FARMERS around the region have been enjoying the 2023 Gippsland Jersey yearly calendar, which contains photos and stories from dairy farmers to encourage conversations around mental health.
The 2023 calendar is the fifth that dairy company Gippsland Jersey has released, featuring tales of strength and resilience from the region’s dairy farmers for each month. Sale, Kilmany, Denison and Meerlieu are among the towns represented by the participants.
Gippsland Jersey co-founder and director, Sallie Jones, said she was grateful to the dairy farmers who opened their hearts out.
“Each year it is a blessing to be welcomed into these farmers’ lives, and onto their farms, and to hear their stories. I absolutely love putting this calendar together. We hope to do more in the next calendar…(the farmers) look forward to it every year,” she said.
“And it has saved lives, it has led to peer support with farmers reaching out to other farmers who have shared their stories.
“I think the conversations about mental health have definitely changed in our region. My dad became a suicide statistic in 2016, and I felt that no-one was talking about mental health then. And I think that the needle has shifted since then.
“Gippsland Jersey are committed to creating social change in mental health.”
Ms Jones said one of Gippsland Jersey’s business pillars was better rural wellness as “8.6 Australians die every day by suicide”. “That’s more than double the road toll,” she said, citing 2022 data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
“Seventy-five per cent of those who take their own life are male. Beyond the tragic loss of the person, the impact of a suicide death is felt by up to 135 people, that includes family members, work colleagues, friends, and first responders.
“Many of the stories in this calendar talk about how the most simplistic act of someone showing up for them when things are hard was the best medicine.
“Don’t hide behind a text message; make an effort and knock on someone’s door, look that person in the eye and really ask them how they’re going. Hold space for them. We cannot rely on government programs or medical professionals to fix all the problems. We all must play an active role in looking after one another. Talking about my experience of my dad’s death has helped heal my heart.”
Last year Ms Jones was featured in This Man’s Worth, a suicide prevention advocacy film available to stream on SBS on Demand.
“For me, there’s no shame in dad’s death; mental health is a real health problem, and the statistics of suicide, and its ripple effect in our communities, are enormous,” she said.
The calendar is available for free from the Gippsland Jersey website. Ms Jones thanked Gippsland Lakes Complete Health, East Gippsland Community Foundation, Royal Flying Doctors Service, Orbost Regional Health, counsellor Sheree Breaden and her business partner Steve Ronalds for their help in making the calendar possible.
Lifeline’s 13 11 14 crisis support service is available 24 hours a day.
