Strong enough to talk: No one has to weather the hard seasons alone
by Mel Luymes
“It was a tough spring for farmers,” starts Blair Scott, a farmer, agronomist and co-owner of Sprucedale Agromart, in a conversation that quickly steers away from agronomy.
“We are crop advisors, but we are often so much more than that.” Blair explains that agronomists are also a listening ear to their customers about markets, equipment prices, family issues and stress.
“Farmers have been particularly pessimistic this year,” he says. And for good reason. Blair says the winter came so quickly that many were left with corn still out in the field and most of the typical fall chores left undone. Then, there was an unrelenting winter that meant people were out pushing snow day after day. Come spring, the weather was cold and wet.
Farmers already felt burnt out and behind because of the weather, but then there were the input prices, he continues. Because of geopolitical issues, war and global instability, there wasn’t the typical seasonal reset on fertilizer prices. Then fuel prices went up too and farmers were kicking themselves for not having bought sooner.
“Nobody is being kind to themselves,” he adds. But they couldn’t have known what prices would do, he says. Farming is a gamble every year.
This year, while there were some marketing opportunities, many may still be feeling that the season isn’t going to pencil out and they’ll be losing money. With payments to make, it can all feel like it is too much to carry.
“There is a lot of pressure to keep family farms going,” says Blair. “In a way, farmers have no choice but to keep the pressure up. If your management isn't up to snuff, you don't stay in business too long.”
But we need a balance, he says. No one can keep going at that pace 100 percent of the time.
Alex Boersen compares this stress to a vehicle. Alex is a therapist, social worker and the owner of Redline Recovery Counselling.
We all redline sometimes, he says, like when we push the RPMs on a vehicle to pass something on the road, for example. There are times of the year – planting and harvest especially – when farmers need to give everything they have. They push their limits to get things done, he says, but they can’t be in that state all the time.
And there are times when a vehicle needs maintenance. People are no different.
“Typically, work stress bleeds into life,” Alex says. “But for farmers, it is more like a gaping wound. There is virtually no separation between work and the rest of life.”
Born and raised on a dairy farm near Stratford, Alex knows the stresses of farming all too well. In his practice, he focuses on men’s mental health, especially on treatment for farmers, law enforcement and first responders who manage acute stress daily. Before opening his own practice, he worked alongside the OPP on house calls for mental health related incidents, and there is not much that would shock him these days.
First responders and police have therapy covered in their benefits packages, and many of them take advantage of the service. But that isn’t the case for farmers, or for volunteer firefighters, he adds.
He sees that, especially in agriculture, people push the stress down, sometimes for years. Put a traumatic incident in the tank, along with debt and work or family stress, then add a lack of sleep, and the pressure builds if there is no good outlet, he explains. It can explode, perhaps into a drinking or drug addiction, or into anger or violence.
“The thoughts in our heads become huge if we can’t get them out,” he says. Suicide is the worst case, and of course he wants to prevent that, but this is also a quality-of-life issue.
There are so many tools that can help relieve that pressure and improve people’s lives, Alex says. After only an hour of talking, he sees farmers feeling like they can cope better. And from there, the relationship grows and people have a trusted person to call whenever they need it.
“Therapy isn’t anything crazy,” Alex says, “it is just two people talking.”
Still, he understands it can be hard for people to reach out. People often make a call only after their life has blown up, but they could have gone in for a check-up earlier.
Chad Bouma agrees. Chad is also a social worker and therapist working out of an office above the coffee shop in Drayton, who has many farmer clients.
Born and raised near Woodstock, Chad spent his summers working on a dairy farm and has the utmost respect for the work that farmers do and the stress they are under.
“What does the price of nitrogen have to do with mental health? Quite a lot, actually,” he says. “And therapists need to know this.” That’s why Chad works as a consultant for the Canadian Centre for Agricultural Wellbeing, supporting therapists with a deeper understanding of agriculture so they can better support their farmer clients.
There has been research done on Canadian farmers, published by Dr. Andria Jones and colleagues at the University of Guelph in 2019. The study concluded that farmers have higher levels of high stress (45 percent), anxiety (57 percent), depression (35 percent) and suicidal ideation (25 percent) than the general population. And the research also showed that many farmers were uneasy about asking for help.
