Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
Agriculture is an economic and social bedrock of the United States, yet for decades, farmers, ranchers, and farmworkers haveendured growing challenges that increase their levels of stress. The suicide rates among male farmers, ranchers, and otheragricultural managers in 2012 and 2015 were 44.9 and 32.2 per 100,000, respectively, while the national average was 12.9 in2012 and 13.7 in 2015 (Murphy et al., 2015, 2017). Although many organizations in the Northeast provide some of theseservices, until the 2019 launch of the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network - Northeast (FRSAN-NE), they were noteffectively working together and were unable to easily connect a farmer client with the array of services needed to fully addresstheir crisis.Known since 2022 as "Cultivemos," this project will support the sustainability of farm stress assistance in the Northeast regionby enhancing and expanding an existing Network of service providers. Cultivemos works together to build and equip aninclusive network of service providers dedicated to advancing the mental, emotional, social, and financial health of agriculturalproducers, workers, and their families across the Northeastern United States including RI, CT, ML, WV, NH, ME, MA, VT, PA,NY, DE, and Washington DC. Administered by the National Young Farmers Coalition and a Leadership Board, Cultivemos aimsto increase access to services for producers with historically limited access to them, including farmworkers, young farmers, andBlack, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) farmers.
Animal Health Component
0%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
100%
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
The Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network Northeast (FRSAN-NE) -- known since 2022 as "Cultivemos" - is a robust network of service providers united by a commitment to improve wellness and mental health for our region's diverse agricultural communities, with a focus on Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) farmers, young farmers, and migrant farmworkers. The goals of the project include establishing and deepening connections and collaboration between our Network members, including agricultural service providers, mental health service providers, and farmer peer support providers, so they can learn from one another and make effective referrals to the farmers with whom they work; identify gaps and needs and collaboratively build a comprehensive set of resources and services available to all; train service providers on farmer mental health, unique farm stressors, and tools and strategies for better assisting farmers with those stressors; and train farmers. Additionally, to administer thisgrant and support the Network towards the goals and objectives outlined in this proposal, we will participate in the National Coordination Council (NCC) and host one national outreach meeting in coordination with other FRSAN regions.Objective 1: Establish a diverse, regionally representative network of member organizationsObjective 2: Develop a Clearinghouse of farmer assistance programs.Objective 3: Educate individuals/teams about FRSAN-NE (Cultivemos) activitiesObjective 4: Provide a range of services referenced in the legislative authorities.
Project Methods
The stated goals of Cultivemos (FRSAN-NE) will be carried out by and within the Cultivemos Network, which presently includes160 members representing 90 service provider organizations. Guiding the direction of this project is theLeadership Boardconsistingof Farmer Advisory Board members from previous grant cycles. The 10 members represent the diversity of farmers in our region, with a focus on BIPOC farmers, young farmers, and farmworkers. They gather monthly during Leadership Board meetings with simultaneous interpretation services. Their responsibilities include contributing to Network sustainability, budgeting, and strategic planning. Additionally, they will share Cultivemos resources in their farming communities. Engaging farmers in decision-making grounds the Network's offerings in the needs of the agricultural workers that it serves.Beginning in 2022, Cultivemos contracted with external evaluators at Rainbow Research, a firm committed to mixed-method survey design that involves both qualitative and quantitative data as well as culturally responsive methodologies and approaches to results evaluation. Martha Hernandez-Martinez, the Director of Research and Capacity Building at Rainbow Research, brings over 20 years of experience working directly with Latinx immigrants on issues of access and justice; her specific skill sets will further enhance the utility of the evaluation plan and findings. Martinez-Hernandez and the Rainbow Research team will work directly with the Leadership Board and the Evaluation Working Group, meeting monthly with each group and on a semi-regular basis with Cultivemos staff throughout the project. Use of an external evaluator will enhance the quality of data collected, the utility of the Northeast Region's findings for other regions, and the ability to integrate findings to enhance this project's work.