Paul: I farm 300 cows on 110 hectares in Pongakawa, just south of Te Puke, in the Bay of Plenty.
Pongakawa can get very wet in winter. We’re a sea-level farm, so that poses some big challenges when it’s wet.
In the last calendar year, we had double our annual rainfall and, obviously, that comes with big consequences.
Sam: I grew up in the Manawatū and I know what it’s like when there is too much rain, especially around calving time. So, what are your strategies to deal with those challenges?
Paul: When you’re in an extreme situation like flooding, you really have to pare things back and operate on a day-to-day basis.
You also have to change your thought process. It’s very easy to rush around like a blue-arsed fly and not get much done.
What we’ve done this year is we’ve stopped, looked around and sucked in a few deep breaths before we attack the day.
Sam: Time to think?
Paul: Exactly.
Former All Black, and Farmstrong ambassador, Sam Whitelock, has a yarn to fellow ambassador, Pongakawa dairy farmer, Paul Walker. Photo / Farmstrong
It gives you a chance to properly evaluate things and reset mentally. To focus on what you can control and realistically achieve.
It also provides perspective. You’re telling yourself, ‘Yes, it’s wet, but I can’t help that, so I’ll just do what I can’.
By taking a few steps back before you charge into the day, you can make the whole day go a lot easier.
Sam: That’s a great approach. It was the same for me on the rugby scene when the pressure came on. Stop, take a physical step back and then take two forward. It just gives you that time to reassess what is actually the most important thing to do next. Then you’re in the right headspace to go out there and do it. What else helps you get through?
Paul: My other main strategy is just getting off-farm when I can.
We do that in our community by getting together at a gym on someone’s farm that’s been set up down the road.
The reminder message goes out on the phone – ‘Hey, who can make it to the gym tonight?’ and we all get together and thrash the body for 40 minutes and chew the fat at the end of it and maybe a quick drink.
And that just releases so much pressure before you go back and hit the tough stuff.
Sam: Yeah, that downtime is critical. Most farmers look out the window and see a long list of jobs that need to be done. Getting off-farm can really help because it’s literally out of sight out of mind. Just getting away for a little bit gives you that energy, that mental reboot so that when you are back on-farm, you’re good to go.
Paul: I’ve also found it only takes one person to start a convo at our gym and other people open up pretty easily. And that’s how it should be.
We’ve got a great culture amongst our farming community now that if you’ve got a problem, let’s hear about it.
There’s no point bottling things up. Sharing the journey with others is a big part of staying well.
Sam: A problem shared is a problem halved?
Paul: That’s right.
Sam: You mentioned one of the reasons you love farming is because it’s a great way to bring up your family. How do you manage to get the balance right between work and family life?
Paul: In the early years not very well, because Farmstrong wasn’t around.
I didn’t realise what was happening to me or how to deal with it. I think my family life suffered as a result which is a regret for me.
Paul: Nowadays, when I’m in the middle of a wet season, I tell myself ‘The sun’s going to rise tomorrow and it’s just about taking it a day at a time and I’ll get through’. Farmstrong’s made my farming career more enjoyable for me, my family and my whole community.
If you’re feeling “under the pump”, check out the Farmstrong website and watch their videos of farmers and growers. You’ll soon understand why you feel the way you do and what you can do about it.
