Progress 09/01/21 to 08/31/24
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audiences for the Georgia Healthy Farmer Mindset grant includefarmers, farm families, agribusiness, commodity organizations, Georgia Farm Bureau staff, youth, academia, agriculture and Extension staff, public health, medical practitioners, veterans, legal staff and the general public. Working with organizations that had existing relationships with personnel and support providers was important to provide targeted outreach and education. These includethe Georgia Department of Agriculture, Georgia Department of Public Health, Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, Georgia PTA, HERO Ag, McClendon Law and Consulting, UGA and UGA Extension staff, Georgia Farm Bureau/Georgia Foundation for Agriculture, and those that had national reach, AgriSafe. There was afocusto address the diverse groups within the farming community: youth, male farmers, women in farming and agribusiness, black farmers, and veterans. The use of new technology and new programming initiatives was embraced to show innovation as a tool in addressing farmer stress and agricultural wellness. The Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA) was the lead in facilitating collaborative outreach and grant oversight. GDAhosted monthly meetings to share knowledge on behavioral and mental health, facilitate training and outreach coordination, and to strategically plan for capacity building in Georgia. We began by allowing project partners from AgriSafe and UGA to share information on the current landscape of agriculture mental health and wellness with time for Q&A to help gain mutual understanding of project partners on this topic. This allowed project partners, new and seasoned, to understand the current needs of the agricultural community and to share strategies and best practices as we collectively worked to address outreach, gaps, stigma, and identify next steps in programmatic endeavors. Each monthly session allowed project partners to showcase current work projects, research, and upcoming trainings and outreach opportunities that we could collaborate on. It also highlighted real time needs in the field to inform our outreach and educational goals and readdress priorities as we continued our work efforts. The public information and educational outcomes were achieved through the collaboration of multi-agency stakeholder alignment and establishment of the Georgia Agricultural Wellness Alliance (GAWA), a key and strategic project outcome of this grant. Two strategic planning meetings occurred with grant funding to discuss goals, partner initiatives and to define the role and key strategic priorities that GAWA project members would focus on to facilitate mental health and agricultural wellness research, education and trainings, communications and public information in Georgia. These guided work sessions allowed us to define additional partner collaboration and champions at the local and regional level as a priority item. The use of social media was a key tool to facilitate outreach and education, and to distribute ongoing work projects, training opportunities and trends. Due to the stigma surrounding mental health, raising awareness on mental health and suicide awareness, and sharing information with our defined target audience was a strategic priority throughout the duration of the grant. Through the collaboration of GDA, UGA, and SE partners in FRSAN on AgrleadHER, we brought together leading experts to tackle the root causes of farmer stress and to share strategies and knowledge to inform farmers and women in the agricultural workplace through an online conference platform that was both engaging and instructive. This online conference provided keynote instructors, gamification strategies, presentations, storytelling, and wellness practices to inform female attendees. Utilizing this technology following the global impacts of COVID-19, we were able to successfully engage female leaders in the agricultural workspace. This innovative project was established to provide a retreat for women in agriculture from across the nation to join in fellowship while learning critical farm and stress management skills. Our UGA partners initiated a Meet Me at the Shed program. The goal of this initiative was to develop a peer-to-peer farmer network comprised of volunteers that will encourage farmers to feel more comfortable talking about mental health issues through informal conversations and interactions. UGA also had goals to pilot two new programs in Georgia. To pilot a program providing mental health support directly to farmers through a partnership with Master of Social Work interns and supervisors. To pilot using UGA Extension offices as "one-stop" hubs for farmers to access information and support related to stress and mental health, with specific services provided based on existing county services and community needs. Both pilot projects require additional time to more effectively implement these project initiatives. We were only able to scratch the surface on these efforts due to the existing roadblocks of stigma and fear of judgement. Addressing youth, as connectors to inform families and communities on agricultural wellness, was also a key project initiative. We were able to successfully work withAgriSafe, UGA Extension, and FFA on outreach efforts to youth in Georgia. The grant PI shared mental health awareness outreach materials and information to youth attending the FVSU Ag Discovery camp youth in 2022 and 2023. GDA partnered with the GA PTA in a PSA contest and to distribute