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Helping farmers with their mental health

Helping farmers with their mental health

A “Communicating with Farmers Under Stress” workshop is planned for Aug. 16

By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com

A university is hosting a workshop to help people who work with farmers on a regular basis support producers with their mental health.

The University of Nebraska Extension’s “Communicating with Farmers Under Stress” takes place Aug. 16 at the Cambridge Community Center in Cambridge, Neb.

The workshop starts at 11:30 a.m. and runs until 1 p.m. Anyone interested in attending must register for the event.

“This workshop is designed for individuals who work farmers and ranchers on a regular basis, such as bank lenders, ag suppliers, insurance agents, healthcare professions, and anyone involved with the lives of farmers and ranchers,” the event’s description says.

While at the workshop, attendees will learn how to:

  • Build awareness around potentially stressful conditions affecting producers.
  • Learn triggers and identify signs of stress, and review response techniques.
  • Learn how to support farmers who may find stress management challenging.
  • Where to find additional help.

Another university is supporting farmers with their mental health through a free online course.

Michigan State University partnered with other universities, the USDA, the American Farm Bureau Federation and other ag groups to create the Rural Resilience Open Online Course.

“In this course, you will learn to recognize the signs and symptoms of stress and suicide, ways to effectively communicate with people under stress, and how to reduce stigma related to mental health concerns,” the course’s website says. “What you learn in this course can help your friends, family, neighbors and community during stressful times.”

The workshop and the online course are two examples of available mental health resources.

Farms.com has compiled a list of mental health and suicide prevention resources available to people across the United States.


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