Practical solutions and community support can help farmers manage stress, mental health advocates say.

Why it matters: Farming can be one of the most stressful professions in Canada, with farmers experiencing higher-than-average rates of depression and anxiety.

As spring begins, farmers are thinking about what to plant and which seeds and crop protection products to use. Meanwhile, weather, markets and geopolitics are out of their control.

“Think about the farmers across the country who experienced droughts, who experienced flooding, who experienced tariffs,” said Chad Bouma, a social worker practicing in the rural area around Drayton, Ont.

“All those things probably have been going through their mind since the harvest time.”

Bouma said he’s seen the stress and anxiety lead to decision paralysis.

“Those farmers have real difficulty even kind of making those decisions, because they don’t want to make the wrong decision, because maybe the decision they made last year was the wrong decision.

Stress clouds the judgement ‘window’

Stress can often cloud a person’s judgement and decision-making abilities said Megan Burnside-Poitras, communications advisor with Agricultural Wellness Ontario. Burnside-Poitras spoke at the Eastern Ontario Crops Conference earlier this year.

In her presentation, she compared stress and judgement to a window.

“I look out my office window in the afternoon. I’m looking out into the farm, into an orchard. It’s a beautiful window to look at.”

“Most days, you know, that window is pretty huge, a big picture window, and it’s very clear, and I can see how beautiful it is out,” she said. “But occasionally, it’s harder to see out that window.”

In times of higher stress, it is common to experience ‘hyperarousal,’ an agitated state with higher energy, or ‘hypoarousal,’ a state of shutting down. Both these situations can cloud that window.

“It’s a whole lot harder to see that same beautiful visual that’s on the other side of it, even though it’s still there, because things are getting cloudy because of that stress.”

Outside factors like weather, tariffs, market prices and public perception can “draw the blinds” on the window, obscuring the view.

How farmers can manage stress

Bouma said the role of a social worker is to give farmers the tools to see their situation clearly and understand when they need support.

“Some farmers experiencing anxiety, they don’t know that it’s anxiety,” he said. “They might just think it’s stress that they can’t get over, and then they beat themselves up.”

Recognition and awareness-building are critical.

“A lot of the time we don’t actually know that there’s something wrong until something catastrophic has happened, or there’s a crisis,” Bouma said.

One of the most important things in high-stress times is to focus on prevention and mitigation measures, Burnside-Poitras said. This means identifying stress triggers, how they can be mitigated and focusing on what can be controlled. This could be as simple as staying rested, hydrated and well-fed.

Community a mental health advantage

When it comes to mental health, the advantage in agricultural communities is just that: community.

Burnside-Poitras cited a study from Stanford University which concludes “Social ties in general are going to lead to lower stress, anxiety and depression, higher self-esteem, greater empathy, increased trust and cooperation and enhanced well-being altogether” as well as a 50 per cent chance of a longer life.

“The community perspective for mental health and farming is the most important piece of this,” Bouma said. “I cannot emphasize that any stronger.”

“When we isolate (mental health) or we individualize it, then it’s not going to go very far, is it?”

“There’s a lot of resilience already built into farming,” he said. Farmers have often seen previous generations go through similar seasons.

Keeping the community connection can mean checking in on neighbours or getting involved with local community groups.

The rhythm of the seasons can also provide critical reflection time. Bouma said some farmers will do this on their own, while others may draw on peer groups.

“They are looking for practical solutions,” he said. “Hoping for the best is all well and good, but they also need to have pen to paper for that too.”

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The relentless marketing, alternately promoting weight loss drugs and foods that lean toward making us fat, wasn’t aimed at the elite athletes strutting their stuff on the world stage. It’s a safe bet they didn’t achieve the peak of human fitness on a diet of pizza and french fries. It’s equally doubtful they require injections of the GLP-1 class of drugs to manage their weight.

Nope, those commercials are aimed at the couch potatoes back home, subjecting us to both temptation and a shortcut to redemption as we bear witness to these feats of human endurance.

