Dairy connections increasing

“When I see a dairy cow, I try and call in,” he said.

Mr Hinge joined DairySA in August tasked with the role of making connections.

“I meet the people who run the business, make contact and listen,” he said.

“People are what drive the business and if they don’t look after themselves, then the business can suffer.”

DairySA executive officer Verity Ingham said feedback from stakeholders showed the organisation had good resources for businesses but people were often struggling with other issues.

She said Mr Hinge would serve as a “first point of contact”, and could then direct people to the relevant services, including Rural Financial Counselling and mental health support.

“He’s on the ground and able to catch up with farmers,” she said.

“The level of support varies – sometimes it’s just a phone call and sometimes it’s a number of visits.”

Mr Hinge said it was important for people to know support was available.

“People are generally very resilient but there is a benefit in being able to chat and talk about how things are going,” he said.

“I am available to visit on farm, to sit with them on a tractor, and just work with people.”