And while the agricultural media has talked about farmer mental health, Chad worries that it sometimes understates the challenges of farmers by providing solutions that may not actually be contextual for their unique experiences. Of course, tips for managing stress can be helpful, but they focus on the individual and farmer’s ability to cope, rather than the larger things going on in the world. There are so many things that impact farmers: debt loads, volatile markets, trade disruptions, regulations and public criticism, social isolation, and much more.
The media may just try to keep things comfortable and optimistic, encouraging people to call a hotline number, but perhaps they normalize the distress of farming or avoid the harder issues like alcoholism, family violence or masculinity norms.
But, so you have them here, there are two hotlines farmers can call! The National Farmer Crisis Line is 1-866-FARMS01 (327-6701) and Ontario’s Farmer Wellness Initiative is 1-866-267-6255 which offers free counselling to farmers (and there is always 9-8-8).
“You know, it isn’t easy to call,” says Chad. “I know how hard it is to be in that chair. As a therapist, I am aware that I may only have one session with a farmer to make them feel comfortable or they might not come back.”
“It is a lot of pressure,” he says, “but I’m honoured to have that pressure.” Chad loves the opportunity to work with farmers and see them start feeling better.
Tools in the toolbox
“Just because you’re going to talk to someone doesn’t mean that something is wrong with your life, or with your mind,” stressed Alex. People can suffer from depression for a time of their life, but that doesn’t mean they will always be depressed.
Life is hard, he says. Everyone benefits from therapy.
For Alex, he is trained in a few different modalities that are tools he shares with his clients.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is one of the most effective strategies used around the world. It is a talking therapy that helps people identify the thoughts and behaviours that impact how they feel. It challenges negative thinking patterns with evidence, to replace it with a more realistic thought.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is another scientifically proven strategy that Alex offers. It uses eye movement and bilateral sounds to help the brain “unstick” traumatic memories, like grief, anxiety or other stress.
He is even trained to offer ketamine therapy, which was developed as an anesthetic and, at low doses, it helps in cases when other standard treatments haven’t worked. If your mind is like a weedy garden, he explains, ketamine helps loosen the soil, so you can pull out the weeds. It isn’t an instant fix though, he says.
Anti-depressants can also be helpful in cases, he adds. “They help to turn down the noise in our heads.”
Alex stresses that any of these tools can be helpful, but they will only work if the client wants them to work and puts in the effort.
Chad agrees that if the client is willing, these tools make meaningful changes, and they can take them forward for the rest of their lives.
Shifting perspectives
Chad says that in many ways a good therapist is like a good agronomist. They listen for the goal and help the farmer get there over the long run. But both are also realistic, and they don’t always tell farmers what they want to hear.
As a farmer as well, Blair Scott feels those same stresses too.
"I think it's important to remember the long game and really ground yourself in why you're doing it all,” he says. For him and his wife, it's about enjoying farm life and all the good things that come with it. It's about building the farm for the next generation and teaching our kids the skills, values, and work ethic that can give them the same opportunities they have had, should they want to take that path.
He continues to explain that if people understand their 'why,' sometimes the other challenges don't seem quite as overwhelming. Farming will always come with uncertainty, setbacks, and pressure, but there are also many good people and professionals who can help to navigate those challenges.
“Building a team you trust can make a huge difference,” he says, and that includes a therapist.
“We readily seek advice from accountants, agronomists, veterinarians, and mechanics when we need help. Sometimes, taking care of ourselves means reaching out and talking to someone too."
You don't have to go it alone in farming, he concludes, and you shouldn't have to go it alone when it comes to taking care of yourself and your family either.”
As for Chad and Alex, they also practice what they preach. Chad makes sure to get out fishing or playing music and Alex also likes to fish and go to the gym. They both have therapists of their own who help them continue supporting their own clients. And they are both open to more clients, if anyone could use a great person to talk with.
Find Alex Boersen online at redlinerecoverycounselling.com / [email protected]. Chad Bouma can be found at chadboumacounselling.ca, email [email protected], or call (226) 455-1597.
Knowing when you need some help is a sign of wisdom, insight and strength. When the pressures of farming pile up, talking to someone might be just as important as scouting a crop. ◊