‘I’m here for you’: Program helps farmers struggling with mental health

Farming is more than physically taxing, it can also have serious impacts on farmers' mental health. A program in Manitoba hopes to help, and has just received charitable status.

Farming involves long days, and hard, volatile work, which are often handled alone.

“I was a hog producer, and the hog industry had been incredibly volatile (in regard to) the prices,” said Gerry Friesen, the Chief Administrative Officer of the Manitoba Farmer Wellness Program (MFWP).

“And so, we were experiencing some significant difficulties, that I believe — combined with the work I was doing — just kind of pushed me towards the abyss, where I realized, and my doctor concluded, that I needed to do something to try and get better.”

Friesen was diagnosed with anxiety and depression in 2004.

At the time, not many knew because he didn’t feel comfortable sharing.

“I was brought up in a world where, if you experienced these issues, (it) meant you weren’t working hard enough, or your faith wasn’t strong enough. So what I was doing, was trying to work my way out of that,” Friesen said.

The turning point in his life, was a neighbour who came by to say hi.

“For some strange reason, that day I started opening up and talking to a neighbor, which was really kind of strange in retrospect. I’m not sure what came over me, but I did.