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Help for Farmers and Their Families on the Way
November 2000
On November 27, the Ontario Farm Women's Network launched
The Farm Line, a toll free telephone help-line for Ontario farmers and their families. The confidential help-line, 1-888-451-2903 provides:
- Personal, career and financial information, support and help for farmers and their families when they need it most
- Easy access to a network of professionals who provide personal, career and financial services to farmers and farm families
- Critical incident stress teams for on-site debriefing and counselling services to help people deal with their normal reactions (ie. emotional, behavioural, social and physical symptoms such as difficulty concentrating, depression, sadness, or physical ailments such as headaches and chest pain) to abnormal accidents/events
Modeled after the 1-800 Farm Line created by the Saskatchewan Government in 1992, the Ontario wide Farm Line will meet many of the same needs identified in Saskatchewan in the early 90s. Ontario farmers have faced many challenges including most notably the Pork Crisis and the Ice Storm of 1998. Also, with the closure of many of Ontario Ministry of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs rural offices, farmers have lost the one-to-one support once provided by OMAFRA's local field staff and offices. This year's terrible weather conditions and poor crops is leaving many cash crop farmers in dire financial straits. Farmers seem to be the target of environmental issues such as the tragedy in Walkerton. Multinational Corporations are rapidly gaining ground and threatening the viability of the family farm. Research has shown that the rural areas of Ontario are severely underserviced. We have 25% of the population yet only 10% of medical and mental health service providers. Accessibility is another barrier with transportation and geographic distance being the main reasons why many people do not have access to specialized services.
The Farm Line is the result of the 1999 Farm Family Psycho-Social Economic Health Research Project completed by the Ontario Farm Women's Network with the help of other rural and farm organizations including the OFA, CFFO, Farm Safety Association, University of Guelph and Kemptville College. One of the key findings of this study was the need for a communication tool in times of stress specific to the agricultural community; these may include a fatal farm accident, barn fire, commodity market collapse, intergenerational issues or a natural disaster.
The Farm line is for farmers and their families as Employee Assistance Programs is for employees in other industries such as banking, manufacturing, telecommunications, health and education. The Farm Line provides confidential help to people when they need it most. The toll-free hot line provides easy access to personal, career and financial information and support over the phone and referral to local specialists when needed. In addition, a critical incident team can be dispatched to deliver debriefing and counselling services on-site after a serious incident. For example, a team professional and peer counsellors will come to the site of a serious farm accident or tragedy to assist loved ones deal with their emotional, behavioural, social and physical reactions to the horrible event.
The Farm Line is possible thanks to the financial support of the Ontario Trillium Foundation, the Canadian Agriculture Safety Program, OMAFRA, the Canadian Rural Partnership Pilot Project. The Farm Line is presently open from 8:30 am to 8:00 pm Monday to Thursday. The goal is to be open sixty hours per week: Monday to Friday from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm. The toll free number is 1-888-451-2903
For more information, visit the Farm Line Web site at www.thefarmline.ca or contact OFWN Project Liaison Susan Klein-Swormink at 613-448-3436
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