The Ontario and Canadian governments are making a significant investment to support the mental health and wellness of farmers and their families.
The two levels of government will be spending more than $8 million to continue funding the Farmer Wellness Initiative, the “In the Know” program, and the Guardian Network, which are delivered by the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA).
“Our farmers and their families face unique challenges, often due to forces that are beyond their control. This can have a severe impact on their mental health, and we will continue to invest in targeted initiatives to support them,” said Lawrence MacAulay, the federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, in a news release. “By increasing awareness of the resources that are available, we can provide crucial support to our farming communities when they need it most.”
The Farmer Wellness Initiative is a phone line that provides farmers with free, professional mental health counselling services.
The Guardian Network is made up of trained, adult volunteers who are equipped with the strategies and tools needed to identify when farmers are struggling with their mental health and direct them towards appropriate resources.
The “In the Know” program provides mental health literacy designed specifically for farmers and their families.
The funding will also help to launch a new initiative called the Sowing the Seeds of Wellness Initiative. The initiative will make promotional materials with mental health-related information available to eligible farm and commodity organizations for use and display at member events.
The majority of the investment will come from the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a five-year, $3.5 billion investment by federal‐provincial and territorial governments to strengthen competitiveness, innovation, and resiliency of the agriculture, agri‐food and agri‐based products sector.