Alberta-based mental health organization AgKnow will be relaunching its free mental health support sessions for farmers, farm families, farm employees, and veterinarians across the province.
Recent funding from the Alberta Treasury Branch has allowed AgKnow to resume the free sessions, which had been paused as it awaited provincial grant funding.
AgKnow Director Linda Hunt explains why these free sessions are vital for the ag community.
"Farmers have higher rates of anxiety, depression, and suicide risk," she says. "To combat that and to work with getting some services out into the industry as fast as possible, we decided to build a network where we have engaged with councillors in rural Alberta, that have that lived farm experience and are ready to offer services to farmers. That has been a main focus of our initiative from the beginning."
