The Rural Voice, 1979-02, Page 7associated with farm transfers, is to have the two generations
talk together, sometimes with a third party sitting in. Then the
two men can discuss the farm's future together, while a
consultant like Mr. Hagarty can "Try to give them some factual
material as background."
Charles Thomas, a Brussels area farmer, suggested another
pressure on today's farmer is that "farmers have to put so much
energy into the business side of the operation."
On his own farm, which includes sons who run livestock and
feed operations, Mr. Thomas makes use of consultants to help
with the book work.
MENTALLY EXHAUSTING
David Marshall, a Kirkton area farmer, said he doesn't find
the physical side of farming as exhausting as the mental side of
the business. In other words, "Personally I don't find myself
physically rundown to the point of being in a position to cause an
accident, but I am mentally exhausted at the end of the day."
Mr. Marshall said he's found he can't do his bookkeeping at
night for that reason.
But in case we're apt to think stress is something new in
agriculture, longtime farmer Bob McKercher of RR 1, Dublin,
said there "Weren't any good old days" when it comes to
farming.
While the stress then may have been more physical in those
days and the farmer always had food on his table because he
grew his own, Mr. McKercher also says there were probably
more kids killed by horses in those days than there are on tractor
accidents today.
Perhaps one difference Mr. McKercher sees is that in the old
days, farmers had to stop to rest their horses and feed and water
them. This meant the farmer himself also had a rest. Today, of
course, the temptation is there to work long hours without a
break, since machines don't require the same sort of
maintenance as animals.
Stress then seems to be a fact of life in rural communities, the
same as it is on our urban counterparts. Perhaps the only thing
left to tackle is how to bring the problems into the open, and deal
with them.
Betty Jefferson, of RR 1, Guelph, president of the Rural
Learning Association, attended a conference at OAC a few years
ago, which focused on the problem of stress in one of their
sessions.
Men won't admit they're
suffering from stress
One fact which distressed Mrs. Jefferson was the fact 80 per
cent of the audience was women. Mrs. Jefferson said the attitude
of farmers seemed to be either that whatever stress they
encounter they work off physically or else, they simply didn't
want to talk about the subject.
Mrs. Jefferson said she has found in the past farm wives will
admit they're suffering from stress, but their husbands won't.
Also, as the isolation of farms lessens, and women are getting
out more, Betty Jefferson thinks the women are getting rid of
many of their frustrations. She isn't convinced the same is true
for men on the farm.
Bringing stress out of the closet seems to be a common
problem in communities where agriculture is the main industry.
Farmers and their families it seems are a stubborn lot, who may
believe that hard work, more than anything else, will get ride of
problems. Or there's the attitude if you don't admit there are
problems, then maybe they'll go away.
The minister we quoted earlier said he found people in his
Huron County area feel it is wrong to show much emotion, even
with something as traumatic as the death of a close relative. The
attitude to emotional problems too often is not to admit that they
exist. And, since people seem to feel guilty if they aren't hard at
work, they may either drink to exess or get sick to avoid the work
that's creating the strain.
The minister said he has found people must almost be at the
point where they can't carry on any longer before they'll come to
him to talk over what's bothering them.
"You're supposed to cope"
While the minister believes people living nearer the cities
have had more experience with a variety of mental health
agencies, he thinks it will be another 20 years before people in
the rural area will become used to seeking outside help in
dealing with stress.
Another member of Westetn Ontario's helping professions
echoes the minister's views.
First, this counsellor has found there's a general attitude in
the area that "You're supposed to cope."
Evidence that people aren't always coping with stress can be
seen in the growing rate of alcoholism, particularly among
younger people, in depression, an illness which is becoming
more and more common, and even in the growing rate of
vandalism.
The counsellor said he has found that chiropractors in the
area, "Do a land office business in treating stress."
Pressures of modern living, whether on the farm, in town or in
the heart of a big city put stress on everyone as they try and
cape. It's gradually being realized that farmers are just as likely
to feel those stresses as anyone, and also have to cope with the
pressures of extra unpredicatables like the weather, livestock
health and machinery breakdowns.
And farmers, like everyone else in modern Canadian society,
need to take advantage of all the avenues open to them to keep
stress manageable and life worth living. Agriculture is famed for
its technological and productivity advances. One of the next
challenges the industry faces could be a human one.
THE RURAL VOICE/FEBRUARY 1979 PG. 7