Manitoba Bulletin

The Manitoba Farmer Wellness Program is there for you

Farming comes with a unique set of challenges, whether it’s the unpredictability of the weather, fluctuating markets or just the sheer pressure of keeping everything running. It’s a tough job, and it can take a toll on your mental health.

Did you know that in Manitoba farmers, their immediate family members and employees can access no-cost counselling services with counsellors who understand the many challenges that come with farming? That’s right, the Manitoba Farmer Wellness Program (MFWP) was designed specifically for farmers, your families and employees to offer a safe and flexible way for you to get the help you’re looking for.

“Farming isn’t just a job; it’s a way of life. But with that comes stresses that can weigh on farmers and their families,” says Jackie Dudgeon-MacDonald, Manitoba Canola Growers’ vice president. “Having access to a program like this means people can get the support they need from someone who understands what farming life is really like. It’s not just about coping during tough times – it’s about building healthier, stronger families and communities.”

The MFWP launched in January 2022 originally offering six no-cost counselling sessions to farmers and their families in Manitoba. After overwhelming industry support during the first year and feedback from farmers, the program expanded in two ways: to offer nine no-cost sessions and to include farm employees.

In 2023, the number of farmers accessing MFWP counseling sessions doubled compared to 2022.

By 2024, participation had grown further, reaching 175 per cent of the 2023 total – nearly double.

Manitoba Canola Growers are proud to be a founding sponsor of the MFWP and to provide an Anxiety Buster donation for a third consecutive year.

“Farmers are our greatest assets, and by supporting the MFWP, we’re making sure farmers, their families and employees have a place to turn when things feel overwhelming. It’s about looking out for our farming community and showing that it’s okay to ask for help when you need it,” adds Dudgeon-MacDonald.

The true impact is best understood through experiences of those who benefit from it, like Troy Stozek from Fresh Roots Farm.

“My wife and I can’t say enough about the positive impact the MFWP has had on our lives and, by extension, our family. We are so grateful to have had the opportunity to participate in it,” Stozek says. “We now recognize the value of investing in our mental health to be able to better show up for our kids and each other. It has also helped us learn to respond in a more balanced way to the many stressful moments that arise on a farm on any given day and lean into adversity with more self-compassion and resiliency.”

The MFWP is there for you, and it’s completely confidential. Don’t be afraid to reach out. Farming can feel isolating at times, but you are never alone. Taking care of your mental health is just as important as taking care of your crops or your animals— and there’s no shame in getting help when you need it.

Meet the counsellors or book an appointment today at manitobafarmerwellness.ca/book-an-appointment.

Leading the fight against clubroot

Researcher honoured with Canola Award of Excellence

Clubroot, a soil-borne disease of canola, was first identified in commercial canola fields near Edmonton, Alberta in 2003. Since then, thousands of infested fields have been identified, and although Alberta remains the hardest hit, the disease is now found across the country in canola growing regions1.
Little was known about clubroot when it first emerged, but research over the past two decades has provided a deeper understanding of the pathogen’s behaviour and developed tools and methods to manage it.

Stephen Strelkov, professor of plant pathology at the University of Alberta, began working at the university in 2003 around the same time as the initial outbreak of clubroot in canola fields. His research focuses on diseases of field crops with an emphasis on clubroot of canola.

“Initially, we were trying to understand clubroot and how to manage it: the shifts in virulence that occur, where they occur, and how it spreads,” Strelkov says. “When we first identified clubroot there was not much we could do, except we knew long rotations and cleaning machinery helped. Over the years, our knowledge of clubroot has greatly expanded, as have our tools to manage, monitor and work with the disease. This research has helped to mitigate the impact of clubroot on the Prairies. For example, we have identified the predominant strains of the pathogen, which inform resistance breeding efforts. Breeders now know what clubroot strains they need to target.”

This research has helped move the needle on understanding how the development of resistant varieties affects the virulence of pathogen populations. “Are they shifting? How do they shift? How do they respond? We are going from sort of the basic biology to more of the applied aspects and how to use them conjunction with more knowledge-based approaches to manage the disease,” he adds.

In February, Manitoba Canola Growers recognized Strelkov with the 2025 Canola Award of Excellence at the CropConnect Conference banquet in Winnipeg. Feeling very honoured, Strelkov said the award is very meaningful, especially coming from a grower group. “In receiving this award I feel like I have had a positive impact from our research, I am very grateful for this recognition.”

Warren Ellis, president of Manitoba Canola Growers, says Strelkov’s work towards the understanding of clubroot and genetic resistance has contributed to providing Manitoba canola farmers management options to proactively address clubroot. “Clubroot is increasing in the province and without Strelkov’s work Manitoba canola acres would have suffered a much greater impact.”

Manitoba Canola Growers selected Strelkov not only in recognition of his over two decades of research, which has had a significant impact on canola production, but also for his contributions to training the next generation of researchers. Over the past 21 years, he has supervised or co-supervised 44 Masters and Doctoral theses and is currently guiding 12 more, greatly enhancing Canada’s capacity for clubroot research.

“Being a professor is challenging but also very rewarding,” says Strelkov. “Working with people – students and collaborators – makes it all worthwhile. At the end of the day, it’s gratifying to know that we may have contributed to managing a problem and increased the capacity by training new people to help tackle it.”

Strelkov was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina and immigrated to Canada with his family when he was nine. He completed his B.Sc. at the University of Alberta, followed by M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in plant pathology from the University of Manitoba.

He has authored or co-authored more than 240 peer-reviewed papers, along with numerous research reports and extension articles. Strelkov has been recognized with the ‘Outstanding Young Scientist,’ ‘Outstanding Achievements in Plant Disease Management,’ and ‘Outstanding Research’ awards from the Canadian Phytopathological Society, and was a Killam Annual Professor at the University of Alberta. He is a member of several journal editorial boards and previously served as Editor-in-Chief of the Canadian Journal of Plant Pathology.

He is married with two kids, and enjoys gardening, hiking and most outdoor activities.

Manitoba Canola Growers are thrilled to recognize Stephen Strelkov with the 2025 Canola Award of Excellence and would like to thank him for his contributions in increasing our understanding of the clubroot pathogen across the Prairies and training the next crop of researchers to be able to expand capacity for this type of research.