At Agworld we're proud to be sponsoring Fat Farmers again this year, a rural health initiative that's making a real difference in our Aussie farming communities. I spend a lot of time talking to growers across Australia, and I often hear about how the pressures of farming continue to evolve. While technology is helping improve our efficiency, it's changing the way farmers work and it doesn't always benefit their physical and mental wellbeing. That's exactly why organisations like Fat Farmers are so important in helping members actively work on their physical and mental wellbeing.

I recently spoke with Kelvin Tiller, a fifth-generation cropping farmer from Pinery in South Australia and a long-time Agworld user. Kelvin's story perfectly captures the positive impact of Fat Farmers, and why we're proud to be a sponsor.

Kelvin has been farming his whole life, now running a cropping operation that grows a mix of canola, lentils, wheat, and barley. Like many growers, he adopted Agworld early, back in 2012, looking for a way to bring together his agronomist, team, and planning in one place. Agworld gives him the ability to collaborate, adapt plans on the go, and keep accurate records in a simple, practical system.

But while tools like Agworld help streamline operations, they don't solve one of the biggest challenges facing agriculture: looking after yourself. Kelvin's introduction to Fat Farmers was, in his words, “pretty blunt.” A text from his physio with a flyer and the message: “I'll see you there”. Like many farmers, he could have taken offense or ignored it. Instead, he gave it a go. What he found was more than just exercise.

“For me it's predominantly physical health,” Kelvin explains, focusing on improving strength and managing ongoing back issues. But as he points out, physical health doesn't exist in isolation: “if you've got good physical health, then that builds on your mental health and everything… it just flows”. That connection is something we hear again and again.

Farming has historically always been physically demanding, but that's been changing now for years. More time in tractors, more automation, more time behind screens; these shifts are positive in many ways, but they also reduce the 'on-the-job-exercise' farmers once relied on. At the same time, long hours and physical isolation make it harder to prioritise structured fitness. Fat Farmers was founded exactly to fill this gap.

For Kelvin, one of the biggest benefits is the sense of accountability and community. “You're doing it with others,” he says. “It just adds that bit of accountability to the rest of the group”. It's not about pressure, it's about showing up and supporting each other. That routine is powerful. Kelvin now attends Fat Farmer fitness meetings regularly, often bringing his 14-year-old son along. “It's not just about improving his own health, it's about setting a standard for the next generation. Both our employees attend meetings on a regular basis too. It's not a requirement for them, but they have the opportunity to go along every week and they enjoy it, just like I do.”

“If I can do a little bit each week, that's going to improve my health,” he says. And for younger farmers, it's about building habits early, before things start to slide. That's exactly why Agworld supports Fat Farmers.

We believe that better farming outcomes goes beyond profitability; it's about better outcomes for the people behind the farm. Supporting initiatives that improve well-being and build community is equally as important to us as any tool we provide. If there's one takeaway from Kelvin's story for me, it's this: you don't have to be fit to start, you just have to have the courage to start your fitness journey. And hearing from many farmers like Kelvin how Fat Farmers is making a difference in the community, makes this a partnership worth backing for us.