Agriculture Committee on Jan. 29th, 2019

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

Good morning, everyone. Welcome to the beginning of this session.

I want to wish everyone a happy new year. Hopefully you had some time to recharge your batteries and have some time with your family.

Today is going to be our final meeting on mental health challenges. Pursuant to Standing Order 108(2) and the motion adopted by the committee on Monday, April 23, 2018, the committee is resuming its study of the mental health challenges that Canadian farmers, ranchers and producers face.

I would like to welcome Ms. Shanahan, who is replacing Mr. Peschisolido.

With us today we have from 4-H Canada, Erin Smith, interim chief executive officer and director of programs; and Elizabeth Jarvis.

Thank you for being here.

From Farm Credit Canada, by video, we have Michael Hoffort, president and chief executive officer.

Can you hear me, Mr. Hoffort?

[Michael Hoffort, President and Chief Executive Officer, Farm Credit Canada]

I can. Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

Thank you for being here.

Also, by teleconference, from Farm Management Canada, we have Heather Watson, executive director.

Can you hear us, Ms. Watson?

[Heather Watson, Executive Director, Farm Management Canada]

I sure can. Good morning, everyone.

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

Good morning. Thank you for being there.

We shall start with the opening statements of six minutes each.

If you want to lead the way, Ms. Smith, go ahead, please.

[Erin Smith, Interim Chief Executive Officer and Director of Programs, 4-H Canada]

Good morning, and thank you to the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food for welcoming us here today to participate in the study on mental health in the agriculture sector.

My name is Erin Smith. I'm the interim CEO of 4-H Canada, as well as the director of national programs.

4-H Canada has over 100 years of history in the agricultural sector, bridging generations and building deep community roots. Over that time, we have evolved. We are one of Canada's most respected positive youth development organizations, delivering relevant programming to more than 25,000 youth across Canada in the areas of agriculture, food security, science, technology, environmental sustainability, healthy living, communications and community engagement.

While 4-H has changed over the years, our agricultural ties have not, as 83% of our youth members across Canada live in rural and agricultural communities, with 51% of those living on farms. We know that these rural and agricultural youth, when compared to their urban peers, face additional risk factors and barriers.

It is estimated that one in five Canadian youth are affected by a mental illness or disorder and that suicide accounts for 24% of all deaths among 15- to 24-year-olds. This is the third-highest youth suicide rate in the industrialized world. Research also tells us that rural youth under the age of 20 are four to six times more likely to complete suicide than those living in urban areas.

While only one out of five Canadian children requiring mental health services receives them, for rural youth this is an even greater challenge, for three main reasons. One, there are fewer services available in their communities. Two, transportation and access to those services are often limited. Three, when services are available, rural youth may be less willing than urban youth to use them. This may possibly be due to concerns of confidentiality and anonymity in small communities.

In consultation, 4-H youth across Canada have identified mental health as one of their greatest challenges and have indicated the need for more support and resources in this area. In their own words, they say they are stressed out about being stressed out. They sometimes feel discouraged about talking about or experiencing their own stresses when compared to some of the adult stresses. They are not fully experienced to deal with the big things in life. Sometimes they will need someone to step in, support them or lead the way. They want to be listened to and respected, but they aren't adults yet and sometimes they need help.

Well, 4-H Canada is listening and responding to the needs of the youth members we serve.

We are incredibly proud of our newest partnership with Farm Credit Canada. The generous support of FCC will contribute to the launch of 4-H Canada's healthy living initiative, which focuses on supporting the mental and physical well-being of 4-H members across Canada. This investment and that of industry partners like UFA Co-operative Limited, Corteva Agriscience, the agriculture division of Dow, Dupont and Cargill, as well as Employment and Social Development Canada, will ensure that 4-H Canada is able to address the needs identified by our 4-H youth.

The healthy living initiative will roll out in three phases, each focusing on a different area of well-being. Phase one is already under way and focuses on mental health. It will provide 4-H leaders with the tools and supports they need to recognize youth mental health issues and connect young people to resources. Working with our strategic partner, Kids Help Phone, 4-H leaders will have greater capacity-building opportunities, and youth will have access to the education, tools and opportunities they need to develop strengths and navigate the challenges they face.

Phases two and three will be launched later this year and will focus on active living and nutritional health. We recognize that mental health has strong correlations to overall well-being and believe that taking a holistic approach will be incredibly beneficial to 4-H youth, as they develop the knowledge and skills to empower them in their pursuit of healthy living.

