By Jack Bosworth, Director, FJ Bosworth & Sons. Published 9 January 2023.
I hope everyone is well.
There is currently no shortage of topics to write about within the pig industry. The end of one year and the start of another always feels like a good moment to step back from those topics and reflect.
A genuinely tough year, for a lot of reasons
It has been a tough old year for the large majority of us.
Whether you are someone having to choose between heat and food, someone caught up in the nightmare of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, or many others across the spectrum, including our King who himself has had to come through a very sad and, I am sure, very challenging time, this has been a year that has weighed on people.
My thoughts are with everyone who has been hit, and continues to be hit, with challenges like those. With the cost-of-living crisis following on from the Covid pandemic, I genuinely believe many people are being, or are going to be, affected hard. Not just practically, but mentally. It is being spoken about more than it used to be. It still does not feel like enough.
Including myself
I include myself in that.
I feel mentally weaker than I did three years ago. I am not afraid to say that. What feels important is recognising it, and then working at it to build that mental strength back up to where I want it to be.
I am guilty of not taking enough time off, and not switching off when I do. Both of those are probably the result of writing to-do lists as long as my arm, and trying to help steer the ship that is our family farming business through exceptionally tough times.
Farming can suck you in. For many of us it is more than just a job. We all need to remember to look after ourselves.
A couple of things that have helped
On that note, it is great to see Fram Farmers offering their members mental health training for farm workers. We have booked two places on that.
I am also trialling spending 45 minutes a week talking to someone on the phone who I think of as my mental health PT. So far, I would highly recommend it. It is not about being in crisis. It is about treating my head the same way I would treat the rest of me if I wanted to be stronger.
Best wishes to everyone for 2023.
If this article has resonated with you
If anything Jack has written about here is familiar, please do not sit with it on your own. Two charities in the UK farming community offer free, confidential support:
- YANA (You Are Not Alone) — supporting anyone in agriculture and rural businesses affected by stress and depression. yanahelp.org
- The Farm Safety Foundation (Yellow Wellies) “Mind Your Head” campaign — practical resources on mental health in agriculture. yellowwellies.org
In an emergency, or if you are in crisis, please call 999, or contact Samaritans free, day or night, on 116 123.
About the author
Jack Bosworth is a fourth-generation farmer and Director of FJ Bosworth & Sons, an arable and pig farming business at Spains Hall, Willingale, Essex. The farm has been in the family since 1919, and Jack farms alongside his father Stuart Bosworth, who was named Farmers Weekly Pig Farmer of the Year in 2011.
You can follow Jack’s articles on fjbosworth.com, or get in touch via the WhatsApp link on the site.
Fourth-generation farmer at Spains Hall, Willingale. Runs the contracting team and writes most of what appears here.