Cam Wilson inspired by motivational speakers during dairy program

Cam Wilson, 26, is the farm manager of a farm owned by Steve and Karen Fisher and Nathan and Cassidy Lawrence and when he came on board he said the work he did "took him one step forward and three steps back".

"I found myself back in a slump a lot and really tired and my family got neglected by me as I never had time to see them because I had to keep going because my workers didn't have experience really," Mr Wilson said.

"I was still trying to learn a new farm and a lot of issues with cattle and pumps and just neglect really from previous people that have been on the farm.

"We've only just taken over the farm over the last 12 months when my bosses bought it and it probably brought the worst out of me sometimes."

Mr Wilson completed the Proud to be a Dairy Farmer program in 2022, run by Fonterra's farmer representative body, the Fonterra Australia Suppliers' Council.

The program brings young workers together to appreciate the many career opportunities available in the industry.

Mr Wilson said his main takeaway from the program was tips on how to be resilient.

"There were a couple of motivational speakers and one of them talked about the difference in generations," he said.

"In previous generations, you were brought up that mental health wasn't a big thing and feeling weak was looked down upon.

"He talked about it's alright to feel down, it's alright to not have things go right all the time."

Mr Wilson said his work-life balance was now improving.

"Sometimes the biggest challenges in your life are the ones that really bring out the stuff you need to learn in life too," he said.

"That's something I've probably learnt the hard way.

"We've had a bit of a hard last month or so here as it is but before that, it was pretty good.

"It was still tiring and things were going wrong but it wasn't like what happened when we started.

"I had a bit more time for my family and I was able to go do things with them instead of being stuck here 24/7."

Want to read more stories like this?

Sign up below (select Dairy News) to receive our e-newsletter delivered fresh to your email inbox twice a week.