A three-month campaign has begun, focused on the mental health and wellbeing of farmers and others in the agriculture sector.
Talk It Out runs until the end of October, an effort from the Do More Agriculture Foundation.
“Folks in agriculture are dealing with the elements in such a visceral way,” said Lauren Martin, the board chair for Do More Ag.
“There is so much that’s beyond their control, the weather, pests, even government regulations sometimes are beyond their control.”
With all of that uncertainty, Martin added many farmers have to do this work in isolation, spending hours out in the field or sitting in a tractor alone.
A national survey conducted by the University of Guelph found 40 per cent of producers in Canada are hesitant to speak up due to a fear of judgment. It added 58 per cent meet the criteria for anxiety and 75 per cent of farmers have stress levels considered mid to high.
It also details that farmers are four times more likely to use firearms to die by suicide than the general population.
Despite the stressors, Martin said there isn’t enough support out there for farmers.
Do More Ag was established six years ago to open up conversations between those who understand the unique pressures in the sector.
Through that, AgTalk was established, an anonymous peer-to-peer platform monitored by clinicians that you can use on your phone.
AgTalk is a help line for anyone in the space who is 16 and older to safely have an open discussion on mental health.
As part of the #TalkItOut campaign, expect to see advertising on social media and digital advertising, among other avenues.
Having the campaign at this time of year is key too.
“For some, harvest is already underway and in other provinces, we’re just getting ready to roll,” Martin said, adding harvest season is usually a peak period of the year for stress, busyness and burnout.
Although elements in the campaign have been seen in past campaigns by the organization, this iteration is the first of what could be an annual thing.
Visit the Do More Ag website for more information and resources.