These athletes deserve our admiration and respect, but to be fair to the rest of us, most working stiffs don’t have the time, the drive or the resources to devote full-time to the pursuit of extreme fitness.

So we’re left swinging between food-culture extremes, the effects of which filter back through the food chain to the farm. Consider for a moment how the food industry is twisting itself into a pretzel trying to understand how these drugs will affect consumer demand.

Firstly, these products reduce appetites, which means people eat less — so much so that it’s more difficult for them to meet their nutritional needs. It’s also now known that one of the unintended consequences of rapid weight loss is a loss of muscle.

Lately, the focus has shifted to how to support consumers in their post-GLP-1 phase as users move away from the drugs due to factors such as costs or side effects. Recent studies are indicating the weight they lost bounces back four times faster than weight lost through traditional diet and exercise.

That has shifted attention to creating low-calorie, nutrient-dense foods, with a particular emphasis on protein.

How does this affect farmers’ bottom line? Some analysts have pointed to the protein craze as one reason record-high beef prices haven’t had the same dampening effect on demand that they might have in the past.

It’s also creating some longer-term shifts in pricing and production.

A recent Farm Credit Canada analysis outlined how this plays out for dairy farmers, to cite one example. A decade ago, they were told they needed to produce milk with a higher proportion of butterfat, which led to shifts in pricing, genetics and feeding strategies to accommodate.

Now, demand is tipping back to protein, leading marketing boards to once again adjust pricing formulas to incentivise a higher ratio of protein in the milk supply. Change comes at a cost, and those costs eventually find their way into the price of food.

“Does this protein craze have staying power? It will take years and successive generations of breeding to shift the herd towards higher-protein-lower butterfat-producing animals,” FCC economist Graeme Crosbie asked in his article.

That’s a good question. Looking back over the countless extreme approaches grabbing headlines in recent generations — the Atkins Diet, keto, low-fat, high-fat, cabbage, carnivore, meatless, vegan, California, intermittent fasting, anti-ultra processed — to name a few — many have caused food-sector pivots, but ultimately, most had limited staying power.

Remember the Atkins Diet of the early 2000s? Industry statistics show that at its peak, pasta consumption dropped eight per cent and bread by up to 40 per cent.

Meanwhile, food manufacturers responded with a major investment in hundreds of low-carb food products, many of which flourished only briefly.

The jury is still out on the plant-based protein craze, touted as healthier for people and the planet. However, many of the early plant-based products are languishing in the marketplace because of their high cost and blah taste. That industry is reportedly regrouping in a bid to up the flavour profile and rebalance costs.

There are already signs that the GLP-1 drugs are losing their shine. They no doubt still have a place but many are discovering they aren’t the panacea those advertisements make them out to be.

Farmers busy with the day-to-day business of growing food ingredients can’t afford to farm the fads. But it’s still wise to monitor these changing consumer behaviours to find the common threads — such as protein, nutrition and a move away from ultra-processed foods.

Understanding how the middle ground between the different extremes might be shifting gives farmers the upper hand when making strategic investments in their operations.

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Applications for the foundation’s 2026 Community Fund for Mental Health opened on March 30.

In 2026, the fund will provide rural and agricultural communities with access to Talk, Act, Listen, which is Do More Ag’s flagship mental health literacy workshop.

WHY IT MATTERS: Canadian farmers face persistent stressors that take a toll on their mental health.

Through this workshop, participants can build confidence in starting informed conversations about mental health, develop practical support skills and strengthen local networks to help individuals and families thrive.

The program is designed to recognize the unique stresses in agricultural life.

In 2025, the community fund received applications from nearly 80 communities across 11 provinces and territories with 42 workshops delivered across seven provinces.

Non-profit community groups and organizations based in rural and agricultural regions can learn more at Do More Ag Community Fund.

The 2026 application period closes April 30.

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On March 22, the federal government announced it would develop such a strategy, calling it “an opportunity to discuss how we can address freshwater-related threats and opportunities,” protect freshwater ecosystems, and secure water for communities and the economy, according to a news release.

