The unique mental health program run by Bayer Crop Science Australia has delivered a range of benefits to rural people.
The program uses fishing to give participants and others the space and time to reflect, while enjoying nature and improving their mental and physical health.
It includes two parts: the Bayer Big Fish Challenge, which sees people team up and fish throughout the year. This competition raises money for the second part of the program: Bayer Retreats. These retreats allow rural people doing it tough to have an all-expenses paid trip to the NSW Snowy Mountains, where they practice mindfulness, while also fly fishing and reflecting in nature. The retreats are run by Australian registered charity The Fly Program.
In 2024, Bayer Crop Science is on track to donate $45,000 to The Fly Program to send community members to the Bayer Retreats. It takes Bayer’s contribution The Fly Program charity to more than $250,000 since the partnership began in 2018.
So far this year, The Fly Program has run two Bayer Retreats: one for men and one for women.
Queensland papaya and sugarcane grower, and father of two, Bryan Aquilina took part in a recent retreat, appreciating the opportunity to “switch off”, reflect, and be grateful for all he has in life.
Bryan enjoyed the time fishing and being in nature, while opening up about issues in his life.
“Fishing relaxes you,” Bryan said.
“I’ve always got something on my mind, but fishing helps me forget my troubles.”
The Fly Program led the group in fishing, hiking and opening up about the stress factors in their lives.
“They get us a bit vulnerable and get guys talking about things we might not otherwise and remind us to appreciate what we’ve got,” Bryan said.
“They’re doing a really good thing and I’d love to see the program expanded, so other people could benefit from it.”
He said the program taught them practical lessons they could use in their everyday lives to help take care of themselves.
“One of the key things is making time for yourself and your family.”
Bryan’s wife Chloe went on a Bayer Retreat for women in March, and also found it helped greatly.
“It was great to be somewhere different, try something new and get to wear a jumper and beanie,” she laughed.
It was the longest Chloe had been away from her family and said it was a chance for her to re find herself and do something out of her comfort zone.
Chloe strives to take care of her wellbeing in her day-to-day life and she enjoyed doing it as part of a group.
“The guides shared with the group different ways to look at challenges in your life. For example, we were standing in the freezing cold river, and they asked us to look upstream and said, ‘Just how a leaf can flow past you and down the river, the same goes for negative thoughts, you can acknowledge them and then let them go’," Chloe said.
She says while rural people tend to be independent, she encourages anyone nominated for a Bayer Retreat to seize the opportunity.
Port Lincoln, SA, agronomist and Lincoln Rural managing director Marc Dickie participated in the same men’s retreat as Bryan.
Marc was nominated to participate by one of Lincoln Rural’s agronomists who recognised that as a business owner, Marc is always juggling staffing issues, stock control, finances and more. As such, he doesn’t get much time to himself even after hours or on weekends.
“We all got on really well, while we’re all from different walks of life, we’re dealing with similar concerns,” Marc said.
He said earlier in his life, he’d tended to bottle things up but in the past five years he’s been more proactive about his mental health including doing some counselling.
“I started stepping out of my comfort zone and opened up more than I used to.”
Marc said it helped him take full advantage of the retreat.
“It’s so worthwhile, it gives you the tools to help you manage anxiety and stress, and see things from different perspectives.
“It’s laid back, you go along and you listen to people’s experiences and contribute if you want.”
Like Bryan, his main take away is to schedule some down time, away from everyday stressors.
“It’s really important that you take care of your own wellbeing and your family.”
Bayer Crop Science national key account manager, Ben Thompson, got the program up and running back in 2018.
He said the program had grown significantly over the years, now with over 750 participants involved, it has raised over $250K and now offers both men's and women's retreats to rural people who would benefit from the support.
“Cutting a cheque to a major mental health charity would have been too easy, I wanted a program that rural communities could get behind and call their own," Ben said.
“At Bayer we proudly support rural communities in many other ways – for example through our onshore product formulation which recently received Australian Made certification, and through delivering the latest innovations to help farmers grow more with less.”
The next Bayer Retreat will be held in October. Nominations are open through the Bayer Big Fish Challenge app or via the program website.
You can get involved in the competition by downloading the Bayer Big Fish Challenge app from the Apple App Store or Google Play and enter a team. If you have any questions, contact your local Bayer Crop Science representative or email info@bayerbigfish.com.
ENDS
Photos – High-resolution images available to download from this folder.
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Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the life science fields of health care, nutrition and agriculture. Its products and services are designed to help people and planet thrive by supporting efforts to master the major challenges presented by a growing and aging global population. Bayer is committed to drive sustainable development and generate a positive impact with its businesses. The company has operated in Australia since 1925 and has a long-term commitment to the health and nutrition of all Australians. Locally, Bayer currently employs almost 900 people across the country and is dedicated to servicing the needs of rural and remote communities. The Bayer brand stands for trust, reliability and quality throughout the world. For more information, go to crop.bayer.com.au.
Contact details:
Peter Somerville, phone +61 403 868 984
