The Manitoba Farmer Wellness program has only been around since March, but it already started to see an uptick in use.
The program offers six free counseling sessions to farmers across the province and their family members. The program has four councilors with a background in agriculture, which Vice Chair Roberta Galbraith says is a very important aspect.
"Farmers in other jurisdictions, and here, have said it just makes such a difference not having to retell your story over and over again when you say, I'm a Farmer, they get it. They understand the sort of cyclical nature of farming, and some of the isolation that might go on with living where you work, and being out in the country. Long hours, high prices, low prices, whatever, they just kind of get it, and you don't have to try and teach this councilor about what it is you have to do."
Galbraith says that this year was a good time for the program to start, as there was a lot of uncertainty with the growing season.
"This year was a very challenging year. Being a farmer myself, the spring was very stressful, and then it gets more stressful in the fall because you're running up against fall weather, short growing season, and short days."
The program's website, manitobafarmerwellness.ca, makes it really easy to choose a counselor and get connected.
