A man has laid bare the inner turmoil of Australia’s farming community in a series of daring nude photographs
Ben Brooksby, a 24-year-old farmer from Victoria, is a passionate advocate for starting conversations about mental health – particularly across the country’s struggling rural areas.
After posing nude in his own St Helen”s Plains property, Mr Brooksby had a stroke of genius about how to encourage his fellow farmers to start speaking openly about depression.
‘The whole point is about stripping off and getting naked, which isn’t easy to do, but neither is talking about your emotions and feelings,’ Mr Brooksby told Daily Mail Australia.
After posing nude in his own St Helen”s Plains property, Mr Brooksby had a stroke of genius about how to encourage his fellow farmers to start speaking openly about depression
‘The whole point is about stripping off and getting naked, which isn’t easy to do, but neither is talking about your emotions and feelings,’ Mr Brooksby told Daily Mail Australia
‘If I manage to save one life then I’ve done my job. I had a few people approach me and say it has sparked conversations and it has given people a laugh with the photos too.’
It was his own struggles with the Black Dog which inspired him to help others who are fighting the same demons.
Mr Brooksby collects the raunchy photographs from rural Australians and shares them all on his mental health project known as The Naked Farmer.
He hopes, by having male and female farmers bare all, it will give them the courage to expose themselves emotionally too.
‘If I manage to save one life then I’ve done my job. I had a few people approach me and say it has sparked conversations and it has given people a laugh with the photos too’
It was his own struggles with the Black Dog which inspired him to help others who are fighting the same demons
Mr Brooksby collects the raunchy photographs from rural Australians and shares them all on his mental health project known as The Naked Farmer
He hopes, by having male and female farmers bare all, it will give them the courage to expose themselves emotionally too.
Both male and female farmers have heartily embraced the cause and have stripped down to raise money and awareness for a noble cause
‘I had one man come up to me and he said: “What you’re doing is so amazing”, and he was talking about what he has been through and his issues with mental illness, we talked for a good half an hour,’ he said.
‘It gives other people courage to talk about their feelings as well, and once you hear people and their stories, you can relate.’
The young agriculturalist has been gifted photographs from farmers from all corners of the country, posing nude atop horses, on trucks, covered in mud and even in the wool-shed.
The pictures will be used in a calendar series which will raise money for the Royal Flying Doctor Service and towards improving rural mental health.
‘I had one man come up to me and he said: “What you’re doing is so amazing”, and he was talking about what he has been through and his issues with mental illness, we talked for a good half an hour,’ he said
‘It gives other people courage to talk about their feelings as well, and once you hear people and their stories, you can relate’
The young agriculturalist has been gifted photographs from farmers from all corners of the country, posing nude atop horses, on trucks, covered in mud and even in the wool-shed
The pictures will be used in a calendar series which will raise money for the Royal Flying Doctor Service and towards improving rural mental health
Mr Brooksby has raised $5,000 for the Royal Flying Doctors Service after selling 2018 calendars, featuring the best saucy farmers, who strategically cover up their modesty
Mr Brooksby explained the suicide and depression rate in agriculture communities is sky-high due to the solitude and unpredictable nature of farming.
‘It’s got to do with the unpredictable outcomes with farming – drought, money…. and some people live 6-10 hours away from a city, and that’s where help is,’ he said.
‘To get that real help you need to travel. And it costs money. It’s really hard for those people.’
‘The suicide rate in the agriculture industry is almost double any other industry – that’s a scary figure,’ he added.
Mr Brooksby explained the suicide and depression rate in agriculture communities is sky-high due to the solitude and unpredictable nature of farming
Farmers from all around Australia pose in the buff The Naked Farmer – a social media page dedicated to farmers
What started as a humble joke has now encouraged hundreds of farmers of all walks of life to snap their cheeky rural photos
The photograph that started it all: Victorian farmer Ben Brooksby (pictured) posing in the buff as he laid in a truck full of lentils
A group of four women share a cheeky moment by stripping off, and strategically covering up their modesty on the farm
‘My message is to get people to talk about this issue, ensure that we talk to one another. There are other farmers in the same boat going through similar issues.’
The inspired farmer will take a trip around Australia in June and July to meet up with the followers of the Naked Farmer to initiate important conversations about mental health.
And the support he has received from everyone so far has been overwhelming.
‘My family and friends have been a huge support over the project. I only just recently told them about it over the past month and some are still only finding out today,’ he said.
‘I’m happy to say my grandma is my number one fan, she’s always liking the photos on the page.’
The lighthearted trend encourages farmers from all walks of life to share a laugh by taking off their kit for a photograph
What started as a humble joke has now seen farmers around the world share their cheeky snaps all for a laugh
The 24-year-old farmer said he has since used the platform to raise awareness of mental illness in the farming community
Mr Brooksby has raised $5,000 for the Royal Flying Doctors Service after selling 2018 calendars, featuring the best saucy farmers, who strategically cover up their modesty
The Naked Farmer has since attracted 28,000 followers – where farmers all over the world send their snaps to the account
The photos show farmers posing strategically (pictured left of two men in the bush and right of a men lying in sheep wool)
Two young women smile at the camera as they pose on a table full of sheep wool as part of a lighthearted farmers campaign
Mr Brooksby said he has even used the platform raise awareness about mental illness in the farming community
Two young cheeky women share an alcoholic beverage after a long day working on the farm
What started as a humble joke has now encouraged hundreds of farmers of all walks of life to snap their cheeky rural snaps