CMHA celebrates Canada’s Agriculture Day

This February 11 is recognized as Canada’s Agriculture (Ag) Day and CMHA Muskoka-Parry Sound is joining in to celebrate farmers, farm workers and everyone who contributes to the success of Canada’s agriculture and food industry.
Driven by Agriculture More Than Ever, a platform led by the Canadian Centre for Food Integrity, Canada’s Ag Day is an opportunity to engage in conversations about food and agriculture and spread awareness about the importance of Canadian agriculture on social media using the hashtag #CdnAgDay.
As we bring attention to the positive, integral impact that agriculture has on Canadians, CMHA Muskoka-Parry Sound also wishes to raise awareness about the mental toll that can come with farm work. The constant demands, pressures and time constraints that come with this line of work often make farmers and producers put their work ahead of their well-being, putting them at an increased risk of experiencing anxiety and depression. Research shows that 68% of farmers are more susceptible to chronic stress than the general population, 58% of farmers meet the classification for anxiety and 35% of farmers meet the classification for depression. Living in rural areas and social stigma also make receiving treatment and accessing services more difficult.

Agriculture Wellness Ontario (AgWO), managed by CMHA Ontario, brings mental health education, counselling services and enhanced community support to farming communities across the province. AgWO’s programming includes:

• The Farmer Wellness Initiative, which provides Ontario farmers, farm workers and their families with free, unlimited mental health counselling, that’s tailored to the needs of the agricultural community.
• The Guardian Network, a volunteer, peer-driven community of mental health advocates that supports Ontario’s farming community.
• In the Know, a mental health literacy program designed specifically for farmers, their families and those who are involved in and/or support the agriculture sector.
• Growth Workshops, a series of short, focused workshops created to bring accessible mental health education to the agricultural community.
• The International Agricultural Worker Wellness Program, a program that aims to address the unique mental health challenges faced by temporary international agricultural workers in Ontario. AgWO is funded under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP), a five-year, federal-provincial-territorial initiative. Learn more at AgricultureWellnessOntario.ca.
  Additional ideas to participate from Agriculture More Than Ever include, posting a photo or video celebrating ag, cooking an all-Canadian meal, or posting a “forks up” selfie of yourself holding up a fork. On the Canada’s Ag Day website, they recommend recipes to try with all-Canadian ingredients, and offer videos, gifs and graphics that can be shared on social media to help recognize the significance of Canadian agriculture.