When South East dairy farmer Kym Willsmore said to his mate Tim Stubberfield, “We should cross the Simpson Desert,” Tim, a local agronomist at the time, replied, “Let’s do it”.
Instead of it being an idea that never eventuated, this time they followed through. The two men were stressed and knew that a trip away would give them the break they crucially needed. They knew others in the dairy industry who were feeling the same pressures, so they asked a few other mates to join them.
Nine days, four vehicles, four motor bikes and eight blokes who had made the choice to do something for themselves, away from the farm. “We had no idea how important it was going to be,” Kym said.
The group’s itinerary was rough, and the focus was teamwork, with everyone pitching in with preparations, food, and other responsibilities. This was a challenge – as Kym described, “trying to get guys organised is like herding cats”.
Another challenge was for everyone to come to terms with the fact that leaving their farm for a short period was not going to be the end of the world: the farm would be ok. “For a primary producer, the thought of putting themselves before everything else is not an easy thing,” Kym said.
Crossing the Simpson Desert was also a big challenge – everyone needed to pull together as a team to get the trip completed, and in a safe, positive environment.
“There was an expectation that everyone was going to stuff up at some stage during the trip, and egos and pride would get smashed. But everyone has got your back – the whole team is there to help you,” Kym said. “Around the campfire, someone would always open up and share their challenges and personal stuff.”
Kym said when the group got back from the trip, the mental health benefits were clear. Kym and Tim decided that it should not be a ‘once off’ and have continued to ‘down tools’ every second year with groups of farmers, dedicating much needed time and space for stress relief and mateship.
Kym and Tim have now done five trips since the inaugural 2017 Simpson crossing, and what started as eight mates has steadily grown to 22 on the last trip.
“When you get back from a camping trip with a group of peers, you see things differently, and you become a better version of yourself, and a better farmer because of the stress release,” Kym said.
“It’s an opportunity to openly value those around you – partners, family, friends, work colleagues – people first, business second. Dairy farming is just something that you do, but with the stress of farming, perspectives can get pushed around.”
Kym believes camping trips can give people a perspective ‘reset’. “In day-to-day life, farmers can get caught up in their own worlds; these trips enable a perspective reset, that it’s ok to admit you need some help. Following a trip, people are more likely to reach out to others and have a good chat,” he said.
‘Tools down’ type trips develop friendships that are strong and encourage people to reach out when needed. By proactively encouraging peer support and understanding away from the property, farmers are better able to manage stress and maintain high farm standards, including food safety standards.
“Strong mental wellbeing improves our ability as humans to respond when things do inevitably go wrong,” Kym said. Strong mental wellbeing and emotional endurance enables best practice.
Kym and Tim encourage other farmers to take time away from their properties and go camping with friends to reap the benefits of human connection and stress relief.
“You don’t have to be good at camping. Just grab a group of mates and go somewhere. After the first trip, you will come back and be so much more positive about life,” Kym said. “Trips away, even a short fishing trip, are not selfish; they are self-preservation.
“Next time the thought of ‘we should get away’ crosses your mind, reach out to a few mates and just do it, but do it with the intent to support one another. Your farm, your family, your friends, and, most importantly, you, will be all the better for it.”
