Jan 15, 2025: ONLINE - Farmer Wrap Around Supports
NEED MORE SUPPORT? TRYING TO NAVIGATE EVERYDAY CHALLENGES, LIKE ACCESS TO HOUSING, LABOUR, CAPITAL AND LAND? WANT TO KNOW WHAT OTHER FARMERS ARE DOING? JOIN US TO FIND OUT!
As the agricultural landscape evolves, so too does the need for innovative responses to support new, young, and underrepresented farmers. This second instalment of the “Breaking Barriers: Growing Future Farmers” series sheds light on the role wrap-around support programs can play to tackle and reduce the challenges new and young farmers face.
These complex challenges impact new farmers across the country, and the compounding weight of barriers—access to capital, land, labour and knowledge— impact the quality of life for new food growers. Farming is a unique and entrepreneurial profession. Farmers provide an essential service by growing foods for their communities. Many farmers, especially in start-up, work seven days a week to farm, and many must add off-farm employment to have enough income to farm. Limited access to labour means there is rarely support to expand or provide respite to farm owners. Compounded with unpredictable income streams, this can cause significant emotional and mental strain.
A recent survey from the Canadian Mental Health Commission revealed that out of a group of 1,100 farmers, 57% experienced anxiety, 45% felt significant stress, and 35% reported experiencing depression. It is estimated these rates may be greater among younger and equity-deserving farmers who often face greater isolation and discrimination, as underrepresented groups in Canada’s agricultural sector.
In spite of these challenges, many new farmers remain resilient and have found innovative ways to respond to stressors. It is important to question what role better policies and expanded wraparound supports could play to combat the complex and multi-faceted needs of new farmers, tangibly addressing the structural and interconnected issues they commonly face.
In this session we will hear from new and young farmers from across the country about the successes and roadblocks they’ve experienced on their farming journeys. Join us to learn about the strategies they’ve used to navigate these obstacles and create space and to share stories from the YA community to identify what changes and actions are needed to support Canada’s future growers!
WHEN: Wednesday, January 15, 2025 | 12-2pm PT, 1-3pm MT, 2-4pm CT, 3-5pm ET
LOCATION: Online on Indigenous territories across what is today known as Canada. Join us from the comfort of your couch, office, tractor, compost heap – wherever you find yourself able to tune in! Zoom link will be sent out after registration.