The Southern Illinois University School of Medicine Center for Rural Health and Social Service Development (CRHSSD) is leading the effort to build a network of support and resources for Illinois farm families. The purpose of the initiative is to provide a range of resources including a helpline to assist with farmer and farm-related issues that include mental and physical health needs. Additionally, the initiative offers ongoing outreach, education and training to rural clients and partners working to improve the health and safety of farm families.
Farm Family Resource Initative
May - Mental Health Awareness Month Toolkit
At the Farm Family Resource Initiative (FFRI), we understand the importance of addressing mental health concerns in the agricultural sector. From the pressures of unpredictable weather and market fluctuations to the isolation of rural living, farmers face a myriad of challenges that can take a toll on their mental health. Join us this May as we shine a light on mental health in agriculture and work towards a healthier, happier farming community. Together, we can cultivate not only crops but also resilience, support, and understanding.
The FFRI has created a toolkit with resources for you to use to participate and show your support for farmers and farm families mental health. Please use and share anything of these pieces during May and any time of the year. Tag @SIUMedicineCRHSSD on facebook.
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• Did you know there are resources designed specifically to support farmers' mental health? From a helpline to resources designed for farmers and farm families, help is available. Check out siumed.org/farm for more info.
• We all need someone to talk to. This May, let's reach out, listen, and support one another. Whether it's a friendly chat over the fence or a phone call to check in, let's show up for each other.
• Calling all young farmers and farm families! Your mental health matters, and so do you. Reach out to a friend, mentor, or trusted adult if you need support. Let's take care of each other.
• As farmers, our work never stops, but neither should our self-care. 'You cannot pour from an empty cup.' This May, let's remember to refill ours.
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Mastering mental health on the farm
Observed every year in May, Mental Health Awareness Month is a crucial opportunity to prioritize mental wellness in the workplace. And what workplace is more challenging than life on the farm?
Admittedly, the farm is a wonderful place to be. Karen Leavitt Stallman, SIU Medicine’s Farm Family Resource Initiative Program Coordinator and Ag Resource Specialist, grew up on a farm and knows this well. “I love spring on our farm in Randolph County. We see nature waking up. New calves are born. Fields are planted. What I enjoy most are the many morel mushrooms in the woods,” Stallman says. “But, from growing up on a farm, I know that life can be very stressful.”
For the past few years, the topic of mental health has become more prevalent. Constant change and stress compounded by the pandemic have left many people feeling depressed or anxious – to the point where it affects their health. Farmers and those involved in agriculture are not immune to these challenges. Stallman calls it the “drip, drip, drip” of chronic stress. “There are so many things farmers cannot control: commodity prices, input costs, the weather, health problems and so much more.”
“When I was young, my father baled a lot of alfalfa that we sold out of the field. I remember having an entire field ready for a buyer to pick up, and a gray cloud would develop so quickly, and all those bales would get wet. I always wondered how my father could keep from crying. We just continued on and hoped for better weather with the next cutting,” remembers Stallman.
Now when dealing with those stressors, SIU Medicine has many programs to assist farmers and their families and to train medical professionals to understand the specific needs of those in rural areas.
Farm Family Resource Initiative (FFRI)
FFRI is a network of support and resources for farmers and their families, including a helpline (1-833-FARM-SOS). The confidential 24/7 helpline connects you to health professionals specializing in ag-related stress. This means you are talking to medical professionals living in Illinois who can relate to the local economy, weather and other daily stressors specific to farming and our region.
In addition to text, email and website services, telehealth counseling sessions are available for those in need of additional support. Up to six individual, couple or group sessions are available. All FFRI services are offered at no cost to the farmer or farm family member with the support of grant funding.
AgriSafe Nurse Scholar Program
This program is available to rural nurses through on-demand webinars, increasing their knowledge in the prevention, identification and assessment of diseases related to agricultural work exposures. Find more details by visiting siumed.org/farm.
Mental health care is not a luxury and seeking help is a sign of strength, not weakness. Please check on friends, family members and neighbors regularly. Spread the word about FFRI and encourage others to reach out and talk to someone. It may save the life of someone you know.
This Mental Health Awareness Month, let us continue to advocate for mental health care and support in the agricultural community and beyond. Let us work together to break down the stigma surrounding mental health and encourage those who may be struggling to reach out for help. Together, we can promote healing and well-being for all. A healthy farm needs a healthy farmer. Find more information about the FFRI at siumed.org/farm.
Experiencing a crisis or know someone who is? Learn more about Farm Rescue and find more resources for farmers and farm families.
Farm Rescue
The mission of Farm Rescue is to help family farms and ranches bridge crises so they have an opportunity to continue viable operations. Farm Rescue provides planting, haying, harvesting, commodity hauling and livestock feeding assistance to farm and ranch families that have experienced a major injury, illness or natural disaster. We have assisted more than 1,000 farm and ranch families since our inception in 2005!
We see that one of the biggest financial drains on a family is an unexpected medical injury or illness and, of course, a natural disaster. It is even more pronounced on a farm where a family's livelihood depends on the ability to plant, harvest or provide for their herd.
Farm Rescue gives families a chance to continue their livelihood by providing the necessary equipment and manpower (free of charge) to get the job done.
AgriSafe Nurse Scholar Program
The AgriSafe Nurse Scholar program is a distance learning opportunity designed for rural nurses. Experienced health & safety educators share their expertise in prevention, identification, and assessment of diseases related to agricultural work exposures. Classes are in the form of webinars to be viewed on your own time. Nurses who complete this course will be eligible for 23 hours of continuing nursing education.
Applications are open for the 2024 Nurse Scholar program. There are scholarships available for 125 individuals. The deadline to apply for a scholarship is April 8, 2024.
To be eligible to receive a scholarship, nurses must:
• Be employed by a rural health clinic, FQHC, government agency, non-profit hospital or organization, or work in academia
• Demonstrate an interest and ability to integrate learnings into their practices
• Work in a rural and medically
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Plant one seed
Learn more about Adrienne DeSutter, a farm wife, mother and podcaster of “Wellness in the Fields,” focused on mental health topics affecting Illinois’ agricultural community.
Virtual event aims to tackle mental health challenges in agricultural communities
Farmers and their families often grapple with various stressors, including financial pressures, unpredictable weather conditions and the isolation of rural living. These challenges can contribute to
SIU Medicine offers virtual series on farm succession planning
Join us for an upcoming live virtual series, "Planning for the Farm's Future and Yours." The FFRI programs are designed to assist farmers and farm families in developing a succession plan for future generations.