Do More Ag Encourages Talking About Mental Heath

Mar 12, 2020

It is important to recognize the signs and symptoms of someone going through a hard time, reach out to them, and truly listen to what’s going on. This advice comes from Lesley Kelly, co-founder of the Do More Agriculture Foundation.

“Listening can really help someone get the weight of the world off their shoulders, and you don’t have to be a mental health expert,” Kelly said, speaking at the West Central Ag Outlook in Kindersley Tuesday.

Kelly pointed out mental health is something that needs to be talked about, as there are so many things outside of the control of producers.

“Whether it’s trade, markets, weather, succession planning, the pressures of farming, negative public perception, animal care, so many things go into producers feeling they can’t seek the help, or they are going through a hard time,” Kelly added.

When it comes to self-care, Kelly encouraged people to take some time for themselves. She stressed self-care can be different for everyone, whether it is two minutes or two hours.

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Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.