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
Category: Health & Wellness
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
It seems that when the spring hits each year, images start showing up on social media asking if a newly discovered arachnid might be a tick. While ticks have been a common sight in Ontario and Manitoba for a while now, they seem to be venturing further west as they travel on migratory birds. Along... Read More
A dairy worker in Michigan is the second person to test positive for the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus circulating in American dairy cow herds. The first case of human infection associated with this dairy herd infection of HPAI was detected in Texas in March. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says... 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
Across Canada, 24/7 and for no charge, those looking for help during a mental crisis can dial or text 988, the Suicide Crisis Helpline, for a fast, focused response to their emergency. Supported by three-years of federal funding and offered in French and English, 9-8-8 will connect people in crisis or those caring for them... Read More