The Canada Water Agency, which was repurposed in 2024 as a stand-alone freshwater management agency separate from Environment and Climate Change Canada, will spearhead the strategy’s development.

While the announcement was scant on details of what such a strategy might look like, it said the agency will work with provinces and territories, First Nations, Inuit and Métis partners, “stakeholders across sectors” and the public.

Farmers should be among those consulted, the CFA said in a statement to Glacier FarmMedia.

“Water security is absolutely critical for the future of Canadian farmers. Farmers in different regions of Canada have been devastated by water issues over the past few years, such as the floods in B.C., or the ongoing long-term drought in the Prairie provinces,” a federation spokesperson said.

“A lack of water has severe negative impacts on any type of farm, no matter what they grow or raise.”

Prioritizing food security, agriculture

The strategy should protect farmers and mitigate the effects of water-related events. It should also secure predictable access to water so farmers can maintain food production — for example, through effective water management policies and investment in water infrastructure, CFA said.

“Farmers need to make it clear that food security and agriculture production should be prioritized if there was any issues with access to water.”

“Farmers are also on the front-line of climate change, dealing with the on-ground realities of water-related events,” CFA added. “They have experience and knowledge that will be critical in developing this strategy.”

While the announcement made no specific mention of the agriculture industry, the sector will have an opportunity to share its views during the public engagement process, “recognizing that freshwater is fundamental to our economy, powering industries, agriculture, and the growth of communities,” a federal spokesperson told Glacier FarmMedia.

The federal government has not yet set timelines for consultations, but said those will be announced “in the coming months.”

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That’s the basis of a University of Manitoba study looking at the wellness of producers themselves as one of many angles of farm sustainability.

“Nothing functions in isolation on the farm,” said Meagan King, an assistant professor in the University of Manitoba’s animal science department.

King spoke during the Sustainability of Canadian Agriculture 2025 virtual conference, held March 4-6. She’s one of several researchers leading the university’s Leveraging Ecosystems to transform Agriculture on the Prairies (LEAP) program.

WHY IT MATTERS: Farm sustainability includes the wellness of the farming family and its ability to sustain the farm over generations.

LEAP’s overarching goal is to explore agriculture intensification strategies and farming systems that use technology and nature-based tools to reduce emissions, capture carbon and help the ag sector mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change, the project’s web page says.

King’s branch of the project, which she co-leads with professor Kyle Bobiwash, involves talking to farmers to gauge how farming practices affect them, animals and the land, and to get input on producer priorities.

It’s an identity many farmers claim for themselves. It includes production and economics, but also involves things like self-reliance, providing for one’s family, continuing the farm legacy and even relates to the tidiness of the farm.

“There’s a lot of pride that comes with being a good farmer, but there’s also a lot of pressure,” King said. “Feelings of failure can arise if a farmer is unable to manage every single degree of the farm to a certain standard that they’re holding themselves to.”

Perceived failures can feel like a threat to the farmer’s identity. Criticisms of how a farm does things or being forced to change can also threaten farmers’ concept of self.

“A lot of farmers see themselves as stewards of the land,” King said. “If the public is questioning their methods or even if a farmer is having an internal conflict of what they want to, versus what they actually can do, that can create problems.”

Succession and sustainability

Farm succession planning is another human-centred aspect of sustainability, King noted.

“There have been studies that have looked at having a person identified as the identified successor (which) has the ability to reduce the uncertainty for the current farmer,” King said. “It also increases that incentive to make changes, even if they’re laborious ones.”

This could include starting more sustainable farming practices.

Succession is a famously tricky topic. One in five Canadian farms have a transition plan in place, said Heather Watson, executive director of Farm Management Canada, during a talk on succession at the 2025 Ag in Motion farm show in Saskatchewan.

She also noted what she called the succession effect.

When a farm has identified a successor, “you think, ‘OK, all my blood, sweat and tears are going towards this person or these people,’” Watson said.

