Program History

Sustainable Farm Families is a highly successful health and wellness initiative.
The program was developed in Australia by the National Centre for Farmer Health.

In 2014, the Farm Safety Centre in Alberta licensed the program and adapted it for delivery in Alberta. It provides farm families with tools & techniques to effectively manage their health, well-being, and safety.

A variety of activities and peer interactions encourage and empower individuals to assess lifestyle choices.

SFF focuses on the immense importance of individual health, well-being and safety to a successful farm. More than 130 SFF workshops have been delivered to 1,200+ farmers across the province.

More information about workshop specific topics can be found under
“In-Community Workshops“.

Details about program reach and impact can be found under
“Reports & Evaluations“.

Adaptations resulting from COVID 19 limitations can be found in
“News & Events“.

Sustainable Farm Families Info Graphic

Sustainable Farm Families (SFF) Historical Delivery

Winter Delivery Cycle Face to Face Delivery	Workshops Delivered	Farmers Reached	Notes / Comments
Nov 2014 – Dec 2014	4	42	Partial cycle – after Alberta adaptations Externally evaluated
Nov 2015 – Apr 2016	16	270	First full delivery cycle Externally evaluated
Oct 2016 – Apr 2017	39	740	Externally evaluated
Oct 2017 – Feb 2018	35	735	Externally evaluated
Jan 2019 – Mar 2019	20	448	Partial cycle – financial constraints
Nov 2019 – Mar 2020	25	487	COVID impact beginning
Nov 2020 – Mar 2021	?	?	COVID has impacted face to face delivery

In-Community Workshops

Workshop Topics

Participants in SFF Alberta are invited to attend 3 consecutive annual workshops held during their slower winter season.

The following health, well-being and safety topics relevant to farming and rural populations are presented.

Year 1 Workshop	Year 2 Workshop	Year 3 Workshop
State of Rural Health	Mental Health	Cancer
Cardiovascular Disease	Alcohol Use & Misuse	Respiratory Health
Diabetes	Men’s Health	Physical Activity
Nutrition & Diet	Women’s Health	Farm Safety
Stress Management	Farm Safety
Farm Safety

Health Assessments

Individual health assessments are performed by a registered nurse before each annual workshop begins.

Personal health assessment outcomes are then available for each workshop and can be compared year over year.

In peer group discussions, farmers learn what each outcome measurement means and how their actions impact those outcomes.

Basal Metabolism	Diabetes Risk
Blood Pressure	Eyesight
Blood Sugar (HbA1c)	Metabolic Age
Body Mass Index	Muscle Mass
Bone Density	Oxygen Saturation
Body Water	Stress Management and Mental Health
Cholesterol	Visceral Fat