Practical solutions and community support can help farmers manage stress, mental health advocates say.

Why it matters: Farming can be one of the most stressful professions in Canada, with farmers experiencing higher-than-average rates of depression and anxiety.

As spring begins, farmers are thinking about what to plant and which seeds and crop protection products to use. Meanwhile, weather, markets and geopolitics are out of their control.

“Think about the farmers across the country who experienced droughts, who experienced flooding, who experienced tariffs,” said Chad Bouma, a social worker practicing in the rural area around Drayton, Ont.

“All those things probably have been going through their mind since the harvest time.”

Bouma said he’s seen the stress and anxiety lead to decision paralysis.

“Those farmers have real difficulty even kind of making those decisions, because they don’t want to make the wrong decision, because maybe the decision they made last year was the wrong decision.

Stress clouds the judgement ‘window’

Stress can often cloud a person’s judgement and decision-making abilities said Megan Burnside-Poitras, communications advisor with Agricultural Wellness Ontario. Burnside-Poitras spoke at the Eastern Ontario Crops Conference earlier this year.

In her presentation, she compared stress and judgement to a window.

“I look out my office window in the afternoon. I’m looking out into the farm, into an orchard. It’s a beautiful window to look at.”

“Most days, you know, that window is pretty huge, a big picture window, and it’s very clear, and I can see how beautiful it is out,” she said. “But occasionally, it’s harder to see out that window.”

In times of higher stress, it is common to experience ‘hyperarousal,’ an agitated state with higher energy, or ‘hypoarousal,’ a state of shutting down. Both these situations can cloud that window.

“It’s a whole lot harder to see that same beautiful visual that’s on the other side of it, even though it’s still there, because things are getting cloudy because of that stress.”

Outside factors like weather, tariffs, market prices and public perception can “draw the blinds” on the window, obscuring the view.

How farmers can manage stress

Bouma said the role of a social worker is to give farmers the tools to see their situation clearly and understand when they need support.

“Some farmers experiencing anxiety, they don’t know that it’s anxiety,” he said. “They might just think it’s stress that they can’t get over, and then they beat themselves up.”

Recognition and awareness-building are critical.

“A lot of the time we don’t actually know that there’s something wrong until something catastrophic has happened, or there’s a crisis,” Bouma said.

One of the most important things in high-stress times is to focus on prevention and mitigation measures, Burnside-Poitras said. This means identifying stress triggers, how they can be mitigated and focusing on what can be controlled. This could be as simple as staying rested, hydrated and well-fed.

Community a mental health advantage

When it comes to mental health, the advantage in agricultural communities is just that: community.

Burnside-Poitras cited a study from Stanford University which concludes “Social ties in general are going to lead to lower stress, anxiety and depression, higher self-esteem, greater empathy, increased trust and cooperation and enhanced well-being altogether” as well as a 50 per cent chance of a longer life.

“The community perspective for mental health and farming is the most important piece of this,” Bouma said. “I cannot emphasize that any stronger.”

“When we isolate (mental health) or we individualize it, then it’s not going to go very far, is it?”

“There’s a lot of resilience already built into farming,” he said. Farmers have often seen previous generations go through similar seasons.

Keeping the community connection can mean checking in on neighbours or getting involved with local community groups.

The rhythm of the seasons can also provide critical reflection time. Bouma said some farmers will do this on their own, while others may draw on peer groups.

“They are looking for practical solutions,” he said. “Hoping for the best is all well and good, but they also need to have pen to paper for that too.”

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Farmers are expected to stick with the 18.8 million spring wheat acres and boost their barley acres from the projection based on a December-January survey, as they respond to a spike in fertilizer prices due to the Iran war, an ongoing rally in canola prices, and a search for “safe” crops to grow in a geopolitically fraught world, they said.

Canada is the world’s top producer and exporter of canola seed and a top-five wheat exporter.

“I think we’re going to see some upward adjustment to the canola acres,” said analyst Jerry Klassen of Resilient Capital. “When this survey was done, canola prices were below the cost of production.”

