You’ve got to name it to tame it. What does that mean when it comes to how we manage in high-stress situations? In this second half of the conversation on burnout and managing stress, author and mental health advocate Dr. Jessica Metcalfe walks listeners through how to address burnout and anxiety on a daily basis… Read More
Category: Mental Wellness
Farming is a high-stress profession that sees many participants shouldering heavy loads of worry and anxiety that can lead to burnout. Author and mental health advocate Dr. Jessica Metcalfe says it’s important for farmers and ranchers to recognize these conditions and take proactive steps to ensure the weight of agriculture doesn’t overwhelm their business and… Read More
Any farmer can tell you that farming has some very real challenges. The many hours spent alone in a tractor, the sudden disappointment of pests and disease, and being subject to changing environmental conditions can lead to a level of stress that most people outside of agriculture will never fully be able to fathom. So… Read More
Harvest is often a highlight of the year, but it can also be a stress-filled time, especially when combined with other factors outside of a farm’s control. In addition to the usual untimely weather and equipment breakdowns, the list of uncontrollable factors this harvest includes declining crop prices that are creating questions about profitability and… Read More
Programming through the Farmer Wellness Initiatives for Ontario farm workers will see a $538,000 funding boost through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (SCAP). Of that total, nearly $178,000 will be dedicated to supporting the delivery of services in Spanish. Delivered by Agriculture Wellness Ontario, a suite of free programming managed by the Canadian Mental Health… Read More
How often do we hear the old adage “farming is a lifestyle”? The simple fact is that while farming allows so many of us to live a beautiful way of life, connected to the land in a way that the majority of people could never imagine, it’s not an easy way of life. Unlike the… Read More
With the growing season upon us, life is about to get incredibly busy for farmers across Canada. With the hectic pace of farming comes the pressure to juggle many aspects of running a business — and sometimes one of the first balls to drop is caring for our mental health. In honour of Mental Health… Read More
It is true that mental illness can be incredibly difficult to see compared to a broken leg or an open wound, for example. But just like any other illness or health challenge, there are sometimes outward signs of mental health that can be observed by others. Deb VanBerkel is the chief programming officer for the… Read More
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew and Agriculture Minister Ron Kostyshyn announced nearly half a million in federal and provincial funding for the Manitoba Farmer Wellness Program (MFWP) while at Ag Days in Brandon this week. The grassroots non-profit organization, which started providing free counselling to farmers and farm families in 2022, will receive $450 thousand over… Read More
It’s okay to struggle and it’s okay to ask for help. Those are just two of the messages that Humboldt Broncos bus crash survivor Tyler Smith shared with an auditorium packed with Ontario Agricultural Conference attendees last week at the University of Guelph’s Ridgetown campus. It was April 6, 2018 when a bus carrying the… Read More