Farmer Ken Ballantyne talks frankly about coming to terms with caring for himself on the Nutters Club 

Farmers don’t get sick or sad, or overworked – do they? A winner of four categories for excellence in the 2010 Horizons Ballance Farm Environment Awards, King Country Farmer Ken Ballantyne never dreamt depression could be the cause of his physical problems until he found himself sectioned to the mental health ward at Rotorua Hospital. Ken and his wife Sue talk to Mike King about depression, managing bi-polar and life on the farm.  View replay

“Shooting the episode with Ken and Sue in the studio had lighter moments as well as some hard truths,” says director Marcus Clayton. “We knew it was a brave move by both of them to appear on camera to share this story of bearing this condition together – and that took some guts. Farmers can be a stoical bunch, but by speaking out about the isolation and despair he felt, and the way through it, Ken and Sue can be a help to many who find themselves in similar situations.