The Naked Farmer visits Shane Leahy to raise mental health awareness.
With Kangaroo Island being one of the worst fire affected communities in Australia, and being the home to countless fire affected farmers, this visit was very timely.
"If you could just drop your jeans and take off your shirt, that would be great … you can leave your boots on though."
That’s pretty much the conversation we heard when Ben Brooksby, better known as the Naked Farmer, came to pay us a visit on the farm. So Shane got his gear off for the Naked Farmer!
In case you missed the exciting news, Ben is doing a tour of South Australia, including Kangaroo Island, taking nude photos! Yes, you heard that right. The Naked Farmer showcases a bevy of farmers in their natural environment in a series of naughty (but very tasteful) naked images. We’re not quite sure how Shane was coerced, but the end result is highly inspiring!
On his journey, Ben is also busy creating awareness of mental health issues, so the tour also includes meeting local mental health groups. Covering some of the worst fire-affected communities in Australia, it was a very timely visit. For some fun fundraising, a men's night at Maitland will bring 21 farmers together for a provocative group nude photoshoot! All the photos from this incredible tour will feature in the next fundraising calendar. We are super excited to see it!
Shining A Spotlight On Rural Mental Health
- The Naked Farmer idea started life on May 12th 2017
- He now has more than 110,000 followers on Instagram
- The campaign has raised over $100,000 for mental health support
- Fundraising is for the Royal Flying Doctor's Service rural mental health service
Ben’s idea was inspired by an impromptu photo of himself in the back of his grain truck, wearing little more than his crop of lentils and his boots. He says he had a ‘light bulb moment of reflection’ while sowing his lentils the following autumn and created an Instagram account. Naming it The Naked Farmer, he posted this near-naked photo for a good laugh.
What he didn’t expect was that the post went viral - and the rest is history. Having struck a chord, the idea developed into a social media based business. The concept of highlighting Australian agriculture and educating consumers with uplifting, fun photos of near-naked farmers was born.
Baring It All For A Great Local Cause
The main aim of this tour is to generate awareness about mental health issues and create some lively discussion. All fundraising proceeds go to the RFDS Rural Mental Health Unit, chosen for their untiring work in the remotest towns. They provide support, treatment and education for communities and individuals all across rural Australia.
Ben will be creating a new fundraising calendar and book with all the stories he collects from his amazing tour. Along with, of course, numerous photos of our hard-working farmers with appropriate farm props strategically placed. It certainly pushed Shane out of his comfort zone, but we know you’ll absolutely love the end result.
If you want to check out these incredible images and smile all afternoon, visit The Naked Farmer’s website or Facebook page.
Go on - we know you want to!
www.facebook.com/thenkdfarmer/