National mental health crisis line for farmers a ‘huge step in the right direction’

A new mental health crisis line is tailored to those in agriculture.

It may be the middle of winter, but it’s always busy on the farm for David Newcombe.

“The farm never slows down,” he said. “Especially for us with livestock. It is an everyday job. We have at least two people working 365 days a year.”

Newcombe is a tenth-generation farmer based in Port Williams, N.S. He knows the challenges that come with the job aren’t just physical.

“There’s definitely a lot of stress and mental strain that farmers can face, so you got factors like weather, which is going to affect your crops, which is going to affect your bottom line. Finances are always something that is a concern,” said Newcombe.

“The thought of our farm struggling and having all that history go away is definitely part of the stress.”

A new national crisis line is now hoping to help farmers who are dealing with that stress. The Canadian Centre for Agricultural Wellbeing has launched the National Farmer Wellness Network Crisis Line to support those in need.

“It’s 24/7, it’s confidential, it’s free, and it’s ag-informed,” said Briana Hagen, the CEO and lead scientist for the Canadian Centre for Agricultural Wellbeing.

“Those are things that farmers have been asking for for years, so it’s a really, really huge step in the right direction for mental health care.”

The goal of the crisis line is to address the unique mental health challenges faced by farmers, their families, and workers. It will provide tailored mental health support delivered by licensed professionals trained in the Canadian Agricultural Literacy Program.

“Farmers were experiencing poor mental health outcomes, including suicide, at elevated risks compared to the general population and other occupations,” said Hagen.

“There’s a lot that farmers have to deal with daily, and then seasonally, and yearly that are quite frankly out of their control, but they still need to be able to produce food and get it to the table.”

The crisis line is being funded by Farm Credit Canada. It will be spending $1.5 million over three years.

“There is no problem too small or too large that you can’t access this service. We need to make sure that our farmers feel supported and that their mental health is taken care of,” said Hagen.

Farmers in need can call the crisis line at 1-866-FARMS01 (1-866-327-6701).

‘We Talk, We Grow’

A similar initiative was launched in Nova Scotia in 2021. ‘We Talk, We Grow’ is led by Farm Safety Nova Scotia.

“Our aim there is to provide supports. To have more conversations about mental health in agriculture,” said Carolyn Van Den Heuvel, the Nova Scotia Federation of Agriculture executive director.

Part of the program includes the Farm Family Support Line. Van Den Heuvel said it serves a slightly different purpose than the new Canada-wide crisis line.

“It provides a broader range of support. It is managed more like an employee assistance program, and farmers, their families, and their workers can all have access to that as well, providing more longer-term support and not necessarily the in-the-moment support that this new line is providing,” she said.

The crisis line comes at a time when farmers are dealing with a lot of uncertainty.

“Lots of conversations these days around climate, the impacts of weather, the impacts of trade and tariff discussions are all elements that farmers are dealing with, but farmers also are often living where they work and working where they live,” said Van Den Heuvel.

Newcombe is an ambassador for Farm Safety Nova Scotia and was previously on the board of directors. He is thrilled to see more access to mental health supports for farmers across Canada.

“This is something that is near and dear to my heart, and I put a lot of time in to try to create that culture for farm safety, both physical and mental,” he said.

“I would encourage farmers that if you’re struggling, reach out, try to find some help. You know, things can always get better. You just have to be willing to talk.”

The Farm Family Support Line is available at 1-833-754-3692.