The survey invites farmers and ranchers across all commodities and regions in Canada to share their experiences with stress, anxiety, depression, burnout, resilience, and coping mechanisms. It’s conducted in partnership with the University of Guelph.

“Strong participation helps ensure that future research, programs, and policy decisions are informed by the real experiences of farmers and ranchers,” the centre said in a news release.

WHY IT MATTERS: The survey will improve understanding of the current state of mental health in agriculture and build on the previous national surveys from 2016 and 2021.

In 2021, the showed that the COVID-19 pandemic had worsened existing issues of high stress, anxiety, and burnout among farmers and ranchers, with women reporting poorer mental health than men across all measures except alcohol use.

“Both women and men who farm scored worse than the general population, but the women scored even worse,” said Briana Hagen, the centre’s and lead scientist, told Farmtario in November 2022. “Given the role of women in farming, this data highlights a pretty serious problem that we have to start looking into.”

Suicidal ideation was twice as high in farmers as in the general population said University of Guelph researcher Dr. Andria Jones in a 2022 article from the university. Jones led the research that year.

She also noted that one in four participants reported having thought their life wasn’t worth living, wishing they were dead, or having thoughts of taking their own life in the 12 months leading up to the survey.

The post National survey of farmer and rancher mental health launches appeared first on Farmtario.

The survey invites farmers and ranchers across all commodities and regions in Canada to share their experiences with stress, anxiety, depression, burnout, resilience, and coping mechanisms. It’s conducted in partnership with the University of Guelph.

“Strong participation helps ensure that future research, programs, and policy decisions are informed by the real experiences of farmers and ranchers,” the centre said in a news release.

WHY IT MATTERS: The survey will improve understanding of the current state of mental health in agriculture and build on the previous national surveys from 2016 and 2021.

In 2021, the showed that the COVID-19 pandemic had worsened existing issues of high stress, anxiety, and burnout among farmers and ranchers, with women reporting poorer mental health than men across all measures except alcohol use.

“Both women and men who farm scored worse than the general population, but the women scored even worse,” said Briana Hagen, the centre’s and lead scientist, told Farmtario in November 2022. “Given the role of women in farming, this data highlights a pretty serious problem that we have to start looking into.”

Suicidal ideation was twice as high in farmers as in the general population said University of Guelph researcher Dr. Andria Jones in a 2022 article from the university. Jones led the research that year.

She also noted that one in four participants reported having thought their life wasn’t worth living, wishing they were dead, or having thoughts of taking their own life in the 12 months leading up to the survey.

The post National survey of farmer and rancher mental health launches appeared first on Farmtario.

O’Neill and others spoke about the intersections between animal health and gender-based violence. This included lack of supports in cases involving livestock and how the welfare of animals can be used against victims.

Sue O’Neill speaking at the One Health One Welfare Conference. Photo: Jonah Grignon

The species of the animal didn’t always matter. O’Neill told the story of one survivor who spoke about a cow the same way she would expect someone to speak about a dog.

Another survivor said she would often talk to her goats who would bleat back at her. This was more response than she got from her partner, who would stonewall her.

“Multiple survivors really highlighted that their bond with these types of animals actually offers emotional support and described it as also offering radical acceptance,” O’Neill said.

Animals used against victims

Farm animals can also provide security. One survivor said she felt safer in a paddock with her horse than in her home. Another said her cow was her inspiration to leave, since she felt she must build a better life for her and the cow.

However, the security and comfort the animals provide can be used against survivors. O’Neill said abusers will sometimes threaten harm or financial abuse such as selling animals below their value to keep their victims in place.

The animals might also be integral to the survivor’s income and livelihood. If they leave the abusive relationship, their financial security might be impacted — particularly when the abuser maintained access to the animals.

Animal abuse and intimate partner violence are often inextricable linked, said Humane Canada justice and legislative affairs manager Kerri Thompson.

“Violence does not happen in a vacuum,” Thompson said. “Hurt people hurt people, and they will also hurt animals.”

Few supports

For survivors, supports can be few and far between. O’Neill said there are select programs that offer to shelter animals, but they are rare and often nonexistent in rural or remote areas.

This is especially true of larger farm animals which require greater care, including trailering, handling or milking.

In some cases, neighbours experienced with farm animals may offer care — though this might require the sympathetic neighbour to go to the home of the abuser.

