Thank you very much.
Good morning. I'd like to thank this committee for undertaking this study. I'm grateful to have been asked here today.
This committee has heard from academic experts such as Andria Jones-Bitton. You have heard the overarching statistics that demonstrate that we need to address this problem. I want to use this opportunity today to share my personal journey in hopes of giving those statistics a face.
I returned to my family's pig farm in 2010 after completing my Master of Science degree in agricultural economics. In 2012 I planned and executed an expansion of the business. The project did not go well. A combination of poor performance and difficult market conditions drastically eroded our family's financial position.
The financial stress triggered a depressive period. The bottom for me came on a cold winter morning in December 2012. I had an extension cord in my hand, walking through the barn, trying to figure out where I could hang myself. In my darkest moment, a voice fought through and convinced me to call my parents for help, which started my pathway to recovery.
My treatment was unconventional. I walked away from farming. I travelled to Kenya to reset my outlook on the world. Then I worked in the political world, first as a candidate in the provincial election in 2014 in Ontario and then as a policy adviser to the Honourable Jeff Leal at Queen's Park in the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.
Today I operate lmani Farms, a diversified hog production company that produces conventional and niche market hogs, generating over $3.6 million in direct economic activity while supporting approximately 15 full-time-equivalent jobs through direct employment and contract production arrangements.
Understanding mental health requires acceptance that it is unlike other medical issues because of the individual nature of each case. Both the triggers and solutions will vary from situation to situation, but I would like to share what I see as some shared agricultural stressors.
As farmers, we are exposed to a multitude of uncontrollable risk vectors. Disease, weather, and geopolitical issues can all impact our bottom line, while the tools to mitigate these risks are very limited.
Another stressor stems from what I would describe as legacy pressures. One of my greatest sources of pride is that I am a sixth-generation farmer; however, one of my greatest fears is that I will be the generation responsible for destroying the family farm, that I would become responsible for destroying years of hard work by previous generations by losing the farm. This issue is complex, full of nuance and goes far beyond simple financial considerations.
Finally, there is the difficulty with understanding our consumers. While public opinion polls may indicate a supportive public, the rapidly growing distrust that people have of modern food production has fostered poor public policy choices and has forced farmers to defend the very tools that ensure Canadians have access to a safe, affordable, and healthy food supply.
We are the first generation of producer that has to defend making food cheaper. Saskatchewan dairy farmer Cam Houle summed up this paradox well by saying, "Farming is the art of losing money while working 400 hours a month feeding people that think you're trying to kill them."
Beyond a confusing general public, there is also a small minority of people who attack my integrity and question my morality because I raise animals for food. Our ancestors only had to worry about weather and prices. Today, we farmers have the added worry of being a target of an extreme activist, something that takes a serious toll on me mentally.
What can be done by you to help address this situation? As a livestock farmer, I say the first thing the Government of Canada should do is prioritize the development of a national livestock insurance plan that would allow me to have coverage for major disease disasters, as my crop farming colleagues have. Our greatest threat to financial stability in our farm is animal health, and AgriStability cuts by the previous government neutered the program's ability to act as a de facto insurance program for livestock farmers. Alternatively to a national insurance plan, the restoration of reference margins within AgriStability to 85% could help alleviate some of the challenges.
I recognize that the federal government does not normally deliver health care directly to Canadians. However, I would propose a $25-million fund within Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada for the creation of a front-line response system for Canadian farmers and their families.
Funds should be directed to build capacity within rural and remote communities on platforms that are accessible to farmers regardless of location, while partnering with the groups already focusing on this specific issue, even if they are outside the traditional health care delivery system.
I want to thank you for this time this morning. I look forward to your questions and will make myself available following this meeting for any members or staff wishing to speak further.