In some areas like Alberta, many farmers can now make a small profit on canola at today’s forward prices, so farmers are likely to grow more, he said. An increase of 400,000-500,000 acres is likely.

“I’m sure they’re going to lean further in to the oilseeds if they have any opportunity at all,” said Lawrence Klusa of Seges Markets, noting the runup in global vegetable oil crop prices.

Canola prices rise after uncertain winter

Futures prices for 2026-grown Canadian canola are up by more than $80 per metric ton since mid-December, a bigger gain than most competing crops have experienced.

Farmers might also boost their acres of pulse crops like peas if the present surge in fertilizer prices continues, Klusa said. Pulse crops are able to produce much of their own nitrogen requirements, allowing farmers to grow them at a relatively low cost.

Canadian farmers have faced a host of issues this winter. China’s market was blocked to canola and peas by prohibitive tariffs that were reduced only in the past two weeks. Trade tensions with the U.S. and unclear U.S. biofuels policies made that major market for canola oil appear uncertain. The war in the Persian Gulf has suddenly made fertilizer costs and supplies look worrying.

Klassen said farmers are likely to stick with their spring wheat acres and boost their barley acres from what they told StatCan because of these risks and due to the likelihood of financial losses this year.

“Those are kind of safety crops and a good choice with the price of urea going through the roof and so much instability,” said Klassen.

1 acre = 0.405 hectares

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AAFC expects eastern Canadian weather to return to normal, after a dry year last year lowered yields.

Production for most Western Canadian crops is expected to be down on the year, given a return to average yields.

Crop rotations, moisture conditions, price expectations and input costs/availability will be the main factors determining seeding decisions, said AAFC. “Additionally, heightened uncertainty surrounding international trade is expected to play a role in shaping planting strategies this year,” said the government agency.

Soybeans/Corn

• A return to average yields in Eastern Canada, after hot and dry conditions hurt corn and soybean yields in 2025/26, is forecast to result in increased production for the two crops.
• Soybean area is forecast to increase by 2.6 per cent, at 2.401 million hectares, with production rising to 7.600 million tonnes from 6.793 million tonnes in 2025/26.
• While corn area is expected to be down by 0.7 per cent, at 1.520 million hectares, the early call from AAFC is for production to rise to 15.200 million tonnes from 14.867 million in 2025/26.

Wheat

• Wheat area is projected to decrease 0.3 per cent, at 10.937 million hectares. Of that total, durum area is expected to decline to 2.461 million hectares, from 2.643 million in 2025/26, while other wheat will increase 2.2 per cent to 8.476 million hectares.
• A return to average yields would see total wheat production down 12.5 per cent on the year, at 34.979 million tonnes.
• Wheat ending stocks are forecast to dip to 5.700 million tonnes by the close of the 2026/27 marketing year, which compares with an estimated carryout of 7.5 million tonnes projected for 2025/26.

Canola

• Planted canola area is forecast to be up 1.9 per cent on the year, at 8.915 million hectares.
• However, production is forecast to decline to 19.200 million tonnes from the record 21.804 million tonnes grown in 2025/26 given a return to average yields.
• AAFC raised its call for 2025/26 canola exports to 8.200 million tonnes, from an earlier estimate of 8.000 million tonnes. Exports for 2026/27 were forecast at 7.500 million tonnes.
• Canola ending stocks were estimated at 2.750 million tonnes for the current marketing year and 1.650 million tonnes in 2026/27.

Barley/Oats

• Barley area is forecast to increase 6.1 per cent on the year, to 2.635 million hectares, while total production will dip to 8.450 million tonnes from 9.725 million tonnes the previous year.
• Oats area is projected to increase by 1.8 per cent, at 1.235 million hectares, with production down 9.4 per cent at 3.550 million tonnes.

Peas/Lentils

• Area planted to peas is forecast to be down 15.5 per cent, at 1.200 million hectares, while lentils are forecast to see a 9.7 per cent reduction in seeded area.
• Pea production is forecast to be down by 1.1 million tonnes on the year, at 2.850 million tonnes. Lentil production is expected to see a similar cut to production, at 2.250 million tonnes.

