Farmstrong’s Live Well, Farm Well podcast: Slade McDonald

Te Anau scrubcutter Slade McDonald has dealt with many challenges in his 24 years.

This year, The Country radio show’s executive producer Rowena Duncum caught up with Farmstrong farmers from all over New Zealand to talk about how they tackle life’s challenges and look after their wellbeing. She was so impressed with the results, she decided to share their stories here.

These days, Te Anau scrubcutter Slade McDonald is a passionate advocate for rural mental health.

But it could easily have been a different story, after burnout and depression led him to attempt suicide.

McDonald moved continents twice and lost both his parents before he’d finished high school.

In just 24 short years, he’s dealt with more challenges than most people do in a lifetime.

However, he hit a clear turning point and eventually found a healthier path.

McDonald is now keen to share his experience in an attempt to help others.

Here, he speaks to The Country’s Rowena Duncum about how taking up rodeo helped him on the road to recovery and what he does now to look after himself.

Listen below:

What is Farmstrong?

Farming is a job with a unique set of challenges.

Many are hard to predict or control. They range from climate events like droughts and floods to fluctuations in commodity prices, changing government legislation and new technology.

Along with these external factors come the demands of running any business – financial and production planning, managing cash flow, hiring and managing staff, succession planning etc.

These pressures aren’t going to disappear, so it’s vital farmers develop the skills and resilience to cope.

Research shows many farmers are great at looking after their equipment and stock but, like other New Zealanders, they can neglect their own wellbeing.

As an industry, we can’t afford to let these pressures reach the point where they damage productivity and affect the lives of families.

Farmstrong is an initiative to help farmers, growers and their families cope with the ups and downs of farming by sharing things they can do to look after themselves and the people in their business.

Find out more about Farmstrong here.