Sustainability on The Acheron: The Human Aspects of Sustainability by Ben



Scott McFadden talking about mental health

With agriculture, humans are not usually a part of the discussion. Scott McFadden of the Acheron Station farm helped remind us of the human side of sustainability.

It’s important to note that many farms started out family-owned. Scott McFadden’s farm started in 1956 when his mom and dad acquired the farm. Now, he is currently the owner of the farm, with his mother helping out when she can. The Acheron is a one-person labor unit farm: Scott McFadden with his 4 dogs. He is able to keep his farm going by contracting other employees to perform tasks such as crutching (shearing a sheep’s back to reduce health risks), tailing (removing the tail of sheep), and cropping (growing and managing crops). 


Labor is one factor of economic and social sustainability. Farms are businesses, so owners want them profitable, and labor is another production cost that will decrease profitability. Scott McFadden stressed that current inflation is making it harder for farmers to be profitable. Farms also need to be successful in order to uphold strong communities. New Zealand is very much an agrarian nation, with agriculture being “the backbone of New Zealand.” Small communities could face obstacles due to a lack of agriculture and other support businesses. Unfortunately, agriculture has not been fully recognised as the backbone, which has put stress on the farmers. 


Scott McFadden highlighted the importance of mental health in the New Zealand farmer. It is evident that they face many challenges including inflation, politics, unfavourable farming conditions, and social media. While Scott had described farmers as “interesting beasts”, they are still human. These pressures have brought farmers to rock bottom and there is very little positive morale in them currently. Caring about mental health is a serious issue. Farmers are usually isolated in their work and share a deep connection to the farm. When the farm is in a bad place, they feel it themselves.


Scott McFadden has taken training to help his peers and workers when they are starting to feel mental strain. He understands the importance of asking someone for help, as well as providing the help. Talking to someone, he says, makes all the difference. Scott McFadden wants to have local and rural farmers collaborating to help everyone. 


Farm sustainability is a current issue that many farmers face. I have only outlined a small portion of how farmers deal with the economic and social aspects. There is still much more to learn. 

 

 


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