A 2006 study conducted in eastern Ontario by Armstrong and Manion confirms the importance of positive youth-adult partnerships, noting that youth engagement in extra-curricular activities is a protective factor against rural youth suicide. In rural areas, youth engagement can empower youth to build resilience, strengthen their sense of identity and purpose, and develop other skills that will serve them throughout their lives. These are all key developmental assets that the 4-H movement is based upon, contributing to overall well-being and helping youth build coping strategies that they need when facing mental health challenges.

Given that more than half of youth members surveyed by 4-H Canada indicate their desire to pursue careers in the agriculture sector, we can't afford not to invest meaningfully in the well-being and future of our rural youth. In this regard, we are gratified to see the recent creation of the new rural economic development department, and we congratulate Minister Jordan on her appointment.

We believe this represents a unique opportunity for the government to invest further in the future of rural youth by supporting organizations such as 4-H in continuing to deliver skill-building and career-focused programs. We look forward to working more with the agriculture industry, rural communities, the government and industry experts in child and youth mental health, as well as the 4-H movement across Canada. Together, we can help ensure that youth in rural communities have access to the caring adults, the programs and the resources they need to not only survive but thrive.

Thank you very much.

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

Thank you very much, Ms. Smith.

You must have practised that, because you're right on six minutes. That's great.

[Erin Smith]

Oh, that's good. I have my fearless leader here, my co-pilot.

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

It was a good job.

Now we have, with Farm Credit Canada, Michael Hoffort.

[Michael Hoffort]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Good morning, everyone.

It's a pleasure to be back before the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food on behalf of Farm Credit Canada. My name is Michael Hoffort. I'm the president and CEO of Farm Credit Canada or FCC as you may know us.

I last spoke to you in June when I outlined FCC's plans to address mental health challenges faced by Canadian farmers, ranchers and producers. Today I'm pleased to provide you with an update. I'm also honoured to be here with our partners from 4-H Canada and Farm Management Canada.

FCC supports the industry and its customers by being more than just a lender. Our deep commitment to agriculture means we care about the wellness of our customers. We make our customer support programs available following agricultural disasters like floods and droughts. The ag crisis fund has supported hundreds of customers dealing with unexpected difficult circumstances like a farm accident or a death in the family.

When it came to mental health, we knew that we could do more. We set out to support awareness and access to mental health resources for those in the agriculture industry. By collaborating with industry partners, FCC is helping to remove the stigma around mental health. We're focused on promoting general awareness of mental health, encouraging dialogue and enabling people throughout the agriculture industry to seek support if they need it.

FCC partnered with mental health experts and relied on customer research to guide our decisions on how to design a mental health publication, public service announcements and partnerships with interested groups.

Earlier this year FCC contributed $50,000 to the Do More Ag Foundation to fund 12 mental health first aid workshops. One hundred and two applications were received, a clear indication that rural communities see the need for this knowledge and training. Those who go through the workshop will be trained to help someone who's experiencing a mental health problem or crisis. The evidence behind mental health first aid training shows that it builds mental health literacy, decreases stigmatizing attitudes, and helps people identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illness. The workshops begin in February and they will run until April.

We're also excited to partner with 4-H Canada in the launch of their healthy living initiative, which will begin this year. As we just heard, this program supports the emotional and physical well-being of rural youth across Canada. It's an investment in our young people who will play a large role in shaping the future of Canadian agriculture.

Another important initiative is the publication titled “Rooted in Strength”, and I believe you all received one on your chairs today. At FCC we're not mental health experts, so the booklet was created with the assistance of people who are. Those experts included psychologists and mental health groups, and 176,000 copies of the booklet were mailed to Canadian producers last November. The publication offers personal stories as well as tools producers can use to better understand and address their own mental health challenges. The publication has been well received and is described by many in the industry as a “must-read booklet”.

In addition to the publication, we created a series of print and radio public service announcements that direct people to resources they can access in times of need. We're honoured that Canadian country music recording artist Paul Brandt offered to voice the English radio spots for us, knowing that his endorsement will go a long way in amplifying these messages with a rural audience.

The response we've received from the agriculture community since the mental health initiatives began shows the need for this conversation. Producers have said they appreciate FCC acting as a catalyst to encourage dialogue and promote awareness of available resources. FCC is committed to supporting the agriculture industry and proud to partner with others who share our mission.

