSA event

More than 100 farmers received free cancer health checks at this week's National Sheep Association (NSA) Sheep Event in Malvern, highlighting growing efforts to improve early diagnosis in rural communities.…

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Opinion

NEWS

Opinion: Simple self-help tools can be useful to farmers

An Irish podcaster known as “Blindboy”, famous for wearing a mask fashioned out of a shopping bag, may have one of the best tools for mental health. He highlights the…

HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Farmers offer their younger selves some pearls of wisdom

The benefit of hindsight is a wonderful thing, and everyone makes mistakes. We can all learn from each other, too. With this in mind, Farmers Weekly and rural charity The…

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Video

HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Sheep farmer shares breast cancer survival story

A Ceredigion sheep farmer is sharing her breast cancer experience ahead of World Cancer Day on Wednesday 4 February to encourage rural communities to recognise symptoms and seek medical advice…

Video: Britain's Fittest Farmer 2022 - meet the winners

The winners of Britain’s Fittest Farmer have been crowned after battling it out at the finals in Essex. The competition was fierce, the camaraderie strong, and our four winners get…

Video: Britain's Fittest Farmer 2022 - the qualifiers

Competitors from across the country converged on Adam Henson’s Cotswold Farm Park for the qualifying rounds of Britain’s Fittest Farmer.  The Gloucestershire venue saw almost 60 entrants battle in out…

HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Video: Son's death leads family to back mental health charity

The parents of a 22-year-old farmer who took his own life are urging youngsters facing a similar situation to seek help and support. Leonard Eadon, from Napton, in Warwickshire, died…

See all