They attend to their farm business in the weekends, at nights and on wet days, and are often criticised in their communities for not being 'proper' farmers. Yet all they want to do is farm. Off-farm work creates problems of handling multiple roles. Stress rates can be high in families juggling roles. There are complaints of 'never enough time' and they often battle 'chronic fatigue'.
Men often experience job conflict between their farming role and their off-farm work role.
Problems sometimes arise in recognising the contribution of partners. I had no skills I could market . Now she's her own woman, and that's okay. Positive outcomes from off-farm employment. While off-farm work can create stress, it also can alleviate stresses from other sources, especially financial.