When a farm hasn’t identified a successor, “maybe you start to feel a little more tired, and you start to maybe not take as many risks because you don’t have that many years to make up for it if something goes awry,” she added.

Farmers care about soil health and water quality, but at the end of the day, investing in these can be expensive, King said in an interview.

Whether a farm is able to establish a succession plan can often come down to family dynamics. It can also be influenced by the farmer’s perceived level of self-efficacy — their belief in their own ability to do what needs to be done to get a desired outcome.

Under the LEAP program, graduate student Jess Goodwin is interviewing farmers about succession and self-efficacy.

Doctoral student Esther Adigun, meanwhile, will explore other areas like mental wellness, social networks and how farmers feel supported through their communities and families.

King said co-leader Bobiwash would also like to put some farmers directly in contact with policy makers.

“One of the roles we could play as researchers is, like, elevate the farmers’ voices and make sure that they are at the table,” King said. “Commodity groups are at the table, but it doesn’t hurt to have a few more … farmers who are being heard.”

To learn more about participating in LEAP program research, farmers can contact Meagan King at meagan.king@umanitoba.ca.

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But recently, online health critics have put oats in their crosshairs.

So, which is it? Are oats a heart-healthy hero or a dietary villain? Let’s clear up the confusion with a closer look at this Prairie-grown cereal crop.

It all starts with the groat

The whole grain form of oats is dubbed a groat — the point where bran, germ and endosperm are all still intact. The differences you see in the grocery store come down to how much the oat has been cut, steamed, rolled or pre-cooked. Understanding these differences can help you choose the right fuel for your day.

Hulless, or naked oats

Hulless oats, bred to naturally shed their outer hull during harvest, include the whole oat kernel and can be cooked just like rice or barley. They take about 30 to 40 minutes to simmer and have a pleasant, chewy texture, ideal for hearty grain bowls or soups. You can find this specialty oat direct from growers or in specialty or health food stores.

Steel-cut oats

Steel-cut oats are groats chopped into two or three pieces using steel blades. They have a nutty flavour and hearty, chewy texture, even after cooking for 20 to 30 minutes. Because of their dense structure, they digest slowly, providing steady energy and long-lasting fullness.

Rolled oats

Rolling oats into flakes is a century old technique. The first rolled oats were much thicker and less uniform than the large flake oats of today, just what our great-grandparents needed for long-lasting fuel. Modern processing uses precise steaming and rolling techniques to produce oat flakes in three common sizes:

• Large flake or traditional old-fashioned oats: Large flake oats are whole oat groats that have been steamed and rolled the least. These are the thickest, most intact rolled oats you’ll find and take about five to eight minutes to cook. Because of their hearty texture, they tend to digest more slowly, providing steady energy and long-lasting staying power.
• Quick oats: Quick oats are cut into smaller pieces and rolled thinner than large flake oats. They cook in about one to three minutes and create a softer, creamier texture. While they are still a whole grain, they digest more quickly than large flake oats.
• Instant oats: Instant oats are the ultimate convenience food. They are often made from quick oats that have been pre-cooked and dried before packaging. This extra processing allows them to soften almost immediately when hot water is added, but it also means they digest very rapidly. Many flavoured instant oats are also packaged with added sugar and salt.

Size the secret to oats

When choosing your oat, it’s best to consider not only how quickly they cook but also how they’re handled by your body. Think of it like the difference between eating a whole apple versus drinking a glass of apple juice. Both come from the same source, but your body processes them very differently.

The apple requires chewing and time for your digestive system to break down fibre, leading to a slow and steady release of energy. The juice is already processed, so the energy hits your bloodstream almost all at once.

Oats work the same way. The more intact the grain, the longer it takes to digest, providing slow, steady energy.

In addition to choosing larger oats, you boost nutrition further by adding extra fibre, fats and protein with things like a scoop of Greek yogurt, nut butter, nuts and seeds and fresh or frozen fruit. This turns a simple bowl of oats into a balanced meal with true staying power.

