Upcoming Extension Farm Management Fridays: Healthy Minds, Healthy Farms

Farm stress has taken a toll on many farm families, communities, and businesses in the last few years. Upcoming University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension webinars will focus on resources and tools to support resiliency.

“Farm stress doesn’t just affect one person, but rather the farm, families, and the agricultural communities as a whole,” said Alana Voss, Extension Juneau and Sauk Counties agriculture educator. “Taking time to learn how to support these important people and pieces in our agricultural communities, through education and resources can help the communities overcome these stressors and begin to thrive again.”

Healthy Minds, Healthy Farms is the first of two Farm Management Friday webinars in April. The second webinar will explore the FARM tool that helps producers focus their actions and resources in ways that provide a maximum ROI. Farm Management Friday webinars are a part of Extension’s Farm Ready Research winter programming for farmers and ag professionals.

April topics and presenters include:

• April 9: Healthy Minds, Healthy Farms. The ongoing economic conditions in agriculture are taking a toll on farm families and their rural communities. The associated chronic stress is also impacting mental and physical well-being, relationships, and decision-making. Extension helps farmers, families, businesses, and communities remain resilient by learning how to manage stress and use planning tools to make sound decisions and create a roadmap for the future. Alana Voss, Extension Juneau and Sauk Counties agriculture educator and Larissa Duncan, Extension Healthy Minds, Children and Families Specialist will lead this discussion.
• April 23: FARMing for Health. Evidence-based research suggests that small time investments spent planning and setting goals dramatically reduce stress by giving producers a stronger sense of control in times of uncertainty. The FARM tool helps producers focus their actions and resources in ways that provide a maximum ROI. Too often, we deal with stress by simply “working harder.” This often leads to other outcomes that impact our health, relationships and safety. Tools and techniques that support focused planning with other team members along with simple powerful ways to practice gratitude and “being present” helps producers and family members ensure that their most precious resources are FARMed effectively. In this webinar John Shutske, Extension Specialist and Ashley Olson, Extension Vernon County Educator will discuss FARMing tools for healthy farm businesses.

There is no charge to participate in the sessions, but pre-registration is required to allow access to the session. Extension recognizes that producers are receiving information for a lot of meetings this winter; the Farm Ready Research webinar website go.wisc.edu/FarmReadyResearch is your place to find all information about UW-Madison Extension Agriculture programs.