Achieving healthy states in our agricultural land and animals is something many farmers should take pride in, but those uninitiated-to-agriculture are often naïve to the levels of technical skill, care and commitment necessary to maintain healthy farm environments and livestock.
Success in farming often demands investment of the whole of self into the pursuit of healthy and productive land and animals, and being a farmer can be a central part of personal identity.
This can mean that farmers can’t — or won’t — take a break from their farming responsibilities.
As providers of experienced, professional farm sitting services, Small Farming Business knows this is often because there’s nobody a farmer feels safe to entrust their farm and animals to.
Often, important aspects of a farmer’s personal life are neglected or sacrificed in the name of farming — including relationships, hobbies, recreation and relaxation.
Having the capacity to really switch off and get away from the burdens of the farm can seem like having to choose between trying to continue in survival mode, with relationships strained, feeling exhausted, numbing yourself to cope, with no ‘life’ to speak of beyond the farm gate; or else accept the possible fate of returning to myriad poor and/or costly outcomes resulting from an insufficiently capable stand-in.
Grey nomads, backpackers and companion animal sitters offer their presence, but have limited or no experience with farming.
Farmers realise they might be able to physically leave the farm, but will mentally still be stuck there.
As a farmer, what would it mean to you to have access to farm sitters with relevant experience, capability and willingness to step into your shoes and give you a real break?
How much would your loved ones appreciate seeing you revitalised by taking some time off? How important is spending time away without preoccupation with farm matters?
When you look back on your life, will not taking time off be your biggest regret? Worse still, will you be reflecting on that regret alone because others grew tired of you failing to prioritise them?
Hailing from a mixed farming background, Pat — the founder of Small Farming Business — was quite familiar with a factor linking farming and poor farmer wellbeing: inadequate respite and life balance, with barriers to temporarily transferring farm and animal care responsibilities.
Seeing the satisfaction of clients return relaxed, renewed and so grateful for having had the opportunity to go away and trust that all was in capable hands, expansion to offer a nationwide service and agency of experienced, professional farm sitters became a goal.
Small Farming Business invites collaborations with other experienced, professional farm sitters seeking new clients.
Offering farm sitting services to farms of all kinds, some capacity for holiday and emergency/respite farm sits currently exists, and bookings for 2024 are now open Australia-wide but are filling fast.
To discuss your unique farm-sitting needs and how Small Farming Business can become your trusted choice in farm-sitting, phone Pat on 0449 530 724.