Nyngan farmer Gary White has joined forces with Red Cross in a bid to promote better mental health as part of its 'Let's Talk' program.
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Mr White has been running working-dog schools around the region and beyond to unite farmers so they can interact with one another over a common interest.
"It started in a kind of roundabout way, might have been fate," Mr White said.
"Last year, I was up in Carinda running a school there and a bloke I knew sourced out funding. He put me onto a lady from NALAG who provided me funding and it just grew from there.
"My wife and I were heavily affected by the drought, I lost a lot of work in my day-to-day job, a lot of contractor work, and I always had a passion for dogs, I inherited that from my father.
"I was brought up and bred on land and I live my life on the land."
Twenty-years-ago Mr White travelled to the United States to host Working Dog Schools, he now travels across the world twice a year to the USA, United Kingdom and Europe and had two trips lined up for this year including to Switzerland, but they had been 'COVID-canned'.
Mr White also travels across Australia to run the working dog schools, as well as visiting places across the country that have been severely affected by drought and the bush fires.
He is also the current National Utility Trial Champion, his stud being whites Kelpie.
Mr White said the Red Cross initiative has been highly successful.
"Farmers can come to the schools, learn about something they're interested in and talk among one another," he said.
"Good to see, in the middle of the drought, a lot of people attended from severe drought-affected areas, and we sit down at lunch and talk.
"It's amazing to see, as the day goes by, people start talking about what's happening, a lot of people have dogs and find it beneficial, and I just train them the basics.
"One bloke who writes poems got up and read a few out that he'd written about the drought.
"It's hard with men, but they seem to open up and let out their feelings.
"I come away every time feeling like it's been successful and people have gotten a lot out of it."
Mr White held a Working Dog School in Narromine over the weekend and said it was good to see youth participating as well.
"I had three or four kids from 13 and under come to the Narromine one," he said.
"The younger people are interested in helping their parents. Kids have always been involved in helping out on the farms, but with the drought and parents being unable to employ workers, it's been more predominant."
Mr White said they cap numbers so that everyone in attendance can get in and have a decent go.
His next Working Dog's School for the Let's Talk program will be held in Collarenebri.
You can keep updated on the Whites Kelpie Stud Facebook or Instagram page.
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Your story matters, your voice deserves to be heard and I would love to help you share it. I have five years of experience as a Journalist with Australian Community Media covering an array of topics, with a key focus on breaking news and crime and a passion for people. E: taylor.dodge@austcommunitymedia.com.au.