Why your heart loves oats

The well-researched magic of oats lies in a soluble fibre called beta-glucan. Since the 1960s, researchers have studied its unique ability to support heart health.

In 2010, Health Canada officially recognized the relationship between oat fibre and lower cholesterol, making oats one of the few foods with a scientifically proven health claim for reducing a risk factor for heart disease.

Beta-glucan works by forming a gel during digestion that slows the movement of food through the gut, helps steady blood sugar, lowers LDL cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein, or the “bad” cholesterol that builds up in blood vessels) and promotes fullness. It’s also a prebiotic, helping to feed the good gut bacteria that keep our digestive and immune systems strong.

Beyond porridge: Five ways to eat more oats

If your only experience with oats is a steaming bowl at breakfast, you’re missing out. Visit the OatsEveryday.com website, run by the Prairie Oats Growers Association, and you’ll find plenty of other meal options.

Oats can be the be star:

• in baked goods,
• as a binder in meatballs or burgers,
• for thickness and added fibre in smoothies,
• for convenient energy balls, great for the truck or hockey rink,
• as a gluten free breading instead of bread crumbs, or
• like barley or rice for delicious grain bowls.

Oats aren’t a villain. It’s a Prairie-grown whole grain with decades of solid research behind it. The key is choosing the right size and building a balanced bowl. Here are some recipes to help you do just that.

Homemade instant oatmeal mix

Try these homemade instant oats instead of store-bought instant oat packs. They’re made with large flake oats, flax and just a touch of sugar for a fibre-rich, budget-friendly breakfast that tastes great and keeps you full longer.

Makes: 14 servings

Ingredients

• 6 cups large flake oats, divided

• 1/3 cup ground flax

• 1/3 cup brown sugar

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1 tbsp cinnamon

Directions

Combine 2 1/2 cups of large flake oats, flax, sugar, salt and cinnamon in food processor. Pulse into a coarse meal.

Mix with remaining 3 1/2 cups of large flake oats.

Store mix in a well sealed container.

Preparation

Mix 1/2 cup mix with 1 cup of water in a microwaveable bowl.

Heat on high for a minute. Stir and repeat about two to three times until desired doneness.

Top with nut butter, yogurt, nuts, seeds and fruit for a satisfying bowl.

Source: www.gettystewart.com

Berry and oat smoothie

Healthy breakfast smoothies made with oats are delicious, satisfying and filling. Give your busy mornings a boost with a fibre and protein-packed smoothie that you can drink on the go.

Makes: One smoothie

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup rolled oats

• 1 cup milk (dairy or non-dairy)

• 1 tbsp honey or agave

• 1/4 cup vanilla yogurt

• 1 cup frozen berries

Directions

Add all ingredients to a blender. Cover tightly and pulse to chop fruit, then puree until smooth.

Taste and adjust sweetener, if necessary.

Serve immediately. (Note: smoothies will thicken on standing.)

Source: OatsEveryday.com

Barbecue bean and oat burgers

With bold flavours and a satisfying texture from the steel cut oats, these vegetarian burgers will satisfy the whole crowd.

Makes: Six patties

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp canola oil, divided
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 carrot, grated
• pinch of salt
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 cup steel cut oats, cooked
• 1 can (19 oz) black, pinto or kidney beans, drained
• 1/3 cup barbeque sauce
• 1 1/2 cup quick oats

Directions

In a skillet, heat a tbsp of canola oil over medium heat. Add onion and sauté for five to sixe minutes, or until softened.

Add garlic and carrot and sauté for about a minute. Stir in spices and steel cut oats. Cook, stirring, until oats are well incorporated.

In a mixing bowl, mash the drained beans and mix with the barbeque sauce. Add the cooked oat mixture and quick oats. Mix well.

Let the mixture stand for 10 minutes to firm up.

Form into six patties, about a half-inch thick.

Heat remaining oil in a skillet and cook patties for approximately five minutes per side, turning only once.

