When you have covered agriculture for as long as I have – the annual Harvest Showdown is my anniversary marker here in Yorkton meaning it’s nearing three decades for me – you have seen most topics in the sector covered repeatedly through seminars.
Farm profitability, canola agronomics, open marketing versus single-desk selling, speciality crops and a long list of other key agriculture topics have been covered over and over.
But at this year’s Grain Millers Harvest Showdown there was something which I have rarely heard discussed and yet it is a topic which might be as important as any in terms of the overall industry.
A panel discussion was held on the topic they called ‘Experience and Journeys’. What the panel really dealt with at the Farm Fitness and Finance Forum was the mental health of farmers.
Kim Keller, a farmer and co-founder of Saskatchewan Women in Agriculture started the discussion as moderator, said a University of Guelph study shows the level of stress being faced. She told those attending that the study showed 35 per cent of farm respondents faced depression, 42 per cent said they faced high stress on a daily basis and 58 per cent anxiety.
Those are rather significant numbers when you recognize all three areas are near 50 per cent.
But the data Keller related becomes more concerning as the data also indicated that 40 per cent also said they wouldn’t seek help.
Keller said that resistance to find help has dire implications.
“In the (United) States farmers are twice as likely to commit suicide than the general public,” she said.
We in the general public often assume farming as a somewhat idyllic profession with farmers enjoying being outside raising livestock and grain.
But the farmer is under constant stress in many ways, always looking at the weather forecast fearing frost at night, too much rain, or not enough, too hot or too cool. And even if the weather cooperates there are numerous factors which can impact the process and thus whether the bills can be paid and the family cared for.
Livestock add another level of potential stress.
Mike Neilson a rancher on the panel said finding a balance when things are wearing on your mind is difficult, especially on a livestock farm.
“The cattle industry is a unique industry in that you really can’t take a break from your animals,” he said. “There’s no days off so to speak.”
John McFadyen, executive director with Mobile Crisis Services picked up on the fact farmers often do not seek help. He related in Regina, Saskatoon and Prince Albert about 10 per cent of the local population calls the help line annually.
“The Farm Stress Line receives 300 calls a year,” he said, adding the line serves a rural population of 250,000, which means a far smaller number of callers on a percentage basis.
There is clearly an issue in terms of mental health among those in agriculture, and it is important to begin the process of dealing with it with discussions such as the one held in Yorkton.
Calvin Daniels is Editor with Yorkton This Week.
