Canada and Ontario committing over $8 million to provide farmers and their families with mental health resources
The governments of Canada and Ontario are investing more than $8 million to support the mental health and wellness of farmers and their families.
With this commitment, the Farmer Wellness Initiative, the In the Know program and the Guardian Network will continue to be available to everyone who needs them. These initiatives are designed to meet the unique mental health needs of farmers and their families and are delivered by the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), Ontario Division.
To ensure more people in the agricultural community know about the supports available to them, a new promotional initiative is being launched called the Sowing the Seeds of Wellness Initiative. It will make promotional materials available to eligible general farm and commodity organizations for use and display at member events. Funding will also be available over the next 2 years so organizations can produce customized materials, engage speakers, and/or develop other promotional activities that will provide farmers and their families with mental health-related information.
Funding for these initiatives primarily comes from the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP.) Sustainable CAP is a 5-year (2023-2028), $3.5-billion investment by federal‐provincial and territorial governments to strengthen competitiveness, innovation, and resiliency of the agriculture, agri‐food and agri‐based products sector. This includes $1 billion in federal programs and activities and a $2.5 billion commitment that is cost-shared 60% federally and 40% provincially/territorially for programs that are designed and delivered by the provinces and territories.
