When the Farm Is Doing Well, But You’re Not

By Merle Massie, Executive Director of The Do More Agriculture Foundation

I had a farmer fall into step beside me while walking along at an agricultural show. We drifted into a quiet corner and started with pleasantries — where do you farm, how are things going? 

I could see there was something on his mind. My job in that moment was to listen.

”I don’t get it,” he said after a few minutes, quiet frustration swelling through his words. “My farm is successful. By all measures, I should be fine.” 

He looked at me, and said: “But I’m not fine. I’m struggling with my mental health. Why?”

The moment opened a door for an important conversation: having a successful farm, managing stress well and doing the things that support your mental wellbeing will not automatically make you immune to mental illness. This insight can come as a shock.

As we chatted, I shared a bit about what I’ve learned and experienced. Farming can be overwhelming and at times tough to navigate. Yet, stress isn't the whole story. Mental illness can be influenced by many factors, including biology, family history, life experiences and other circumstances inside and outside the farm.

So I asked him, “If we had 100 people in a room, how many do you think would, across their lifetime, experience adversity related to mental illness?”

He shook his head and shrugged, then tipped his chin sideways, inviting me to share. 

The numbers can be eye-opening. According to the Statistics Canada’s 2022 Mental Health and Access to Care Survey, 18 per cent of Canadians aged 15 and older — more than five million people — met the criteria for a mood, anxiety or substance use disorder in the previous 12 months.

Looking across a lifetime, about 14 out of 100 Canadians had experienced a major depressive episode, 13 generalized anxiety disorder and 15 social phobias. Experiences with substance use disorders were also common.

These numbers don't capture every type of mental illness or every experience with mental health, but they help illustrate an important point: in a room of 100 people, mental illness and substance use disorders would not be unusual experiences.

That matters because it helps put an experience like his into perspective.

Just as someone can develop a physical illness while otherwise taking good care of their physical health, someone can experience mental illness even when other parts of life seem stable or successful.

A successful farm doesn't make you immune to depression. A good year doesn't prevent anxiety. Strong relationships don't guarantee that you'll never experience mental illness. And struggling doesn't necessarily mean you did something wrong.

The farmer's eyes narrowed a little as we talked through this.

“So, you can be a successful farmer, or have a successful farm, and still develop a mental illness?”

I nodded.

As I shared: The pressures and stresses of farming can affect mental health and can contribute to challenges such as burnout or unhealthy coping. At the same time, mental illness can also be connected to factors that have little or nothing to do with the farm. And sometimes there isn't one simple explanation for why someone is struggling.

It can happen to anyone: producer, spouse, family, hired help, anyone. 

I asked if he was getting support. He nodded, then reached to shake my hand. 

“Thanks. I thought I was doing something wrong, that I did something to cause this. But it’s not the farm, the farm is fine. So I didn’t know where it came from.” 

I said, “Sometimes, it just happens. You’re getting help, so it sounds to me like you’re on a good path.” 

He smiled, nodded again, and drifted off. 

That conversation has stayed with me because it challenges an assumption we can easily make: that if the farm is doing well, the person running it should be doing well too.

The two aren't always connected.

You can lead a financially successful farm and struggle with your mental health. You can love what you do and still benefit from support. You can have people around you, make healthy choices and do everything you know to look after yourself — and still experience mental illness.

And when that happens, reaching out for support isn't evidence that you've failed. It's showing you the way forward.

If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available. The National Farmer Crisis Line provides free, confidential, 24/7 support for farmers, farm families and agricultural workers at 1-866-327-6701 (1-866-FARMS01). If you are thinking about suicide or are worried about someone else, call or text 9-8-8. If there is immediate danger, call 911.

Other supports include farm-informed counselling, peer to peer connection through AgTalk, an online anonymous clinically moderated platform, and resources specific to what you are experiencing. Sometimes just reading about what someone else is going through can help and give hope. Check out our Wellness Tips and Crisis Contacts pages for more information and links to support.