Today we head to Mangoplah in rural New South Wales to chat with Ginny Stevens the Founder and General Manager of Active Farmers. From humble beginnings as a regular fitness class in a farming community south of Wagga Wagga in 2015, Active Farmers has rapidly grown to 24 communities across rural Australia, including New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania and Victoria, with 30 communities planned by the end of 2018, and even bigger goals ahead.

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Ginny discusses growing up on a farm in Tasmania, and at 18 years of age heading to work as a Jillaroo in the Northern Territory, learning about hard work and pushing beyond her comfort zone. Ginny started Active Farmers seeing the need for physical and mental support in rural communities. Yet, has been overwhelmed at the level of need and demand. And, the interest in rural communities in building physical and mental fitness, social connection and addressing high levels of suicide.

This is a thoughtful discussion about the critical role the not for the profit program has. As well as Active Farmers’ success in gaining community and partner support, and working towards making life in rural Australia better now and well into the future.

You can find Ginny via LinkedIn or via the Active Farmers website

Watch ABC News video here.

Real People is a podcast hosted by Jason Dunstone, the founder and managing director of Square Holes, 25 years conducting research and interviews with average and not so average people, as well as interviews with key leaders such as innovators, politicians, scientists and experts. He has have been lucky to meet such wonderful and intelligent people, and have such fascinating discussions, but these are often largely deciphered down to research findings, insightful quotes, statistics et cetera for reports. Real People opens up such conversations for people like you

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