One of the biggest challenges in our fitness routine on the farm is strength and conditioning. Cardio is pretty simple with wide open gravel roads and fields. It’s pretty simple to throw on some running shoes or hope on a bike and ride. Strength and conditioning on the other hand, often done at a gym,… Read more »
Category: Health & Wellness
APAS young farmers looking to break mental health stigma
Mental health has been in the agriculture spotlight lately, with a push to break the stigma that often surrounds mental health. And the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan’s Young Agricultural Producers (or YAP) committee is hoping to keep the conversation going. Danny Ottenbreit, southeast Saskatchewan farmer and co-chair of the YAP committee, was in the… Read more »
Global youth talk mental health at 4-H summit
Mental health challenges on the farm are not restricted to operators, or even their spouses…they affect their kids, too. And that’s one reason the Global 4-H Network Summit has dedicated a session to mental health and awareness when leaders from 70 countries converge in Ottawa this week. On Friday, July 14, the final day of… Read more »
Agriculture stress is real and we need to keep talking about it
The agriculture community is full of very strong-willed, independent people that excel at what they do. We also take pride in helping each other out. But the fact remains that farmers and ranchers fall short on identifying and discussing the need for help when it comes to mental health. One of our industry’s greatest strengths… Read more »
The Confidence of Curiosity — It’s OK to Not Know
As the weeks pass by do you keep your head down without paying much attention to the environment around you? We are all busy in our hectic lives as we try to find time for work, family, and personal time. We become so task oriented as we try to complete seeding, finish that last email,… Read more »
Holy Crap I Married a Farmer! Jolene Brown Talks In-Laws, Leadership, and Popcorn for Supper
If you’ve never heard Jolene Brown, farm family advisor and total firecracker, speak, you’re missing out. Brown spoke recently at the Advancing Women in Agriculture conference in Calgary, and then found some time to sit down with our own Shaun Haney to talk about in-laws, tough decisions, work/life/farm balance, and what family really means. Brown… Read more »
Creativity is Free: Farm Management Lessons from Disney
“Budgets are always going to be tight, regulatory issues are always going to be confounding, but creativity is free.” Whether we’re talking about employees at Disney or on a North American farm, financial and regulatory constraints will always exist. How businesses perform within those limitations depends on creativity, stresses Doug Lipp, business consultant and author… Read more »
The Power of Listening And Its Role in Mental Wellness
Clara Hughes is a storied and decorated Olympian, winning a total of six medals between both summer and winter olympics. A cyclist by chance and a speed skater by choice, Hughes has been open about the significant challenges she faced as a teenager and as a young adult athlete battling a rough home life and her… Read more »
When Evidence-Free Fear Causes Real Harm: Timothy Caulfield
Why are celebrities so influential when it comes to trends? Turns out, we may actually be programmed to follow prestige. But, as Timothy Caulfield explains, we may not always recognize this behaviour in ourselves, claiming instead that “everyone else” falls for such things, but not us. Caulfield, a professor with the University of Alberta’s law… Read more »
Let’s Talk About Farming and Mental Health
Let’s face it — farming can be an incredibly stressful and emotional way to live life. We might pride ourselves on being tough and resilient, but we are human. We have the same vulnerabilities as everyone else. With the spotlight on mental health this week, thanks to #BellLetsTalk, we dug into the archives for a few… Read more »
Procrastinating on Purpose to Be More Productive — Rory Vaden
I have a fatal productivity flaw in my life. I procrastinate on many tasks in my daily agenda. I have no idea why. Personally I hate it. People around me tend to hate it as well and I constantly try to fix the tendency. It’s not an easy habit to drop. According to Rory Vaden,… Read more »
Fit Farmer — Ep. 1: Small Steps to Managing Harvest Stress
Harvest is a very stressful time of year that requires immense mental and physical focus for long hours over several days. Balancing the needs of a harvest staff and family is quite the challenge and can weigh heavily on our minds and bodies. It’s at these times that we likely ignore the most important person to… Read more »
MYFB — Ep 21: Marrying Into the Family Farm
Family farms involve a complex interaction between two worlds — the family and the business, and both these worlds are impacted when a new person arrives. This person can be the glue that keeps things together, or the dynamite that blows things apart. We’re talking about what happens when a son or daughter-in-law marries into… Read more »
How Well Do You Vacation?
After a long winter of farm shows, conferences and trade shows it made a lot of sense to hop back on an airplane and take the family on a vacation. It wouldn’t surprise many of you that I have a few Aeroplan points to use up. Free flights!!! In today’s world of busy, taking time… Read more »
Farmers Can Eat Healthy and Exercise Just Like Everyone Else
“I don’t need to exercise because I work outside.” “I am farming — I have no time to eat right or exercise.” Are these quotes from you? Do you make time for healthy eating and exercise during the week? Back in the 1930’s you needed to have a strong back to be a farmer. The… Read more »