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Keeping rural communities strong

  • Tools & Services
  • Health & Wellbeing
  • Community
1 Sep 2023 1 min read

Mental Health Awareness Week (18-24 September) is an annual campaign run by the Mental Health Foundation aimed to help Kiwis understand what boosts their wellbeing and improves mental health.

Mental wellbeing on farm can be tested at this time of year and with the added uncertainties of weather events, pressures can mount up. Fonterra is committed to keeping rural communities strong by improving access to wellbeing and resilience services for farming families who are doing it tough.

Along with their partnership with Rural Support Trust, Fonterra has also made the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) available to all Fonterra farmers, indefinitely.

Rural Support Trust and Fonterra Partnership

Rural Support Trust are local rural people, independent of Fonterra, who work confidentially with you to provide support when times are hard.

How can Rural Support Trust help?

Rural Support Trust (RST) works one on one with farmers to talk through challenges they may be having. Sometimes this may just involve listening, sometimes it may be helping to create a plan for how to take the next step. It can also include linking the person in need to things like:

  • Counselling sessions (free for all Fonterra farmers under the Fonterra EAP Scheme)
  • Medical support
  • Financial information or advice
  • Farming or business (and employment) advice
"I know that the Rural Support Trust is making a difference. People reach out for help after hearing me talk at a Time Out Tour event. So much of what the RST does is behind closed doors, but they are helping people get through challenges and live better lives right across New Zealand every single day."
- Matt Chisholm, Rural Support Trust Ambassador

Rural Support Trust will often run events in local rural communities whether it be community breakfasts or dinners, activities (including helping out with Surfing for Farmers) or hosting speakers with a focus on wellbeing (e.g. the Matt Chisholm Time Out Tour).

Check out the current events in your region via the Rural Support Trust regional Facebook pages and rural-support.org.nz, or call your local trust on 0800 787 254.

And remember, you don't have to tough it out alone.

Bay of Plenty dairy farmer, Matt Webb on his experience with Rural Support Trust:

Looking back at one of the first farming jobs he took, Matt admits he was probably a bit naïve about a lot of things. "Those first 12 months were pretty much hell for me and my family. At the time, I didn't really know who to talk to about what was happening on farm, but we were fortunate enough to have one of the Rural Support Trust facilitators on our boundary."

Although he says it took him a while to reach out to one of the facilitators, Matt says it was one of the best things he ever did. "Through everything, Rural Support Trust were there. They helped get us back on track and we'll always be grateful to [RST facilitator] Jodie and our facilitators. We still talk to them most days. Even just to pick up the phone when something comes up."

Matt's advice to anyone who might be struggling, be it on the job, or personally: "It's easier said than done, but just pick up the phone. For me with Rural Support Trust, I was always a bit dubious. Do I ring them, or do I not? What if I don't know what to say when I do ring them? But they made it really easy to talk. No matter the issue, big or small, just pick up the phone and start talking, they'll help you get through it."

Fonterra EAP Scheme

EAP is a professional and confidential counselling service provided by an independent company, EAP Services.

EAP support is available to all Fonterra farmers (including immediate family members that share the same household) and their teams (people employed by the farmer who work on the farm), as well as Sharemilkers, Contract Milkers and My Milk farmers.

How can EAP Services help?

The service provides access to a choice of around 350 professionals across New Zealand including clinical psychologists, counsellors, psychotherapists, social workers, as well as financial, legal and career advisors.

You can talk to an experienced professional about any number of concerns including, but not limited to:

  • Feelings of anxiety, stress or depression
  • Family challenges, relationship issues
  • Parenting problems, elder care support
  • Conflict with colleagues, managers or partners
  • Pressures placed on you in the workplace or personal situations
  • Coping with serious illness, trauma, grief or bereavement
  • Building resilience during times of change and uncertainty
  • Preparing for retirement or redundancy
  • Frustrations and confusion over your career direction
  • Living with addictions and minimising their impact on your life
  • Addressing financial matters or personal legal concerns


To arrange a phone, video or e-counselling support at a convenient time and location, you can contact EAP Services on 0800 327 669 or eapservices.co.nz.

EAP Services is completely independent of Fonterra and no identifying information about you will be released without your written consent. Confidentiality is assured.