“All of this leads to survivors being faced with a really impossible choice,” O’Neill said.

“If survivors have to sell or give up their animals, they may never know what happens to these animals. It can be very traumatic.”

Though the issue is complex, O’Neill pointed to several measures which could represent the beginning of meaningful change.

One would be to encourage gender-based violence shelters to adopt co-sheltering or community programs that offer off-site animal safekeeping, boarding or fostering. Though these programs are often focused on smaller pets, she said they could open the door to addressing bigger problems with more sustainable change.

A one health approach could be part of the solution said University of Windsor professor Amy Fitzgerald.

Fitzgerald’s research examines links between animal studies and criminology.

“We think that achieving gender justice is going to require ecological and species justice,” Fitzgerald said. “One health, one welfare helps to highlight these important connections.”

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“One service provider even talked about how a survivor left everything behind except for her horse,” said researcher Sue O’Neill.

“She had to bring her horse with her.”

Speakers at the Humane Canada One Health One Welfare Conference in Ottawa explained the intersections between animal health and gender-based violence. This included lack of supports in cases involving livestock and how the welfare of animals can be used against victims.

O’Neill, a PhD student, has researched the relationship between gender-based violence and farmed animals. She said she “kept hearing from survivors and service providers that there were gaps for survivors who had larger companion or farming or working animals.”

The bond between survivor and animal

She found there are often strong connections between survivors and animals.

“Survivors and service providers really emphasized that there was an emotional impact of the connection survivors had to these types of animals,” O’Neill said in breakout session at the conference.

That bond was often offered a source of happiness and contrast to the abuse they were experiencing.

The species of the animal didn’t always matter. O’Neill told the story of one survivor who spoke about a cow the same way she would expect someone to speak about a dog.

Another said she would often talk to her goats who would bleat back at her. This was more response than she got from her partner, who would stonewall her.

“Multiple survivors really highlighted that their bond with these types of animals actually offers emotional support and described it as also offering radical acceptance,” O’Neill said.

Animals used against victims

Farm animals can also provide security. One survivor said she felt safer in a paddock with her horse than in her home. Another said her cow was her inspiration to leave, since she felt she must build a better life for her and the cow.

However, the security and comfort the animals provide can be used against survivors. O’Neill said abusers will sometimes threaten harm or financial abuse such as selling animals below their value to keep their victims in place.

The animals might also be integral to the survivor’s income and livelihood. If they leave the abusive relationship, their financial security might be impacts — particularly when the abuser maintained access to the animals.

This can also become a concern when the welfare of a farm is at stake if victims choose to leave.

Animal abuse and intimate partner violence are often inextricable linked said Humane Canada justice and legislative affairs manager Kerri Thompson in a panel discussion.

“Violence does not happen in a vacuum,” Thompson said. “Hurt people hurt people, and they will also hurt animals.”

Few supports

For survivors, supports can be few and far between. O’Neill said there are select programs that offer to shelter animals, but they are rare and often nonexistent in rural or remote areas.

This is especially true of larger farm animals which require greater care, including trailering, handling or milking.

In some cases, neighbours experienced with farm animals may offer care — though this might require the sympathetic neighbor to go to the home of the abuser.

“All of this leads to survivors being faced with a really impossible choice,” O’Neill said. “If survivors have to sell or give up their animals, they may never know what happens to these animals. It can be very traumatic.”

There can also be concerns around privacy in rural communities where information travels quickly among neighbours.

Though the issue is complex, O’Neill pointed to several measures which could represent the beginning of meaningful change.

One would be to encourage gender-based violence shelters to adopt co-sheltering or community programs that offer off-site animal safekeeping, boarding or fostering. Though these programs are often focused on smaller pets, she said they could open the door to addressing bigger problems with more sustainable change.

A one health approach could be part of the solution said University of Windsor professor Amy Fitzgerald.

Fitzgerald’s research examines links between animal studies and criminology.

“We think that achieving gender justice is going to require ecological and species justice,” Fitzgerald said. “One health, one welfare helps to highlight these important connections.”

The post Domestic abuse survivors may need extra support when livestock is involved, experts say appeared first on Farmtario.

Why it matters: Farms are risky workplaces, mentally and physically. Personal connections and examples make communicating that risk easier.

