We recognize a wide array of factors that contribute to high stress levels for farmers, ranchers, and others in agriculture. Chronic and acute stress can pose grave consequences for the mental, physical, and social health and well-being of individuals, families, and communities.
Our Bend, Don’t Break initiative engages agency, nonprofit, and educational partners to help farmers and others in agriculture cope with adversity. It’s funded by Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Program award no. 2021-70035-35461 from the United States Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
| Subawardee and Project Director | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|
|
American Indian Community Housing Organization Michelle Lebeau |
Indigenous Food Producer Resiliency Programs | Use traditional healing approaches to build personal and community resiliency to improve physical and mental wellness. |
|
Big River Farms KaZoua Berry |
Workshops about Managing Stress/Enhancing Wellness for BIPOC Farmers | Deliver culturally appropriate stress and wellness education to farmers who are Black, Indigenous, People of Color, or immigrants. |
|
Farmers' Legal Action Group Scott Carlson |
Attorney Education and Resources to Reduce Farmer Stress | Lower producer stress and anxiety by increasing the number of attorneys competent to advise producers on issues like bankruptcy, foreclosure, contracting, divorce, etc. through six training sessions and written materials. |
|
Latino Economic Development Center Aaron Blyth |
Latino Farmer Retreat | Conduct a 1.5 day facilitated retreat for 15 Latino farmers to explore stress challenges they encounter. Provide on-site professional mental health support. |
|
Latino Economic Development Center Aaron Blyth |
Unlocking Access to Capital | Develop and deliver innovative and culturally appropriate ways of providing financial counseling, problem solving, and other forms of enterprise support to historically underserved Minnesota farmers. |
|
Leech Lake Tribal College Esther Humphrey |
Planting the Seeds for our Seventh Generation | Teach Anishinaabe perspectives and methods of traditional food gathering, preparing, and preserving, plus agriculture, arts, and other sustainable life skills to multigenerational family groups of women. |
|
Minnesota Dairy Initiative Emily Mollenhauer |
Farm Couple Retreats | Deliver three relationship retreats for a total of 30 farm couples in three regions of the state. |
|
Minnesota Department of Agriculture Meg Moynihan |
Farmer Mental Health Practitioner Conference | Coordinate and host two daylong professional meetings for 5-10 Minnesota rural mental health providers who serve farmers. |
|
Minnesota Department of Agriculture Meg Moynihan |
Minnesota Farm & Rural Helpline | Continue this Helpline, which provides 24/7 support via phone, text, and email. |
|
Minnesota Department of Agriculture Meg Moynihan |
Promotion and Outreach | Conferences, trade shows, paid advertising (print, social, broadcast) to reduce stigma and promote Farm Advocates, Helpline, Farm Transition Teams, etc. |
|
Minnesota Department of Health Tanya Carter |
safeTALK T4T | Coordinate suicide prevention train-the-trainer course for ten individuals serving farm and rural communities. |
|
Minnesota Department of Health Tanya Carter |
Psychological Autopsies – Suicide | Conduct psychological autopsies on ten Minnesota farmers who died by suicide. |
|
Minnesota Department of Health Tanya Carter |
Suicide Prevention Conference for Faith Leaders | Engage with Minnesota Suicide Prevention Task Force to create regional suicide prevention conferences for 150 rural faith leaders. |
| Minnesota FFA Foundation | Engaging FFA youth in farm stress programming | FFA chapters across the state will undertake creative projects and activities in support of mental wellness for youth, farmers, and their communities. |
|
Red River Farm Network Don Wick |
TransFARMation radio programs | Expand TransFARMation radio programs and podcasts into southern Minnesota, reaching 193,000 listeners on 49 stations. |
|
South Central College |
Professional Development Training for Farm Transition Facilitators | Develop and deliver two workshops that increase the knowledge and skills of 50 farm transition facilitators and team members. |
|
South Central College |
Farm Transfer and Succession Coaching | Provide 1:1 help to farmers and farm families that are working on a transition or succession plan for their farm operations and contribute to a new Minnesota farm transition and succession workbook. |
|
University of Minnesota Extension Trish Olson |
Ambiguous Loss T4T | Train 60 facilitators and conduct workshops that help 150 farm families recognize and cope with ambiguous loss. |
|
University of Minnesota Extension Trish Olson |
4-H Leader Training and Programming | Incorporate stress and mental health topics into existing 4-H leader training. |
|
University of Minnesota Extension Trish Olson |
Linking Stress and Safety for Farm Youth | Incorporate stress training into existing farm safety programs, teaching youth to manage stress and impulsive behaviors that can lead to injury. |
|
Urban Farm and Garden Alliance Melvin Giles |
Connection and Social Support for Urban Farmers | Integrate stress support themes and programming into urban farm and gardener gatherings and an annual event for 350+ low-resource urban farmers and community members. |
