May 22, 2020

Stress on farmers subject of Michigan State University webinars

On Tuesday, June 9, 2020, Michigan State University Extension educators will host two free webinars addressing the effects of farm stress on farmers, family members, and workers in the agricultural field.

Nicole Persing-Wethington and Sean Knurek with the MSU Extension Health and Nutrition Institute and Florencia Colella and Amy Irish-Brown with the MSU Extension Agriculture and Agribusiness Institute will facilitate two, half-hour farm stress sessions. These mini sessions will focus on identifying signs of stress, improving discussion skills to aid in holding difficult conversations, and sharing and connecting people with resources to support those in need.

The first session will take place on Tuesday, June 9, 2020 at noon EDT, with a repeat session held at 7 p.m. EDT. These free sessions will be held on Zoom. For individuals with limited internet capabilities, a phone-in option will be offered. Attendee faces or names will not be visible to others.

Registration is now open for these events. To register for either of these sessions, visit: https://events.anr.msu.edu/Managingfarmstressonline/

To date, MSU Extension has offered farm stress management programs to more than 1,000 farmers and those who care about them. The programs offer a holistic approach to those experiencing stress by combining an overview of current farm financial situations and a discussion of the physical and mental impacts of stress.

MSU Extension has many other resources available including bookkeeping and financial analysis tools to help you with the important decisions you have to make as a farm manager. Many of these resources can be found on the MSU Extension farm management website. Contact the MSU Extension farm management team if you need help finding the right resources for your particular situation.