A peer-to-peer platform for people in the agriculture industry to share their struggles with mental health, has been doing well since it launched last year.
The Do More Agriculture Foundation launched “Ag Talk” at Canada’s Farm Show last June. Megz Reynolds, the Executive Director of Do More Ag, said the website has seen steady growth in terms of people signing up every month since its debut, as well as engagement.
“We of course don’t know names or anything of personal data, but we do have some of the statistics around it – understanding from the topics people are looking to talk about, being economic or money stress.” Reynolds said. “We do know that a number of people that have signed up don’t feel like they have any other type of mental health support outside of that platform, meaning they’re not talking to a professional but they’re also not talking to anyone else in their lives; and we also know that a higher percentage of those that are there have also thought about self-harm in the past 12 months as well.
“We’re really excited to see that people are there and they’re using it and they’re being able to connect to that peer-to-peer support or to mental health professionals through the platform, because the platform really was designed to be a place to connect those not yet comfortable to call a mental health professional, or to connect to traditional therapy.”
When asked how many have signed up, Reynolds says they have access to those stats from togetherall, the company powering the website, but those numbers are not going to be released.
“We want to make sure people feel safe to sign up and not feel like they’re just becoming part of a statistic by doing so,” she noted.
Ag Talk is available in English and French. When a person signs up, they can can see posts from other people, connect with individuals who are experiencing similar thoughts and feelings, as well as access a range of tools and services. Reynolds says the Ag Talk platform is the latest tool in helping breaking down barriers of mental health in the ag industry.
To check it out, visit www.domore.ag/agtalk.