FCC is also committed to supporting our employees. Mental health first aid training is offered to managers so that they're equipped to help their staff. The training is extended to front-line staff as well to help them serve our customers. We're also assessing our internal practices against the 13 factors of psychological health and safety in the workplace, as approved by the Standards Council of Canada. These are the same standards recognized by the Government of Canada joint task force on mental health in the workplace. This will help determine next steps in our mental health strategy. This is also FCC's second annual mental health awareness week. The focus this year is on taking care of ourselves and our families. The week includes daily articles aimed at employees and managers to help raise awareness and increase comfort in using services like our employee and family assistance program and the Kids Help Phone.

Tomorrow is Bell's Let's Talk Day, when Canadians engage in a national dialogue around mental health. FCC will participate on social media by sharing our content from the “Rooted in Strength” publication and launching three new mental-health-focused videos. We will also share a special edition of our online customer newsletter focused on mental health.

FCC is also partnering with Farm Management Canada to explore the connection between business management practices and mental health and the benefits of executing a mental health study to gain more insights on this front. At FCC, we're committed to agriculture. We're here for the industry and for our customers. We will continue to be a steady partner, both in times of celebration and in times of challenge.

I would like to thank you for the opportunity to speak to you today. I look forward to any questions the committee may have.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

Thank you, Mr. Hoffort.

Now, from Farm Management Canada, we have Ms. Heather Watson, by telephone.

[Heather Watson]

Mr. Chairman and honourable members, and colleagues, Erin, Liz and Mike, thank you for inviting Farm Management Canada to speak before you today.

I'm Heather Watson, executive director of FMC, and I'm sorry I couldn't be there in person. We are pleased to provide an update on the collaborative project with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada that will explore the link between mental health and its impact on farm business management decisions.

As a brief reminder of our mission and mandate, FMC was established in 1992 to increase the awareness and adoption of farm business management practices to position Canada's farmers for sustainable growth and competitiveness.

As we stated in our testimony in October, we see an inherent connection between mental health and farm business management. We're happy to announce that we have recently secured a three year contribution agreement under the AgriCompetitiveness program with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, which includes a number of initiatives that explore the connection between mental health and farm business management. We have started to gain valuable insight into this topic already.

In November, in anticipation of our agreement, we hosted a healthy farmer, healthy farm discussion panel at our annual agricultural excellence conference in Winnipeg, where we welcomed 289 delegates. Gerry Friesen, the self-proclaimed “recovering farmer”, shared his compelling story. He spoke of his struggle with mental health as a hog farmer and the effects it has had on him, his family, his farm and his community.

We learned that while someone's striving for success and encountering challenges can have a negative effect on their mental health, likewise, achieving success and the immense pressure to grow the business and continue the farm and family legacy can also compromise mental health. Understanding oneself, including one's limitations and needs, is crucial. Gerry has since left farming to provide counselling and crisis intervention to fellow farmers. Farm safety specialists and social workers also shared their insights on the connection between managing the farm, mental health, and opportunities to support one with the other.

With our funding agreement now secured, we're eager to commission our national study to explore this connection further. Our study is set to start April 1, 2019. However, since announcing the study in December, we have received requests from industry groups and individuals to be part of the project. As such, we are ready to issue a request for expressions of interest to provide an opportunity for anyone interested in contributing to the study to come forward.

While we know that our farmers are incredibly stressed, and we know that stress can crowd and disrupt decision-making, through this groundbreaking research we hope to further explore the factors influencing mental health, how we can support mental health through business management, how we can support business management through mental health, and the critical path forward. We further seek to explore whether demographic differences exist between regions, production sectors, gender and age, and what steps we can take to meet these individual needs.

We anticipate that this study will involve a mixture of qualitative and quantitative primary research methodologies, including interviews, focus groups, case studies and surveys. To avoid duplication of efforts and maximize resources, we are reaching out to those already working in this space in Canada and abroad. We have also started reviewing secondary research to help inform the scope, format and content of our study.

New Zealand, for example, has done some incredible work on factors that influence decision-making, as well as work on farmer mental health, leading to their farmstrong program. Recently, the American Veterinary Medical Association conducted a study on the mental health of veterinarians and recommended next steps for their industry.

We are incredibly interested in the results of the study and what the findings mean, both in terms of our approach as an organization and for the industry at large, in supporting business development, competitiveness and the adoption of farm business management practices to achieve sustainable growth for the Canadian ag sector.

