Trev Stammers, Neerim East - September// 2024 Mental Health Calendar

Trev has recently made a transition from beef to dairy farming in pursuit of more stable finances and the potential to expand his farm. Incredibly, the journey from beef farming to milking his first dairy cow took less than a year, including the acquisition of a whole new herd and building a new dairy.

This capacity to embrace change served Trev well some years earlier, during a period of personal tragedy with the sudden loss of his father to a brain aneurysm in 2015. Trev was in the process of completing his building apprenticeship, a choice encouraged under his father’s guidance, when he was faced with this life-altering event. His father's unexpected death occurred rapidly and under dire circumstances, leaving Trev with a heavy heart and a choice to make. “I just wanted to take over and I just didn't want to go anywhere else really. Just wanted to come back to the farm and run it.”

The loss of his father not only compelled Trev to step back into the farming life but also instilled in him a resolve to continue the legacy left behind. Reflecting on what his father's advice would have been had he lived longer: “His life got cut short…it would have been nice to get a bit more information out of him before he did go. He always said the farm will be here if you ever want to come back to the farm. He’d be looking down…he was always supportive.”

With his mother’s support, Trev returned to the farm and aligned it’s focus toward breeding beef cattle which they successfully managed for the next 8 years before embarking on the transition to dairy in 2022.

Despite a calm demeanour, Trev concedes that he deals with considerable stress. He confesses to being a 'massive stress head' putting undue pressure on himself and ruminating over things unnecessarily. “I just get a myself revved up before doing things, and then it’s just fine when I do them. Just comes in whirlwinds.”

He manages to navigate through these stresses with the support of his mother and wife, Sofie, whose roles in his life he cannot overstate. “Mom's been unreal. I couldn’t have done it without her support. And Sofie, her support. They’ve both been unreal…I wouldn't be here without them two.” Their unwavering support has been a cornerstone of his ability to cope and thrive despite the pressures and grief he has faced.

Trev's story is not just one of career shifts but is a poignant narrative of perseverance and resilience in the wake of loss, underscored by the strength derived from family support. His success in dairy farming and his capacity to withstand and adapt to life's challenges are testaments to the enduring influence of his father's memory and the relentless support of the women in his life.