When the Pressure Is On: Support That Fits Farm Life
Friday, October 30, 2026
Reference: Impact Farming
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When the Pressure Is On: Support That Fits Farm Life
Farmer mental health awareness has come a long way, but are we doing enough to make support accessible in the realities of farm life?
On this episode of The Impact Farming Show, Tracy sits down with Shawna Percy, Ontario farmer, mental health and suicide prevention specialist, and founder of Ag Care Connect, to explore how support can better meet farmers where they’re at. Shawna brings together her experience in agriculture and more than 15 years of work in mental health and suicide prevention to help address the challenges facing farmers and farm families.
Farmers often work alone, carry enormous responsibilities and face barriers that can make reaching out for help difficult. So what does support look like when someone is short on time, values their privacy or isn't ready to ask for help?
Shawna shares the story behind Ag Care Connect, a free initiative created by producers, for producers, offering practical, agriculture-specific resources that people can access on their own terms.
In This Episode We Discuss:
- Why raising awareness about farmer mental health is only part of the solution
- The barriers that prevent farmers from seeking support
- Ag Care Connect and its free, agriculture-specific resources
- Why early support matters before someone reaches a crisis
- How to approach a neighbour, employee, friend or family member who may be struggling
- The role of agricultural communities in supporting farmer well-being
- How we can make meaningful progress in farmer mental health
Together, we discuss the importance of early support, how to approach someone we’re concerned about, and why improving farmer mental health requires more than simply asking individuals to become more resilient.
Because supporting farmer well-being means making help accessible before a crisis and building an agricultural community where people feel comfortable reaching out.
Thanks for tuning in,
Tracy
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Show Resources
Explore Ag Care Connect: Learn about Shawna Percy's free, agriculture-specific initiative, created by producers for producers, offering practical mental health resources and accessible support for farmers and farm families.
🌐https://agcareconnect.ca/
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Thank You to our Show Sponsor
Here at The Impact Farming Show, our goal is to bring our audience the people and ideas that will IMPACT their farming operation. We couldn't do it without the continued support of our sponsors that are committed to supporting our show and our shared vision of helping farmers succeed.
Please take a moment to check out this week's show sponsor: Farm Credit Canada
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About our Guest:
Shawna Percy
Ontario Farmer, Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Specialist, and Founder of Ag Care Connect
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* Disclaimer - As always, this information is not intended to provide business or medical advice. To ensure that your own circumstances have been properly considered and that action is taken based on the latest information available, you should obtain professional advice from qualified business or medical professionals before acting on any of the information in this post.
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The Impact Farming Show
Welcome to Impact Farming, Farm Marketer's video and audio show dedicated to helping Canadian farmers excel in the business of farming. Our goal with this show is to introduce our audience to the people and ideas that are going to make an IMPACT on their farming operation.
Show Host - Tracy Brunet
CEO of Farm Marketer
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Tracy and her husband are cattle ranchers in South East, Manitoba. As host of the show, primary producer and agvocate, Tracy is passionate about helping farmers succeed in the business of farming.
In each episode, Tracy chats with today's most successful farm advisors and industry leaders to bring our audience the best and most important ideas.
Connect with Tracy Brunet - Twitter / Facebook / Instagram / Linked in
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