Case Study: Sustainable Farm Families
Better Services to Farmers
Continued viability of Victoria’s farming sector requires farm families to actively manage change and make informed decisions to address current challenges.
To do so, farm families need to be physically and mentally fit and there is a close correlation between good farmer health and farm productivity. However, farm families have, on average, poor general health by urban standards, and the stresses of their work often combined with remoteness from health services, place them at greater health risk.
To address this challenge, DPI is partnering with the Western District Health Service to deliver the Sustainable Farm Families (SFF) program, providing access to health services tailored to farmers’ needs and designed to affect real change in their lifestyles.
The SFF program offers health awareness and education workshops for farmers over the course of three years, with the aim of improving farmer health outcomes. Workshops provide free health assessments and information on key risks and issues such as nutrition and stress; and participants develop a personal health action plan.
The information gathered from the workshops provides critical insights into the relationship between farmer health, their farm and farm productivity and sustainability; which helps keep the program relevant to farmers, as well as informing government and private sector services.
By working collaboratively with over 30 local health agencies in the delivery of these workshops across Victoria, DPI is also building the capacity of local communities to better understand and support the specific needs of farm families.
DPI’s involvement in this program adds value through drawing on existing networks to promote the program and engage farmers; and helps to ensure the program is targeted and relevant to the farmer audience.
DPI staff involved in the program have gained an increased knowledge of health, particularly with regard to the indicators of stress and depression, and are able to take a more holistic approach to working with farmers.
Partnerships
This program is delivered in collaboration with the Western District Health Service and more than 30 local health agencies across Victoria.
