Foundation to champion mental wellbeing in Canadian agriculture

by

A not-for-profit foundation focused on addressing mental health challenges in Canadian agriculture will officially be launched in Edmonton next week at FarmTech.

The Do More Agriculture Foundation kicked off its online and social media presence this week.

The initiative is the brainchild of its four founders: Kim Keller, Lesley Rae Kelly, Himanshu Singh and Kirk Muyres.

“Do More Ag focuses on creating awareness about mental health in agriculture and breaking the stigma that currently exists while building a community of support and resources for those impacted and affected. We will help all producers realize they are not alone and they have an entire industry behind them,” reads the foundation’s website.

Research from the University of Guelph has shown Canadian farmers are vulnerable to mental health challenges, with higher rates of stress, anxiety, depression, emotional exhaustion and burnout among producers than other groups.

The foundation is seeking partners — individuals or businesses — who will contribute financially to help build support and resources for people affected by mental health challenges.

RealAgriculture will have more information, and conversations with the founders during FarmTech — Jan. 30-Feb. 1.

Wake up with RealAgriculture

Subscribe to our daily newsletters to keep you up-to-date with our latest coverage every morning.

Wake up with RealAgriculture

Please register to read and comment.

 

Register for a RealAgriculture account to manage your Shortcut menu instead of the default.

Register