funding to PTAs across the state on mental health curriculum. Partnering with AgriSafe, AgriSafe's Cultivating a Healthy Mind staff attended the Georgia Central Region FFA Leadership Rally, reaching 1,787 students and teachers with the Cultivating a Healthy Mind curriculum, far exceeding our projected goals. AgriSafe has worked to promote FarmResponse training with key individuals, institutions, and organizations across Georgia. We have worked with a multi-faceted group of organizations to promote this training that will enhance the medical professionals understanding of those working in agriculture and the work processes and challenges that are faced. We have partnered with the Georgia Department of Public Health and the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities. We have engaged with the licensing certification organizations to work to promote this training. Addressing the need for increased financial literacy and the historical impacts and current educational requirements from a multi-generational perspective for black farmers has been fruitful with the work directed by Virginia McClendon, Esq. with McClendon Law and Consulting. This work has made initial headway working with this population in Georgia, however, continued effort needs to be prioritized to address the critical needs of black farmers in regard to financial and estate planning and addressing heirs property education and reconciliation efforts for families/estates for all farmers but especially this underserved population. Partnerships with our veteran community was an important goal as all 159 counties in Georgia have veteran farmers or ag producers. UGA hired a veteran, Justin Miller, to champion the outreach efforts to provide targeted outreach and education to military veteran farmers across Georgia, including Mental Health First Aid and QPR training specifically for veterans. GDA and UGA staff also went and met with veteran leaders in Georgia at Comfort Farms, HERO Ag, and Hunter Family Farm to discuss current needs for veteran farmers and to learn more about the programming, support, and best practices that these veteran farmers have implemented to support veterans and community members. HERO Ag joined the team to promote better awareness to first responders and veterans. Overall the work for this grant working with mulit-faceted audiences has been successful. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?AgriSafe FarmResponse for Georgia SDA had 202 codes distributed with requests for GA SDA codes continuing. In 2021 Tara Haskins, AgriSafe Total Farmer Health Director presented at the initial Georgia SDA partners meeting on farm stress and AgriSafe's resources for farm stress. Veronica McClendon presented at multiple AgriSafe podcasts, monthly meeting, and webinars in 2022. In 2022 Tara Haskins presented at Georgia RRT State Meeting Virtual Conference. AgriSafe delivered Cultivating a Healthy Mind to 1787 students in Georgia. AgrileadHER Trainings 2022 and 2023. 2023 had 77 registrations, 10 booths with 879 booth visits, GDA had 107 booth visits. 2022 had 144 registrations, 13 booths with 1945 booth visits, GDA had 175 booth visits. UGA provided Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Training (MHFA, YMHFA, QPR) during the grant period with a total of 24 sessions: 13 Youth Mental Health First Aid sessions for 125 participants, 6 Mental Health First Aid sessions for 86 participants, 4 Veteran Mental Health First Aid sessions for 29 participants, and 1 QPR session for 12 participants. During the grant period, the military Veterans in Agriculture initiative hosted 4 events with 40 people in attendance. The initiative also provided technical assistance directly to the military veterans with over 60 site visits on their farms. The Military Veteran Liaison co-taught the 4 Veteran Mental Health First Aid sessions described above. Hero Agriculture brought together representatives from Highland Rivers Health and the local first responder community to discuss how law enforcement responds to veterans in crisis. The meeting of about 20 people included representatives from Calhoun Police Department, Gordon County Sheriff's Office, Adairsville Police Department, Georgia State Patrol, Chatsworth Fire Department, Gordon County EMS, Floyd County EMS, a local church, Highland Rivers Health, and Hero Agriculture. They had several veterans attend to ensure that the discussion included the veteran perspective. In addition, Hero Agriculture organized regular informal lunches to introduce first responders to veterans who were working with Hero Agriculture. There were two goals for these lunches: 1) Help first responders better understand the struggles that veterans face when reintegrating to civilian life after combat and change first responder behaviors that unintentionally create anxiety for veterans. 2) Help veterans find common ground with first responders, getting to know them as husbands and dads, and see them as potential advocates. