John Harper can proudly say, he is such a man.

More then 250 farmers and their families from across the district filled the Stockinbingal Hall last Thursday evening, gaining an insight into depression and mental illness and enjoying the first public viewing of the 11 minute Mate Helping Mate DVD at its launch.

Stockinbingal farmer John Harper the principal of the Mate Helping Mate initiative now wants to focus his energies spreading the message to the people that weren't present.

“We now need to spread the message further to the people who didn’t come,” Mr Harper said.

In developing the program, Mr Harper, who himself has experienced depression, found talking to mates and neighbours comforting and said he wanted to offer the same sort of mateship to other farmers he knew.

His first step as the owner of a small bus was to get all his mates' together to talk casually in an informal setting.

The initiative was successful beyond his wildest expectation, necessitating a bigger bus for his next ‘outing’.

"I invited health professionals to come along and mingle with the farmers, we commented on weather, prices or any other subjects that were relevant at the time," Mr Harper said.

Mr Harper was approached by a member of St Vincent de Paul Society who urged him to consider making and participating in a DVD that could be distributed on a wider scale throughout rural communities.

The DVD was produced and was filmed in part with local farmers, in corporating individual’s personal stories.

"The concept of the DVD is based on social and creative self-help strategies for rural communities, and recognises the importance of mateship in bolstering hope, optimism and self worth in difficult times," Mr Harper said.

Copies of the free DVD can be obtained through the St Vincent de Paul Society's Rural Task Force by contacting (02) 9560 8666 or emailing ruraltaskforce@vinnies.org.au

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