One of the major mental health problems facing rural Australia today remains men’s lack of desire to seek help for depression and other mental health issues. The pressure of farm life impacts heavily on not only those who work in the industry but their families. Most often, women are the link in the chain between health professionals, and their partners /male relatives. The more resilient women are, and the better informed they are about the industry their partners work in, the better equipped they will be to act as those links and ensure family members take good care of themselves and maintain good mental health. To be proactive, women themselves must feel strong, knowledgeable and supported. The Cotton Picking Women’s Picnic aims to cultivate this in the women who attend through inspirational speakers, cotton industry education opportunities, health & well-being stalls, and a general opportunity for friendship and resilience building.

The women business partners in the cotton business can also offer a lot to the industry. Many are skilled and highly qualified in a range of professional fields, however, often they are not directly involved in the day-to-day operation. This perspective, combined with some capacity building around the cotton industry could lead to innovative solutions, marketing and product development ideas.

Organisers of the 2014 Cotton Picking Women’s Picnic aimed to:

i) Develop a public relations campaign around the event and advertise more widely across the region, thereby targeting a wider audience to attract to the event; and disseminating widely the message that the cotton industry is taking a proactive role in achieving better mental health in rural Australian communities;

ii) attract double the number of women to the event than the 2013 picnic, to include a wider population of cotton growing women, including from the Namoi Valley;

iii) provide an opportunity for attendees to further their knowledge of the cotton industry by hosting a short course version of the Field to Fabric course;

iv) Provide an inspirational guest speaker who can deliver the message of good mental health in rural communities;

v) Inspire and reinvigorate interest in the cotton industry through a fashion parade featuring successful Australian designers who utilise cotton.