Farmer wellness program receives financial support
The governments of Canada and Manitoba are providing $450,000 over three years for professional counselling services to Manitoba’s agricultural community.
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew and Agriculture Minister Ron Kostyshyn announced the funding to the Manitoba Farmer Wellness Program (MFWP) at Ag Days in Brandon.
MFWP is a non-profit organization launched in 2022 that addresses the mental health of farmers, farm families, and farm workers through access to crisis intervention to longer-term counselling support that prevents mental health crises.
The program is different from other mental health services available as the counsellors are familiar with the unique stressors of managing an agri-business such as the seasonality of operations, the impact of extreme climate events, global and market fluctuations, and the dynamics of rural living.