Serve on buns with your favourite toppings.

Source: OatsEveryday.com

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“Emergency preparedness on farms isn’t an option — it’s essential,” said CASA executive director Sandra Miller in a news release on Wednesday.

Canadian Agricultural Safety Association (CASA) has launched a new online Emergency Preparedness Hub, which collects information and resources in one place to help farmers prepare for crises. It contains tools developed by CASA and other organizations and links to province and sector-specific resources.

Tools cover preparedness across the four listed sectors: cattle, pork, poultry and sheep. They cover issues like natural disasters, extreme weather, biosecurity and outbreak managementand how to deal with protests and trespassers on the farm.

Sector-specific information is provided by partnered organizations Canadian Cattle Association, Ontario Pork, Poultry Industry Council and Ontario Sheep Farmers.

Links to emergency plans from federal, provincial and territorial government websites contain information on emergency preparedness in different jurisdictions.

The launch of the Emergency Preparedness Hub coincides with CASA’s Canadian Agricultural Safety Week, March 15-21.

The Emergency Preparedness Hub is now available online.

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The vision, along with the group’s new mission statement of promoting a “culture of agricultural safety that protects people through knowledge sharing, support, and meaningful connections” comes as part of Canadian Agricultural Safety Week, March 15-21.

“This new mission and vision, it’s not just a symbolic change,” said Sandy Miller, CASA’s executive director.

“Agriculture is one of Canada’s most hazardous industries, and we’ve made a lot of progress, but there are still too many preventable injuries and fatalities happening in farming.”

WHY IT MATTERS: Agriculture is one of Canada’s most dangerous job sectors, with more than 60 fatalities per year as a result of agriculture-related injuries

Miller said the choice of the word ‘harm’ in the new vision was a deliberate one to highlight both physical and mental health risks.

“It’s not just farmers getting injured stepping over PTOs,” she said. “There were so many other factors to be considered.”

“CASA’s role has always been about sharing knowledge to keep people safe, so we really wanted to be explicit in our role as an opportunity to drive cultural change.”

The evolution of farm safety

Cultural changes can be difficult to drive, but Miller said the conversation around farm safety and wellness has evolved before.

“Just looking at (mental health), I think there’s been a huge shift in terms of resources that are available, the conversations that are being had, the lessened stigma,” she said. “Are we there yet? No, but do I see progress? Absolutely.”

“When I think back to as recently as, let’s say, 2015-2016, very few farmers were talking about mental health,” she said. “We would say stress rather than mental health, because we were trying to ease our way into reducing some stigma.”

There have also been improvements on physical safety issues over time, like tractor rollover, Miller added.

CASA’s new vision reflect a focus on collaborative, positive solutions, the organization said in a March 16 news release.

Part of that collaborative approach involves working with provincial partners like AgSafe B.C. and federations of agriculture in Ontario, Alberta and Newfoundland and Labrador.

Miller added CASA is nearly finished crafting a 2026-29 strategic plan, which will translate the new priorities into action.

Practical measures

Miller added there are practical measures producers can take on their own farms which reflect this idea of practical solutions.

“Take step back and, just as you would do a circle check of your tractor, do a circle check of your farm,” she said.

She urged farmers to take a clear and honest look at what needs to be fixed, changed or replaced to protect themselves, their families, workers and neighbours.

Miller noted that CASA offers free courses and resources on farm safety.

The post Canadian Agricultural Safety Association promotes new vision for farm safety appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

That’s according to speakers at a March 5 webinar hosted by the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association (CASA), which honoured 2026 as the United Nations’ International Year of the Woman Farmer and International Women’s Day, which is celebrated March 8.

The mental strain of shifting roles

Women often play multiple roles on a farm over the course of the day. This can take its toll mentally said Lauren Van Ewyk, CEO and Co-Founder of National Farm Mental Health Alliance.

“Typically, we think of producers as primary, secondary and tertiary producers,” she said, “and women typically fall into all three of those categories in many settings, in agriculture.”

