In 2022, the Government of Alberta announced multiple funding initiatives intended to improve mental health services in rural Alberta. In June of last year, it committed $6.75 million in funding over two years for Counselling Alberta, a division of the Calgary Counselling Centre. The funds allowed the immediate expansion of virtual mental health counselling services across Alberta and the expansion of affordable, in-person counselling options. This includes expansion of same-day addiction treatment through the Virtual Opioid Dependency Program.

It came without warning. Prairie farmers were dealt the environmental version of poker’s 7-2 off-suit: drought conditions not seen in 20-plus years and a heat dome, which may become agriculture’s word of the year for all the wrong reasons.

A born communicator, Lesley Kelly put her conversational skills to work as an advocate for agriculture. Kelly maintains the High Heels and Canola Fields blog, which she supports with Instagram, Facebook and Twitter feeds. She also co-hosts the What the Farm Podcast with influential American farmer Rob Sharkey.