The holiday season, sometimes “dark” in Manitoba’s fields

While the holiday season is synonymous with times of celebration for most Manitobans, out in the snowy fields of the province, the picture is not always so rosy.

Christmas can be a really dark time. The days are short and with the cold and the work, it can be depressing for many people.explains Alain Philippot, a dairy producer from the south of the province.

This year, it’s going really well. We have mild weather, there is a lot of snow, which is encouraging for spring humidityhe says.

If Mr. Philippot says he is doing well, that has not always been the case, he admits. The holiday season has already looked a lot more dark on his farm in Saint-Claude, located about a hundred kilometers southwest of Winnipeg.

At this time of year, when I was younger, I suffered from anxiety quite oftenhe says. But with time and help from my doctor, I was able to get through it.

I take medication to keep me in a good place and it’s probably something I’ll have to do for the rest of my life. But, it gives me the opportunity to do my work, to enjoy life.

Not everyone understands the circumstances of farmers.

Saving support

It is precisely to enable farmers to obtain help from professionals with a good knowledge of the agricultural world that the provincial program for the well-being of farmers, the Manitoba Farmer Wellness Programwas launched in 2022.

It allows a farmer, a member of his family or an employee of a family farm to have access to a specialized counselor in the event of psychological distress, explains the president of the program, Marcel Hacault.

When you find that the task is insurmountable and you really need a helping hand to continue […] We offer a service to help farmers be stronger, so that their farm grows, then the family is strong, and then to continue the great task of feeding Manitobans and Canadians.

The organization offers up to nine free one-hour consultations with one of its counselors.

The difference with our system is […] that they already know exactly what you’re talking about […] they already know what the agricultural profession ishe explains. They are there to support you and put strategies in place so that you can continue.

In 2024, Mr. Hacault estimates, the farmers’ well-being program will have helped nearly 150 people from all agricultural sectors and all regions of the province.

For Mr. Philippot, That’s what’s most important about mental health, that we should talk to each other about it and then find help..

The dairy producer deplores that, in our society, it is really a taboo to talk about mental health.

The more we talk, the more people we find who help us.

Mr. Philippot says he is lucky to have been able to get help in time, which allows him to spend quality time with his family at Christmas.

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With the help of his son, Nicolas, who intends to take over the family farm, and a new employee, the dairy producer is delighted to work much less than before.

We take all our days off nowhe said.

In his opinion, this is get used to the routine, then the demands [du secteur agricole]then finding joy in things a little different than everyone else.

With information from Rachid Nahli