Protecting yourself on-farm

The National Centre for Farmer Health has teamed up with Primary Producers SA, DairySA, Yorke Peninsula Alkaline Soils Group and Partners in Grain to hold the program in June.

AgriSafe clinician Tam Phillips said the workshops hoped to create long-term healthy habits and emphasise the importance of follow-up action.

"The emphasis is that the most important part of a healthy Australian farm is a healthy farming family," she said.

"The health of the farmer is just as important as the health of the herd."

Ms Phillips said the laborious routines in rural areas often pushed matters of health to the background.

"Farmers can have limited access to health services, especially in remote and rural communities," she said.

"There are also time constraints - people not making the time to access services and not making it a top priority."

The program incorporates three workshops through four days.

The first two-day workshop has a comprehensive health check that will look at glucose and cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and conduct eye checks, body mass measurements and respiratory tests.

These are on a one-on-one basis, with participants given referrals to specialists or advised suitable actions based on results.

Group discussions on health, well-being and safety are part of the program.

The two other workshops will be held as a follow-up of results gathered in the first workshop.

"Coming back in the second and third workshops reinforces the need for follow-ups and long-term care," Ms Phillips said.

"It gives an opportunity to reflect on some of the findings of the physical assessment."

The later workshops will also provide practical tips such as the best way to read food labels in the supermarket.

Ms Phillips said topics included cardiovascular health, mental health, stress, skin cancer, farm safety and some insight into the test results.

In a session called 'gender bender', men and women would learn about issues affecting each of their genders before moving on to gain insights on issues affecting the opposite gender.

Ms Phillips said group discussions would try to find solutions to pressing issues.

"When you get a group of farmers together they can get talking and start something," she said.

Participants will also be supplied with a factsheet on some common ailments and ways to tackle them

YPASG project and funding coordinator Kristen McEvoy said this was a rare opportunity for local farmers and their families.

"YPASG has gotten on board as, although we traditionally focus on research trials and have regular crop walks and member events, none of these things are of use if the farming family's health is suffering," she said.