Stressors are going way up': New program aimed at helping Manitoba farmers' mental health

Jun 02, 2022

Manitoba farmers have been hit hard over the last few years, dealing with drought and now extreme rain, all while navigating the COVID-19 pandemic.

Now a new organization is aimed at helping farmers by providing more support for their mental health.

Gerry Friesen, the co-founder of the Manitoba Farmer Wellness Program, said stress has been extremely high among those in the agriculture sector.

"Even in better times, stress is high because of the way things have changed," said Friesen. "With what is happening in Manitoba, this – along with the pandemic – stressors are going way up."

Friesen said he helped start the program because he understands how important counselling can be for people's well-being.

You can find out more details by clicking the video at the top of the page.

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Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.