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Information has been disseminated to communities of interest via the GDA website and social media:https://agr.georgia.gov/mental-health-agriculture andhttps://agr.georgia.gov/category/mental-health-awareness Mental Health Awareness Month (May 2023) resources provided by the Georgia Department of Agriculture: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/888714enhcgnnb4ryca7y/h?dl=0&rlkey=enkt1affy54k3u709m2bogs2r Mental Health Heroes: 2023 https://agr.georgia.gov/news/mental-health-heroes-Lily-Baucom https://agr.georgia.gov/news/mental-health-hero-Becky-Brightwell https://agr.georgia.gov/news/mental-health-hero-mike-reynolds https://agr.georgia.gov/mental-health-hero-richard-ward 2024 https://agr.georgia.gov/news/mental-health-heroes-dbhdd-commissioner-kevin-tanner-deputy-assistant-commissioner-jennifer https://agr.georgia.gov/news/mental-health-heroes-dr-christina-proctor-clinical-assistant-professor-uga-college-public https://agr.georgia.gov/news/mental-health-heroes-eliza-jane-glover-senior-uga-and-5th-generation-farmer https://agr.georgia.gov/news/mental-health-heroes-connie-baptiste-owner-hunter-family-farm-and-2023-woman-veteran-year Information has been disseminated via the UGA website: Online Community: https://www.agrileadher.com/agrileadhercommunity UGA posted materials and recordings from the Farm Stress Summit: https://extension.uga.edu/topic-areas/timely-topics/Rural/farm-stress-conference.html Meeting Agenda: https://extension.uga.edu/content/dam/extension/topic-areas/timelytopics/rural/Agenda_March_20_Farm_Stress_Summit_2023.pdf Social Media Kit: https://extension.uga.edu/content/dam/extension/topic-areas/timely-topics/rural/2023-farm-stresssummit_social-media-kit.pdf Promotional Flyer: https://extension.uga.edu/content/dam/extension/topic-areas/timely-topics/rural/farm-stress-summitflyer.pdf Website: https://meetattheshed.com/ Membership: https://meetattheshed.com/membership Georgia Agricultural Wellness Alliance (GAWA): www.gafarmstress.org Articles have assisted with the promotion of these work endeavors. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
GDA has worked on a variety of outreach materials to promote and facilitate engagement with communities focusing on farmer and consumer education of stress and agricultural wellness.GDA recognizes the connection between nutrition and wellness, so we developed a20 page cookbook with associated resources to assist college age students in learning how to cook,manage stress, and promote wellness. This resource included USDA SNAP resources and tips on sleep, staying active, and budgeting/meal planning. Billboards were created to promote farmer mental health awareness and were promoted statewide. Mental Health Awareness Month campaigns were established:https://agr.georgia.gov/category/mental-health-awareness and included how topromote self care:https://agr.georgia.gov/mental-health-agriculture; Mental Health Awareness Month resources:https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/888714enhcgnnb4ryca7y/h?dl=0&rlkey=enkt1affy54k3u709m2bogs2r The audience and engagement rate per impression increased during the month of May highlighting a successful social media campaign. Mental Health Day at the Capitol Lapel Pin, Mental Health Matters Lapel Pin Outreach, and Challenge Coins were utilized to raise awareness and facilitate conversations on farmer stress and ag wellness.Mental Health Day at the Capitol Event Photos were obtained: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/ew3j28taz64117ivpc5xi/h?dl=0&rlkey=hisg3as66scqz5zoo14fii4pd Incorporation of The ABCs: Awareness (of signs and symptoms and resources), Balance (in our lives) and Connection (to those around us: family, farm, agribusiness, community) were key words utilized in outreach campaigns. AgriSafe regularly promoted Georgia Farm Stress activities on their social media channels for AgriSafe and AgriStress Response Network Facebook pages. AgriSafe's newsletter featured Veronica McClendon's Promoting Peace of Mind webinar and companion podcast. Georgia Healthy Farmer Mindset Monthly Meeting hosted by GDA with project partners and project advisors to share project updates, training opportunities, and wellness tips. The ability to meet monthly with key leaders facilitated greater awareness on key topics, discussion to better support our sector, and fostered relationship building. Georgia Department of Agriculture and Georgia Foundation for Agriculture organized two Strategic Planning Sessions that contributed to the creation of the Georgia Agricultural Wellness Alliance. The development of an Executive Director, establishment of an advisory board, strategic objectives, and creation of bylaws has been a critical step in maximizing effective program alignment and implementation efforts for farmer stress, mental health, and agricultural wellness. AgriSafe has met regularly with Georgia SDA FRSAN team to work to cross promote programming. The focus of Hero Agriculture's work on this grant was twofold: working to improve veteran mental health through farming and raising awareness of veteran mental health issues among local first responders. Thework to improve veteran mental health through farming focused on using farming to help veterans find hope, heal, and build purposeful lives after military service. As we brought veterans into our farming community, we worked to address all these issues, often through highly assisted referrals. The veterans we worked with typically fell into one of four categories: 1) Those who were interested in farming but didn't know what type of farming they wanted to pursue. 2) Those who were ready to launch a farm and needed help doing so. 3) Those with an existing farming operation who needed help addressing a specific issue. 