Spring has a way of taking over everything. Grain growers are on the header, and cherry and stone fruit growers are heading into their busiest weeks right on top of Christmas. Sheep producers are working through spring shearing, and cattle producers are getting weaners ready for the sales. The to-do list keeps growing, the margins are tight and the weather does whatever it wants. In the middle of all that, it’s easy to lose track of how you’re holding up yourself.
Our rural financial counsellors recently joined local farmers at three Farming Stronger workshops in Bega, Braidwood and Cooma. They came away with a clear message: how the people in a farm business are going has a direct effect on how the business performs.
The human side isn’t “wishy-washy”
Facilitator Cynthia Mahoney says conversations about farm performance usually focus on economics, production and the environment. The human side often gets dismissed as wishy-washy, pushed down the priority list or treated as an afterthought. Yet a farm business depends on the performance of the people in it, and their capacity is fundamental to how the business performs.
Our counsellor Clare Boardman saw that play out in the room.
“If you’re running on empty you won’t be able to perform at your best,” she said. “When you’re clear headed, focused and well maintained, you’re more likely to make better decisions, solve problems, adapt when things don’t go to plan and lead others effectively.”
That matters at this time of year, when decisions come thick and fast and each one carries real dollars. You might be deciding when to pick or sell, managing a crew of seasonal workers or shearers, or chasing a market window that won’t wait.
Know where you sit on the ladder
Cynthia developed a “performance ladder” to describe how we operate. At the top you’re thriving - clear, focused and full of energy. Further down you’re stressed and overwhelmed, and at the bottom you’re close to burnout.
“We move up and down this ladder depending on the day, week, month,” says counsellor Nikki Fletcher. “But checking in with where you are right now (and giving yourself a break if you are having a hard time) can be a really important tool.”
Being on edge all the time works against you. When you’re constantly anxious, it’s much harder to think clearly and make good decisions. Your brain treats a psychological threat much the same as a physical one, and it goes into survival mode.
You can’t change what you don’t notice
For counsellor Bonnie Hayes, the biggest takeaway was being aware of how you are feeling.
“You can’t change it if you’re not aware of it,” she said. “People think of mental health as intangible and invisible, but it has physical effects on the brain, much like breaking a leg or bruising your arm has effects on your body. So paying attention and addressing the realities are really important to heal and improve for the future.”
Bonnie also pointed to a trap that will sound familiar to most farmers.
“Farmers are often in the headspace of a never-ending to-do list, so having a goal of ‘if I get to this point, I’ll be less stressed’ doesn’t work as more always gets added to the list. So managing stress is more important than evading it altogether.”
Benchmark against yourself
The same thinking applies to the business. Cynthia encouraged farmers to compare their farm with its own past performance rather than with the industry’s top performers. She noted that every business has different human resources, different production resources and different financial capabilities.
“Why benchmark against businesses that could be very different from your own when you can benchmark against your past performance?” Nikki said.
Industry benchmarks still have their place. But measuring your own progress over time gives you a truer picture, and it gives you real motivation.
Small, practical steps to try this season
The workshops focused on building your own performance game plan, one small step at a time:
· Check in with yourself. Where are you on the ladder today? Watch for the warning signs that you’re slipping down towards burnout.
- Notice what keeps you steady. Work out what helps you stay on an even keel, and make time for it, even in the busiest weeks.
- Pause before you react. After a stressful event, ask yourself, “What could I learn from this?”
- Get curious about your patterns. If you keep ending up in the same spot, look at why rather than pushing harder.
- Ask for help. It builds trust and, as the saying goes, a problem shared is a problem halved.
- Offer help to others. Lending a hand such as to a neighbour boosts your own wellbeing as much as theirs.
- Watch where your attention goes. What we focus on expands.
Get clear on what’s driving you
Nikki’s advice for farmers is to give yourself the space and time to get clear on what drives you and what your goals are.
“Once you know what is driving you and what your goals are, it is far easier to make decisions in farming (and in life) that align with what you want,” she said.
And if you’re struggling, reach out early.
The same attention we give everything else
Clare described the workshops as some of the best she’d attended in a long time. The room started out reserved and ended full of honest conversation and positive energy. One Cooma participant reflected that the workshop tackled skills we don’t particularly do very well in agriculture.
Cynthia asks a question every farmer can take into the busy weeks ahead: We put enormous effort into improving the performance of our livestock, crops, soils and business finances. What could change for you, and your business, if you gave yourself that same attention?
For more resources, visit Cynthia Mahoney’s website. The Farming Stronger workshops are delivered under the Farm Business Resilience Program, jointly funded by the Australian Government's Future Drought Fund and the NSW Government.
Need help with farm business planning or the decisions ahead? Our rural financial counsellors are free, confidential and independent. Call 1800 319 458 or visit rfcsnsw.org.au.