Lessons From The Farm Gate: How Community Grants Build Rural Mental Health Capability
Tracks
Prince
| Friday, November 6, 2026 |
| 8:30 AM - 9:00 AM |
Overview
Kelly Barnes, National Centre for Farmer Health
Three Key Learnings
1. Community-led approaches increase engagement
Locally designed events reflected community priorities and social contexts, resulting in strong participation and positive organiser feedback.
2. Embedding mental health into existing activities encourages a proactive approach
Integrating wellbeing conversations into familiar events created safe, accessible opportunities for connection, awareness of support services, and early mental health discussion before crisis occurs.
3. Flexible, supported funding models build rural mental health capability
Small grants combined with practical guidance, simple processes, and ongoing support strengthened local confidence and capacity to deliver community wellbeing initiatives.
Presenter
Ms Kelly Barnes
Research Assistant and Health Promotion Officer
National Centre for Farmer Health
Lessons From The Farm Gate: How Community Grants Build Rural Mental Health Capability
Presentation Overview
Rural communities experiencing climatic events continue to face significant mental health challenges, compounded by social isolation, financial strain, and ongoing seasonal uncertainty. Supporting rural communities during these times requires an approach that moves beyond awareness raising and toward locally meaningful action. Administered by the National Centre for Farmer Health (NCFH), the Look Over the Farm Gate (LOTFG) Community Grants Program, funded through the Victorian Government’s 2025 Drought Support Package, provided grants of up to $5000 to support community-led events across rural Victoria.
The program aimed to strengthen social connection, promote positive mental health messaging, reduce stigma, encourage early help-seeking, and increase community confidence in discussing wellbeing. Events were designed and delivered locally, enabling communities to respond to their own priorities, strengths, and seasonal conditions.
Applications were open to individuals, community groups, and businesses in farming communities, and were supported by guidance from NCFH staff. Funding approval considered geographic spread, drought impact, local need, and community reach, while maintaining flexibility to support diverse event formats and build confidence and capacity of community leaders.
Round 1 (June 2025 – April 2026) supported 182 community initiatives with over 32,000 people attending funded events including wellbeing speaker sessions embedded within existing agricultural and community events, exercise and art programs, health checks and children’s activities and community meals. Strong collaboration occurred between community groups, local health services, agricultural organisations, not-for-profits, and local government.
Preliminary findings highlight that simple, flexible community-led grant programs can strengthen rural mental health capability and encourage and support locally driven action. Key learnings include the importance of adaptability, ongoing support, and reducing administrative burden to maximise community participation and impact. A full summary of findings from rounds 1 and 2 will be presented in November.
The program aimed to strengthen social connection, promote positive mental health messaging, reduce stigma, encourage early help-seeking, and increase community confidence in discussing wellbeing. Events were designed and delivered locally, enabling communities to respond to their own priorities, strengths, and seasonal conditions.
Applications were open to individuals, community groups, and businesses in farming communities, and were supported by guidance from NCFH staff. Funding approval considered geographic spread, drought impact, local need, and community reach, while maintaining flexibility to support diverse event formats and build confidence and capacity of community leaders.
Round 1 (June 2025 – April 2026) supported 182 community initiatives with over 32,000 people attending funded events including wellbeing speaker sessions embedded within existing agricultural and community events, exercise and art programs, health checks and children’s activities and community meals. Strong collaboration occurred between community groups, local health services, agricultural organisations, not-for-profits, and local government.
Preliminary findings highlight that simple, flexible community-led grant programs can strengthen rural mental health capability and encourage and support locally driven action. Key learnings include the importance of adaptability, ongoing support, and reducing administrative burden to maximise community participation and impact. A full summary of findings from rounds 1 and 2 will be presented in November.
Biography
Kelly grew up on a family farm in the south of England and worked on farms and for shearing teams in the UK, New Zealand and Australia before settling permanently in Western Victoria in 2011. She transitioned to work in agribusiness roles including rural merchandise and farm management software and developed a passion for health and wellbeing in farming communities.
Kelly works at the National Centre for Farmer Health as a research assistant and health promotion officer bringing a strong consumer lens to her work and translating research evidence into practical resources for farming communities.
