Mental Health
Since being confirmed on Feb. 13, Secretary Rollins has been in the Washington D.C., USDA office for a few hours. Most of her time has been spent visiting farmers, ranchers and ag businesses in Kentucky, Kansas and at Top Producer Summit.
After fighting in Afghanistan with the U.S. Army’s 1st Ranger Battalion, Patrick Montgomery came home to a new battle — keeping his ranch and direct-to-consumer beef company alive.
The holiday rush is over, and many people will experience a touch of the winter blues over the next couple of months.
Disconnecting over the holidays is crucial for long-term success and well-being.
The holiday season is often portrayed as a time of joy, celebration, and togetherness. For many, however, it is also a period marked by increased stress and mental health challenges. The reality is that the rites and rituals of the season sometimes come with pressures that can be difficult to manage.
Josie Rudolphi and Courtney Cuthbertson, professors at the University of Illinois, evaluated the North Central Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Center’s services and outcomes over the past three years. Here’s what they learned.
Agriculture is a stressful occupation, and farmers struggle with anxiety and depression at higher levels than the general population.
Burnout, financial pressures and exhaustion are not just common issues for dairy and livestock producers, but also for the veterinarians who serve them and their animals.
When you run into people every day, do you really “see” them? Lately I’ve been thinking about the people in my life who truly “see” me – who aren’t too busy or preoccupied to notice how I am really doing.
You need to do what you need to do to make your life better. Is it really that simple?
Promoting mental health involves fostering supportive environments, reducing stigma, providing access to care and resources and encouraging self-care. Here’s how The Maschhoffs is helping their employees manage stress.
It’s important the friends, family, and business professionals close to farmers are prepared and able to effectively communicate in a mental health crisis.
September is National Suicide Prevention Month. According to the CDC, between 2000 and 2020 suicide rates climbed 46% in rural areas. By comparison, the rate in metro areas climbed 27.3%.
Farming is getting far more complex, says Ted Matthews, director of Rural Minnesota Mental Health Support. Because of that, it’s more important than ever to take care of yourself.
It doesn’t matter if it’s spring, summer, winter or fall, weather is always on producers’ minds. While slower seasons can offer relief, winter can drain emotional batteries. Here are two steps to help find relief.
When a mental health crisis hits, Shannon Ferrell, Oklahoma State University ag law specialist, outlines seven resources to keep handy in the event you are the first responder to help someone in need someday.
“Suck it up buttercup.” This familiar phrase is one many farmers and ranchers learn early in life: be tough, self-reliant and resilient. But experts say that approach doesn’t work when dealing with stress.
It started with a broken baler. The farmer panicked. He had recently lost his brother to cancer and his father to old age. Not to mention he had 2,500 acres to farm, 250 beef cows to attend to and his crop just froze.