Bad weather has impacted growers in all our regions this year. Hawke’s Bay for example has experienced a tough start to the season, with wet soils, rain at a critical time, frost, hail, and a lack of sunshine.
These conditions will understandably cause some people stress, so it’s important that you look after yourselves and those around you. We have resources online that you might find useful: a John Kirwan wellbeing webinar and Gilbert Enoka podcast, which can be found on our mental health and wellbeing resource page here.
Contact points that might be written on the shed wall include:
- Rural Support Trust 0800 787 254
- 1737, which is a free text or call to a trained counsellor at any time
Summerfruit NZ’s Richard Mills recently attended a mental well-being first aid course with St John and can also be contacted, along with any of the Summerfruit NZ team, for an empathetic ear to growers, spouses, or workers.