In an effort to support the mental health of farmers in Canada, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) has announced the Producer Mental Wellbeing Initiative. AAFC invites applications from for-profit and non-profit organizations, as well as individuals registered to do business in Canada, who can offer “innovative solutions to promote mental well-being and reduce stressors” affecting… Read More
Category: Health & Wellness
Raising a family in a rural area comes with a lot of benefits, including a caring community and an often slower pace of life than what the cities offer. There are drawbacks though, and longer — sometimes much longer — emergency response times is one of the major ones. This drawback is one that Kim… Read More
The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) says it has secured an initial supply of half a million doses of a human vaccine against avian influenza as part of its contingency planning around the ongoing outbreak of the highly-pathogenic H5N1 virus. As of last week, 68 human cases of avian influenza had been reported in… Read More
What does it mean to struggle well? In 2006, then Major Mark Gasparotto, now retired as a Colonel, led the combat engineers during Operation Medusa in Afghanistan, Canada’s largest combat mission since the Korean War. As a keynote speaker, Gasparotto now shares how the lessons learned on that mission, of leadership following friendly fire, of… Read More
Four times a year, RealAgristudies asks its Insights Panel the same series of questions regarding how they feel about an array of topics, from farm financial performance to capital investment timing and marketing the crop. Answers to the series of questions is compiled into the Canadian Farmer Sentiment Index, which was initially launched in September… Read More
Even the most proactive person can find themselves overwhelmed, stressed, and struggling. For farmers, the combination of weather risk, tight timelines, high capital costs, and volatile markets can create high stress situations. Some stress is OK — it can be the motivation we need to stick with a difficult task or push us to see… Read More
The mental wellness program that offers up to nine free confidential counselling sessions per year to Manitoba farmers, farm families, and their employees has received charitable status from the Canada Revenue Agency. The designation is a milestone for the Manitoba Farm Wellness Program, says chair Marcel Hacault, in a Dec. 11 news release shared with… Read More
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
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
The Do More Agriculture Foundation (DMAF) has named Merle Massie as the organization’s new executive director. Massie runs a grain farm in west-central Saskatchewan alongside her family and draws on her experience at the Canadian Centre for Rural and Agricultural Health. She brings a unique dual perspective, both personal and professional, to lead DMAF in… Read More