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Referring to it as the “next generation row unit,” Väderstad said in a press release that this was not just an upgrade with a new look, but a complete redesign.

“We took our old row unit, which was a really good row unit, and we have added new functions to it,” said Hans Holst, Väderstad commercial product specialist at Agritechnica, in Hanover, Germany, on Nov. 9, 2025.

One of those new functions is the ability for operators to adjust planting depth settings from the cab, a feature not previously available on Tempo row units. This can be done either automatically or based on a prescription map of your field.

Adjustments to the closing wheels can also be made from the tractor cab, both tasks performed independent of an internet connection.

Adjustments are possible using Väderstad’s in-cab control system called, E-Control, an iPad-based control system that communicates wirelessly via the E-Services gateway mounted on the planter.

“The good thing about it is it’s Wi-Fi,” added Holst.

“So you can take your iPad out of the tractor, go around, check everything is working, and go back in.”

Planting precision was also improved by tightening the seed disc angles to make a narrower seed furrow, making for more accurate seed placement at high planting speeds.

The new Tempo row units also benefit from new electronics, new seed hoppers and an upgraded seed meter that takes only one hand to open.

The new row unit can be configured as a central-fill version with a 1.3 gallon mini-hopper or a standard version with a larger seed hopper on the row unit.

While this new row unit was fitted to a Tempo L 8-24 planter at the show, the new row unit will be fitted to all Tempo product models including the Tempo F 6-8, Tempo V 6-12 and Tempo K 24 as of June 2026.

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Early seeded spring wheat was beginning stem elongation, with the majority in the four to five leaf stage. Winter wheat and fall rye growth was said to be good, with advanced winter wheat fields heading and fall rye flowering.

Canola development ranged from just emerging to early rosette, with the majority at the four-leaf stage. Some flea beetle activity was noted.

Field peas around the province were anywhere from the four to seven node stage, while the most advanced soybeans were in the second trifoliate stage.

Alfalfa fields in the province were in the bud stage and grasses were beginning to head out. Some beef producers may begin first cut this coming weekend. The hay crop was looking like it will yield lower than average. Meanwhile alfalfa tends to fare better than grasses under current conditions, due to different root structures. Most dairies have almost completed first cut. In parts of the province where rain has been sparse, some dairies have harvested their winter wheat and fall rye crops as greenfeed rather than grain as was originally intended.

Most cattle are out on pasture provincially. Pastures appear to be doing well, although there were regional differences based on rainfall.

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Southern Alberta remained furthest along with planting reaching 97 per cent finished, advancing 10 points on the week. The northwest climbed 20 points, reaching 93 per cent done, followed by the central region at 89 per cent seeded on a gain of 16 points. The province’s northeast reached 86 per cent in the ground, up 22 points and the Peace leapt forward 23 points at 84 per cent complete.

By major crop, the planting of Alberta’s dry peas was virtually finished at 99 per cent, with the spring with at 97 per cent. Barley followed at 89 per cent done, the canola at 83 per cent and the oats at 74 per cent.

Provincewide crop emergence improved 26 points over the week, hitting 57 per cent. By region, the central was at 65 per cent, Peace at 64 per cent and the south at 62 per cent. Lagging behind were the northeast at 46 per cent and the northwest at 42 per cent.

As for surface soil moisture, the province was at 56 per cent good to excellent, down eight points from the previous week. The crop report noted that dry winds were largely responsible for the declines.

When it came to subsoil moisture levels, most of Alberta saw declines except for the central region which was up three points at 80 per cent good to excellent. A distant second was Peace at 52 per cent good to excellent but dropped 17 points on the week. The Peace was third at 50 per cent, the northeast at 41 per cent and the south at 39 per cent. Overall, the province was at 53 per cent.

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“For most regions, seeding has gone really well, and that’s a really good start to the crop season,” said Kim Stonehouse, crops extension specialist with Saskatchewan Agriculture.

