The Do More Agriculture Foundation was cruising the grounds of Ag in Motion this week, raising awareness of the importance of mental health for the agriculture community.
Executive Director Merle Massie says they've been promoting a newly released documentary called "deep-rooted", which played Wednesday night at the Broadway Theatre in Saskatoon.
She said it sheds light on the farmer mental health crisis in Canada.
There are interviews with four farmers – one from Saskatchewan, two from Ontario, and one from Quebec – researchers who have studied farm mental health, and one of the co-founders of Do More Ag.
"They found farmers who'd had a mental health crisis or some mental health adversity, but had never talked about it publicly, but were willing to do so. And so with the cameras rolling, they're telling their story for the public for the first time and it's such a powerful piece for that reason." Massie said.
"And so really real-life, farm-focused views on what it looks like and what it feels like when you are a farmer – you're by yourself, you're lonely, you're working, and yet you know that you could probably reach out and could use a little extra help. And just those real-life stories, it really pops people open and gets them to nod their head and think, 'yeah, that sounds like me.'"
She says more screenings will be held in the future. One is planned for AgSmart in Olds, Alberta and at Canada's Outdoor Farm Show in Woodstock, Ontario in September. Massie said plans are being worked on for additional screenings with the University of Saskatchewan and the Canadian Centre for Rural and Agricultural Health.
Conversations about farmers' mental health were had at Ag in Motion and she says people are willing to talk about it.
"It's been really good, actually. We were just at the farm transition event, and I had three people, just as I was crossing the room, get up, stop me, introduce themselves, and say, 'Your resources saved my cousin, your resources saved my friend, your resources and your ability to break through that stigma and help people gain the strength to go and get help, that's what we're after.' Because we're looking for a culture-wide change, right? We're not looking just to speak to people as individuals, but to speak to all of agriculture as a culture and say, you know, we need to be talking about this. We need to make sure that this is a regular conversation, because then everybody recognizes what they need to do, and they'll go and they'll get the help that they need."
Do More Ag has a number of resources available for the farming community to use. Their website is domore.ag.
