What does black electrical tape have to do with protecting your state of mind at harvest? For Megz Reynolds, during a particularly bad harvest, covering up the yield monitor with it was a small boundary she set to help ease her mind and focus on the task at hand. It may seem small, but small things… Read More
Category: Health & Wellness
If you picture someone born without arms and legs, chances are you go straight to thinking about the physical challenges. There’s no doubt that Chris Koch, a farmer from Nanton, Alta., has faced physical challenges, but that hasn’t stopped him from chasing his dreams and becoming a farmer. Koch says there have been times when… Read More
The Do More Agriculture Foundation (Do More Ag) has launched AgTalk, powered by Togetherall. The 24/7 peer support platform will be accessible across the entire Canadian agriculture industry, equipped with bilingual clinical moderation for open discussions on mental health. Do More Ag says anyone 16 and older can connect, share, and receive support from a… Read More
Canadian farmers feel relatively stable and positive about their farms’ current financial outlook, even in the face of declining commodity markets, according to the March Canadian Farmer Sentiment Index. Last month, the RealAgristudies Insights Panel was surveyed a fourth time since September 2022 on their opinions and overall sentiment on a number of critical agricultural… Read More
There’s something about us rural folk and the appreciation we have of just how beautiful our surroundings can be. For those of you that know me, you know that sunsets, sunrises, and a bright starry sky can make me take a deep breath in ways that not much else can. Lately, I’ve been stuck in… Read More
The agriculture industry is driven by family farms, where personal and professional lives are intertwined. This creates an interesting dynamic and puts a lot of pressure on our relationships and our mental health. Making mental wellness a priority is being talked about more than ever, but there is still plenty of misunderstanding around the topic…. Read More
A program that offers free one-on-one counselling to farmers in Manitoba is seeing demand for its services, but is also working on raising awareness as it marks its first anniversary. The grassroots and non-profit Manitoba Farmer Wellness Program was launched in January 2022 and started offering farmers and their family members free, confidential counselling sessions… Read More
The Canadian Centre for Agricultural Wellbeing (CCAW), a new not-for-profit organization launched in late 2022, is on a mission to support farmers and their families with a research-to-action approach to mental health. Today, CCAW has announced an agreement that names TELUS Health as the exclusive clinical and technology provider for services. CCAW is focused on… Read More
As the calendar winds down, so too does the work week and the routines of week in and week out. And so it is with the host of Wheat Pete’s Word, Pete Johnson, as he offers this, the last Word of the year. For this week’s podcast, Johnson has a little agronomy and a lot… Read More
Many are familiar with certain forms of counselling — counselling on mental health, addictions, career, etc. But what about nutritional counselling? For this episode of the Fit Farmer podcast, host Gary Chambers is joined by registered dietician Georgie Fear to discuss the importance of eating properly, and what it can do to fuel your body… Read More
Agriculture and food issues often cross provincial, national and international boundaries. Being a leader of a farm organization frequently requires representatives to look well beyond the farm gate to tackle issues that impact their members. That’s certainly the case for Thunder Bay, Ont., dairy farmer Peggy Brekveld, who in 2023 will again lead the Ontario… Read More
A new not-for-profit organization plans to take a hands-on approach to farmer mental wellness across the country. Organizers of the Canadian Centre for Agricultural Wellbeing (CCAW) say they will support farmers with a research-to-action approach to mental health. “Compared to the Canadian public, farmers experience elevated rates of stress, anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation. Unfortunately,… Read More
Too often, it takes a brush with a serious health issue to spur someone to take better care of themselves. For Amanda Nigg, it took a life-changing event to spur her farm-fit business. On this episode of the Fit Farmer podcast, Fit Farmer meets Farm Fit Momma as Gary Chambers is joined by Nigg to… Read More
Every year around this time, I start thinking it’s time to reflect. Reflect on the last year, the good, the not-so-great, and most of all — what I’m thankful for. I have started this more than a handful of times over the course of the last couple of days. So, I’ve turned on my favourite… Read More
Mental health in Canadian agriculture is no longer a foreign term, however, there is still plenty of work to be done. A new study out of the University of Guelph has made that even more clear. Prior to this study, there was a study conducted in 2015-2016, says Andria Jones-Bitton, of the University of Guelph…. Read More