Throughout the four-day virtual event, speakers discussed how to make farms safer and healthier places both mentally and physically. Many speakers agreed that tough statistics and data may give accurate figures about safety and incidents, but real-life examples have more power.

“Stories move people. Stories matter. Stories can move policy, and they do,” said Bryan Weichelt, a research scientist with the Wisconsin-based National Farm Medicine Centre (NFMC).

“These aren’t just numbers on a poster at an academic conference or on a slide at a webinar. These are real people, real families, and far too often, real children.”

Alberta farmer and host of the Rural Woman Podcast, Katelyn Duban spoke about her experience moving to a farm later in life, and how much the stories of other rural women influenced and helped her understand risks on a farm.

“It’s from hearing from other women in agriculture who have lived these risks — their stories have opened my eyes even wider to what safety really means on a farm,” she said.

“When women share their stories, whether it’s about a near miss on equipment, or the weight of being overworked or the toll of mental health … They are opening the door to this cultural change.”

Those stories, she said, have more power than manuals or checklists ever could.

Duban closed by encouraging anyone in agriculture to share their stories, because “what seems ordinary to (farmers) could be extraordinary to somebody else.”

NFMC Communications Manager Scott Heiberger spoke about how storytelling relationships between farmers and journalists can result in more effective safety communication. He said farm fatality reports can be valuable to media, but journalists often need personal stories to help draw attention to their stories.

Heiberger said the NFMC created a website, AgInjuryNews, which provides a database of on-farm injury reports across the United States. Journalists can use this system to research past incidents to keep current ones from seeming like anomalies, he said.

“We can try to get out of the mindset that, ‘stuff just happens, and that’s farming for you,’” he said.

As an example, he mentioned a time when a reporter was writing a story about a tractor fatality in his area.

“He went to AgInjuryNews. He just started poking around, and he was based in the D.C. area, and found a tractor fatality in Virginia.

“He contacted the family that had lost a family member a few years earlier and interviewed them and came up with a lead that caught people’s attention, so that they could get to the rest of the really good reporting he had done.”

In the final presentation of the conference, Ontario dairy farmer and social media “agvocate” Tim “Farmer Tim” May cautioned attendees about what can happen if agriculture’s story isn’t told responsibly.

Through his social media presence, which includes over 130,000 followers on Facebook, and outreach efforts like farm tours, May works to demystify dairy farming and agriculture in general.

“It’s our responsibility to tell our story,” he said. “We have organizations that speak for us. We have the Dairy Farmers of Ontario, farm safety associations … but farmers really need to be telling their stories too.”

May showed several examples of online misinformation spread by industry opponents like animal activists or those selling health products trying to smear the dairy sector.

“I’ve been trying to tell the story of our farm, the story of agricultural in general,” May said. “And for those of you who think it’s someone else’s job to do that, … that’s partly true, but there’s other people out there who want to tell that story for you, and you may not like the moral to that story.”

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The draft document recommends that the administration promote healthier diets and examine vaccines and prescription drugs but stops short of advising any change to how the U.S. approves or regulates agrochemicals.

The Department of Health and Human Services, whose head, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., chairs the commission, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Trump administration has worked to balance the demands of the MAHA movement aligned with Kennedy, a vaccine skeptic and former environmental lawyer, with the concerns of farmers and ranchers, a key Trump constituency.

A previous report from the MAHA commission issued in May pointed to pesticides, along with processed food and over-prescription of medications and vaccines, for increasing rates of childhood obesity, diabetes and other illnesses.

More than 250 groups representing farmers, ranchers, and agrochemical companies urged the Trump administration in June to seek their input on future MAHA Commission activities. The White House this summer held a series of meetings with food and farm groups to discuss the work of the commission.

The draft report says that the Environmental Protection Agency will work to inform the public of its pesticide review process and collaborate with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to promote precision application of pesticides, which can reduce their overall use.

The EPA will consider exclusions from pollution laws for some farms and meat processing operations, the report says.

The report includes some existing priorities of the administration, like that HHS will investigate injuries from vaccines and prescription of antidepressants.

HHS and the Federal Trade Commission will explore guidelines to limit direct marketing of unhealthy foods to children and the administration will work to improve food quality in hospitals and prisons, the report says.

Along with Kennedy, the commission includes Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin and other officials and cabinet members.

