Agriculture Wellness Ontario launches with three free farming mental health programs

Sep 20, 2022

The Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), Ontario and the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) are proud to announce the launch of Agriculture Wellness Ontario, a suite of programs designed to ensure farmers are getting mental health support when and where they need it.

Living in rural areas, and the stigma surrounding mental health, can make it more difficult for farmers to seek help. Agriculture Wellness Ontario’s new site is designed to make it easy to seek support and increase mental health literacy from one starting point.

Agriculture Wellness Ontario programs currently include the Farmer Wellness Initiative, a free individual counselling service; The Guardian Network, a volunteer suicide-prevention network; and, In the Know, a mental health literacy workshop tailored to the agriculture community. The site also features additional resources which are available to the agriculture community.

With support from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, and other mental health and agriculture sector experts, including the University of Guelph, these barrier-free mental health programs are tailored to support those working in Ontario’s powerhouse agriculture sector.

To learn more visit AgricultureWellnessOntario.ca.