TORONTO – The federal and provincial governments are investing up to $538,000 through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership to expand the Farmer Wellness Initiative to Ontario farm workers.
“As a farmer myself, I know that farmers and folks working on our farms often work long hours and face unique challenges that can make it difficult to prioritize their mental health,” federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Lawrence MacAulay said in a news release.
“Through this initiative under Sustainable CAP, mental health resources will be more accessible, providing these hard-working people the tools they need, when they need them most.”
The Farmer Wellness Initiative, which launched in 2022, is a suite of free programs delivered by Agriculture Wellness Ontario and managed by the Ontario division of the Canadian Mental Health Association. It provides farmers and farm workers and their families with unlimited access to a free 24/7 phone line that connects them to tailored mental health counselling.
Services offered through the phone line include crisis counselling, risk assessments, and face-to-face, phone or video sessions with a counsellor.
Earlier this year, the line expanded to include farm workers, and now the expansion includes the delivery of services in Spanish to better serve international agricultural workers, the release said.
Of the funds being invested, nearly $178,000 will be dedicated to providing service in Spanish.
“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,” Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness Rob Flack said in the news release.
“By increasing access to mental health service 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.”
In total the Canadian and Ontario governments have invested more than $5.3 million into the Farmer Wellness Initiative, which has been supporting more than 600 farmers and their families.
Sustainable CAP is a five-year (2023-2028), $3.5-billion investment by federal, provincial and territorial governments to strengthen the competitiveness, innovation, and resiliency of Canada’s agriculture, agri-food and agri-based products sector. This includes $1 billion in federal programs and activities and a $2.5 billion commitment that is cost-shared 60 per cent federally and 40 per cent provincially/territorially for programs designed and delivered by the provinces and territories.