Over the next three years, we are also planning to establish a national leadership development program to help farmers develop the best version of themselves, not only to build confidence but also to sustain mental health and well-being to lead and empower leadership by others. The insights gained from the mental health and farm management study will be used to inform program development.

As our funding agreement with Ag Canada is a fifty-fifty cost share basis, we continue to actively seek to secure our portion of the cost share. Since announcing the study in December, we are pleased to note that we have been in discussion with Farm Credit Canada, with plans to work together to leverage our resources for maximum reach and impact. We're looking forward to reading the committee's report on the topic as well. We would be happy to keep you informed of our progress and to report back to committee once the study is under way and/or complete.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, members and guests.

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

Thank you very much, Ms. Watson.

We'll now go to questions. I want to remind members to indicate to whom they're directing their questions, because we have one person via video and one via telephone.

We'll start with Mr. Dreeshen for six minutes.

[Earl Dreeshen, Conservative, Red Deer—Mountain View, AB]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

Thank you to all our witnesses. We certainly appreciate your interventions and this opportunity to hear what you plan to be doing while we work our way through this particular study. As we recognized Bell Let's Talk Day, I know that it was a year ago that I was honoured to first introduce this request for a study to deal with the mental health issues among farmers, ranchers and producers.

As a farmer myself, I can say this is certainly something we have seen in our communities. I'm pleased that we've had this important discussion. I thank all of the witnesses who have come forward to contribute to this report.

As was mentioned, I'm also pleased to hear that you're looking forward to hearing from this study and from all of its different aspects. These are so important, because sometimes not everything is presented. I'm sure your organizations will read through all of the testimony and understand all of the different things that have affected farmers and ranchers particularly.

I'd also like to specifically thank the amazing women farm operators who have been such strong advocates for mental health within the rural communities, as well as in their family farm operations. I think this was probably what instigated this in my mind—to know how committed these different groups were and just to make sure that things were working well in their communities.

Of course, the 4-H pledge is the head to clearer thinking, the heart to greater loyalty, the hands to larger service and, of course, the health to better living. That is for themselves and their club and, of course, for their nation. These are critical points. As a former 4-H'er, I'm so honoured that you've taken on this particular task.

In terms of the concerns that I do have, we had anticipated that some of these initiatives would come forth after our report and we had had a chance to discuss some of these issues. I think now we can simply take the commitment that all three organizations have and move forward with it and to try to give you the best facts we have. We can't lose sight of the fact that agriculture is being attacked in many different ways. There was the comment that we need to talk about food nutrition and so on. However, for many of these farm groups, we see food nutrition being compromised by some of the outside actors who are trying to take on Canadian farmers and minimize their relevance.

As a beef producer, I understand that. I certainly feel that we need to be sure to keep in mind how we will react to anti-farm activists, the social media trolls who demonize our agriculture industry, and the specific things that matter to a farm—the carbon taxes in the tens of thousands of dollars per farm, the massive red-tape hurdles, and the aggressive CRA tactics that have demonized small business owners and farmers particularly. We have to make sure that all of that is brought into the discussion. Every one of the kids in 4-H that we've spoken about hear this every day. They're not going to be hearing government messages; they're going to be hearing the messages that come around the kitchen table. They see the effects of it on their parents.

I think one of the major concerns you had, Ms. Smith, was how that affects the young person as well. Those effects arise because of what is happening in the community and what is happening around the kitchen table. I'm wondering if you can address how we will be able to use what we have seen in the study, in all of the testimony, and if in your mandate you'll be looking at ways to integrate that so that we can also find a way to push back and put some pressure on those groups that are out there simply to demonize agriculture.

[Erin Smith]

I have two ways to respond to that. The first is that I think it is such a relevant discussion to be having, considering the fact that when we surveyed them, over 50% of our 4-H members were interested in pursuing careers in the agriculture sector whether that is related to science or technology and all of the areas that impact agriculture. I think that if we are investing in our young people now, we're essentially investing in the future workforce and the health of our communities. This is a very important conversation to be having.

Our approach to our programming and to working with young people is to create platforms for them to learn all the information and to make their own informed decisions and opinions about the information out there. It's not our job necessarily to prescribe what they are going to believe or the opinions they're going to have; it's more for us to put that information in front of them and allow them to make those informed decisions, which I think is so important.

Having young people at the table to hear these kinds of conversations is our main priority. The work we do is allowing those young people to have a voice and to hear all of the different opinions and to form their own opinions.

