Press release
Ministers Heydon and Burke launch final evaluation report of ‘On Feirm Ground 1’
From Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Published on
Last updated on
Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine with responsibility for Farm Safety, Martin Heydon T.D. and Minister for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy, Colm Burke T.D., launched the final evaluation report for the innovative farmer health and wellbeing initiative ‘On Feirm Ground 1’.
The launch of the report marks a significant milestone in the expanded programme’s aims to equip frontline agricultural professionals and service providers with the awareness, capacity and confidence to identify at-risk farmers and signpost them to relevant support services.
The On Feirm Ground programme was developed by the Engage National Men’s Health Training Programme and is overseen by a multi-stakeholder advisory group chaired by project managers, Men’s Development Network (MDN).
The collaboration is co-funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, the Department of Health and the Health Service Executive (HSE). The initial research behind the programme was funded by South East Technological University and the Teagasc Walsh Scholarship Programme.
The first phase of the implementation of the On Ferim Ground programme from October 2021 to April 2022 focussed on training farm advisors, many of whom formed the evaluation’s research cohort.
The final report provides a comprehensive overview of the initiative’s objectives, the challenges and lessons learned during the initial rollout, and the recommendations that informed the design and development of the follow-up programme ‘On Feirm Ground 2’.
It also highlights key insights and success stories and assesses the programme’s overall impact. Crucially, agricultural advisors, both Teagasc and private agricultural consultants, have since adopted health and wellbeing support and signposting as part of their routine work.
Welcoming the publication of the report, Minister Heydon said:
“Farmers in Ireland experience a range of work-related challenges that place them at increased risk of poor physical and mental health and can be hard to reach and engage on health issues. ‘On Feirm Ground’ has demonstrated that giving farm advisors and others who work with farmers the skills to spot the signs of poor wellbeing signs can help bridge that gap.”
The report demonstrates the effectiveness of extending support roles to other frontline agricultural professionals and service providers, as is now happening across Ireland through the scaled-up ‘On Feirm Ground 2’, which has significantly increased the number of participants taking part in the training.
Minister Heydon added:
“I am delighted to be able to fund the expansion of this programme to other agricultural professionals and service providers within the wider agricultural sector who work with farmers including vets, veterinary nurses, farming representatives and staff in my Department. I am also exploring further opportunities to provide the training to other groups who also engage with farmers”.
Minister Burke said:
“The ongoing and innovative programme is a good example of ‘Healthy Ireland’ in action and shows that educating ‘trusted companions’ in how to respond is an effective means to reach and engage farmers on health issues and achieve positive outcomes.”
MDN Director of Services Colm Kelly Ryan, commended the partners, funders and Engage Resource Development Team involved in delivering the programme, along with all the trainers and advisors who participated.
Mr. Kelly said:
“We are delighted to work with our partners in delivering the On Feirm Ground programme. Partnership is at the core of the work that we do and the success of On Feirm Ground is underpinned by the strong partnerships that made this programme possible.”
The launch, which featured project stakeholders and experts in the field of mental health and wellbeing, heard the On Feirm Ground 2 Programme Coordinator Stephen Mbwika outline the report’s scope and findings, while Dr Noel Richardson from the National Centre for Men’s Health at SETU Carlow detailed the main takeaway messages from the research.
ENDS