— By Leah Douglas, Ahmed Aboulenein and Jessica DiNapoli

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Why it matters: Lakehead University is home to a new veterinary medicine program

The gift from Kim and Stu Lang marks the largest philanthropic contribution in Lakehead’s history. The new facility will assist the university in delivering the Collaborative Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (CDVM) program, which aims to address the critical veterinarian shortage in northern Ontario.

“As animal lovers and long-time supporters of many animal health programs, including the Ontario Veterinary College, we are delighted to support Lakehead University’s role in expanding access to veterinary medicine throughout northern Ontario,” said Kim Lang in a release.

“When faced with a large-scale crisis like northern Ontario’s veterinarian shortage, we must be innovative when seeking solutions,” said Dr. Gillian Siddall, president and vice-chancellor of Lakehead University.

“Kim and Stu Lang are visionaries—the innovative nature of this collaborative, solutions-based approach between Lakehead and Guelph universities spoke to their interests and values.”

The Langs, together with Lakehead University, announced that the new animal education facility will be named Gakina Awesiinyag, from the Anishinaabemowin language, which translates to “All Animals (Place For).”

“When considering a name for the new building that will house animals and educate future generations of veterinarians, it was important to us to choose an inclusive name that honours the land,” said Lang. “We were grateful to receive guidance from Indigenous Elders from the north to choose this beautiful, fitting name. It is our privilege to play a part in building this lasting legacy for northern communities.”

The CDVM provides education and training for 20 northern community students annually.

The September 2025 and 2026 CDVM cohorts will complete all four years of the program at the Ontario Veterinary College in Guelph while the Lakehead facility is under construction, which is set to begin this summer.

The 2027 northern cohort will divide their time between the two universities throughout the four-year program, featuring experiential learning opportunities and local vet placements in the north, along with core courses tailored to the unique needs of northern practice.

“We extend our most sincere thanks for Kim and Stu Lang’s incredible support, belief in this project, and unwavering commitment to funding such an innovative and regionally responsive solution to the complex challenge of veterinary access in northern Ontario,” said Michael den Haan, Lakehead University vice-president, University Advancement.

“Through this generous investment, communities in the north will be forever changed for the better.”

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This is shocking to hear – but with our busy schedules, it’s no wonder many of us can only find a few minutes each day to get outside.

Spending time outside, particularly in nature, is important because it can help regulate stress, boost mental health, and improve immune function.

But the good news is you don’t need to spend hours outdoors each day to see benefits. Even just 15 minutes a day in nature is enough to boost your mood, concentration and physical health.

Mood boost

The connection between nature and mood is the most consistent finding across all nature and health studies.

Spending time in nature improves mood by increasing positive feelings such as happiness and optimism, reducing sadness and anxiety and decreasing rumination (fixating on negative thoughts). It also supports social connections by providing an open and neutral space to have meaningful interactions.

Even a one-hour break in nature can create a mental and physical distance from everyday stressors such as emails and to-do lists. It also restores and builds our capacity to handle the day’s challenges.

While one study found it’s most beneficial for your mood to go for a 75-minute walk in secluded woodlands, the research still showed that even walking in somewhat green areas – such as a tree-lined road – can confer mood benefits. This is important for those without access to dense forests near their homes or workplaces, as a short walk in a city park can still have a meaningful impact on mental wellbeing.

Better concentration

Taking breaks in nature can also improve cognitive performance.

Numerous lab-based studies have found that people perform better on attention and memory tasks after viewing nature scenery versus when they looked at city scenery. Evidence also shows that simply having access to green spaces can improve working memory and attention span in children. Taking short outdoor breaks during the workday (as little as 10-15 minutes) can improve concentration in people who work in offices, as well.

Even when there aren’t opportunities to visit nature outside of the office, workplaces with more indoor plants have reported better work performance and wellbeing than those who work in an office without plants. This shows even a small presence of nature can be beneficial.

Physical health improvements

The benefits of spending time in nature go beyond the mind, as well. Spending time in nature, even for as little as 15 minutes, is shown to improve cardiovascular health in many ways – including by reducing blood pressure and resting heart rate. Workouts done in green spaces may also feel more enjoyable and lower effort – even though you might actually be working harder.

