Helping farmers with their mental health

Aug 12, 2022

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.

Video: Canada's Agriculture Day 2025

Let's celebrate Canadian agriculture.

Well, number one, you don't eat without farmers. Farmers put food on the table. And what could be more important than that?

Well, I think it's important that Canadians understand exactly what takes place, what happens to produce this food, no matter what sector you're talking about.

An awful lot of work goes into that. It's important to understand that meat does not come out of a showcase, and milk does not come out of a bottle. It's produced by farmers and hard work.

Canada has the best farmers in the world. And agriculture is vital to Canada.

In 2024, our agriculture and agri-food sector represented $150 billion of Canada's GDP, nearly $100 billion of our exports, and one in nine jobs.

From grains to fruits to dairy and beef, we are truly blessed with an incredible bounty. Having spent my whole life in agriculture, I see so much potential for the sector.

This time last year, I was proud to open our first-ever agriculture and trade office in the Indo-Pacific, the world’s fastest-growing economy, to cement our presence in the region and grow our exports even more. We've also been making historic investments to help our farmers to boost their yields, protect the planet, and earn a fair living.

The world wants more top-quality, sustainable food, and I know our Canadian farmers can deliver. And it's so important that you do that with pride. We need you.

Quite simply, you eat the most top quality food in the world. You do that because of the quality of farmers and ranchers you have in this country.

Just say thank you to a farmer or a rancher. They work very hard, yes, for a living, but also with a sense of pride in what they produce.

That's what Canada's Agriculture Day is all about.