Panola farmer, Ben Brooksby, doesn’t have a lot to hide. As the brainchild and founder of the social media mental health phenomenon, The Naked Farmer, Ben has spent close to a decade encouraging rural and remote communities to open up more conversations around mental health. But what sets this passionate young farmer apart, as a true trailblazer within the mental health space, is his willingness to share and ‘unpack’ his own lived experience of mental health with others. Recalling moments as a teenager when the idea of walking into a clothes shop filled him with terror, Ben shares his own mental health battle in this inspiring #139 of the Flying Doctor Podcast. Today, as Ben reflects on close to a decade of community work in the rural mental health space, he is optimistic for the future of agriculture in Australia. But he also hopes that community driven conversations and support services around mental health will continue to grow and flourish in remote and rural areas across Australia - so that future generations of young people can be more confident 'in their own skin'.
Growing up on a family farm with his older brother and an older sister, Ben recalls the first five years of his life as being a typical ‘country kid’ childhood. But after his parents split, the previously stable family dynamic began to change, eventually leaving Ben struggling with severe anxiety during his teenage years. After many years of reflection, Ben believes his childhood struggle to understand this new world of blended families, new siblings and an uncertain future eventually manifested itself as anxiety and self doubt. But Ben also reckons he wouldn’t be the person he is today if he hadn’t had to face those mental health challenges as a young, rural man.
If you are experiencing a mental health crisis or are with someone who is, call 000 if it is an emergency. For direct and ongoing support, call Lifeline Crisis Support (13 11 14) or Beyond Blue (1300 22 4636)
One of those challenges was the unexpected loss of his family’s beloved farmhouse, from fire, in 2016. It was a tipping point for Ben and his stress and anxiety began to spiral. Then one day, in 2017, the then 29-year-old took off all his clothes and jumped into a truck full of lentils – sharing the photo on Instagram. Ben’s initial goal was simply to promote the lives and struggles of Australian farmers. But with the help of his photography friend Emma Cross, the Naked Farmer images soon went ‘viral’ on social media, as more and more rural and remote communities jumped on board. Ben would soon be inundated with photos of farmers, vet students, jackaroos and jillaroos, all ‘getting their kit off’ for a good cause. And the catch cry of ‘It takes guts to get your gear off…and it takes guts to talk about mental health’ was born. Since then, Ben and the Naked Farmer community have raised many thousands of dollars for mental health and for the RFDS, while creating a nationwide conversation around mental health in the bush. These days, Ben and his partner are embracing the daily rewards of their farm business, while also recently welcoming a baby daughter into their family. And while the challenges of sharing Naked Farmer images on an increasingly regulated social media platform have led Ben and his supporters to take a step back from online platforms for now, there’s no denying the Naked Farmers impact will last a lifetime. ABOUT US | Thenakedfarmerco
