Governments invest $450,000 in mental health and wellness in the Manitoba agriculture sector

Jan 18, 2024

Brandon, Manitoba – Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

The Canada and Manitoba governments through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP) are investing $450,000 over 3 years towards the Manitoba Farmer Wellness Program (MFWP) to provide access to professional counselling services to Manitoba’s agricultural community, federal Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Lawrence MacAulay, Premier Wab Kinew and Manitoba Agriculture Minister Ron Kostyshyn announced today.

The ministers noted that this program is different from other mental health services available, as it is rooted in agriculture and the counsellors are familiar with the unique stressors of managing an agri-business, such as seasonality of operations, impact of extreme climate events, global and market fluctuations and the dynamics of rural living.

The Manitoba Farmer Wellness Program, a non-profit organization launched in 2022, addresses the mental health of farmers, farm families and farm workers through access beyond crisis intervention to longer-term counselling support that help prevent mental health crisis.

The funding will support MFWP to ensure a consistent and professional service delivery and a standardized onboarding for new counsellors. MFWP works with over 32 industry partners to promote mental wellness and coping strategies and resilience.

Source : Canada.ca

Video: Residue Management

Residue Management conservation practice manages the amount, orientation, and distribution of crop and other plant residue on the soil surface year-round while limiting soil-disturbing activities used to grow and harvest crops in systems where the field surface is tilled prior to planting. This video explores how Ryan McKenzie implemented this conservation practice on his farm in Samson, Alabama.

Practice benefits:

• Increases organic matter

• Improves air quality

• Decreases energy costs

• Reduces erosion

• Improves soil health

The Conservation at Work video series was created to increase producer awareness of common conservation practices and was filmed at various locations throughout the country. Because conservation plans are specific to the unique resource needs on each farm and also soil type, weather conditions, etc., these videos were designed to serve as a general guide to the benefits of soil and water conservation and landowners should contact their local USDA office for individual consultation.