Seeding was 88 per cent complete as of May 26, which is ahead of both the five-year average of 82 per cent and the 10-year average of 85 per cent.

Cropland topsoil moisture is rated four per cent surplus, 65 per cent adequate and 27 per cent short.

There are dryness issues in the northeast and west-central portions of the province, but nothing a good rain can’t fix.

“I don’t know that I’ve ever seen somebody lose a crop in May,” said Stonehouse.

Three-quarters of the spring cereals, oilseeds and pulses are experiencing normal crop development.

Some crops in the northern part of the province are ahead of normal development due to early seeding and a lack of weather interruptions.

“It is also an indication of dry conditions. In dry conditions, plants can tend to speed up,” said Stonehouse.

He did not specifically ask his crop reporters about emergence, but some in the southeast reported good emergence, while others in the northeast said it appears patchy.

There has been minor insect and frost damage, but nothing to fret about.

“Wind and dry conditions are probably the things I would worry most about. They can cause the most damage and reduce yields drastically,” said Stonehouse.

“Warm, windy conditions dry the topsoil out very quickly, which will starve the plants of moisture.”

Seeding was 90 per cent complete in Alberta as of May 27, ahead of the five-year average of 81 per cent.

Crop emergence was 57 per cent, well above the five-year average of 37 perc ent.

“Although recent rainfall provided some short-term relief, warm and dry winds have led to reduced soil moisture levels,” said Roy Larsen, director of the statistics and data development section of Alberta Agriculture.

Surface moisture levels are rated 55.8 per cent good to excellent. That compares to the five-year average of 68.6 per cent.

“Without adequate moisture, this could become a concern for sustained crop and pasture development, but it’s early,” he said.

Manitoba got a good jump on seeding this year, which helped get things off to a nice start in that province.

“Crops are looking good in general across the province,” she said.

Seeding progress was 85 per cent complete as of May 27, which is well ahead of the five-year average of 69 per cent.

“For most crops when you seed earlier, we do have higher yield potential,” said Anne Kirk, cereal crops specialist with Manitoba Agriculture.

Winter wheat and fall rye survival and growth looks terrific. Fall rye is heading out.

Seasonal accumulations of rain in Manitoba were close to normal for the May 1-25 period.

The eastern region and eastern portions of the Interlake region had accumulations of less than 60 percent of normal.

However, the southwest and parts of the central region have received more than 150 percent of the 30-year average.

Spring cereal seeding is almost complete with some of the earliest planted crops already at the three-leaf to one-tiller stage of development.

Canola seeding was 76 per cent complete as of May 27.

“There have been some reports of flea beetles and some issues with canola emergence due to some crusting on the soil,” said Kirk.

Some peas are already in the two to three node stage of development.

“Emergence in general has been a little slow and a little stagey, just due to some of the drier conditions and the fluctuating temperatures,” she said.

Dryness is a concern in some parts of the northwest, Interlake and eastern regions, but there is standing water in some fields in the southwest.

“Most producers would be happy to have some rain,” said Kirk.

Stonehouse said now is a good time to remind farmers to be careful around hot equipment given the dry conditions in some regions of the Prairies.

“Keep a fire extinguisher handy or a water truck close by, if possible,” he said.

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So far, 85 per cent of projected acres were planted by Manitoba farmers, well above the 57 per cent reported the week before. One year ago, 64 per cent of acres were planted, while the five-year average was 69 per cent.

Most places received very little precipitation over the past week. However, Snowflake and Cypress River in the Central region saw 21.8 millimetres of rain, while Glenboro in southwest Manitoba had 18.5 mm.

Seasonal accumulations of precipitation were near-normal in most areas, but eastern Manitoba and eastern parts of the Interlake have seen less than 60 per cent of historical seasonal totals. On the other hand, the Southwest and parts of the Central region received approximately 150 per cent.

Spring wheat seeding in Manitoba is near complete with the earliest seeded fields now in the three-leaf to one-tiller stages. Grain and silage corn were 98 per cent and 94 per cent seeded, respectively, with most fields emerged and minor frost damage. Oats and barley were 89 per cent seeded, while winter wheat and fall rye are growing well.

