It's been a busy but rewarding year for the Mid Canterbury Rural Support Trust team.

They’ve been able to help over 100 farmers this year with financial struggles, employment issues and mental health concerns.

Chairperson Josh Dondertman said the continual growth of the trust is proof that they’re still an important resource for farming communities.

“We’ve recently bought on two new trustees, which adds a heap of diversity to what we’re doing.”

While you might know the trust for its work in crises - restoring flooded land, clearing snowed paddocks and drought recovery - it’s begun to operate in the wellbeing space over the last few years.

“We still do [recovery] in times of adverse events.

“But these days, there’s a lot more around people and wellbeing.”

The trust can help set farmers up with doctors’ appointments and counselling services, taking that job off of already busy people.

“The first step, to make the phone call, is the hardest piece, so we want to be there to help them, and make sure they go through the journey together.”

He said a third of all call-ins the trust had received had pertained to mental health, another third were about finances, and the final third for employment.

“They’re all important, but the financial side can have a really big impact on people.

“And with employment, it's just working through and sitting alongside someone if they’re dealing with an uncomfortable employment situation.”

Dondertman said less than half of the community knows what the Rural Support Trust provides, so the team have made an effort to advertise themselves alongside local names in agriculture.

“For example, with Ruralco, we were in their tent at the A & P show.

“Their foot traffic enabled conversations for us.”

He said partnerships were crucial for the trust because they couldn’t do everything on their own.

“There’s only so much funding to go around, and for us, that funding is to help the individual person; the farmer is far more important than running an event.”

While he couldn’t reveal details, the trust was in talks for future events and he was excited about what 2025 held for the group.

“That passion for strengthening the rural community is what gets you out of bed in the morning.”

He said the people of the Mid Canterbury community have always cared for their neighbours, and is thankful for their support for the trust trust over the years.

“They’re just genuinely nice people to deal with, and they always help each other.

“And thanks to the trustees, and Frances [Beeston], Georgie King, they’re the ones doing the hard yards.”

Dondertman is a Dunsandel-based contract milker and also the deputy chairperson of the National Rural Support Trust board table.

By Anisha Satya