Add mental wellness to Spring planting preparations

Mar 08, 2022

Ontario Federation of Agriculture suggests that farming community keeps mental health a talking point as part of the business plan.

By Andrew Joseph, Farms.com

Just as one would take the time and effort to ensure farm equipment is well maintained, the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) said that the same care should be taken with the people working in the ag business.

“As we prepare our business to perform to the best of its ability, we often forget that the farm’s most valuable asset is people,” states Crispin Colvin, Director of the OFA.

He said that as farmers “we automatically assess our livestock and evaluate if they have over-wintered well or need additional support. It is second nature to regularly monitor them for physical or mental changes, and to check for equipment that requires maintenance, but the people involved in the farm can benefit from maintenance and chick-ins, too.”

Even with the stress of the upcoming days of getting crops in the ground, the OFA encourages everyone in the farming community to add mental health and wellness into their Spring planting preparations.

This can be done by reaching out and accessing available resources, having conversations with family and friends, and, importantly, remembering to self-monitor your own level of energy and fatigue.

“Asking yourself a few simple questions can help you better understand your current state of mind,” noted Colvin.

Examples of Self Questions:

How have you and your loved ones fared this Winter?
Are you optimistic for the future or running low on hope, optimism and energy?
Are you looking forward to planting season or feeling overwhelmed with the unpredictability of weather, increasing costs and potential market volatility?

The OFA—long-time advocates for mental health programs, tools, resources and support for farmers, has developed and launched its In The Know program and the Farmer Wellness Initiative.

The In The Know program provides help in identifying stress, depression, anxiety, substance misuse and empower you to start conversations around mental well-being. Developed at the Ontario Veterinary College, it was created specifically to educate within the agricultural community via a four-hour mental health literacy workshop. The Canadian Mental Health Association and OFA support, Ontario branches provide training across the province.

For more individual support, the Farmer Wellness Initiative offers farmers across Ontario and members of their household access to up to four free counselling sessions with a mental health professional. These mental health professionals have received training to understand the unique needs of Ontario farmers. Accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, in English and French, farmers can call 1-866-267-6255 to speak to a counsellor.

To see when In the Know is coming to your community, visit: https://ofa.on.ca/events/.

To enquire about sessions in a community near you, or to set up a session for your club or organization, please visit https://ontario.cmha.ca/intheknow/.

Video: From Conventional to Regenerative: Will Groeneveld’s Journey Back to the Land

"You realize you've got a pretty finite number of years to do this. If you ever want to try something new, you better do it."

That mindset helped Will Groeneveld take a bold turn on his Alberta grain farm. A lifelong farmer, Will had never heard of regenerative agriculture until 2018, when he attended a seminar by Kevin Elmy that shifted his worldview. What began as curiosity quickly turned into a deep exploration of how biology—not just chemistry—shapes the health of our soils, crops and ecosystems.

In this video, Will candidly reflects on his family’s farming history, how the operation evolved from a traditional mixed farm to grain-only, and how the desire to improve the land pushed him to invite livestock back into the rotation—without owning a single cow.

Today, through creative partnerships and a commitment to the five principles of regenerative agriculture, Will is reintroducing diversity, building soil health and extending living roots in the ground for as much of the year as possible. Whether it’s through intercropping, zero tillage (which he’s practiced since the 1980s) or managing forage for visiting cattle, Will’s approach is a testament to continuous learning and a willingness to challenge old norms.

Will is a participant in the Regenerative Agriculture Lab (RAL), a social innovation process bringing together producers, researchers, retailers and others to co-create a resilient regenerative agriculture system in Alberta. His story highlights both the potential and humility required to farm with nature, not against it.