4) Veterans in crisis. We tailored our approach to meet the individual needs of each veteran.UGA hosted the military Veterans in Agriculture initiative and hosted 4 events with 40 people in attendance. The initiative also provided technical assistance directly to the military veterans with over 60 site visits on their farms. The Military Veteran Liaison co-taught the 4 Veteran Mental Health First Aid sessions. The Military Veteran Liaison attended 31 partner events and connected with 2,800 people. During the grant period, the Meet at the Shed program hosted 9 separate events for 129 attendees. On Extension Hubs, UGA held two meetings in each of six counties to discuss the need for and community resources available to support Extension offices as hubs for information. We discovered clear differences in county attitudes toward farm stress, available space for hubs in local Extension offices, and community resources available to help support farmers and farm families coping with stress. There were several Georgia Farm Stress Summits,one took place in Tifton, GA on May 19, 2022 and included 115 participants; the second took place in Macon, GA on March 20, 2023 and included 130 participants; and the third occurred in Jasper, GA on March 20, 2024. We hosted two virtual AgriLeadHER conferenceswith a total reach of 215 females involved in agriculture. In addition to the conference, the agrileadHER virtual community hosted 12 Wellness Wednesday Sessions and a webinar on farm labor. The Meet at the Shed Program was hada total of 53 participants and was piloted in Union County. The partners in this effort included the Georgia Agriculture Wellness Alliance, the Veterans Administration, NAMI, AgrAbility, Veteran Farm of North Carolina, Hero Ag, VECTR, At Ease Marina, Valdosta State University, American Legion, Farmer Veteran Coalition, and many more. Mental Health Day at the Capitol: January 21, 2023.Mental Health Day at the Capitol Event Photos: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/ew3j28taz64117ivpc5xi/h?dl=0&rlkey=hisg3as66scqz5zoo14fii4pd This was the first time ever that agriculture and mental health were given dedicated time at this event to speak to the issues of the agriculture and rural health communities. Commissioner Tyler Harper (GDA), Commissioner Kevin Tanner (DBHDD), and Jennifer Dunn (UGA) all spoke to the statistics, current research, and impacts to the ag sector and rural health communities surrounding mental health. McClendon Law and Consulting has undertaken various initiatives to address a lack of awareness and access to resources to resolve heirs' property and undergo estate and farm succession planning - two issues identified as root causes of farmer stress. She produced a Farmer Legal Health Checkup Handbook which was distributed to Georgia farmers. She organized six workshops, engaged more than 70 farmers and landowners in person through workshops and events, and hired a Farmer Success Specialist and a law student intern. She allocated funding to provide 15 estate planning scholarships to help farmers afford legal services to complete estate plans. Additionally, she conducted more than 15 one-on-one consultations and provided 10 title assessments to help identify and create a strategy to address title issues related to heirs property. Further, she launched a social media campaign andupdated our website to keep farmers informed of resources and events. Our participation in the University of Georgia Extension Farm Stress Summit, the National Black Growers Council Georgia, multiple Farm Field Days, and several USDA-NRCS farmer conferences allowed us to connect directly with farmers and increase their awareness around legal issues involving heirs' property, estate planning, and farm succession planning
Publications
- Type:
Websites
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2023
Citation:
chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.agr.state.ga.us/sites/default/files/documents/mental-health/self-care-bingo.pdf
- Type:
Websites
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2024
Citation:
https://agr.georgia.gov/category/mental-health-awareness
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2024
Citation:
Cook with Class
A cookbook for college: by Georgia Department of Agriculture
|
Progress 09/01/22 to 08/31/23
Outputs
Target Audience:Georgia and National Farmers Black Farmers Veteran Farmers State Employees State Agriculture Response Team (SART) members Georgia Food and Feed Rapid Response Team Members Georgia Farm Bureau leadership and members Extension Agents and Stakeholders Agriculture Emergency Managers Women in Agriculture ESF 11 Stakeholders and Partners Public Health Stakeholders High School and College Youth Behavioral Health and Social Workers Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Attended and presented on a Day 2 panel that highlighted local efforts with USDA NIFA grants atthe USDA Convening, Sept. 19-21, 2023 Day 1 - Opening Plenary and Screening of On the Farm Tuesday, September 19, 2023 5:00 - 8:30pm USDA Whitten Patio 1400 Jefferson Drive SW Washington, D.C. 20250 Evening Reception and Screening of On the Farm Leadership Remarks Xochitl Torres Small, Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of Agriculture Zippy Duvall, President, American Farm Bureau Federation Panel Discussion Mississippi State University Extension Farm Aid American Psychological Association Gilmer Family Dairy Day 2 - Program and Panel Discussions Wednesday, September 20, 2023 8:30am - 5:30pm USDA Jefferson Auditorium 1400 Independence Avenue SW Washington, D.C. 20250 Agriculture and Mental Health Coalition American Farm Bureau Federation Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network(s)Farm Credit Council Farm Production and Conservation Farm Service Agency Food and Nutrition Service Georgia Department of Agriculture National Association of State Departments of Agriculture National Farmers Union National Institute for Food and