Column

Finding connection and combating loneliness on the farm

According to the 2021 Canadian Social Survey on Loneliness in Canada, of the one in 10 Canadians who reported frequent loneliness, 49% also reported poorer mental health and lower levels of overall life satisfaction. This survey highlights the widespread issue of loneliness among the general Canadian population. Meanwhile, farming is often seen as a solitary […]

COLUMN: Politics, agriculture and the women of it all

by Judith De Vor A column about politics, isn’t that boring? Well, maybe… but it is also important. This year is particularly significant because it’s an election year: elections are happening in India, Europe, and the United States. Recently, the elections for a new European Parliament took place, where voters can choose political parties in […]

Grief is a wave and a freight train

Erica Leniczek on how to deal with grief “It doesn’t matter what you do, eventually you lose everyone in your life or they lose you.” The reality of that quote is that it’s true. Either everyone loses us or we lose everyone. We are set up with neurological processes to handle loss and grief […]

Unravelling unconscious bias: It starts with us

by Melanie Epp When I was a kid, I loved riddles. I remember one that really stumped me. It went something like this: A father and son get into a serious automobile accident. The father dies on the way to the hospital. The boy requires surgery. In the operating room, the surgeon said, “I […]

Is it difficult to be a female CEO in agriculture in Australia?

By Melinda Hashimoto, CEO, Egg Farmers of Australia For this article I was asked the question, is it difficult to be a female CEO in Australian Agriculture? The answer incorporates a number of elements. CEO is a generic term but there can be a vast difference in the roles of a CEO from one […]

Tools to deal with (seasonal) loneliness

A column on mental health by Erica Leniczek First off, cheers to a New Year to everyone! Holidays are often a time where people gather with loved ones, celebrate, give, and eat lots of yummy foods. For some, however, the holiday season can be missing loved ones, lonely, and filled with financial stress, and […]

Teaching an old dog new tricks

by Melanie Epp I grew up in a household where my parents frequently categorised tasks as ‘men’s work’ and ‘women’s work.’ In a family of five kids and two dogs, dividing work in a way that caused the least amount of fuss was understandable – necessary, even. For most of my childhood, I never even […]

Happy first birthday, Women in Ag Magazine!

on International Women’s Day March 8, International Women’s Day. But also the day the first issue of Women in Ag Magazine was published, exactly one year ago. A symbolic date to launch a magazine for and about women in an industry where gender inequality is still a major stumbling block. While we have published beautiful […]

What’s in a name?

by Melanie Epp A few months ago, a lively debate unfolded on Twitter about the term ‘farm wife’. As I’m neither a farmer nor a wife, I decided to keep quiet. But I did follow the conversation closely. It all started when Canadian farmer Megz Reynolds posted this tweet: I’m not sure what led Megz […]

Strengthening mental health at home

by Melanie Epp As most farm families know well, farm life can be both demanding and stressful. Add to that the burden of adverse weather events, fluctuating commodity prices, family hardships, and a global health crisis, and you’ve got the makings of a mental health catastrophe. But what all of these things have in common […]