How do you feel today? When I wake up and see the sunshine, I thank God for getting me here for another day. The rest of the day is up to me. I can be happy or sad, but the day is more enjoyable if you meet everybody with a smile. Some people seem to enjoy complaining about something and spend a lot of time looking for something to complain about. I enjoy helping someone else smile. As an old saying goes, it is more blessed to give than to receive. In the times we are in now, (things are expensive, the dollar don’t seem to go as far as it used to), there seems to be too many people looking for a job that has a shorter work week, longer holidays, better work “packages” and this leads to a less productive enterprise and higher cost per “whatever” is produced.
We are losing too many manufacturing jobs to some country, state, or province where t-shirts, cars, or tractors can be sold for less than ours can. No, I don’t think that work safety should be thrown to the wind or that employees shouldn’t get any sick leave. Most employees take pride in being part of a team that can produce more and better, and if it takes a few extra minutes to finish a project, that gesture is quickly noticed by the owners. Some companies even expect their employees to spend 30 per cent of their work time learning something new.
I have represented our farmers that grow different crops, have beef or dairy, or a hundred other farm products. Shortly after I started to represent farmers, I was shocked to find out that farming was the most dangerous occupation (worse than the military, police officers, or firefighters). After studying over a hundred different accidents that resulted in death, I came to the conclusion that farmers were trying to be more efficient than their neighbours. If they had thought an extra second before making that fatal move, they would still be living. I have known farmers, (successful farmers) who ran the silo unloader, the barn cleaner, and milked alone all at the same time. I never was that ambitious. While talking to the local veterinarian, I asked him what he thought was the best improvement needed on the farms that he visited. His immediate response was better handling facilities for working and treating animals so nobody gets hurt.
At all the farm safety, mental fatigue, and suicide prevention information events that I have been involved in, the room was filled with farm wives and daughters, nurses, and health professionals, but very seldom did a male farmer ever attend. Was it because farmers thought that attending an event talking about mental fatigue or suicide prevention might be a sign of weakness? Men are supposed to be the big tough guys who nothing bothers, but a very large per cent of all farm-related suicides are men. Of all the tragedies – bankruptcies, hail storms, drought, a sickness or death in the family – a farm-related suicide was the most difficult mental experience that anyone ever experiences. I have helped offer a half dozen training sessions for an evening, a day, or maybe two full days that address both mental fatigue, and suicide prevention. Coaching families of a suicide victim is job for a much more specialized person than I am.
Often, in both seeding and harvest times, farmers work very long hours that continue into the next day. A visit from a partner, child, or neighbour with a hot coffee and a doughnut might be a lifesaver to a farmer. Working alone for long hours can be deadly for a farmer checking equipment when it is running. Not getting the crops planted before a wet week in spring can cost the farmer a reduction in yield and embarrassment if he is the only one in the community that way. Not getting the fall crops off before another wet week or a foot of snow can make both the farmer and the banker uneasy.
Suicide victims may have struggled with feelings of uselessness. Maybe former promises fell through that will affect the viability of the farm. Maybe a valued employee found a better, higher paying job. Maybe children that everyone thought were going to take over the farm got married and moved on. Maybe the marriage fell apart. Maybe there were some very expensive machinery breaks that all happened unexpectedly. Maybe the bank manager changed and the new one was much more difficult to work with. Maybe the political position of a neighbouring country changed, and the commodity markets plunged. Maybe that farmer is just burnt out with no time to chat with either family or neighbours. Many suicides have been planned for some time and not even the family noticed a change in mood. Often the milk truck driver or the cattle buyer notices a change when family members miss them.
Take time to talk to and visit friends and neighbours. Tell family members how much you depend on their expertise and how much you love them. Take time to attend information days because it offers a little break and a chance to see that you don’t have the answers to all the problems. Often one new idea can make you more money than a hard day’s work at home. Spend time with the family – time passes too quickly. Play music and read; it gives your brain a break. Farmers have done their part to make crops grow. Take time to thank God for also helping. Everyone is needed.
Chris Judd is a farmer in Clarendon on land that has been in his family for generations.
