An Ontario dairy farmer says stressors and stigma affect producers, but there are ways for the community to help
Glacier FarmMedia – Rates of depression, anxiety and chronic stress are high among Canadian farmers, and in many cases they are higher than the general population.
Addressing these issues is the work of Tim May, Ontario dairy farmer and self-styled “agvocate” for farmer mental health.
May spoke at the virtually hosted National Symposium on Agricultural Mental Health in late 2024.
Read Also
Alberta crop diversification centres receive funding
$5.2 million of provincial funding pumped into crop diversity research centres
“We need to share our unique stressors with the public, with consumers, non-farming consumers, but we don’t want to overshare. We don’t want to make it like ‘woe is me, feel bad for me,’” he said.
One of the stressors unique to farming is how often livelihood and success is determined by unpredictable weather.
May said a common response is “well, that’s why you have crop insurance,” but many people don’t understand that insurance doesn’t amount to the crop’s total value and product is lost. For a livestock producer like May, “I’m wanting to get feed to feed my animals, so where’s that feed going to come from?”
Attachment and responsibility to animals also puts unique pressure on producers. They care for their animals, but they are “also the source of our income and our job,” May said.
That connection is often misunderstood by animal rights activists, he added, and those activists can be another source of stress. One farm near his had activists enter the barn and “they were in there for like, a couple hours. He had no way to know who to contact.”
“His wife was pregnant at the time. He just went out in the field and was praying that it would just go away. And they ended up stealing a calf from this farm. I can’t imagine the stress that poor farmer went through.”
Although agriculture presents unique challenges, there are also unique opportunities for self-care and well being. Some come from the strength of the community itself.
May noted community projects in which farmers share their stories of mental health struggles.
Access to land and nature is another advantage for farmers.
“Farmers are very lucky to have land,” May said. “We have 60 acres of bush that I used to explore as a kid, and I took it for granted. I took my kids out there one day, and we had a blast exploring around there.”
He also suggested regular exercise as a means to improve mental health, something farmers often take for granted.
“Everyone says ‘you must work so hard, you must get so much exercise,’ but it’s a different kind of exercise. You’re not getting that cardiovascular workout that’s good for your heart, your brain and your lungs.”
A 2020 survey of 1,100 Canadian farmers revealed a bleak picture of farmer mental health, with 45 per cent of respondents reporting high levels of stress. Many fell into classifications for anxiety (57 per cent) and depression (35 per cent).
But May said he sees potential improvements in the future. He said he sees regular outpourings of support on his social media pages and also sees changing attitudes among young farmers.
“The next generation is awesome,” he said. “There’s no stigma there that I can see. They’re very open.”
