Reading Time: < 1 minute Federal Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau announced $168,440 in funding for the Canadian Centre for Agricultural Wellbeing during the inaugural National Symposium on Agricultural Mental Health in early March. The mission of this new not-for-profit organization is to lead research and roll out initiatives in collaboration with community organizations across the country to address […] Read more
Government funds mental health
Schoepp: Bullying takes many different forms and occurs in all walks of life
Nearly half of us will experience bullying at some point — asking for help is the healthy thing to do
Reading Time: 4 minutes Once a schoolyard term, bullying has now razed a path through all of society. It happens in our homes, on our farms and at work. Children suffer to the point of taking their lives and tens of thousands of them stay home every day from fear. In Canada, 40 per cent of adults report that […] Read more
UNDER PRESSURE: Group boosts aid for farmers hit by stress
Reading Time: 4 minutes The mental health of farmers is getting more attention these days, but the situation in Alberta isn’t well understood and there are big gaps in support, says a provincial researcher. A landmark study done by the University of Guelph six years ago revealed that many farmers suffer mental-health issues, said Rebecca Purc-Stephenson, a research associate […] Read more
Free mental health training, workshops offered for farmers
Do More Ag Foundation expands programming available
Farmers seeking mental health support will have access to free training and community workshops for the fourth year in a row via the Do More Agriculture Foundation (DMAF) and Farm Credit Canada (FCC). Factors such as financial insecurity, uncontrollable weather and isolating working conditions contribute to high depression, anxiety and suicide rates among farmers, according […] Read more
Signs of mental health struggles easy to overlook in agriculture
Reading Time: 4 minutes Even after a tough year, the arrival of spring always seems to bring hope for a new season and optimism that this year will be better. But after several tough years — a global pandemic, drought in some regions and flooding in others, feed shortages, rising input costs, supply chain issues, and now war in […] Read more
Schoepp: The pandemic brought stress but also something empowering
A lot of the burden fell on farm and ranch women, but struggle also brought a new strength
Reading Time: 3 minutes Women have multiple roles on Alberta’s farms and ranches, and navigating the pandemic has taken courage, determination, innovation and forgiving grace. I asked some of them to share their experiences. At first, the fact that the country home was remote seemed a blessing as it reduced the potential exposure to the virus. But as time […] Read more
G3 offers donation to support mental health in Alberta
Reading Time: < 1 minute G3 is donating $25,000 to Alberta’s Mental Health Foundation to support, enhance and transform mental health and addictions care. G3 said that due to the pandemic, it has been unable to hold grand opening events for its six Alberta grain elevators which opened in 2020 and 2021. It was decided to donate the funds set […] Read more
Discovering the healing power of horses
Reading Time: 4 minutes The bond between human and horse can be a great comfort, and The Lethbridge Therapeutic Riding Association has found new ways to strengthen that bond during the pandemic. “COVID-19 forced us to be creative,” said Jason Shriner, executive director of the LTRA, a small 30-year-old non-profit. “There were no visitors to the farm, which was […] Read more
In times of crisis, putting the farm first can be a big mistake
Neglecting your mental health during times of high stress is not the way to treat your farm’s top asset
Reading Time: 2 minutes Farming is stressful at the best of times, and with drought piled on top of a pandemic, the farm community is currently experiencing “really high rates of chronic stress,” says an expert. And it’s actually made worse by the strong work ethic of producers when times get tough, said Cynthia Beck, a crop and cattle […] Read more
New network aims to fill the gaps in mental health resources for farmers
Many producers suffer from stress, anxiety and depression — but finding help isn’t easy
Reading Time: 3 minutes Navigating — or even finding — mental health supports for farmers can be difficult, but an effort is underway to change that. “This is an ongoing issue that the government has been aware of for some time,” said Linda Hunt, project co-ordinator with a new initiative called the Alberta Farm Mental Health Network. In 2019, […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