Agriculture National Young Farmers Coalition Office of Civil Rights Rural Development Innovation Center Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services administration Health Resources and Services Administration Texas Office of Rural Health, Texas Department of Agriculture University of Maryland Extension Day 3 - Farm Stress Training Thursday, September 21, 2023 8:30-5:00pm USDA Whitten Patio 1400 Jefferson Drive SW Washington, D.C. 20250 QPR for Agricultural Communities Training provided by Tara Haskins, Total Farmer Health Director, and Laura Siegel, Health Communications Specialist, AgriSafe Network Harm Reduction at a Glance and Overdose Response Training provided by Miera Corey, Associate Director of Maryland Harm Reduction Training Institute, Behavioral Health System Baltimore (BHSB) Lethal Means Safety Presentation Introduction by Conrad Washington, Director of VA Office of Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships Training provided by Lillie Mells, LCSW, Education & Training Program Coordinator OMHSP Best practices for Postvention SAMHSA Sept 2023: EDEN Conference, attended and provided mental health outreach materials to attendees. June 22, 2023: FVSU Ag Discovery presentation. Provided mental health display and handouts and shared with youth on mental health awareness and resources at the Fort Valley State University event. Discussed important of following the ABCs (Awareness, Balance, and Connections), to practice self-care and work-life balance, and to check on those in their circle. June 24, 2023: brought remarks, attended presentation, and engaged with farmers atSustaining the Legacy in Our Land, farm succession planning workshop at St. Galilee Baptist Church in Hancock County sponsored by McLendon Law and Consulting LLC. April 14, 2023: Minorities in Agriculture and Natural Resources and Related Sciences (MANNRS) outreach booth. Attended with Jessica Badour from AFDO and assisted ~100 attendees to discuss ag and food safety job opportunities and stress and mental health. April 27, 2023: Provided mental health outreach materials at the BioWatch national meeting following the NACCHO Summit in Atlanta, Georgia. April 18-20, 2023: provided handouts at the Regional Ruckus in Charlotte, North Carolina and shared stress and mental health resources to be shared with attendees. April 17, 2023: GA Food and Feed RRT meeting. Requested UGA Rural Health Agent, Jennifer Dunn to provide a half-day session on practical tips for RRT participants to utilize in their lives and provided stress and mental health resources for them to access, if needed. March 20, 2023: GDA display atFarm Stress Summitat the University Center at Macon University School of Medicine in Macon, Georgia. UGA chaired this impactful conference and GDA was one of the sponsoring organizations. There were a total of 9 partner organizations that contributed to the success of this event. Shared information on the GFB Women in Ag Summit held November 4-5, 2022 at the Hilton Peachtree Atlanta Hotel and Conference Center. Coordinated ag wellness outreach and engagement for the GFB 2022 Convention at Jekyll Island, December 3-5, 2023: GA Farm Bureau Conference, GDA Deputy Director, Steve Brinson had display table and handouts on stress and mental health at the 2022 Annual Meeting at Jekyll Island. Coordinated participants to share ag wellness information for the White County Farmers Exchange Expo on August 17, 2023. GFB provided leadership and guidance along with key leaders at UGA, GDA and Mercer Rural Health Innovation Center to assist with the establishment of the Georgia Agricultural Wellness Alliance (GAWA): www.gafarmstress.org? How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Mental Health Awareness Month (May 2023) resources provided by the Georgia Department of Agriculture: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/888714enhcgnnb4ryca7y/h?dl=0&rlkey=enkt1affy54k3u709m2bogs2r Mental Health Heroes Questions: https://agr.georgia.gov/news/mental-health-heroes-Lily-Baucom https://agr.georgia.gov/news/mental-health-hero-Becky-Brightwell ttps://agr.georgia.gov/news/mental-health-hero-mike-reynolds https://agr.georgia.gov/mental-health-hero-richard-ward What drew you to focus on the mental health of Georgia's agricultural community? Why is it important to focus on farmers? How can we help people in our community that may be struggling with their mental health? If you could only choose one mental health tip or piece of advice to share, what would it be? What is your favorite way to maintain your own mental health? What social media accounts should we tag when we post this feature? GDA Website Resources: https://agr.georgia.gov/mental-health-resources Georgia Agricultural Wellness Posts--Mental Health Awareness Month (16) Georgia Agricultural Wellness Alliance Facebook Mental Health Day at the Capitol: January 21, 2023 Mental Health Day at the Capitol Event Photos: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/ew3j28taz64117ivpc5xi/h?dl=0&rlkey=hisg3as66scqz5zoo14fii4pd This was the first time ever that agriculture and mental health were given dedicated time at this event to speak to the issues of the agriculture and rural health communities. Commissioner Tyler Harper (GDA), Commissioner Kevin Tanner (DBHDD), and Jennifer Dunn (UGA) all spoke to the statistics, current research, and impacts to the ag sector and rural health communities surrounding mental health. Link to the Main Event: - https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/H8jPr-WuyDJoTxCtXrAbJG416OAT_unDA2yRbfqbJCvW82CKWk5hXDzsLpbO9sFv_962ayfhXmv1TcDj.3PXdtApZqTcPRGbb?continueMode=true