About the Community Spotlight:
We know that conversations about mental health in agriculture are most powerful when they come from within the community itself — from the people who live it every day.
Through our Community Spotlight series, we’re sharing the voices of our We Talk. We Grow. Champions and Ambassadors: individuals who are helping break the silence and make space for meaningful conversations around mental wellness on and off the farm.
In this edition, we’re featuring We Talk. We Grow. Champion, Amy Hill (to learn more about our We Talk. We Grow. Champions, click here).
Can you tell us about your connection to agriculture — whether you’re farming or supporting farmers — and what inspired you to get involved in the industry?
I am a first-generation farmer and, even though I didn’t grow up on a farm, I have had a passion for agriculture and rural living from a young age. Growing up, my parents took our family to stay on a working farm in Prince Edward Island every summer where I would go out in the morning to dig up a few potatoes and collect eggs from the coop for my dad to fry up for breakfast. I spent my days running around the fields, learning to drive my dad’s car on the dirt road, and playing in the barns with the cattle and barn cats. It planted a deep love for food production and rural life and I knew I needed to have more of that in my life when I grew up.
Why do you think mental health is such an important topic in the farming community?
Mental health is something that I feel like many people talk about in urban communities but that same discussion is lacking in the farming community. It’s a beautifully rewarding way to live and work but it’s also incredibly challenging from climate and weather changes to the economy, consumer perceptions, cost of operation and now, concerns over access to previous International markets. We deal with all of these issues right alongside the rest of society where we all then encounter similar stresses of children and family life, the rising cost of living, global pandemics and an increased consumption of negative media which, on their own, can be a lot for a person to handle. For years farmers have dealt with these mental loads silently but I think that it’s all becoming too much and at best this leads to fractured relationships with friends and family, at worst it ends in loss of farms or life. Having mental health check-ins with others who are experiencing the same struggles not only helps us to feel like we’re not alone, but can also lead to solutions and better quality of life.
Is there a moment or season that challenged you the most? How did you get through it?
I built my farm from scratch starting in 2011. It took us about 9 years to build all of the infrastructure we needed and properly settle on a farm model and market avenue we felt fit our goals and by 2020 we were ready to stop investing everything into the farm and start reaping some of the rewards of a decade of lean years and very hard work. But then a pandemic hit and it closed all of our markets, stores and restaurants that we sold to. Within one week we had no idea how we would be able to pay our mortgage the following month. So we pivoted. We shifted everything we had done previously in person to online sales, we started home delivery and spent many days unsure of how the next week would look. Covid hit us hard in the beginning but it’s trickle down effect on the economy hit us even harder. I have always had a “just keep swimming” attitude on the farm and essentially thought that if I put my head down and just kept working we’d eventually get through to the other, much brighter, side. But after 10 years of non stop work to build this farm followed by a pandemic, a failing economy and then the worst growing season we had ever seen in 2023 I hit a brick wall. I had no idea which way to turn and I felt like I was no longer qualified to be making decisions for our future. Everything I did felt like the wrong decision. So I reached out to other farmers around me. I had never been shy online to speak with my customers about the challenges of farming but I went even deeper with them. I went to Agriculture Women’s gatherings and I didn’t let the loneliness I felt take over. I shared it all and through that I was able to connect with others who were feeling the exact same way that I did. I found people who not only wanted to talk about it but who also wanted to do something about it. And I made changes in my life, difficult ones that changed the way our farm looked, in order to make sure we could survive in the current climate and still produce food for our community. We’re still working through things but by connecting with others I feel like I am so much better prepared to handle the most difficult of seasons and that I am not alone in any of this.
How do you think farmers and their support networks can better support each other?
We may not always have solutions for each other but just listening to someone who is having a hard time can help them to feel less alone. Making sure that we not only share when we are struggling, to help other farmers to feel safe in opening up themselves, but also being available when someone else is in need of support. I believe that creating more space for farmers to gather and talk with each other (events that bring farmers together but also allow for time to chat with each other).
What’s one small thing you do to take care of your mental health on a regular basis?
My family and I like to go for walks through the woods on weekends. I find that being out in nature, but in a setting other than my farm, helps to disconnect from stressors and reconnect with people who fill my cup.
What’s one piece of advice you’d give to someone — whether they’re a farmer or supporting farmers — who’s struggling?
No matter how unique you think your situation is, you are not alone. There are so many farms out there; big, small, focused on one sector or a mixed operation, multigenerational and first generation, all working through many of the same issues that you are. Reach out to those around you either in your community or online that may be able to give suggestions as to what works for them or potentially point you in the direction of a program or representative that may be able to further assist you.
See you next time!
Stay tuned for more stories in our Community Spotlight series, and if their words resonated with you, consider sharing this blog post with someone who might need to hear it.
#WeTalkWeGrow
*Note: This interview was completed before the provincial restrictions on wooded areas were put in place to support wildfire prevention.