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

Thank you, Ms. Smith.

Thank you, Mr. Dreeshen.

That's all the time we have, unfortunately.

Mr. Longfield, you have six minutes.

[Lloyd Longfield, Liberal, Guelph, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you all for being here for our final meeting. There are always more questions.

I want to focus on the research piece with Ms. Smith, if I can. You mentioned the Manion study back in 2006. I know that Dr. Manion has been working on mental health at the Royal. One of the areas he's worked on is wraparound support, looking at integrated services. How do we provide youth services that will include housing, mental health, addictions, the use of cannabis and alcohol, the cross-addictions and the adverse effects in early childhood?

Some youth mental health centres have been set up within the network. Most of them are in urban centres, but there is one in Chatham-Kent. Is that something your group has looked at in integrating or wrapping around support that the federal government possibly could be helping with?

I'll next flip over to Michael Hoffort and Heather Watson with the same question.

[Erin Smith]

We are very much looking forward to working with our strategic partner, Kids Help Phone, the experts in this field specifically when it comes to child and youth mental health. One of the great things we're so happy to be partnering with them on is access and rural youths' feeling of isolation, which is one of the main challenges. Kids Help Phone now has chat, text and calling options. That will eliminate some of the barriers youth face in accessing services directly.

The conversation about those local community-based services, especially in rural communities, is an extremely important conversation to be having with those experts in child and youth mental health. I would encourage that conversation to continue. It's not necessarily the role of 4-H. Our role is to put our young people and our volunteer leaders in touch with those services, to give them access to those services and to let them know they exist.

Through this initiative we're hoping to break that stigma so that they don't feel afraid to let us or their volunteer leaders know when they need help, when they need to talk to someone.

[Lloyd Longfield, Liberal, Guelph, ON]

That's very good. Thank you.

Mr. Hoffort, congratulations on the “Rooted in Strength” document. You've done great work there.

Would this be in terms of a national network? Andria Jones-Bitton from the University of Guelph had a recommendation for us to create a national network, which might find its way into our report—again looking at the wraparound services.

Do you have any comments on that?

[Michael Hoffort]

Regarding the specific comments on wraparound service, I have to be honest with you that I'm not extremely familiar with the recommendation. I know that some great work has been done on the subject by the University of Guelph.

We are a national organization, with 100 offices across the country, many of them in rural Canada. There are some differences in the need for services in rural Canada compared with what's available within urban centres. If there is an ability to create more support within rural Canada, I can only see that as a positive factor. A lot of what we've tried to do, for sure, is to raise awareness and to be able to direct people to where they would be able to access the services they would need.

Farm Credit Canada itself is not an expert in mental health services, as you imagine. We try to do the best we can to support and use partners to provide the extra services.

[Lloyd Longfield, Liberal, Guelph, ON]

You made that point in June, but I think you were being humble. You've really helped to bring the network together through your partnerships and the document you presented to us back in November.

Thank you for that.

[Michael Hoffort]

Thank you.

[Lloyd Longfield, Liberal, Guelph, ON]

Thank you for the great work.

Ms. Watson from Farm Management Canada, along the lines of the theme of wraparound services, I'm looking at the over 55-year-old farmers who are not wanting to give up their farms. They're at the stage of their careers where there's transition planning. On the wraparound services between generations, is that something you're working on through the farm management and leadership programs to help the older farmers and the younger farmers determine a future for the farm together?

[Heather Watson]

Yes, absolutely.

We're actually doing a program called bridging the gap. I'm in Alberta right now at FarmTech, and we're having a panel of farmers to talk about bridging the gap when it comes to moving the transition conversation forward. We're recognizing now that mental health has been put in the spotlight, thanks to FCC, and want to hold more groups like that.

We're seeing it permeate through all these conversations. It's as if that now we've recognized it, we're seeing it come up everywhere, especially in these transition conversations. There's an awful lot of pressure on the existing generation to carry on the farm legacy and hope that the next generation will do the same. There's a lot of fear that they might not be on the same page when it comes to that. But, of course, the weight of the world is resting on the current generation of farmers. The next generation, equally, is afraid of failure, and so afraid to fail their parents' and grandparents' generation.

It's a huge mental health consideration when it comes to transitioning the farm. We're definitely working on that right now. It will be part of this.

[Lloyd Longfield, Liberal, Guelph, ON]

Is that part of the three-year contribution agreement you've been awarded?