Women in farming more vulnerable to mental-health struggles and stress, Guelph study finds – CBC
New study from U of G finds women’s mental health is further strained by visible and invisible workloads
Jun 02, 2026
Jennifer Schooley says one of the more frustrating aspects of being a farmer are the assumptions people make about her as a woman in the agricultural industry.
The Norfolk County farmer and her family have owned an apple and lavender farm since 1906. She’s part of a long line of women farmers, having grown up watching her mother and grandmother work out in the field and at home.
“Growing up and watching that and the work they put into it, I had no desire to farm because it’s a lot of hard work for not a lot of money and it’s a thankless job,” she told CBC News.
It was during the pandemic Schooley decided to get behind the wheel of the family tractor to help her aging parents.
Now, not only does she help run her family’s farm, she’s also the president of the Norfolk Federation of Agriculture where she has been able to host talks about life as a female farmer.
