Menu

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

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…

BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

Holistic farmer wellbeing health check: How are you really?

Farmers are notorious for spending more time thinking about their livestock, costs and crops than their own happiness and wellbeing. This is perhaps best explained by agriculture’s long history, slight…

HEALTH AND SAFETY

Coronavirus: Advice for managing and keeping staff safe

Farmers may be wondering how to best protect their staff during the coronavirus outbreak. We asked Oliver Dale, managing director at Safety Revolution, and Sophie Walker, business manager at the…

See all

Case studies

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…

PAYMENTS, SCHEMES AND GRANTS

Video: Exmoor group tackles farm support and rural isolation

The unique and thriving farmer-led Exmoor Hill Farming Network has grown to support 300 local farming businesses since it began four years ago under the guidance of chairman Dave Knight…

See all

Community

HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Farmers across Cumbria benefit from life-saving training

A new initiative aimed at improving survival rates for cardiac arrests in rural areas is empowering farmers in Cumbria with cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and defibrillator training. The Farmers Heart Safe…

HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Farmers’ marathon feats raise thousands for charities

Farmers braved the heat as they tackled the London and Manchester marathons, pushing their limits to raise vital funds for both farming and non-farming charities. From combating mental health challenges…

HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Farmers braced for gruelling marathon challenges

Farmers from across the UK are lacing up their running shoes and preparing to tackle marathons in London and Manchester this weekend, all in support of vital farming charities. From…

HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Scottish farmer finds new purpose with on-farm gym

After years in top-tier rugby and farm management, Scottish farmer Peter Eccles has found purpose in an unexpected place: opening a fitness gym on his family farm in Dumfries and…

See all

Insights

HEALTH AND WELLBEING

How agriculture can support socialising for the neurodiverse

Social isolation can be a common feature for people with neurodiversities, especially so for children and teenagers. Occasions such as a barn dance or a formal dinner, which are undemanding…

HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Advice on personal resilience for arable farmers

The constant challenges of farming are nothing new. But with the political and economic uncertainty of recent times, many farmers are coping with heightened anxiety and stress. Personal resilience -…

HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Why neurodiversity and entrepreneurship go hand-in-hand

Farmers are notoriously good problem-solvers, creative thinkers and risk-takers. A survey by Farmers Weekly suggests that entrepreneurialism could be driven in part by a prevalence of neurodiverse individuals in the…

See all

News

HEALTH AND WELLBEING

RSABI appoints first suicide prevention lead

The Royal Scottish Agricultural Benevolent Institution (Rsabi) has appointed its first full-time suicide prevention lead, a significant step in addressing rising suicide rates in agriculture and offering vital support to…

NEWS

Poor mental health key factor in UK dairy farmer exodus

Major reasons why dairy farmers in the UK are leaving the industry include declining control, autonomy, and self-efficacy, according to a new study published in the Journal of Rural Studies. The…

HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Pie and pint night brings farming community together

Farmers gathered for a free pie and a pint in Whitehall on the eve of the NFU conference this week, as part of a Farming Community Network  wellbeing event, bringing…

HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Survey investigates mental health impact of extreme weather

A new survey is seeking to establish the impact of flooding and drought on the mental health of British farmers. Evidence from other countries suggests extreme weather can damage the…

See all

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…

See all

Video

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…

HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Video: Britain's Fittest Farmer 2021 - the final

The competition was intense, but two winners have now been crowned in Farmers Weekly's iconic initiative, designed to spark a discussion about mental and physical health in the countryside. Erica…

See all