AgTalk, an anonymous online space for those in the agricultural sector to find mental health support, has seen its funding partnership renewed, the Do More Agriculture Foundation announced on Tuesday.
“I explain AgTalk as the farmer coffee row… backed by trained clinicians. Anyone involved in agriculture is welcome,” said Do More Ag executive director Merle Massie in a news release.
“You don’t have to be in crisis to find AgTalk useful and powerful. We are proud to work with our partners to build a space where people can be themselves, and welcome, without masking what they’re feeling and pretending to be OK.”
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BASF Canada, the RBC Foundation and the McCain Foundation have renewed commitments to support AgTalk, which is backed by online mental health support community Togetherall.
The platform provides a safe, anonymous space for people over the age of 16 to connect, share struggles, stories and advice, and to receive support, according to Do More Ag’s website. It’s monitored around the clock by clinicians.
Do More Ag launched the platform in 2023. Since then, AgTalk has seen more than 10,000 interactions, the news release says.
The top five issues for AgTalk users mentioned are stress, depression, anxiety and relationships.
More than 60 per cent of AgTalk users are not receiving any formal mental health support and one third of users don’t access any mental health support outside of AgTalk. One in three users had considered suicide.
“In agriculture, where long hours, unpredictable conditions and high stakes are part of daily life, talking about mental health can be difficult. Too often, members of our community face these challenges in silence and feel isolated. That’s why platforms like AgTalk matter,” said BASF Canada vice president Leta LaRush.
