Farm work is hard on the body. But for migrant laborers from Mexico and the Caribbean who annually spend up to eight months on farms in Norfolk, Haldimand and Brant counties, the toll on their mental health can be even more taxing.
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“Most times migrant workers spend more time of the year in Canada than in their own homes,” said Leanne Arnal, who runs the Simcoe satellite office of Catholic Community Services of York Region (CCSYR), an immigration settlement service provider.
“They are missing milestone events within their families — baby’s first words and steps, graduations, weddings, and of course they are so far away during very stressful times like family illness and funerals,” Arnal told The Spectator.
Maintaining long-distance relationships and co-parenting from different continents “causes stresses and worries,” she said.
Add in the challenge of communal living and working outdoors in the summer heat, and workers’ mental health can suffer, Arnal said.
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In response, Ottawa and Queen’s Park announced $538,000 to expand the Farmer Wellness Initiative — a free program catered to farmers offered by the Canadian Mental Health Association — to farm workers in Ontario.
Farm workers and their families can call a 24-hour hotline at 1-866-267-6255 to speak to a professional counselor and access crisis counseling, risk assessments, and in-person, phone or video sessions.
A media release from Ontario’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness said the funding, announced on Monday, includes $178,000 to ensure support is available for Spanish-speaking workers.
The money comes from the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP), a joint governmental commitment of $3.5 billion over five years for Canada’s farming and agribusiness sector.
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According to the province, the Farmer Wellness Initiative has supported 617 farmers and their families since launching in January 2022. In wellness surveys, farmers consistently report higher rates of mental-health problems than the general public.
“As a farmer myself, I know that farmers and folks working on our farms often work long hours and face unique challenges that can make it difficult to prioritize their mental health,” federal Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay said in the media release.
That is seen on the ground, said Canadian Mental Health Association CEO Camille Quenneville.
“Agriculture Wellness Ontario consistently hears about the challenges faced by farmers and farm workers,” she said in the release.
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“This is an important next step in the evolution of ag-based mental health supports in Ontario.”
Representatives of the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association and the Migrant Worker Community Program, a charity that helps workers access legal and health supports, also cheered the move.
“This initiative will help migrant workers feel understood and cared for, preparing them for their daily challenges,” said Migrant Worker Community Program chair Martin Varela.
In Norfolk, the CCSYR office offers mental-health support for farm workers, as does the Neighborhood Organization’s office in the Simcoe Town Center shopping mall.
Arnal organizes seminars on mental health led by Grand River Community Health Services at Schuyler Farms in Simcoe, with workers from all area farms invited to attend.
The session on July 28 at 6:30 pm will explore how to manage anxiety, with the August seminar — offered in English and Spanish — exploring the topic of depression.
JP Antonacci is a Local Journalism Initiative Reporter based at the Hamilton Spectator. The initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.
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