In one study, participants completed an 80-minute rest in nature before returning to the lab to perform a cycling test where they exercised to the point of exhaustion. The study found that the participants who spent time in nature before their test had better endurance performance than to those who had spent time in an urban area before the test.

This means that even if your workout doesn’t happen outdoors, just a short visit to a park or green space prior can have lingering positive effects on exercise performance and physical health.

The great outdoors

It’s all about small, consistent steps – and having fun. The mental health benefits of spending time in nature are robust.

Whether you have your lunch break in a park or choose a greener route to and from work, evidence suggests these small changes can have a positive effect on mood and optimism from the first instance. If these changes then become a habit, this can improve motivation at work and possibly make exercising more enjoyable.

Don’t be shy to try different things, too. Even activities like joining a parkrun event in your local park or getting your hands dirty by building a house plant collection can be help you get a dosage of nature.

—Yvanna Todorova is a research associate in public health evaluations at Loughborough University, United Kingdom. With files from Glacier FarmMedia.

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That’s not exactly true. As with many things, the reality is more complicated. Here’s the distinction: Being cold isn’t why you get a cold. But it is true that cold weather makes it easier to catch respiratory viruses such as the cold and flu.

Research also shows that lower temperatures are associated with higher COVID-19 rates.

As a professor of nursing with a background in public health, I’m often asked about infectious disease spread, including the relationship between cold and catching a cold. So here’s a look at what actually happens.

Many viruses, including rhinovirus – the usual culprit for the common cold – influenza, and SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, remain infectious longer and replicate faster in colder temperatures and at lower humidity levels. This, coupled with the fact that people spend more time indoors and in close contact with others during cold weather, are common reasons that germs are more likely to spread.

The flu and respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, tend to have a defined fall and winter seasonality. However, because of the emergence of new COVID-19 variants and immunity from previous infections and vaccinations decreasing over time, COVID-19 is not the typical cold-weather respiratory virus. As a case in point, COVID-19 infection rates have surged every summer since 2020.

Virus transmission is easier when it’s cold

More specifically, cold weather can change the outer membrane of the influenza virus, making it more solid and rubbery. Scientists believe that the rubbery coating makes person-to-person transmission of the virus easier.

It’s not just cold winter air that causes a problem. Air that is dry in addition to cold has been linked to flu outbreaks. That’s because dry winter air further helps the influenza virus to remain infectious longer. Dry air, which is common in the winter, causes the water found in respiratory droplets to evaporate more quickly. This results in smaller particles, which are capable of lasting longer and traveling farther after you cough or sneeze.

How your immune system responds during cold weather also matters a great deal. Inhaling cold air may adversely affect the immune response in your respiratory tract, which makes it easier for viruses to take hold. That’s why wearing a scarf over your nose and mouth may help prevent a cold because it warms the air that you inhale.

Also, most people get less sunlight in the winter. That is a problem because the sun is a major source of vitamin D, which is essential for immune system health. Physical activity, another factor, also tends to drop during the winter. People are three times more likely to delay exercise in snowy or icy conditions.

Instead, people spend more time indoors. That usually means more close contact with others, which leads to disease spread. Respiratory viruses generally spread within a 6-foot radius of an infected person.

In addition, cold temperatures and low humidity dry out your eyes and the mucous membranes in your nose and throat. Because viruses that cause colds, flu and COVID-19 are typically inhaled, the virus can attach more easily to these impaired, dried-out passages.

What you can do

The bottom line is that being wet and cold doesn’t make you sick. That being said, there are strategies to help prevent illness all year long:

• Wash your hands often.
• Avoid touching your face, something people do between nine and 23 times an hour.
• Stay hydrated. Eight glasses a day of water is a good goal, but that could be more or less depending on lifestyle and the size of the person.
• Eat a well-balanced diet. Dark green, leafy vegetables are rich in immune system-supporting vitamins, while eggs, fortified milk, salmon and tuna have vitamin D.
• Stay physically active, even during the winter.
• Get adequate sleep.
• Clean hard, high-touch surfaces in your home often.
• If your nose or throat gets dry in the winter, consider using a humidifier.
• Get your annual flu and COVID-19 vaccine.

Following these tips can ensure you have a healthy winter season.

Libby Richards is a professor of nursing at Purdue University. This is an updated version of an article originally published on The Conversation on Dec. 15, 2020.

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