Giving life back to our farmers

Farming families and rural business owners based in the districts of Taroom, Moonie and Miles will have an opportunity to learn ways to be mentally strong and resilient in both good times and bad thanks to an entertaining and motivational talk to be held at BMO’s ‘The Farmer Wants a Life’ event during February.

The complimentary event is returning this year, but instead of focussing on business and financial tips as in previous years, the aim this time is to re-energise rural communities.

BMO Partner Adrian Rasmussen said the purpose of The Farmer Wants a Life is to inspire and encourage our rural communities.

In previous years we’ve delivered our own talks on a broad range of financial, relationship and business topics, but this time we decided to shake things up and bring out a high profile guest speaker Robyn Moore.

“You might not know Robyn Moore’s name, but her voice has been in your homes for over 30 years. A professional voice-over artist, Robyn has made you laugh in the longest-running radio show in Australia ‘How green was my cactus’ and on TV, her voice has also enchanted millions as Blinky Bill and other characters.

But it was Ms Moore’s experience in mental wellness and her work in rebuilding relationships, supporting parents, and helping farmers navigate life during times of drought that made BMO keen to bring her out to the region.

Robyn Moore grew up on the land. Her father was a stockman, drover, shearer, shearers’ chef and wool baler. He was also a great laugher and passed this gift onto Robyn. Her childhood was spent on sheep and cattle stations from Tassie to Queensland. She knows what it’s like to live in the isolation of the outback.

“This will be a great evening out with friends where you’ll get to laugh, think, be moved, inspired and have a chance to re-engage with your own life,” Mr Rasmussen said.

Mr Rasmussen said it’s important for farmers to know how to navigate the ups and downs and sharp unexpected turns.

“Farming can be so up and down, both financially and emotionally. When we started planning this event last year, some of our farming regions had good moisture for crops, plenty of feed, green pastures, in the space of six months, we’re seeing our farmers facing some of their toughest conditions.

“We wanted to bring someone to the region that would be positive and uplifting. Robyn knows the challenges and joys that farming can deal out and the strain it places on relationships, and she has some powerful messages that will help renew energy, reinvent attitudes and restore hope and confidence in the future. So we are excited to welcome her into our backyard” Mr Rasmussen said.

Adrian went on to explain the importance of events like this, not only for the farmers in those communities, but also the team at BMO.

“As a locally owned business, we understand the importance of community. We pride ourselves on being connected to the communities in which our team and clients live and work through sponsorships, both financial and in-kind, using local suppliers and businesses, employing locals to join our team and running free events like this one” Mr Rasmussen said.

The Farmer Wants a Life will be held at Leichhardt Hotel, Taroom on Tuesday 21 February, Moonie Sports Club on Wednesday 22 February and at the BMO Conference Room in Dalby on Thursday 23 February. Full details and RSVP form on the website www.thefarmerwantsalife.com

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