Local charity ambassador urges farmers to speak up on safety and mental health
It comes after new research found mental health among farmers is at a 4-year low
A local farming ambassador is calling on the industry to open up about mental health and make simple changes to improve safety on farms.
Tom Coates, who lives near Aylesbury, is an ambassador for farm safety charity Yellow Wellies, and operates across Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Warwickshire.
He says farmers are facing mounting pressures that are taking a toll on resilience and wellbeing.
“There are so many changes being thrown at farming that people don’t have direct control over,” he said. “Legislation, agrochemical changes, global pricing, the weather – and on top of that there’s rural loneliness and isolation. Farmers are often working long hours on their own.
“All of these things are culminating together and creating a real problem in the industry.”
Tom spoke out about the issues after the charity's research found that UK farmers’ mental wellbeing has fallen to its lowest level in four years.
While the sector is known for overcoming challenges, he highlighted that mental health and safety are areas where progress has been slower.
"We, as an industry, are exceptionally good at adapting to change - if you look at the agrochemicals we've lost and you look at the climate change," she said. "Apart from farm safety and mental health."
He believes one of the biggest steps forward would be simply normalising conversations.
“We all say to our friends, ‘If you’re struggling, talk to me.’ But when it comes to ourselves, we don’t do it. We need to rally around each other more. It’s a small industry and we all know each other.”
Farm safety remains a serious concern, with agriculture continuing to record high rates of workplace injuries and fatalities.
Tom said many incidents happen when people rush or cut corners.
“Sometimes all it takes is five minutes to step back and ask, ‘Is there a better way to do this?’”
He also pointed to countries such as New Zealand and Australia, where high-visibility clothing is commonly built into farm workwear.
“Here, people often wear dark clothing, even in winter when it’s dark for much of the day. Such small changes can make such a massive difference, so that's something that I'm a big advocate for as well.”
For many farming families the farm is both home and workplace – something Tom said can intensify the pressure.
"If something were to go wrong, you feel entirely to blame, but also it's at home. You can't get away from it. So I do think there's an element of fear and anxiousness around that."
Despite the challenges, Tom said he will continue to stay positive, encourage open conversations and try to drive change for farmers.