(Rural Roots Canada) – Across rural Canada, farmers face immense pressures. From unpredictable markets to unpredictable weather, it can take a toll on their mental health. Yet when they’re struggling, many don’t call a counsellor or crisis line first. Instead, they turn to the people they see every week.

Lauren Van Ewyk, CEO of the National Farmer Mental Health Alliance, says research underscores just how strong and informal those support systems are.

“There’s a recent research piece that came out of the U.S., and it asked farmers where they go when they’re looking for support. Their first answer was their feed or seed guy or gal, or representative. Their second one was their agronomist, even when they’re struggling with their mental health. Their third one was their pastor or spiritual mentor,” she says.

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Van Ewyk spends much of her time helping people in agriculture do exactly that: learn to listen, notice warning signs, and respond when someone is under stress. She believes the relationships farmers already have with agronomists, sales reps, neighbours, and spiritual leaders can be powerful lifelines if those contacts know how to help.

“Because of the way that we work socially, we benefit from more of us being informed about how to handle these hard conversations,” she explains.

For Van Ewyk and the NFMHA, which provides mental health services and supports specifically tailored to farmers, veterinarians, and their families, resilience in agriculture isn’t about toughing it out alone, but with farmers reaching out and supporting one another, making sure no one has to struggle in isolation.