Blue Room Experience: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/H6aSgnqVLz2JkH3TRWrRITJ9BqaWqbEKHXlQivALFljSQvPulxhnaBSSKfVLAlJqUh7DexJ3pFe94HqF.QlBjDO3RqaBdu2iv?startTime=1675169310000 Georgia Farm Bureau/Georgia Foundation for Agriculture Small Gestures, Big Impact For the five weeks in May, we are challenging members to reach out to friends, neighbors, and fellow farmers in the following ways: Week 1: Send a text Week 2: Give a card Week 3: Take a ride Week 4: Deliver a treat Week 5: Make a call Join us for this five-week challenge and see how small gestures can make a big impact on someone's mental health. Let's take a few extra minutes to make those small gestures this month--and every month--together. The mental health awareness month activities were share with Ag Departments across the region via the Southern Animal and Agriculture Disaster Response Alliance. Thanks SAADRA for your commitment to mental health awareness! University of Georgia AgrileadHER: Registration: https://www.agrileadher.com/registration Speakers 2023: https://www.agrileadher.com/speakers2023 Online Community: https://www.agrileadher.com/agrileadhercommunity Farm Stress Summit (November 1-2, 2023) UGA posted materials and recordings from the Farm Stress Summit: https://extension.uga.edu/topic-areas/timely-topics/Rural/farm-stress-conference.html Meeting Agenda: https://extension.uga.edu/content/dam/extension/topic-areas/timely-topics/rural/Agenda_March_20_Farm_Stress_Summit_2023.pdf Social Media Kit: https://extension.uga.edu/content/dam/extension/topic-areas/timely-topics/rural/2023-farm-stress-summit_social-media-kit.pdf Promotional Flyer: https://extension.uga.edu/content/dam/extension/topic-areas/timely-topics/rural/farm-stress-summit-flyer.pdf Meet Me at the Shed: Work on Projects, Social Outings, Educational Topics Meet At The Shed™is a place where men and women can come together around common interests. We have a Men's Shed and a She Shed option. Based on a concept originally developed in Australia calledMen's Shed, the chapters provide safe environments where community members can work together on projects of interest. Staying active and engaged, individulas use their talents and skills while establishing new friendships. Research shows staying active, particularly as we get older, provides both physical and mental health benefits. The University of Georgia is piloting the first chapter in Union County. The plan is to open additional chapters around the state. Website: https://meetattheshed.com/ Membership: https://meetattheshed.com/membership What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Through the grant funding by USDA NIFA, Georgia has developed strategic prioritites and aligned outreach, training, research, and education efforts with key leaders across the state. We shall continue these collaborative partnerships and work to support our communities viaoutreachand engagement to the farmer and agriculture constituent base. I have personally grown in this space and humbly acknowledge the importance of this critical work. It is important to cultivate conversations and candidly discuss the spectrum of mental health community impacts from young to old, stigma, suicide, understanding contributing factors, but most importantly sharing hope, resources, and conveying the knowledge that YOU ARE NOT ALONE. I do not take lightly being a torchbearer in this area! It is important to shine the light, encourage family and community, and to be a friend--we all need one, check on those around you! Don't wait, you are the key to positive mental health in your community.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Georgia Healthy Farmer Mindset Monthly Meeting hosted with project partners and project advisors to share project updates, training opportunities, and wellness tips so we can live what we are promoting and share resources (see attachments). Excellent networking and educational opportunity. Presentations/Trainings/Conferences Organized 2 Strategic Planning Sessions that contributed to the creation of the Georgia Agricultural Wellness Alliance. Georgia Healthy Farmer Mindset Monthly Meeting hosted with project partners and project advisors to share project updates, training opportunities, and wellness tips so we can live what we are promoting and share resources (see attachments). Excellent networking and educational opportunity. Lapel Pin and Challenge Coin Outreach The pins were provided to all project partners to assist with outreach and to raise awareness: Challenge Coin Outreach Art: The focus is onWhatever it Takes(to promote self-care and health and wellness and learn the ABCs: Awareness (of signs and symptoms and resources), Balance (in our lives) and Connection (to those around us: family, farm, agribusiness, community).Whatever it Takesto seek help and resources for wellness, stress, suicidal ideations, and depression. We Promote Wellness: to eat healthy, sleep well; to make fitness and healthy meals a part of our daily lifestyle. To CHOOSE WELLNESS and make it a priority. PI had conversations on words that resonated with partners, and the following words rose to the surface and resonated with them:PURPOSE, HOPE AND PERSEVERANCE. A reminder of another bright day ahead. The challenge coins have been a wonderful way to engage and address the stigma around mental health and has also been a bridge to encourage conversations about ag wellness in our communities. We are thankful for the Southern FRSAN community for sharing this unique resource for implementation in our state.
