Summer is here and while many of us are enjoying the season on holiday and barefoot at the beach, farmers across Northland continue to pull on their gumboots, get up early and spend their days doing hard yakka.

Luckily for them, there’s an initiative every summer for farmers to swap their gumboots for wetsuits, pick up the surfboard and wash off that dirt.

Surfing for Farmers Northland is part of a nationwide initiative with an aim to enhance wellbeing among farmers, with 4159 farmers having tried across 22 locations in Aotearoa.

One of Northland’s lead facilitators of the project, volunteer Calvin Ball, explained why the initiative is important.

“Farmers get stuck in a mindset on their own property, so we get them off their property and in a new environment and learning a new skill, they’re happy and they’re engaged,” he said.

This summer, Waipu Cove, Sandy Bay and Ahipara are the chosen locations to hold the free events. Each meetup will consist of a surf lesson, a surf session, followed by a barbecue or pizza.

Ball said the post-surf barbecue and chat is “where the really good stuff happens”.

Ball said the initiative offers “a really wide range of people” to meet like-minded individuals, which then enable people are able to share their experiences and also find solutions.

“Everyone has a different scenario, someone might be doing okay, but they might have a neighbour or friend so they bring that person in the truck and take them out.”

Farmers face an array of issues across the seasons, from flooding, drought, financial pressure and the isolation that often comes with living alone. The unpredictable nature of working as a farmer, with many factors involved can further add to stress.

“People that have been having a hard time and they’ve told me hey this has been really helpful, those are the moments you do it all for,” Ball said.

Ball said it’s a “mixed bag” of up to 35 attendees, from people experienced in the water to some who have never been in the water before.

“We all start with a lesson on the beach, which is basically a safety conversation,” he said. “Everyone just helps everyone out, everyone just plays it safe and we surf to the conditions.”

A spokesperson from Farmstrong, a support system designed for farmers, stated the nature of farming can be “unrelenting”.

“If you’re not careful you can just end up working all the time, and the downside is you can get exhausted and burned out.

“The most important asset in your farming business is your farmer and the people working in the business.”

They said “prioritising yourself and your wellbeing” is essential for a business to run smoothly.

You can sign up for Surfing for Farmers via the website which can be found here.

Ahipara will have three events on January 17 at 6pm, January 31 at 5pm and February 15 at 4.30pm.

Sandy Bay will occur weekly on Wednesdays at 5.30pm, starting January 11.

Waipu Cove will occur on Thursdays, starting January 12 at 5.30pm.

Farming-specific help can be found at Rural Support New Zealand on 0800 787 254 or at farmstrong.co.nz.

Where to get help:

• Lifeline: 0800 543 354 (available 24/7)

• Suicide Crisis Helpline: 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO) (available 24/7)

• Youth services: (06) 3555 906• Youthline: 0800 376 633

• Kidsline: 0800 543 754 (available 24/7)

• Whatsup: 0800 942 8787 (1pm to 11pm)

• Depression helpline: 0800 111 757 (available 24/7)

• Rainbow Youth: (09) 376 4155

• Helpline: 1737

If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111.