‘I’ve got so much love to give’: Farmer Bert’s tearful monologue

Behind the charming façade of the heart-warming show, a farmer’s speech betrays devastating loneliness.

As isolated spots go, Farmer Bert’s pineapple and dragonfruit farm Wamuran isn’t such a lonely place.

The town of Wamuran is just an 11-minute drive from Caboolture, and an hour to Brisbane.

But the 30-year-old almost broke down on tonight’s episode of Farmer Wants a Wife, talking about the loneliness he feels working his fourth-generation farm.

“Life on the land gets lonely. I’ve got a lot of love to give,” he said, blinking to hold back the tears.

“I think that I’m ready for something special. I’m ready to dive in and try again,” he said, referring to a previous relationship that broke down.

Bert chose 30-year-old Caity, a clinical nurse from Queensland to spend 24 hours on the farm with him before the other prospective wives joined them.

And although he’s clearly putting a lot of pressure on himself to find a mate, that didn’t stop Bert from having a picture-perfect date with Caity.

They even carved their names into the end of a jetty Bert built.

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Bert reached over Caity to carve his name into the jetty. Photo: Seven

Farmer Bert and Caity are private about first date

“Why did you choose me over the other girls?” Caity asked as they sat on the jetty, swinging their feet over the dam.

“You have a caring nature, a great personality,” Bert said, adding, “This is a cracker first date.”

Later he leaned over and kissed her.

But the next day, when the other women came, Bert was tight-lipped about the details of their date.

“He’s very romantic,” Caity told her competitors.

They wanted to know if there had been a “little kiss”, but Caity deferred to Bert.

He paused for a minute and decided deflection was the best route. “If you all want to put some jeans on and some boots, we can get some work done,” he said, ignoring the question completely.

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Caity and Bert kissed on their first date. Photo: Seven

Farmer Bert’s loneliness reflects national crisis

In 2023, Norco, a farmer-owned dairy co-operative, partnered with the National Farmers’ Federation to compile the National Farmer Wellbeing Report, gathering information about the mental health of the people who keep rural Australia ticking along.

The findings were staggering.

“… in recent years, nearly half of Australian farmers (45 percent) have felt depressed, with almost two thirds (64 percent) experiencing anxiety,” the report said.

“Even more devastating, close to half of Australian farmers (45 percent) have had thoughts of self-harm or suicide, while close to a third (30 percent) have attempted self-harm or suicide.”

The biggest impact on mental health according to farmers are feelings of loneliness or isolation, along with limited access to mental health services.

Originally published as ‘I’ve got so much love to give’: Farmer Bert’s tearful monologue