“AgKnow is a vital partner, and we appreciate their commitment to the well-being of our rural communities.”
— Kaitlynn Weaver, former FCSS Outreach Services Supervisor
Rooted in Community, Grown from Need
AgKnow is the Alberta Farm Mental Health Network. It has evolved into a vital initiative. This initiative supports the mental health and well-being of Alberta’s agricultural community. Its development began in response to Resolution E1-19 (2019), which called for agriculture-specific mental health services. Resolution E2-23 (2023) requested stable five-year funding for AgKnow. Resolution 9-25 (2025) asks the province to waive the matching funding requirement under SCAP for the AgKnow project. What began as a project has grown into a movement. It is reshaping how mental health is approached by agriculture and farming in Alberta.
From Discovery to Delivery
In 2023, AgKnow launched its first community engagement campaign, offering two free therapy sessions to farmers and their families. By 2024, that expanded to four sessions, with a growing network of counsellors who understand the agricultural context.
“The biggest barrier for farm families is knowing who to talk to. The customized bios and pre-screening make it easier to connect with the right counsellor.”
— Linda Hunt, AgKnow Program Director
AgKnow’s approach is different. Counsellors are selected for their understanding of farm life. Clients can use their free sessions to “shop around” until they find the right fit. “Its not just about the cost of the counselling, but also the cost to figure out what service to try. The added bonus is finding professionals that live on farm or at least rural. They have the context without needing specialized training. Additionally, the dollars are spent locally.”
2024: A Year of Community-Powered Resilience
When AgKnow faced a funding gap in 2024, the agricultural community stepped up. A call for bridge funding led to over $180,000 raised, enabling the program to continue delivering vital services.
Breakdown of 2024 Contributions:
- 25% from 21 Rural Municipalities
- 34% from 9 Agriculture Associations
- 27% from 9 Businesses
- 14% from 20 private donors
Thanks to this support, AgKnow was able to:
- Retain 3 full-time staff through October 2024
- Deliver 155 farm-informed counselling sessions
- Host 39 events reaching ~1,500 participants
- Add 11 new resources to its website
- Launch a charitable fund partnership
- Maintain a 50% open rate on newsletters to 1,100+ subscribers
“2024 was a challenging year for resourcing, but it was also an amazing example of rural values and culture. We couldn’t have done it without you.”
— Linda Hunt, AgKnow Program Director
Letter to Stakeholders from AgKnow re 2024
AgKnow Counselling report March 2025
AgKnow Event delivery report July 2025
Looking Ahead: Beyond the Project
AgKnow’s need to build operational capacity is abundantly clear. This includes developing a more diverse funding strategy to create stability for staff. Work has already begun to leverage partnerships to increase passive income streams. It will provide other avenues of revenue like charitable donations. This will move Agknow from a project to a program.
On July 24, AgKnow will host “Beyond the Project,” an online stakeholder discussion. The aim is to focus priorities and explore approaches. They want to move to a longer-term initiative. The goal is to build a model with diverse funding and operational stability. This model should have the capacity to meet the needs of stakeholders.
“It’s time to stop talking and start building. I want my community to thrive.”
— Linda Hunt
How You Can Help
• Share this story with your networks
• Donate or sponsor a session
• Join the July 24 event : Register
AgKnow has shown what’s possible when a community comes together.
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