When the Pressure Is On: Support That Fits Farm Life with Shawna Percy

Farmer mental health awareness has come a long way, but are we doing enough to make support accessible in the realities of farm life?

On this episode of The Impact Farming Show, Tracy sits down with Shawna Percy, Ontario farmer, mental health and suicide prevention specialist, and founder of Ag Care Connect, to explore how support can better meet farmers where they're at. Shawna brings together her experience in agriculture and more than 15 years of work in mental health and suicide prevention to help address the challenges facing farmers and farm families.

Farmers often work alone, carry enormous responsibilities and face barriers that can make reaching out for help difficult. So what does support look like when someone is short on time, values their privacy or isn't ready to ask for help?

Shawna shares the story behind Ag Care Connect, a free initiative created by producers, for producers, offering practical, agriculture-specific resources that people can access on their own terms.

Together, we discuss the importance of early support, how to approach someone we're concerned about, and why improving farmer mental health requires more than simply asking individuals to become more resilient.

Because supporting farmer well-being means making help accessible before a crisis and building an agricultural community where people feel comfortable reaching out.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why raising awareness about farmer mental health is only part of the solution

• The barriers that prevent farmers from seeking support

• Ag Care Connect and its free, agriculture-specific resources

• Why early support matters before someone reaches a crisis

• How to approach a neighbour, employee, friend or family member who may be struggling