Tabwear celebrates its first birthday today – March 20. In honor of this, it has summarized its highlights over the past year in a fact sheet. The “Better in Your Skin” campaign was also launched, which aims to strengthen resilience among farmers. In the coming period, farmers will share their experiences on how they recovered after major events.
Tabor was founded a year ago with the aim of breaking the taboo around discussing mental health in the agricultural sector. The number of calls to the helpline continues to rise. “So far we have had 135 conversations, 51 of which are anonymous. On average, we receive one call every day of the week. “It is very important that the conversation about mental health concerns takes place at the kitchen table and that People find the help they need.”
The family pulled along
“It is a relief for many callers to finally be able to tell their story to someone who understands the agricultural sector,” continues José. “It is nice to see that many farmers and passers-by have the courage to ask for help. It is not always easy. Many farmers often face multiple challenges at the same time, and since the front and back of the house are connected to each other, the family is often involved.
Proven added value
According to Piet Boer, President of Zorg om Boer en Tuinder and Vige Fischer, Director of LTO Noord, the added value of Taboer was clear. This is in light of the fears and frustrations that the organization hears and sees every day. “It is unfortunate that the tabor was necessary, but the response proves that it has truly added value,” Fisher says. “The nitrogen approach, de-exclusion, complex calculation models, water quality measures and the National Program for Rural Areas (NPLG), along with other challenges such as lack of perspective and new requirements for animal welfare, are causing despair and frustration among farmers and gardeners.”
Negative reports
“(Unjustified) negative reports by activist groups hurt farmers a lot,” Boyer adds. Overall, the situation is becoming increasingly serious on many farms. In regular mental health care, carers are often not familiar with how things work on the farm, which means they cannot always help adequately.
Not only
Members of the Farmer Advisory Council also assessed the situation after one year. “Tabor has contributed greatly to awareness over the past year, both inside and outside the sector. It has become clear to farmers that they are not the only ones facing their concerns and questions. Knowing that you can go somewhere is priceless,” says Martine Newlar. In turn, Sajak Hoogendoorn said: “There is a need for a great deal of flexibility in the agricultural sector. Tabware can help with this, which it already does admirably.
Click here for a fact sheet with 2023 figures or Here for more information About Tabor.
The phone number for assistance from Tabware is 088-8886608.
