Farmers take aim at ‘latte-drinking hipsters’, tackle mental health

One of the nation’s rural leaders urges farmers to stand up against the “witch hunt”.

James Jackson, President of the NSW Farmers. Picture: Supplied

One of the nation’s farm leaders has told a conference he himself suffers bouts of depression during the drought, and urged other farmers to join him in taking measures to maintain mental health.

In an opening address to the NSW Farmers annual conference in Sydney, its president James Jackson also told delegates they should stand up against a “witch hunt” by anti-farming activists, urban “latte-drinking hipsters”, and GetUp because farmers had a right to farm and did it well.

Mr Jackson, who worked as a veterinarian during part of his career, raises sheep and cattle based in Guyra in the Northern Tablelands, a region like much of NSW severely affected by drought.

“Certainly with the drought we have at the moment, we have some mental health issues,” Mr Jackson told delegates.

“I have suffered some depression issues myself,” he said, adding that he had gone for a run this morning to help combat it.

The emotional wellbeing of farmers is a major theme of the three day conference, with delegates offered the chance to speak with mental health and other professionals at booths and buses at the conference.

Mr Jackson invited those who “have got a few ks in your legs”, to join him in a contest where teams will wear “RUOK” T-shirts.

James Jackson, President, NSW Farmers, second from left, at The Daily Telegraph Bush Summit. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Mr Jackson said of all the challenges facing the farm sector, drought was first and foremost, and was the most important issue for government policy and the delivery of relief.

“With deteriorating conditions around much of the state, we have to make sure we get the measures right, and have to make sure we make the available measures as accessible as possible,” he said.

Mr Jackson said the farm sector was under attack from other corners, including trespass, nuisance laws, farm invasion, land use laws, and lack of consultation.

“It is time to put a right to farm in place,” he said, adding that a task force had been set up to this end.

“We have been increasingly seeing this year a series of media stitch-ups,” Mr Jackson told delegates, including campaigns against rice, poultry, pork, dairy, and the herbicide glyphosate.

“In the Middle Ages witch hunts were an effective way of getting rid of troublesome women, and some men,” Mr Jackson said.

“Does that sound familiar?

“At the moment many industries are being demonised by a campaign of disinformation.”

He said if activists got “a couple of hundred signatures on a GetUp poll”, they would claim an agricultural industry had lost its “social licence”.

“It’s the language of the thought police,” Mr Jackson said, urging delegates to stand up to such criticism by countering that “farmers did well.”

If criticised by “some latte-drinking hipster”, Mr Jackson said, “please feel free to correct them.”

“Be transparent about what you do.”