Mental health: ‘My animals were culled and I had severe sadness’

Boots on the Ground is one of the group’s initiatives to empower farmers to recognise when they or those around them may be experiencing stress.

And Gyles is seeing the impact.

“We can only ever go out to a farm unless we have that individual’s permission to do so.

“And I have sat in front of people and said: ‘I can’t believe that you’re sitting in front of me, that you’ve actually asked me to come out here’.

“But nine times out of 10, when you go through the process with them, you can actually see the relief coming over their face.”

Damien and his family used their four months of no cattle to look at their direction in farming.

They’re now hoping to acquire full organic status in June 2025 and have diversified beyond the Dexters they initially specialised in.

Damien says he is now in a better place.

“To say that you didn’t have a meltdown would not would be true, you know?

“There’s even days you still think about it and you think about showing animals and winning the big championships, and there’s times where you will have a slight cry yourself.

“Good family and friends are a bonus – but you have to get your own head around what’s going on.”