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2023
Citation:
Georgia Healthy Farmer Mindset, September 2023
Rural Prosperity Summit, Washington DC, USDA HQ
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2023
Citation:
DPH News and Notes, Feb 3, 2023, "Mental Health Day"
Tuesday was the annual Mental Health Day at the Capitol. Those attending the event at the Georgia Freight Depot heard testimonies from advocates who have, or are, overcoming mentally challenging periods and what steps were valuable in the efforts of recovery. Former Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities Judy Fitzgerald received an award of recognition, and both her and current DBHDD Commissioner Kevin Tanner spoke about recent strides made statewide through united efforts. UGA Rural Health Agent Jennifer Dunn spoke about how reaching rural areas, and particularly farmers, is starting to become a long-needed focus. Georgia Department of Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper said, "we recognize that to address these challenges it will take all of us working together to support our farmers, veteran farmers, producers, and agriculture families. It starts by being aware of self and doing whatever it takes to address signs and symptoms of mental health, getting help if we need it, and checking in and supporting those around us in need." After hearing from members of the R2ISE recovery program, many walked to the Gold Dome to speak with elected officials, voicing support for more mental health efforts.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2023
Citation:
AgriSafe: FFA Leadership Rally, In Person Training Impact Summary, "Cultivating a Healthy Mind", September 13-14, 2023
1787 people attended the training
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Submitted
Year Published:
2023
Citation:
Farmers and Mental Health Partnership Perspectives: AgriSafe and Georgia Department of Agriculture
Black Farmers Conference, Delaware State University, November 2023
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2023
Citation:
Cultivating Care Infographic
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2023
Citation:
7 Tips for Cultivating Mental Health on the Farm
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2023
Citation:
Part 1 of 2: Farmers and Consumers Market Bulletin, Vol 106, No 22 "State Agencies Launch Collaboration to Combat Farmer Mental Health Crisis" By Jay Jones
jay.jones@agr.georgia.gov
The Georgia Department of Agriculture partnered with the state's public health officials and others to hold listening forums across the state to address farm workers� mental health. The first of the listening forums was held at the Sunbelt Agricultural Exposition in Moultrie last month in conjunction with the formal announcement of agency leaders.
Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper joined Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities(DBHDD) Commissioner Kevin Tanner and Dr. Laura Perry-Johnson, associate dean for Extension at the University of Georgia, for the announcement. Tanner said in his remarks that mental health is a difficult issue for people to talk about, "but it is something that we will have to learn to talk about." He hopes the listening forums will offer opportunities and inspire people in the state's farming communities to seek help regarding their mental wellbeing. "This joint effort will sow the seeds of hope, resilience and recovery, nurturing the mental wellbeing of those who sustain our agricultural heritage and guide our spiritual journeys," Tanner said....to foster understanding, compassion and support within Georgia's farming and faith communities. The forums are designed to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health, raise awareness about the unique challenges these communities face, and develop resources tailored to their specific needs, according to the DBHDD's announcement....to improve access to mental health resources for citizens since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. The need came to light from a study conducted by the Georgia Rural Health Innovation Center at Mercer University in collaboration with the Georgia Foundation for Agriculture, highlighting significant mental health challenges farmers face in the agricultural community. A 2022 survey conducted for the study contacted 1,651 individuals and showed 96 percent of farmers experience moderate to high stress levels. Almost half of the respondents said they felt sad or depressed, while 39 percent said they felt hopeless. The study also found an alarming number of respondents who contemplated suicide. Twenty-nine percent of farmers said they think about dying by suicide at least once a month, and 42 percent said they have thought about it at least once in the previous 12 months. Reaching out to talk with someone about suicide is difficult, more so in rural areas where healthcare resources are less accessible. Most farmers reported in the survey that they could not access a psychologist by telephone, online or in person. Approximately 60 percent of farmers do not have access to basic medical care, according to the study. Harper said he and the GDA will continue working with the state's public health officials and UGA Extension Cooperative and continue to find ways to help.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2023
Citation:
Part 2 of 2: Farmers and Consumers Market Bulletin, Vol 106, No 22 "State Agencies Launch Collaboration to Combat Farmer Mental Health Crisis" By Jay Jones jay.jones@agr.georgia.gov
The GDA has made a substantial investment of $500,000 in mental health resources and awareness using a USDA NIFA-SDA Georgia Healthy Farmer Mindset Grant. Over the past five years, the GDA has dedicated this funding to various critical initiatives, including training, outreach, education and collaboration with partner agencies. Training efforts encompass staff and public outreach, veteran training, and legal and financial training. The funding has also supported awareness efforts in Georgia, such as Mental Health Day at the Capitol, Mental Health Awareness Month, and World Mental Health Day.
"In Georgia, our farmers and producers are the backbone of our state and our state's economy, and we're proud to partner with DBHDD and UGA Extension to make significant investments in mental health resources and awareness to ensure Georgia farmers have access to the quality mental health care they deserve," Harper said....
