Farmer Health E-News

In response to the recent cut in milk prices, the concern for farmer health and wellbeing has again come under the spotlight. This has prompted further funding of the Look Over the Farm Gate campaign to provide workshops supporting the health of farming community members and community social events. Designed in response to tough times the workshops focus on the following areas:

• The physical health and social and emotional wellbeing of rural and farming communities
• How health and wellbeing is affected by tough times
• The flow on effect of poor health to families, businesses and the community
• Understanding, recognising and responding to stress
• Managing conversations with people in distress
• Key tips for looking after yourself in tough times
• Knowing your resources

Further workshops have been scheduled in Gippsland (see dates on calendar) and others are being planned for SW Victoria and Northern Victoria dairy regions over the coming months.
Interested? Read more
 or to book future workshops contact Jane Ristrom lookoverthefarmgate@vff.org.au

EARLY BIRD REGISTRATIONS CLOSE 30TH JUNE

After setting the standards in 2014 and 2015, Run 4 Farmer Health will be back for its third year in 2016! On October 16th we will be running for farmer health at the Melbourne Marathon and we would love you to join us.  You can show your support for the unique programs we deliver in regional communities by walking or running with us. There are different distance runs and a walk to choose from and they all finish with a lap of the MCG.

We would love for you to help us keep the momentum going into 2017 and beyond by being part of our team! 

It is good to register with Melbourne Marathon by 30^th of June as an “Early bird” to have your pack sent out otherwise you need to pick it up which is often hard for rural people.
Interested? Read more

Agricultural Health & Medicine HMF702 Scholarships Extended - 1 day left!!! 
HMF702 Healthy and Sustainable Agricultural Communities

If you would like to understand health from the other side of the fence, and make a difference to the health, safety and wellbeing of Australia's farming families — then this is the course for you.  The specialist training of professionals working in agricultural communities is the key to improving the health and wellbeing of farming families and agricultural workers in Australia. HMF702 is a core unit of the Graduate Certificate of Agricultural Health and Medicine (H522), offered by the partnership between the School of Medicine at Deakin University and the National Centre for Farmer Health.  
 

“Crucial to my work is an understanding of all aspects of sustainability, including social and economic drivers. This unit gave me a solid overview of the health and welfare challenges the farming community faces and how these may impact on broader productivity” (Amy Fay, Project Manager – Murray Dairy, Dairy Australia, HMF702 Student 2012).
 
“The content of the subject was mind provoking and helped me grasp issues relating to healthy communities and social determinants of health”.  Lisa Bosch (Nurse, HMF702 Student 2015).
 

Students who complete Healthy and Sustainable Agricultural Communities are uniquely placed to become rural leaders and equipped to address the challenges faced by farmers, their families and communities and positively influence sustainability and the high rates of illness, injury and poor health. 
 
HMF702 commences July 11^th and runs through to September 30^th, 2016 with online lectures and activities taking 3-4 hours per week to complete.  The best news is that it’s all-online, so you don't even need to leave home! 
Interested? Read more