Merle Massie

Merle Massie is a multi-generation Canadian farmer with roots touching multiple farm operations across Canada and around the world. She and her husband have been farming for 30 years in collaboration with his family in western central Saskatchewan, now growing a wheat/canola/lentil rotation, with oats and barley for green feed, plus hay for a small commercial cattle herd. Merle also holds a PhD in western Canadian rural agricultural and environmental history, with two award-winning books. She serves as the Executive Director of The Do More Agriculture Foundation, which champions mental health in agriculture. Through her work and studies, Merle knows that some of the hardest farm challenges are social and cultural—family dynamics, work-style differences, legacy pressure, layered responsibilities, isolation and aging. Looking ahead 3–5 years, Merle anticipates succession and management realignments across the farm collaboration. Change may offer the opportunity to explore diversification, such as adding fruit/horticulture and farm tourism on her historic farm.