Over the Fence: Health & Wellbeing with Ben and Katharine Brennan

Over the Fence: Health & Wellbeing with Ben and Katharine Brennan

As one of the initiatives of BCG’s involvement in the Vic Drought Hub, BCG is proud to present the second generation of Over the Fence viewed through the lens of drought resilience. 

The series seeks to capture pearls of wisdom derived from lived experiences, share information, and inspire innovative approaches to proactive risk mitigation. Additionally, the series will spotlight the diverse business profiles thriving in the region, showcasing the resilience and adaptability of our local communities. 

Over the coming months, eNews will feature some of the stories generously shared by the region’s farmers for the book. Last month we gained valuable knowledge on summer weed management from Peter Best. In this instalment, we gain insights into how a busy local family prioritises health and wellbeing. 

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Ben is a full-time agronomist and farmer. Katharine works as a teacher in Wycheproof two days per week. Ben and Katharine have three children, Adeline, Frank and Jack and they live on the farm at Corack East. Land is located in Corack East and Thalia. The farm is mainly cropping with opportunistic sheep. This year their cropping program consists of canola, cereals and lentils.   

We know how critical it is for farmers to ensure they are prioritising both their physical and mental health. Doing so within busy seasonal periods can sometimes be tricky. What things do you find works for your farming family?  

Keeping well is so important. I [Katharine] try to provide healthy snack and meal options. I keep the shearing shed fridge at the farm stocked with healthy food and drink options to reduce temptation. The dinner, bath, bedtime (acid hour) is certainly the hardest during harvest, as I often feel like a solo parent, but unfortunately (I have learnt and accepted) that it is just part of farming and harvest takes priority.    

Having dinner ready so we could eat as soon as we get home from work/kinder/day care was essential. The kids were always hangry and tired on these days so waiting to cook something from scratch was not an option! This meant either slow cooker meals, frozen microwave meals (one meal between two kids, they actually love them) or something easy/basic like cold meat and salad etc.   

Living 20 minutes out of town means access to babysitting is very limited. We have a fortnightly cleaner and ad hoc gardener to help us out now as neither of us have the time and energy to dedicate to these jobs. This has helped immensely. A future plan is to move into Wycheproof, this will make a big difference in saving time travelling in the car and stress wrangling kids in and out of the car. It will also mean easier access for groceries and services etc.    

Do you keep track or monitor your sleep habits?  

No, we don’t but we just know that no one gets enough, including the kids because of the longer days and other factors at this time of year. It’s also difficult because I [Katharine] find myself subconsciously waiting for Ben to get home at night, which means we are both extra tired! Although, this is normally the only time we have during harvest to see one another and talk properly, so it is nice, yet tiring. Ben doesn’t follow any set rules in regard to harvest knock off times, to get more sleep, he operates by what has to be done and is guided by the weather.   

Work/life balance is much harder to juggle in farming when the two are so inter-twined. Is there a way your family manages to keep the balance right during busy periods?  

I think busy periods like sowing and harvest are just about getting through. Ben and I really try to communicate as much as we possibly can. When the opportunity presents itself, when Adeline and Frank are at day care/kinder I go and sit on the tractor or header with Ben, so we get to talk. You can’t try to focus on too much else at these times as that just brings extra stress and exhaustion (mental and physical).  We normally go away for a pre-harvest holiday in September/October which does help. Once harvest has finished, we also try to get away for a break to recover and re-group as a family! This gives us something to look forward to. In busy times I support Ben by taking on more of the business admin/paperwork where possible and keep the house in order so he can just focus on farming.   

This year we went away on pre-babymoon in Ballarat waiting for the baby! By the time he did arrive (10 days over) Ben was busy with work again so that pre break was really, instead of two weeks paternity leave. At that time, I was able to have some down time when Ben looked after the older kids.  

Interview conducted in 2022 

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About the Vic Hub

The Victoria Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub is a state-wide collaboration of 10 organisations.

Led by the University of Melbourne and with headquarters at UM’s Dookie Campus, the Vic Hub is a Partnership between five farming organisations (Birchip Cropping Group, Food & Fibre Gippsland, Mallee Regional Innovation Centre, Riverine Plains and Southern Farming Systems), four universities (UM, Deakin, Federation and La Trobe), and the State Government (through Agriculture Victoria).

One of eight hubs established nationally through the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund (FDF), the Vic Hub works to enhance the drought preparedness and resilience of Victoria’s agricultural industries, the environment and regional communities, encompassing broader agricultural innovation. Engaging with a range of industry and community stakeholders, the Vic Hub links research with community needs for sustainable outcomes.

For more information on the Vic Hub and its work, please visit https://vicdroughthub.org.au