First Annual National Symposium on Agricultural Mental Health Showcases Leading Research and Community Programming from Across Canada

Feb 17, 2023

GUELPH, ON, With the latest research showing that farmers feel more stressed and anxious than other Canadians, it's more important than ever to support their mental health. That's why on March 8, 2023, leaders in the agricultural sector from across Canada will come together for the first annual National Symposium on Agricultural Mental Health.

The free, virtual symposium will be hosted by The Guardian Network, an Agriculture Wellness Ontario program run by the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), Ontario, and the newly formed Canadian Centre for Agricultural Wellbeing (CCAW).

Registration is open now at NSAMH.ca

The National Symposium on Agricultural Mental Health aims to connect mental health groups, researchers, government officials and policy makers, members of Canada's agricultural community including agricultural associations and producer groups, individual advocates, and most importantly farmers, to address the challenges and opportunities of the farmer mental health movement across the country.

"Even at the best of times, agriculture and food production is a demanding, 365-days-a-year job. The Government of Canada is working to break the stigma around mental health," said Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food in Canada. "This symposium creates opportunities to ensure farmers have access to the tools they need to support their well-being."

"Acknowledging the importance of mental health in our agricultural industry is critical now more than ever. We are pleased to support the National Symposium on Agricultural Mental Health, along with the Canadian Centre from Agricultural Wellbeing, and Canadian Mental Health Association through programs like the Farmer Wellness Initiative and The Guardian Network," said Lisa Thompson, Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. "Ontario farmers work hard and programs like these were designed specifically so that no farmer, as well as their families, will ever feel like they don't have someone to talk to. This event plays a significant role in bringing awareness, supports and change to the industry."

"This conference is an opportunity for knowledge sharing and a timely response to the needs of Canada's farming community," said Dr. Briana Hagen, Chief Executive Officer and Lead Scientist, Canadian Centre for Agricultural Wellbeing. "At a time when mental health, food insecurity and sustainability are top of mind for countries all around the world, leaders in the agricultural sector have taken an important step by coming together at the symposium, toward ensuring we take care of the people who grow our food."

"As we continue to grow The Guardian Network, our volunteer suicide prevention network for the farming community, input from the agricultural community is indispensable to help inform our training and services," said Camille Quenneville, CEO, CMHA Ontario. "This symposium provides the opportunity for leaders across sectors to identify challenges and work together to ensure that our farmers are getting the mental health and addictions support when and where they need it."

The Guardian Network is a volunteer suicide prevention program which supports Ontario's farming community and is a social enterprise of CMHA Ontario. As part of the Agriculture Wellness Ontario suite of programs, it aims to bring mental health education, free counselling services and enhanced community support to rural and agricultural communities across the province.

CMHA's Agriculture Wellness Ontario programs are paid for in part by the governments of Canada and Ontario through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a five-year, federal-provincial-territorial initiative.

The Partnership is a five-year, $3-billion commitment by Canada's federal, provincial and territorial governments that supports Canada's agri-food and agri-products sectors. This includes a $2 billion commitment that is cost-shared 60 per cent federally and 40 per cent provincially/territorially for programs that are designed and delivered by provinces and territories.

The first annual National Symposium on Agricultural Mental Health will take place virtually on March 8, 2023, starting at 8:45 a.m. EST.

Source : Newswire.ca

Video: Turning Plant Defense Into a Management Strategy

Turning Plant Defense Into a Management Strategy

Understanding how a plant responds to stress is one thing.

Using that knowledge to make better management decisions is another.

Systemic acquired resistance, or SAR, is the plant's more direct defense response. When stress or infection occurs, the plant begins signaling throughout its system and preparing defensive compounds.

But if we know that response exists, can we help prepare the plant before the stress arrives?

The answer starts with understanding what triggers the response and what the plant needs to carry it out.

The Trigger and the Fuel

Salicylic acid plays an important role in triggering the SAR pathway.

Think of it as turning the truck on.

The engine may be running, but it still needs fuel to do the work.

In this case, manganese plays an important role in supporting the enzyme systems involved in the plant's defensive response.

This makes manganese status an important part of the conversation. Whether a producer is using tissue testing, sap analysis, or simply scouting for visible deficiency symptoms, the goal is to make sure the plant has adequate manganese available.

Manganese is required in relatively small amounts, but that does not make its role small.

If the plant receives a signal to defend itself but lacks the nutrition needed to support that response, it may struggle to carry out the process efficiently.

The trigger matters.

The fuel matters too.

Prepare Before the Stress Arrives

The best time to think about stress management is before the plant is overwhelmed.

Once a crop is already struggling, management can quickly turn into a game of catch-up.

This is similar to nitrogen management. Once a plant becomes severely deficient, correcting the problem does not necessarily erase the time and yield potential already lost.

Plant defense can work the same way.

Low-rate, targeted approaches designed to support the SAR pathway may fit best ahead of an expected stress event rather than after significant damage has already occurred.

That requires producers to think about predictable stress.

We may not know exactly what the weather will do tomorrow, but we generally know summer heat is coming. We know certain field conditions increase disease pressure. We know a herbicide application can temporarily stress a crop as the plant processes the chemistry.

Even a properly timed and labeled herbicide application can create a temporary response in the plant.

That does not mean the herbicide is bad.

Weeds can create significantly more yield loss than the temporary stress caused by controlling them.

The question is not whether we should eliminate every stressor.

The question is whether we can better prepare the plant to manage necessary and predictable stress.

Not All Stress Is Bad

Stress is a normal part of plant growth.

A perfectly stress-free environment does not exist in the field.

In fact, some stress is necessary for normal plant development. A plant responds to wind, temperature, moisture, sunlight, and countless other environmental signals throughout the season.

The environment is stress.

The plant's job is to manage it.

Problems begin when the stress load becomes greater than the plant's ability to respond.

Extreme heat, drought, high salt concentrations, disease pressure, and even certain management practices can add to that load.

This is where understanding SAR becomes useful.

Instead of waiting until the plant is visibly struggling, producers can begin identifying periods when stress is likely and make management decisions around those windows.

ISR Starts With the Soil

While SAR is a more direct defense response, induced systemic resistance, or ISR, brings the conversation back to soil health.

The longevity of a farm is closely connected to the health of its soil.

Carbon plays a major role because it supports biological life within the soil. Bacteria, fungi, and other organisms interact with plant roots and influence how the plant grows, accesses nutrients, and prepares for stress.

This is why soil health cannot be reduced to one product or one application.

It is a system.

Keeping living plants in the field longer can support biological activity. Cover crops may fit some operations. Better water management can improve soil conditions.