A SOUTH Australian producer has raised $1000 for Wimmera mental health organisation The Naked Farmer after he sold a heifer.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Warrawindi Farms in Penola donated proceeds from the sale of the heifer, Naked For Satan, after it was sold at the Limousin National Sale for $3000.
The Naked Farmer founder and St Helens Plains grower Ben Brooksby said in the current climate it was a big ask for farmer's to give away profit for charity.
Warrawindi Farms' David Galpin said the tough season meant it was more important than ever to raise awareness for farmers' mental health.
"Most of Australia has struggled with the lack of rain and it puts a lot of mental stress on everybody," he said.
"We're going through that at home at the moment, we need rain and we just can't get it and it puts a lot of pressure on everybody that's working on the farm."
The Naked Farmer is based on the idea that it takes guts for farmers to take their kit off but it can take even more guts to talk about mental health.
Mr Brooksby said his passion was to educate people on what mental health was, what people could do to combat it.
The Naked Farmer has raised more than $49,000 to date and has an Instagram page with more than 93,000 followers.
The page features photos of farmers in the buff around their property, often alongside stories of their own experience with mental health.
Mr Galpin said they named the heifer Naked for Satan prior to deciding part of her profits would go to The Naked Farmer.
"She's a really classy heifer and we thought it was another great way put some money towards the Naked Farmer, the name was perfect to promote it," he said.
Naked for Satan was bought by the Devine family of Angledale Limousins, Willow Tree via Tamworth, and it was 11-year-old, Tom Devine who first spotted the heifer. "I liked her from the start, when I first saw her," Tom said.
Tom and his parents, Craig and Shelley, said they were pleased the sale would support rural mental health issues.
"It's great that the money will go towards helping the farmers that are having a hard time during the drought," Tom said.
While you're with us, you can now receive updates straight to your inbox twice weekly from the Wimmera Mail-Times. To make sure you're up-to-date with all the news from across the Wimmera, sign up below.