Reading Time: 6 minutes Canadian winters on the farm can be tough at the best of times. The dark and the cold and the isolation can leave anyone feeling down. And this winter, of course, we also have the added stresses and restrictions of a global pandemic to make us feel battle-weary and burned out. The good news is […] Read more
How to cope in the long months ahead
Smart, healthful and fun tips for coping with winter and a global pandemic
Burnett on Markets: Global grain stocks offer false sense of food security
In event of production shortfall, 60 per cent of available stocks would never be available to market
Reading Time: 2 minutes The economic parallels from the COVID-19 epidemic are quickly changing from comparisons to the recent financial crisis in 2008-09 to the Great Depression. My parents and grandparents lived through the Depression and it did have many impacts on their everyday lives. The main symbol of the Depression-era mentality was the two enormous chest freezers in […] Read more
Admitting you have a mental health problem
Learn to look in the mirror… really look. Dealing with stress and anxiety may never be easy, but it helps if you’re alert for these warning signs
Reading Time: 6 minutes For several years, Wayne Black couldn’t see what was happening. He drove himself to be better as a farmer and then, when he became a sales manager at a central Ontario farm input dealership, he was always striving for the highest results for his customers. But early in 2018, he began to notice that he […] Read more
Reaching out
Your neighbour is diagnosed with depression. What do you say next time you meet?
Reading Time: 5 minutes When it comes to talking about mental health, there’s a shift taking place in agriculture. Producers are bravely sharing their stories at farm meetings and on social media. Corporations and organizations are creating supportive resources. All this is helping to reduce the stigma around mental health. With the incredibly high levels of stress farmers face […] Read more
Farmers, take care of yourself
The truth is that farming is hard on your mental health. So take this advice, and protect yourself
Reading Time: 6 minutes When Stewart Skinner returned to the family farm near Listowel, Ont., after university, he was eager to put what he had learned into practice. Despite careful planning, however, adding a second sow herd in a rented barn did not go well. As hog prices fell and corn prices soared, the operation was losing money, and […] Read more
Guide HR: If the roller-coaster goes on too long
Be watchful of what are seen as less-severe mood swings
Reading Time: 3 minutes If it sometimes feels like your roller-coaster never really stops, maybe you suffer from cyclothymia, a mild version of bipolar disorder. You wouldn’t be alone. I have met dozens of producers who have this disorder, and who come to see it as the source of their misfortunes. Obviously, they consult me when they’re “down” because, […] Read more
Guide HR: The dark side for entrepreneurs
Reading Time: 4 minutes Since you are an entrepreneur, some people imagine that you get to do whatever you want to do, whenever you want to do it. They think running a business means you can follow your passions and have the freedom to work with whomever you like. Some even believe an entrepreneur can choose to buy almost […] Read more
The hidden farm illness
Even in good times, depression takes its toll on the farm too
Reading Time: 5 minutes Only a decade ago, Gerry Friesen was a successful farmer, a commodity board director, and a member of the Manitoba Farm Mediation Board. Outwardly, he was doing just fine. Inwardly, he was battling severe depression. “I fooled a lot of people,” Friesen says. There has long been a stigma around depression on the farm. Now […] Read more
What to do if you, or someone you know, is having thoughts of self-harm
Having people to talk to and a good support network is vital
Reading Time: 3 minutes If someone has thoughts of harming themselves, the most important thing they can do is to seek out support, says Greg Gibson, registered clinical psychologist at Community Health Services for the Prairie Mountain Health Region based in Brandon, Man. This can be extremely difficult, particularly for someone struggling with depressive symptoms, since they may be […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
