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Canada, Ontario invest $500,000 in farmer wellness, mental health

The governments of Canada and Ontario are investing up to $538,000 through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP) to expand the Farmer Wellness Initiative to Ontario farm workers. Of that total, nearly $178,000 will be dedicated to supporting the delivery of services in Spanish.

Free services include unlimited access to a free, 24/7 phone line that connects users to mental health counselling, which includes crisis counselling, risk assessments and face-to-face, phone or video sessions with a counsellor. The service has recently been expanded to include farm workers. The new enhanced delivery, which includes Spanish-language services, is tailored to farm workers whose first language is Spanish.

Lawrence MacAulay, federal minister of agriculture and agri-food, said in a statement that farmers and workers “often work long hours and face unique challenges that can make it difficult to prioritize their mental health.”

“The expansion of services to farm workers and their families reflects the reality that the entire agricultural community experiences unique stressors that require tailored solutions,” said Rob Flack, Ontario minister of agriculture, food and agribusiness. “By increasing access to mental health services for everyone involved in the business of farming, we are supporting those who work hard to grow our sector and provide food for people across Ontario and throughout the world.”

The announcement builds on a series of recently launched and expanded mental health supports for workers in the farming sector.