The Farmer Wellness Initative is providing access to free counselling services tailored around Ontario producers and their families. It’s funded through the CMHA and run through The Guardian Network Program.
Program Manager Marnie Wood says those in the world of agriculture experience higher anxiety because a lot of their work depends on things out of their control.
Improving the mental health of agricultural workers has been a decades-old fight, says Wood.
And it’s a unique line of work, which is why Wood says they offer a more peer-to-peer approach with their counsellors.
They know farming is a high stress field, confirmed from a 2016 Canada-wide study which found 68% of farmers are more prone to stress and mental illness than the average Canadian.
Wood says the free services they offer come with the schedule flexibility that’s required when operating a farm. You can learn more at farmerwellnessinitiative.ca
The Guardian Network is a volunteer service for suicide prevention funded by the CMHA.
