‘It’s very volatile’: Farmers say unpredictable agriculture factors a cause of high stress

He said there are a lot of factors out of their control.

“I guess for us, it’s very volatile. I mean, in every business it is, but we don’t have a nine-to-five set clock for us.”

Kody Traxel. Bob Schneider/CHAT News

A national study in 2020 reported that 35 per cent of farmers are experiencing depression, 57 per cent anxiety and 76 per cent moderate to high stress.

A 2021 study reported that nearly 30 per cent of Canadian farmers had suicidal thoughts in the previous year.

Traxel said the stresses are quite large all year round for those in farming and cattle industries.

“One thing I always look at is the weather, and the ‘big guys in suits’- they can determine what’s going to happen to us. So, very, very stressful points there.”

Linda Hunt is program director of Agknow, a farmer-led sustainable practice not for-profit that determined what a made in Alberta response to farm mental health looks like.

Hunt said there’s something unique about agriculture that requires a more specific and targeted approach to supporting the industry.

“The biggest thing I can say about agriculture, that makes it very different, is agriculture touches the lives of every single Canadian,” she said.

“We all care about safe food, we all care about animal welfare, and we all care about environmental sustainability, and we all want to eat,” she added.

“Having a vibrant and healthy and thriving agriculture community is important, and should be important to everybody.”

Linda Hunt. Courtesy/Agknow

Hunt said that, alike urban communities, those in rural situations also say that stigma is the number one reason for not engaging with resources that are available.

She said Agknow has been piloting workshops and awareness presentations that fit into programs that farmers are already engaged in.

Beth Cash, Cypress County’s economic development officer, is the organizer of the now annual Ag Connections Conference.

She said the County wanted to ensure that all topics were relevant and relatable to producers, and mental health is a major topic.

“The challenges that they have are really unique, and we want to be able to provide that platform for them to meet with their peers, have those discussions, and ultimately break that stigma,” she said.

“Our producers- isolation, maybe they’re working alone or with their families, they’re dealing with consistent, unpredictable stress, whether that’s markets, tariffs, weather,” she added.

Cash said with so many producers in the area, they all face very similar challenges — and if there’s a way that the County can help support them, that is what they want to do.

Beth Cash. Kevin Kyle/CHAT News

Traxel said it’s a different world than it used to be, and mental health is more of an issue because everyone is doing more, and working harder.

He said as a farming community, everyone knows they are there for each other to lend a helping hand if things go south.

“Sticking with your peers, family is the biggest thing,” he said.

“They help us get through the hard times and anytime we need to lean on a shoulder for some help or guidance, we’ve got lots of good neighbors and the community is very, very tight knit that way,” he added.

“That’s one thing that is very powerful, is our community.”

Traxel said he knows mental health is something that needs to be talked about more in agriculture.

He said there’s a mindset of being tough and pushing through, but that’s not the right way to go about it either.

He said rural communities could use more events such as the Ag Connections Conference to create that conversation.

by Jayk Sterkenburg

‘It’s very volatile’: Farmers say unpredictable agriculture factors a cause of high stress

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