Crystal Fullerton

Program Coordinator of AB Farm Mental Health

Crystal grew up in Nova Scotia on a farmstead settled by her Scottish ancestors before moving about Canada. As a young girl, she collected animals no one wanted and let those experiences nurture her desire to be involved in agriculture. An insatiable curiosity about all aspects of farming has had her working in many sectors including dairy, beef, poultry, sheep, greenhouse, research & vineyards and has given her a diverse insight not matched by many others.

Crystal began her academic career at the NSAC where she obtained her Animal Science Technical Diploma and later returned to the NSAC and Dalhousie University, Faculty of Agriculture to receive her BSc in Agriculture with a focus on Environmental Sciences. A stint in Qatar and then in PEI had exposed her to the importance of farmer mental health.

While working at the PEI Federation of Agriculture, she was involved in the Farmer Assistance Program (FAP) which is a dedicated mental health resource for Island farmers, their families, and employees. The FAP began in 2004 and because of its well-established acceptance in that farming community, Crystal has seen the positive impacts of a long-term, hands-off government and industry-supported mental health program. The opportunity to assist Alberta in creating its own version with AgKnow was something Crystal knew she wanted to be part of.

Crystal currently makes her home in Mountain View County with her family and is a keen supporter of Canadian Agriculture. Her experience living abroad has been key in her understanding of the importance of being food secure and protecting those who work within the agricultural industry.

Contact Crystal at Crystal@areca.ab.ca.