Taking care of your farm livestock, equipment, and crops is hard work. Especially when you are dealing with the competing and growing demands and unpredictable weather and unstable markets. These and many other things involved with being a farmer can make you feel overwhelmed and stressed out. That is why it is important to prioritize your health and well-being, so that your mind and body can stay sharp so you can continue to the best you can be.
There are many resources available to you that will help to maintain or improve your mental well-being.
The Farmer Wellness Initiative
The Farmer Wellness Initiative, run by Lifeworks, farmers across Ontario and members of their household have access to free counselling sessions with a mental health professional. These mental health professionals have received training to understand the unique needs of farmers. They are available to you 24/7, 365 days a year. English and French language is available, you can call at 1-866-267-6255
Guardian Network
The Guardian network is a volunteer suicide prevention program built ot support the Ontario farming community. The Guardians are trained volunteers and are equipped with strategies and tools to identify the signs of mental distress, react to farmers at-risk, and connect individuals with appropriate mental health and crisis resources.
In The Know
In the Know is a four-hour mental health literacy workshop that is designed to educated the agricultural community about mental health knowledge and increase help-seeking among farmers. These workshops are designed to fit with farmers and producers' schedules and takes into consideration agricultural community culture.
If you are looking for any other form of help, please reach out to me at tabdulhadi@wchc.on.ca or give me a call at 519-664-3794 ext. 222 so that I can help connect you with the appropriate resources that would best suit you.
For more information, please visit https://agriculturewellnessontario.ca/
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