|
Progress 09/01/21 to 08/31/22
Outputs
Target Audience:Farmers, Black Farmers, Veteran Farmers, Agribusiness workers, Farm Bureau Staff, Agriculture Staff, School Personnel, 4H Teachers, FFA Leaders, Academia, Extension, Farm Bureau,Mental Health and Social Work Providers, Public Health Officials, Veterinarians, Elected Officials,the media, and the general public Changes/Problems:The Georgia PTA joined the project team in March of 2022 and provided a Scope of Work for project deliverables to include outreach, mental health programming, microgrants to local PTAs, a PSA contest and conference funding for the Georgia PTA Annual Convention (CLT). These project deliverables total $40,000 in funding that was moved from legal services to the outreach category. NIFA has allocated additional funding in the amount of $45,300 and theThe Georgia Department of Agriculture is requesting additional funding to continue outreach efforts to direct farmers in crisis to the Georgia Crisis Access Line (GCAL) utilizing billboards, to perform strategic planning with key stakeholders in farm stress and wellbeing, to build on existing work from the Georgia Farm Stress Summit and leverage the partnerships of the Georgia Foundation for Agriculture, an affiliate of Georgia Farm Bureau. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Virtual Question Persuade Prefer Training online was provided by AgriSafe AgriSafe Farm Response Training is underway statewide. Georgia Farmer Stress Summit had a presentation from the American Farm Bureau Communications Director, Ray Atkinson and a presentation on the Farmer'd Mental Well Being Project: Statewide Survey Report (June 2022) by the Georgia Rural Health Innovation Center at Mercer University School of Medicine, Georgia Foundation for Agriculture, and Mercer University School of Medicine under the Georgia Department of Community Health Grant#19045G, and a panel of Georgia farmer mental health stakeholders. Afternoon worksession Heirs Property and Wills Trainings were hosted across the state by McClendon Law and Consulting. A Farmer Success Specialist has been an integral component to farmer and community outreach and engagement. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?
Nothing Reported
What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?All of the project partners are on track to accomplish project goals. The established monthly meetings assist in this regard. Sessions are being held with each project partner at the the end of June 2022 to assess current project status and needs; and to identify any support requirements from the PI.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
OUTREACH All Project participants joined the virtual Mental Health Day at the Capitol event on January 26, 2022. Mental Health Carousel Materials were created by our GDA Graphic Designer, Erin White. Images can be found for this campaign: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/kwec9mw61dr68gov6v9v9/h?dl=0&rlkey=hn4hy1w6mdi1g2ep5qjvsa5h3 Mental Health Awareness Month Facebook: 8,052 total reach, 83 engagements Twitter: 3,169 potential reach The first round of mental health billboard release occurred on May 30, 2022, and ran through the end of June 2022. A total of 31 billboard locations with a market impression distribution of over 3,000,000 million has been successfully implemented. The billboard project included a successful integration of the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD), Georgia Crisis Access Line (GCAL) to individuals in need. The campaign footprint was shared with regional DBHDD providers to inform them of the potential increase in service requests. Campaign goal was to utilize the mirror approach and ask people to take care of themselves so they can best support others. Billboard Images Link: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/b8gtophqfyoi6pmrxawak/h?dl=0&rlkey=rqesh1m70pg2vvk120aunhyxi Mental Health Day at the Capitol and Mental Health Awareness Month activities GDA Press Release (Jan 2022): https://www.agr.georgia.gov/take-action-promoting-self-care-in-our-community.aspx GDA Press Release (May 2022): https://www.agr.georgia.gov/georgia-department-of-agriculture-kicks-off-mental-health-awareness-month.aspx Georgia Farm Bureau article: https://www.gfb.org/media-and-publications/news.cms/2022/1263/may-is-mental-health-awareness-month Farm Stress Summit: https://extension.uga.edu/topic-areas/timely-topics/Rural/2022-farm-stress-conference.html Farm Stress Summit Media: https://www.rfdtv.com/story/46644380/gas-farm-stress-summit-is-looking-to-help-producers-impacted-by-mental-health-struggles https://www.walb.com/2022/05/19/concerns-growing-with-ga-farmers-mental-health-crisis/ Social Media Campaigns Mental Health Social Media Handles for Project Partners has been collected for this initiative, to include contacts for AgriSafe, Cobb Collaborative, Georgia Department of Agriculture, Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, Georgia Department of Public Health, Georgia PTA, McClendon Law and Consulting, the University of Georgia, and USDA NIFA. Outreach and awareness is a key outcome delivery for this effort and we have developed several strategies to further awareness and work with internal partners, external partners and the media. Social Media posts were distributed by our Social Media Staffer, Amir Sports The Georgia PTA understands the mental health crisis that is impacting our communities in Georgia, especially in SW Georgia which is still recovering from Hurricane Michael. They have a dedicated Mental Health Chair. On Thursday, June 9th the GA PTA screened Paper Tigers, https://kpjrfilms.co/paper-tigers/, a documentary film that follows at-risk youth in Washington state and explores questions of trauma, resiliency, and relationships. GDA sponsored this viewing with grant dollars. The screening was followed by a panel presentation. AgriSafe presented during the conference and represented the Georgia Healthy Farmer Workgroup at the conference. Reports on conference attendees forthcoming. TELEHEALTH Telehealth room is being established in Tattnall County Extension Office. Tattnall County has one of the highest attempts of suicide in the state. MSW INTERNS Candidates have been selected for the MSW project and outreach is planned in the near future. MILITARY/VETERAN LIAISON Staff has been hired to conduct outreach to veteran farmers and the military community to better service this community. LAW INTERN McClendon Law and Associates has hired an intern from Mercer Law School to support project deliverables and to nurture future legal scholars to serve the farming community in heirs property and wills.
Publications
|