In A Good Place: A Grassroots Response to Farmer Mental Health
In early 2023, a sobering report landed in the hands of Australians who care deeply about the people who grow our food. The National Farmer Wellbeing Report, released by Norco and the National Farmers’ Federation (NFF), shed new light on the growing mental health crisis facing Australian farmers.
The report came in response to the devastating 2022 flood events, rising input costs, falling commodity prices and an uncertain economic outlook. It revealed an alarming statistic: the suicide rate among Australian farmers is nearly 59% higher than the general population. That equates to the death of one farmer every 10 days.
This was not just a health issue—it was a national wake-up call. Nearly one in three farmers reported serious thoughts of suicide and a decline in their mental health, painting a picture of an industry under increasing strain. Long hours, isolation, the unpredictability of climate, and mounting financial pressure are all part of the farming life. But in recent years, the intensity of these challenges has multiplied.
Ross Blanch – farmer and crisis counsellor, said:
“Day in, day out as a farmer you’re concerned about your stock because your feed’s diminishing and it’s very expensive and you just can’t see the end of it. It cripples you. The fear of failure on farms is a big issue when it comes to farms. It can drive people over the edge. Farmers over generations have had this perception that you get on and tough it out. If you can get away with it, you just don’t talk. But reaching out is a strength not a weakness.”
Responding to the Call for Help
Deeply moved by the report, and with a long-standing commitment to rural resilience, the Macdoch Foundation stepped forward. Recognising that this crisis required urgent, grassroots-level action, we approached our former partner, the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal (FRRR), with a clear question: How can we help farmers directly, and in a way that strengthens their communities for the long term?
FRRR already had a successful model in place, supporting community-led initiatives in regional Australia. The two organisations saw an opportunity to adapt that model to specifically address farmer mental health. What resulted was the creation of a dedicated, farmer-focused funding stream—In A Good Place.
What is “In A Good Place”?
In A Good Place is a targeted national grants program designed to support mental health initiatives run by and for farmers and farming communities. Its purpose is to empower rural Australians to take charge of their own wellbeing through local, community-driven solutions that are culturally appropriate, trusted, and sustainable.
The program provides small grants to local groups working to:
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Reduce social isolation
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Increase social participation and community connectedness
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Encourage help-seeking behaviours for those at risk of, or experiencing, mental health challenges
The idea is simple but powerful: mental health support doesn’t always need to come from a distant, formal institution. It can start around a community barbecue, a support group meeting in a town hall, or a local leader trained in mental health first aid. When solutions are designed and delivered by locals, for locals, they are more likely to succeed—and to last.
A Collective Effort
We realized that this work was too important to tackle alone and we reached out to others in the philanthropic community to build broader support, resulting in the formation of the Farmer Funder Collective. This group includes the Jibb Foundation, Morris Family Foundation, Rebecca Gorman and John Sevior, and the Norman Family Foundation. The groups is united by a common goal: supporting farmer wellbeing through community-led change.
Together, this collective now funds the famer wellbeing stream of the In A Good Place program, with FRRR managing the national grants. Grants are distributed to grassroots projects in rural, regional, and remote communities across Australia. Importantly, the funding is flexible and responsive – critical when working in environments that are constantly changing.
Building Stronger, Healthier Rural Communities
Farmer mental health is not just a rural issue—it affects all of us. We know that it’s getting harder and harder to produce food. And the health of our food systems, our regional economies, and our communities all depend on farmers being in a good place – physically, emotionally, and socially. As the impacts of climate change, economic pressure, and isolation continue to mount, we must ensure our farmers are supported – not left to shoulder the burden alone.
Programs like In A Good Place are crucial because they create the infrastructure for connection and ongoing, local support. They also allow farmers and their communities to reclaim the narrative around mental health, replacing stigma with strength and isolation with connection.
The results so far have been promising, and the need continues to grow. With more funders, more communities, and more awareness, In A Good Place can continue to expand and support the people who keep Australia fed.
Program Manager Jeanice Henderson says:
“I love that In A Good Place means we can have real conversations with people who are in a vulnerable place. The process of people simply applying, is action. It opens a door to shift things, break down stigmas and create social connections.”
