Reading Time: 2 minutes 4-H Canada is launching a new two-year initiative “that supports the emotional and physical well-being of rural youth across Canada.” The first year of the 4-H Canada Healthy Living Initiative, which will launch in spring, will address mental health issues faced by rural youth. “Young people living in rural and remote communities are at greater risk […] Read more
New program focused on well-being of rural youth
Reach out if you need help
Reading Time: < 1 minute Farm Credit Canada has developed public service messages to encourage the conversation on mental health in agriculture. The PSAs, bearing the tag Rooted in Strength, encourage producers to “make sure your well-being is a priority” and to check out resources available at domore.ag, the website of the Do More Ag Foundation, a mental health advocacy […] Read more
Funding offered for ‘mental health first aid’ courses in farm communities
Course teaches people how to help those suffering from depression and anxiety or contemplating suicide
Reading Time: 2 minutes A new foundation focused on promoting mental wellness for farmers is offering funding for communities willing to put on ‘mental health first aid’ workshops. The two-day course offers training on how to help “a person having a panic attack, support someone who lives with depression and anxiety, and intervene when signs of suicidal ideation are […] Read more
Do More Ag to offer mental health first aid training
Reading Time: < 1 minute A $50,000 grant will allow a new non-profit to provide mental health first aid training for producers and agriculture industry professionals in select communities across Canada. The Do More Agriculture Foundation was set up this winter to provide support and mental health resources to farmers. The grant from Farm Credit Canada will fund a pilot […] Read more
HEARTFELT: Couple opens up and sparks conversations across farm country
Reading Time: 2 minutes Lesley and Mathieu Kelly knew they were opening themselves up to a backlash when they shared a candid video about mental health problems they’ve faced as a young farm family. They spoke about the stress of farming, of Mathieu’s anxiety, of Lesley’s postpartum depression. And they were right. They were bullied. People online mocked them, […] Read more
‘Do More Ag’ mental health initiative for farmers receives grant
Reading Time: < 1 minute A new non-profit focused on destigmatizing mental illness in the agriculture industry and offering resources designed specifically for farmers has received a $20,000 grant from Bayer Canada. The Do More Agriculture Foundation was co-founded by Saskatchewan farmers Lesley Rae Kelly and Kim Keller earlier this year. “The support from Bayer will allow The Do More […] Read more
Ag industry urged to ‘do more’ about mental health issues
New organization aims to destigmatize mental illness in the agriculture industry by getting people to talk more, ask more, and listen more
Reading Time: 5 minutes Sean Stanford thought he was going to die. It happened one week last winter, and started with a pain in his chest. A heart attack, he figured. A trip to the emergency room turned up nothing. There was nothing wrong with him. And then the pain started again, worse this time. Another trip to the […] Read more
Mental health training to be part of first aid courses
Reading Time: < 1 minute St. John Ambulance is making mental health training part of its standard and emergency first aid courses. “We currently offer mental health first aid courses in several provinces,” said Philip Clarke, chancellor of the Priory Council that oversees St. John Ambulance. “Integrating a mental health module into our standard and emergency first aid courses is […] Read more
Stress could be taking its toll on you — know the signs
Withdrawing, not wanting to eat, and constant worry are all signs of stress that could lead to more serious issues
Reading Time: 3 minutes In tough times — like this year’s drought — stress can creep up on you. So take a moment to think how your friends and family are holding up. “I really encourage people to notice what other people are doing when it’s stressful like this. You may need to look after each other a bit […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
