Whether it’s accessing resources for yourself, or pointing a farmer in the right direction, AgKnow is your key partner in the evolving landscape of farm mental health. Our goal is to increase resiliency in farming communities, de-stigmatize mental health through a farm-focused referral network, and stay connected with all stakeholders in the Albertan agriculture industry.

Dr. Rebecca Purc-Stephenson is an Applied Social Psychologist and Professor in the Department of Social Sciences at the University of Alberta’s Augustana Campus, located in Camrose, Alberta. She is also a research associate of the Alberta Centre for Sustainable Rural Communities.

More recently, she has narrowed her research to one industry:agriculture. Working with community partners across the province and collaborating with other researchers across Canada, she is examining the experience of mental health among agricultural producers, veterinarians, and farm families and identifying ways to build their resilience to ongoing stressors. This line of research is a natural fit as she has lived on a farm, worked as a farm labourer on large livestock operations (including a turkey farm) and smaller family-run farms, and is a survivor of a childhood farming accident.