New Zealand’s largest farmer-owned rural supplies co-operative Farmlands has partnered with the Rural Support Trust and digital wellbeing platform ignite to launch a free online mental health and wellbeing service for farmers and growers across the country.
The service is set to give rural communities better access to mental health and wellbeing specialists, with the digital model meaning “more people can access support when they need it without having to travel long distances.”
Farmlands CEO Tanya Houghton said the partnership was set to “transform” access to mental health and wellbeing support for rural New Zealanders.
“At Farmlands we know rural never rests and rural communities shouldn’t face the tough times alone. We’re proud to be there when support matters most,” Ms Houghton said.
“Our shareholders are farmers, growers and their families. Standing alongside them when life gets hard is what a co-operative does. The barriers to mental health support in rural New Zealand are real: distance, cost, time off the farm, the discomfort of walking into a waiting room where everyone knows your name. This partnership takes those barriers away.”
“With ignite’s technology, farmers choose how they get support: in person or online, wherever they are. Even if that’s the middle of a paddock,” Ms Houghton said.
“Our rural community doesn’t clock off. This partnership is about making sure support is there when and where farming families need it.”
The three-year partnership would provide more than 1,500 sessions, with the digital platform offering farmers, growers, farm workers and their whānau free access to vetted counsellors, psychologists, career coaches, nutritionists and other wellbeing professionals who are available online, by phone or in person through ignite’s digital platform.
Rural Support Trust chairperson Michelle Ruddell said the partnership with Farmlands meant “we can now offer easier access to professional support when previously it may not have been possible due to access, cost and travel time.”
“It’s a game changer for communities where getting to a counsellor might mean a two-hour round trip,” Ms Ruddell said.
ignite director Sarina Finucane said the partnership was an opportunity to help provide support “to a part of society that had traditionally been underserved.”
“This is about helping rural communities connect to specialist mental health and wellbeing support areas that aren’t offered locally,” Ms Finucane said.
“This platform also offers more than just counselling. It’s holistic wellbeing, and alongside mental health providers users can book a session with a dietician, a business coach, or a financial mentor. It’s about resilience and growth, not just crisis support.”
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