The Black Dog lurks behind the farm gate. How to get tough, stoic Kiwi farmers to ask for help? And when they do, what support is there for them?

In this episode we speak with Michelle Ruddell, Chair of Rural Support Te Tai Tokerau, and also Chair of Rural Support’s National Council.

Farming’s never been an easy gig. Long days, hard physical work and exposure to the elements have always combinedto make sure that farmers slept well once they finally hit the sack. And, for most farmers, the lifestyle upsides made the hard work worthwhile.

But these days the gig has become a lot harder for many - the decisions are more complex, the pressures more intense, and the stakes higher than ever. Farmers are juggling volatile commodity prices, shifting regulations, climate extremes, rising costs, labour shortages, and a constant stream of new technologies they’re expected to master.

What once felt straightforward now demands a whole new level of business savvy, resilience, and adaptability. Today’s farmers aren’t just caretakers of the land - they’re risk managers, data analysts, environmental stewards, and entrepreneurs, all rolled into one.

The good news? There’s help and support out there – and farmers are learning to ask for it.

This is the final episode in this series of our poddy. We’ll be back after the summer break, ready to rock 2026 with a whole lot of fresh content and interesting Northlanders to speak with.

Links to items referred to in the show:

News deserts
https://informedfutures.org/news-deserts