Farmers and agriculture workers from across the Pontiac and beyond gathered on Thursday night for a social held in support of farmers’ mental health.

There was live country music, snacks, and good conversation. The owners of the host farm, Pure Conscience, gave a tour of the grounds, including their signature livestock — yaks.

The event was put on by Écoute Agricole, a non-profit organization that offers mental health support to people working in the agricultural community.

Blake Draper, who owns a cattle farm in the Municipality of Pontiac, was among those mingling with their neighbours at the event.

He said he made the trip to attend the event “just to visit with other farmers.”

“You work alone a lot. And a lot of the time everybody . . .

feels like they have to work alone,” Draper said.

“We’ve seen too many farmers over the years that haven’t made it. They didn’t survive, either they’re taking their own life or just throwing up their hands and walking away from family, friends, everything.”

He said events like these are important because they give farmers a place to talk about the stresses of the job.

Draper enjoyed getting out and talking to some fellow farmers about their experiences with mental health.

“When you get talking, you hear of what others are going through,” he said, adding that they can help each other try to solve problems. “Maybe somebody has some answers for them.”

Gema Villavicencio is one of the owners of Pure Conscience Farm. She says there are many things contributing to stress among farmers.

“Farmers are going through a lot of issues right now,” she said, citing financial stress, decreasing numbers and environmental factors.

She says there’s a long way to go before there’s a healthy support network for farmers, and she appreciates the work Écoute Agricole is doing to try and fill that void.