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By Alice McFarlane

Supporting farmers

Mental health literacy programs for producers

May 6, 2024 | 5:38 PM

Farmers work around the clock, 365 days a year, facing unique demands and significant pressure. With everything producers must manage, it can be hard to check in on themselves and prioritize mental health.

The Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food used Mental Health Week as the backdrop to make a funding announcement to the Canadian Centre for Agricultural Wellbeing (CCAW).

Lawrence MacAulay said the $1.08 million will go towards five activities that support the mental health of Canadian farmers, so they are able to gain access to the support they need, with services and tools that are tailored to them.

The CCAW will develop Canada’s first evidence-based agriculture literacy training program in collaboration with the Rural Physicians Society of Canada. There will be two national conferences that will enable mental health information sharing with stakeholders from across the sector.

Also included are supports for mental health literacy education for agriculture educators, the development of a mental health toolkit to support the sector in case of catastrophic events, and help industry further develop capacity and facilitate the sharing and expansion of national farm mental health strategies and resources.

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Briana Hagen, Chief Executive Officer and Lead Scientist for CCAW, said supporting farmers is important work.

“The CCAW seeks to work with grass roots, community-based organizations across the country, to provide meaningful support of Canadian agricultural wellbeing,” she said.

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alice.mcfarlane@pattisonmedia.com

On X: @farmnewsNOW