The majority of canola acres were planted over the past week and stood at 76 per cent planted. Sunflowers were 83 per cent planted, while flax was 54 per cent planted.

Many soybeans began to emerge last week while 76 per cent of acres were planted. So far, 28 per cent of dry beans were planted, including 45 per cent in the Central region.

Field pea seeding is complete with most fields emerged and the earliest seeded plants in the two- to three-node stage.

Most corn intended for silage and grazing were seeded with cereal silage seeding still underway. Alfalfa fields are growing more than grass due to the former’s roots accessing more subsoil moisture. Meanwhile, forages stand to benefit from additional rainfall. However, pastures have been affected by wildfires in the southeast corner of the province.

Cattle are being turned out to summer pastures, but some are waiting another week or two to ensure sufficient growth. Dugouts are in good condition considering the widespread dryness. However, lower water levels for livestock were found in Swan River and The Pas.

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Seeding of major crops across Alberta reached 72 per cent complete as of May 20 compared to the average of 59 per cent. The report said recent rains and cooler temperatures hindered planting but benefitted early crop growth.

Southern Alberta continued to lead the way, with 87 per cent of the region’s crops in the ground. The central and northwest regions were second at 73 per cent, the northeast reached 64 per cent and the Peace was at 61 per cent. The five regions were ahead of their respective five-year averages.

Durum tops crops

Among the cereals, durum was the most planted at 91 per cent, with spring wheat next at 87 per cent, barley and 72 per cent and oats at 47 per cent.

Corn planting hit 80 per cent finished.

Of the oilseeds, mustard was tops at 75 per cent seeded, with canola at 56 per cent and flax at 49 per cent.

At 90 per cent dry peas were furthest along of the pulses. Chickpeas reached 86 per cent complete and lentils were at 81 per cent.

The planting of potatoes came in at 94 per cent done.

As temperatures increase across the province, the pace of planting and the rate of growth of the crops are expected to notably increase.

Moisture levels

In terms of surface soil moisture levels, Alberta stood at 64 per cent good to excellent, five point more than the five-year average.

The central region was at 89 per cent good to excellent, followed by Peace at 60 per cent, the south and northeast at 54 per cent, with the northwest at 49 per cent.

After the rains, pastures and tame hay in Alberta were in 64 per cent good to excellent condition, 11 points above the five-year average.

By region, the central led at 84 per cent good to excellent, the northwest was at 67 per cent, the south at 55 per cent, the northeast at 51 per cent and Peace at 43 per cent.

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Producers in the southwest were the most advanced at 89 per cent complete, while the east-central region still had the most to go at 58 per cent done.

Field peas lead seeding progress by crop type at 92 per cent, followed by lentils and chickpeas at 90 per cent and 83 per cent, respectively. Large portions of many spring cereal crops have also been seeded. Triticale and durum lead cereal seeding progress was at 87 per cent, followed by spring wheat at 80 per cent and barley at 71 per cent. Canary seed and oat crops were 56 per cent and 55 per cent seeded, respectively.

Seeding progress for all oilseed crops reached the halfway point, with mustard at 84 per cent, canola at 58 per cent and flax at 50 per cent.

There was more rainfall in the province this past week compared to the week before, with the southeast corner of the province receiving the most precipitation. The rainfall helped replenish topsoil moisture in certain areas, while dry conditions in other areas continue to deplete topsoil moisture reserves.

Provincially, cropland topsoil moisture was rated as six per cent surplus, 69 per cent adequate, 22 per cent short and three per cent very short. Hayland topsoil moisture was rated as three per cent surplus, 64 per cent adequate, 27 per cent short and six per cent very short. Topsoil moisture levels in pastures were slightly drier as conditions were rated as two per cent surplus, 60 per cent adequate, 31 per cent short and seven per cent very short.

Seeding remains the primary focus for most producers in the province, but many are also busy spraying, land rolling and picking rocks. Livestock producers were also working to move their animals to the pasture for the season.

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