Steph Schmidt

Steph is a psychologist, farmer and mum of three boys. Steph and her husband own and run a large sheep & cropping enterprise in the Eastern agricultural area of South Australia. Experiencing the challenges of farming life first-hand, Steph is on a mission to share accessible and practical psychological skills across rural Australia. Steph combines her psychological knowledge with her lived experience of the realities of farming life to provide accessible, easy to understand strategies to improve health and wellbeing for farmers and farming families. She is passionate about developing a resilient rural Australia, supporting individuals and communities not only to grow but to thrive.

While authentic is a word that gets thrown around a lot, it’s a word that can truly be used to describe Steph. Steph brings a raw, real and authentic presence to her engagements and speaking opportunities, bringing the audience with her as she shares her journey from city girl to farmer, through drought, Post Natal Depression, and the ongoing challenges and joys of life on the land.

In 2023, Steph ran the Change The Picture campaign, an online campaign which showcased insights and snapshots of what farmer mental health looks like, through the eyes of rural women right across the country. Across five weeks, Steph gathered the insights of more than 50 women, who bravely shared their views on the joys and struggles of farming life, and in doing so, showed that farmer mental health is far more than just a lonely man standing in a paddock.

Steph loves to share knowledge through story and shares her personal experiences plus reminders and strategies to stay on track via social media.