STANDING naked in front of a camera is not typically where most WA farmers find themselves in their comfort zone.
But that didn’t stop more than 20 men and women from the State’s agricultural industry baring it all last week, as they joined The Naked Farmer on its mission to spread awareness about the importance of rural mental health.
Growers from Dumbleyung and Mullewa were among those to get their gear off as they joined the popular social media project for the 2018 The Naked Farmer Aussie Farm Tour.
Since its establishment just over a year ago by Victorian grower Ben Brooksby, The Naked Farmer has proven itself a social media success, building an online following close to 100,000 on platforms Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
As its name suggests, The Naked Farmer’s popularity is driven by photos shared of everyday farmers – male and female – performing regular on-farm tasks without their clothes on.
Mr Brooksby said the concept for the social media page began after a light-hearted post of himself nude in a truck full of lentils gained plenty of online traction and evolved into something more meaningful.
“The idea behind it was showcasing farmers from around Australia and the world to educate people in non-rural areas about where our food and fibre comes from,” Mr Brooksby said.
“Social media is everywhere, so you can connect with people in those remote areas because they are on Instagram or Facebook.
“People scroll through Instagram and Facebook and if you see a photo of a tractor you might just keep scrolling, but if you see a naked person in front of it, you’re going to read what the caption says so it’s a perfect opportunity to educate people.”
After a few months online and a steady growth in popularity, Mr Brooksby decided to use The Naked Farmer’s profile to raise awareness of mental health – an issue affecting many regional and agricultural communities.
According to a 2013 study by Melbourne University researchers, global suicide rates for agricultural workers were 1.6 times higher than the average for all employed people.
Mr Brooksby is on a mission to reduce those figures and is hoping The Naked Farmer can help.
“I noticed a lot of farmers following the page and I thought this was the perfect opportunity to connect with these people and help in some way,” Mr Brooksby said.
“I’ve suffered from mental health issues myself and I’ve lost my uncle to suicide so it’s something that I’m really passionate about, that’s why I’m doing it all for mental health now and I’ll just keep trying to help in any way I can.
“It takes guts to get your gear off as it takes guts to talk about mental health.
“It has just taken off and it’s absolutely amazing.”
As part of their goal to remove the stigma surrounding mental health issues, Mr Brooksby and photographer Emma Cross hit the road last month for a farm tour across the country.
On the 2018 The Naked Farmer Aussie Farm Tour through the agricultural regions of each State, the pair have organised photo-shoots with fellow farmers keen to help spread the mental health message.
The photos will be put together in a 2019 calendar and book, which will raise funds for the Royal Flying Doctor Service’s Mental Health Unit.
“In this book I want to showcase these farmers and also touch on some mental health stories, because it is so common and the statistics in rural Australia are just alarming,” Mr Brooksby said.
“I’m so passionate about changing those statistics, there’s a lot of stigma around mental health issues but I see over time, we can change our mindset.”
Mr Brooksby said he was “blown away” by the support he received from WA farmers, including 24 men and women from Mullewa who stripped down to their birthday suits on a cold winter’s day last Wednesday.
“It’s incredible to see the connection between everyone and everyone getting around it, it’s really heart-warming,” he said.
Jenna McGregor, who farms with her husband at Tenindewa, was among those involved in the Mullewa photo-shoot and co-ordinated the group for the photo.
Ms McGregor managed to rustle up 17 women and seven men for two separate photographs, a feat she found easier than expected.
“Everyone was just so keen to jump on board and for us it was a little bit less daunting doing it as a group than standing there starkers by yourself,” Ms McGregor said.
“It was amazing, I really didn’t have to persuade people, they were just jumping at the chance.”
Ms McGregor attributed the group’s eagerness to a growing awareness of the importance of mental health discussion in farming communities.
“Suffering from mental health issues myself and knowing so many people within our community that do as well, I just thought I’ve got to get behind this,” Ms McGregor said.
“Just to get everyone talking about mental health and to sort of say, you might not be the only person struggling, you’re not alone.
“If we can just start that conversation for one or two people then I feel like we’ve made a difference.”
Mr Brooksby and Ms Cross continue their farm tour this week, travelling through the north of WA to the Northern Territory and Queensland.
To support The Naked Farmer go to thenakedfarmerco.com.au/home.html