By Andrea McCoy-Naperstkow, Director, Ontario Federation of Agriculture
In recent years, Canadian research has shown that farming is one of the most stressful industries. Approximately 45% of farmers report high stress, 58% meet the classifications for anxiety and 68% are more susceptible than the general population to chronic stress.
The reasons for that are many. Farmers face a wide range of pressures, many beyond our control, from volatile weather, global trade challenges and tariff uncertainty to high equipment costs, labour shortages and pests and diseases affecting our crops and livestock.
My husband and I farm in the Eastern Ontario county of Lanark near Carleton Place where we grow crops and raise beef cattle. I’m also a director on the board of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture and I think it’s fairly safe to say that there likely isn’t a farmer out there right now how isn’t stressed in some way.
Certain times are definitely more stressful on the farm than others. Right now is a prime example. Spring is the time when we’re in the fields getting our crops planted for the year, and timing is tricky during the best of times – you don’t want to be too early or you face the risk of frost and if you’re too late, your crops might not be ready for harvest in time.
A spring like this one that’s been wet and unseasonably cool makes planting even more challenging. That’s why paying attention to mental health and wellness is particularly important right now.
It’s certainly a topic near and dear to my heart, and it’s a high priority for our organization as well. Just recently, OFA hosted a webinar featuring Gerry Friesen, a hog farmer turned mediator, public speaker and author of the book “The Recovering Farmer”, where he spoke candidly about his own mental health journey.
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