“We have to see that we can get them to work,” says Sandra Katerberg of Zorg om Boer en Tuinder (ZOB). Together with the Agriculture and Horticultural Organization of the Netherlands (LTO) department North, they have started a campaign to help farmers with mental problems.
The ZOB has been committed to the well-being of farmers for years. By telephone, but also with a visit to the farm. “The red thread is always that things are not going well with the farmer. That there are mental concerns. Whether that is due to future prospects or disagreements in the family.” In 2022, a hundred farmers came into contact with the ZOB in this way, but according to that organization and LTO, this is still the tip of the iceberg.
“Farmers and farming families are faced with a lot. And we see a large group that is having a very difficult time. And it is also difficult to talk about it, which is why this action was set up,” explains Fije Visscher. Visscher is a director at LTO Noord and has his own breeding stock. “Farmers and market gardeners are doers. They are happy to talk about tractors, cows, calves or their crops. But when it comes to feelings and what concerns you, it becomes difficult.”
According to Visscher, the situation has become more dire in recent years, partly due to the increasing regulatory pressure and a society that sometimes seems to turn against farmers. “Many farmers have the feeling, and I agree with them, that you are unwanted. And that comes in hard. And if you look at perspective, you have all kinds of questions. They come in at the farmyard and at the kitchen table with that family. “
The campaign calls on farmers to share their concerns. During the day the line is manned by the LTO customer contact centre, and in the evenings the volunteers of ZOB do that. According to Katerberg, Tabur also targets family, friends and other inheritors. Tabur consists of a website and a helpline, which can be reached on 088-8886608. “Our volunteers all have agricultural roots and almost all have their own story. They are already breaking the taboo.”