AgWell Alberta

06/05/2026

If you're a woman farmer or rancher, consider participating in this research! $200 honorarium.
Our friends at the University of Guelph are looking for farm women from the prairies.

06/02/2026

What does poor mental health look like on a farm?

The answer isn't always obvious. Sometimes it appears as social withdrawal, neglected maintenance, unfinished projects, difficulty making decisions, or challenges keeping up with daily responsibilities. In other cases, it may also affect the care of animals.

This question led to a unique partnership between the University of Alberta's Augustana Campus the Alberta SPCA.

When Alberta SPCA Peace Officers respond to animal welfare concerns, they sometimes encounter individuals who are overwhelmed, isolated, or facing significant personal challenges. Together, we developed a practical toolkit and training program to help officers recognize potential warning signs, engage compassionately, and connect people with appropriate supports and resources.

This work is grounded in a simple idea: supporting animal welfare also means supporting human well-being.

Read the story here: https://www.ualberta.ca/en/folio/2026/05/new-toolkit-aims-to-support-peoples-well-being-along-with-animal-welfare.html

Many thanks to the Alberta SPCA, especially Melissa Logan and the officers who contributed to this project.

A new toolkit will help some of Alberta’s animal welfare officers aid not only animals in distress, but also their owners, through University of Alberta research.

06/02/2026

Meet Garry, a member of the AgWell Farmer Wellness Network!

As someone who lives on a farm in rural Alberta, Garry understands that farming comes with pressures that many people never experience. Weather, markets, government policies, and factors beyond your control can affect not only your operation, but also your well-being.

Farming often requires solving problems that don't have easy answers. Garry believes that people are more resilient than they realize, and that with the right support, they can find a path forward through even the most challenging seasons.

Sometimes it's good to talk with someone outside of your community! Connect with Garry online.

Through the AgWell Farmer Wellness Network, farmers, farm family members, and agricultural workers in Rocky View County can access up to five free counselling sessions.

Learn more about the network and meet our team of therapists at agwellab.ca.

05/29/2026

Rocky View County farmers, this new resource is worth knowing about!

AgWell Alberta has a new support pilot for farmers and farm families.

✔ Up to 5 counselling sessions
✔ No referral needed
✔ Connect directly with ag-informed therapists through our website

👉 Learn more at https://www.agwellab.ca/farmer-wellness-network

05/28/2026

Farming isn't just a job, it's a way of life. And mental health support needs to reflect that.

A new article in Medscape highlights two innovative prairie programs bringing farm-informed therapy to Canadian producers:

Saskagmatters Mental Health Network Inc. matters Mental Health Network Inc. (Saskatchewan) took over the Farm Stress Line on April 1, offering 24/7 access to crisis counsellors trained in agriculture, plus follow-up sessions with registered mental health professionals with farming backgrounds.

launched a pilot in Alberta connecting farmers, farm families, and agricultural workers with therapists who understand the rhythms and pressures of farm life on April 15.

Nationally, the Canadian Centre for Agricultural Wellbeing (CCAW) rolled out the National Farmer Wellness Network Crisis Line — 1-866-FARMS01 (1-866-327-6701)— in early 2025, funded by a $1.5 million, 3-year investment from

These programs share a defining feature: they were built *with* farmers, starting at the grassroots.

As Michelle Pavloff of SaskAgMatters puts it, farmers and ranchers were “really running the show” from the very beginning.

If you or someone you know is struggling, call 1-866-FARMS01 (1-866-327-6701), available 24/7, 365 days a year.

🔗 Read the full Medscape article at https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/farmers-mental-health-care-fits-2026a1000he6

Two recently launched initiatives endorse ‘farm-informed therapy’ to support mental health in the prairie provinces.

05/27/2026

Sometimes we talk about mental health resources as programs or services. But behind every call is a real person and a real story.

The National Farmer Crisis Line exists because farmers and agricultural workers deserve support too.

1-866-FARMS01 (1-866-327-6701)

If you or someone you know is struggling, please know that help is available, and you do not have to carry it alone. 🌾

From that call, the crisis support worker can connect them to AgWell for continued support.

05/26/2026

Meet Alison, one of the therapists with the AgWell Farmer Wellness Network!

Alison’s path into agriculture began unexpectedly. As a horse-loving kid growing up near Okotoks, local farmers welcomed her onto their farm, where she learned everything from driving tractors and hauling hay to caring for livestock. Those experiences shaped her connection to farming and helped pave her way through university working in the horse industry.

Today, Alison combines that agricultural understanding with her work as a therapist and mental health advocate. Through delivering In The Know workshops, she saw firsthand the barriers farmers face when seeking support, including cost, limited services, timing pressures, and the realities of agricultural life.

She understands that farm schedules do not always fit traditional counselling models. Calving, lambing, seeding, and harvest seasons change what support looks like, and flexibility matters.

Alison now lives on her own hobby farm and continues to bring her agricultural experience and appreciation for rural life into her work with farmers and agricultural communities.

05/26/2026

Meet Mario, one of the therapists with the AgWell Farmer Wellness Network!

Mario brings lived experience from farming and ranching, along with work in construction, the oilfield, education, and international experience. He understands the realities that can come with rural life, including economic pressures, injury, loss, isolation, and the deep connection many farmers feel toward their land and animals.

What draws Mario to this work is recognizing that rural challenges are not only economic. Farming is often rooted in identity, place, responsibility, and connection, factors that are sometimes overlooked by those outside agriculture.

His approach is shaped by experience, perspective, and an understanding of the unique challenges faced by farmers, rural communities, and men navigating difficult times.

05/21/2026

Farm-informed care is getting more attention lately and that's great! 🌾

But farm-informed care isn't only about what happens DURING therapy. It starts much earlier, with how services are DESIGNED.

Through research with mental health providers, we developed the 3ACORNS model to remind us that adapting care to fit the realities of agricultural life looks like:

🌾 Offering appointments outside regular business hours
🐄 Having flexible cancellation policies because farm life doesn't follow the schedule (sometimes that calf decides otherwise!)
🚜 Designing services with privacy in mind through discreet locations, neutral signage, or phone/virtual options in close-knit communities
🏡 Creating spaces that feel "familiar" for farmers

Learn more about the 3ACORNS model here: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/21/6/791

05/14/2026

From farm kids to researchers!

Sometimes, this is what research looks like: Laptops open, ideas flowing, and lots of coffee!

Here’s the incredible group of undergraduate students working with me this summer through AgWell. We’ll be introducing them, and the projects they’re working on, in the coming weeks.

Hint: Really exciting things are underway!