Van Ewyk gave an example from her own experience.

“I’ll be in the barn, lambing out ewes,” she said. “We have a foster daughter who has brain cancer, so I’ll be getting a phone call from the school navigating medical care while I’m making sure that my lambs are getting what they need.”

She cited a study which stated self-reported mental health among rural women declined, “more than urban women, more than urban men, more than rural men,” post-COVID. This could have to do with the many burdens they shoulder on the farm.

She said there is research to suggest women often take on the role of their male partner’s emotional support. Men in Canada are less likely to seek professional help than women.

Different physical strains

The strains of this balancing act can also be physical, not just mental said Nova Scotia Federation of Agriculture farm safety co-ordinator Adelaide Amuah.

“Because women are physiologically and anatomically different, have different bodies from males, we stand a higher risk of sprains and strains or musculoskeletal diseases,” she said.

“Taking care of the family, doing the books, using the equipment, machinery, playing so many roles on the farm means that this has higher stress on your muscles, your nerves, even when it comes to rest, you don’t have enough.”

These risks may not be immediately apparent. Effects could only show up later in life.

Personal protective equipment (PPE) is also often made with men in mind, which can create issues when women use it.

“There’s lots of different body shapes, body sizes, body strengths, working on farms now,” said Alanna Coneybeare, vice president of Conlee Farms near Listowel, Ont. “So, having safety equipment that is suitable for everybody to use, I think, is something that is definitely overlooked on a lot of farms.”

Amuah said issue this can lead to women farmers using PPE that is uncomfortable or even dangerous.

“Imagine having a coverall,” she said. “It’s too loose, that means that it might get caught up in a machine, or get caught up in equipment, or if it’s too tight, you are not able to move freely in them.”

The role of mentorship, peer support

Unique challenges can create shared experiences, however, and those shared experiences can lead to mentorships, which the speakers said are crucial for women in agriculture.

“Women, we do have different lived experiences,” said Coneybeare. “We can have really fantastic male mentors who have a plethora of expertise and can really help our career as well, but I think there is a special need for kind of women to help other women as well.”

These conversations can lead to women supporting one another.

“If you gain something, I also gain something, the industry gains something.”

Knowing how and where to seek out these relationships is a key first step, Coneybeare said. This is especially important in agriculture, which does not have the same introductory mechanisms as other industries.

Van Ewyk said women need to be willing to step up, even if it involves confrontation.

“Globally, there’s women all around the world in agriculture who suffer because they’re a woman in ag,” she said. “So ideally, it’s to kind of link arms with one another.”

She encouraged those seeking mentorship to reach out to their local chamber of commerce, many of which have mentorship programs.

The post Complexity of being a woman in farming can lead to mental, physical health risks appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

WHY IT MATTERS: The cases of swine flu set off alarm bells due to the pandemic potential of the swine flu virus if it recombines with a human flu virus, which could happen if a pig is infected with both at the same time.

In a later statement, the Catalan health department said the risk assessment for the population was considered “very low”.

The person infected did not exhibit flu-like respiratory symptoms, it said, and tests on direct contacts showed the virus had not retransmitted.

An earlier report by newspaper El Pais citing Catalan health department sources said the patient — who has since recovered — had no contact with pigs or pig farms, leading experts to conclude it was a human-to-human transmission of the pathogen.

This set off alarm bells due to the pandemic potential of the swine flu virus if it recombines with a human flu virus, which could happen if a pig is infected with both at the same time, the El Pais report added.

The WHO did not immediately reply to a Reuters request for comment.

In 2023, the Netherlands notified the WHO of a confirmed human infection with a swine influenza A(H1N1)v virus in an adult with no history of occupational exposure to animals.

In 2009, the swine flu pandemic in humans infected millions of people. It was caused by a virus that contained genetic material from viruses that were circulating in pigs, birds and humans.

— Reporting by Joan Faus, Emma Pinedo and Olivia Le Poidevin

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