Item No. 1 of 1

INVESTIGATOR: Moynihan, M.

PERFORMING INSTITUTION:
AGRICULTURE, MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF
625 ROBERT STREET N
SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA 551552538

BEND, DON`T BREAK -- MANAGING STRESS IN AGRICULTURE

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) recognizes a wide array of factors that contribute to high stress levels for farmers, ranchers, and others in agriculture, and the grave consequences that chronic and acute stress pose for the mental, physical, and social health and well-being of individuals, families, and communities. This project builds on legacy programs, as well as more recent farm and rural stress initiatives."Bend, Don't Break" will engage agency, nonprofit, and educational partners in this work - enhancing many existing Minnesota efforts to help farmers and others in agriculture cope with adversity.Through our work during the past several years, we have collectively identified suicide, farm transition/succession, legal problems, family relationships (especially fragile marriages), and youth stress as particular challenges that affect mainstream producers of all sizes today. Several of our partners represent Indigenous or emerging/underserved farmers; they will enhance culturally-appropriate programming for these communities.This project will support, improve, and promote existing direct services like mental health counseling, farm advocates, marriage retreats, and a 24/7 Farm & Rural Helpline. It will also expand efforts to enhance the skills and responsiveness of professionals who work with farm families in stress (e.g., agency, Extension, clergy, rural attorneys, social services, agricultural service providers) through workshops, trainings, and other resources. The project will include a variety of outreach strategies, such as paid advertising, social media, and expanding a radio and podcast program that reassures and inspires listeners with stories about farmers and ranchers in their region who have navigated personal challenges.

OBJECTIVES: Goal: Support, improve, and promote existing services that help farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural people recognize and effectively manage their stress, and enhance the skills and responsiveness of rural professionals who interact with farm and ranch families in stress.ObjectivesExpand the availability of and awareness about direct stress-related support services.Provide opportunities for traditional and underserved farmers, ranchers, and indigenous agriculturalists to enhance their own capacity to cope with stress.Create outreach and messaging that reduces stigma about stress and mental health challenges.Collect information about farm suicide that will shape effective prevention and post-vention efforts.Explore and respond to stress and improve the psycho-emotional/physical wellness continuum in underserved farming populationsIdentify additional needs and opportunities for impactful programs and services.

APPROACH: EffortsOur efforts will include in-person and online workshops, trainings, meetings and conferences, meetings, and retreats, compilation of written resources, experiential learning opportunities, direct service delivery (in person, by phone, text, and email) and broadcasting (radio, podcast).EvaluationIn order to evaluate our progress toward achieving our objectives and outcomes, we will rely on participation measures, participant and subawardee surveys, interviews, or focus groups, and products the project generate (e.g., case law summary, psychological autopsy reports).

PROGRESS: 2022/09 TO 2023/08
Target Audience:The MDA and its subawardees reached the following target audiences during this reporting period: Agricultural advisors (Extension, Farm Business Management, Farm Advocates, Mediators, etc.) Clergy FFA chapters and chapter leaders General public Historically underserved farmers - especially BIPOC farmers of color Indigenous food producers Mainstream farmers and ranchers Farmers and farm families who are on the continuum of farm succession/transition Professional mental health counselors who serve farmers and ranchers Social service providers 4-H participants, leaders, and youth workers Changes/Problems:The LLTC Project Director was a little disppointed that the turnout for their Planting the Seeds for our Seventh Generation retreats was not greater. After completing the events, Leech Lake Tribal College heard from community members who said they hadn't known the events were being offered and asked if there would be more. In the future, they will try advertising on community radio and will secure publicity help from a new media staffer in the college. The LEDC had difficulty finding therapists who had the language, cultural, and professional skills to facilitate their Latino Farmer Retreat, which contributed to delays in the project. Ultimately, they found two: a psychotherapist who works within a school district but has experience with farm workers, and the second an occupational therapist who specializes in how stress accumulates in the body. LEDC said it was also difficult recruiting farmers to attend a "mental health" retreat. They re-visioned the retreat as a family-inclusive event at a comfortable hotel with a water park, making it more attractive. Farmers Legal Action Group has been responding to a number of urgent requests from USDA and has not had time to organize the agricultural law professional development webinars for rural attorneys. The no cost extension that NIFA granted for this project allowed us to amend their project end date to July 31, 2024. Several projects have finished their work under budget. The MDA plans to use the remaining funds to enhance outreach and additional activities that align with program goals. For example, one possibility is commissioning several more episodes of the TransFARMation continuing suicide prevention education for rural clergy. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The MDH held an in-person Suicide Prevention Conference for Rural Faith Leaders in two locations. Nearly 150 clergy, chaplains, and other faith-connected individuals attended representing denominations including Baptist, Catholic, Converge, Episcopal, Evangelical, Lutheran, Free Methodist, United Methodist, Non- or inter-denominational, Unitarian Universalist, and United Church of Christ. The agenda included presentations by suicide loss survivors, a presentation about responding to and supporting suicide grief, a panel discussion about the historical context of suicide within religion and religious views of suicide, funeral planning and working with the bereaved, and community resources. Participants said the event was a good use of their time, improved their understanding of their role in suicide prevention, provided high quality resources, and will help them support people affected by suicide. Their biggest takeaways were: Resources - learning what exists/what to look for in their own communities (53%) Clarity about their role in suicide prevention and the importance of community connections (19%) Importance of suicide prevention/intervention training (13%) South Dakota's FRSAN-SDA program leader attended the Mankato session and subsequently developed a similar conference in South Dakota (the agenda looked fantastic!) Subawardee University of Minnesota Extension trained 11 more facilitators this year to deliver its Ambiguous Loss: A Changing Way of Life program, for a total of 38. These local facilitators, who are not necessarily mental health professionals, can reduce stigma and expand access to well-being through immediate support and by referring farmers and farm family members to services as needed. After the positive response to last year's professional development retreat for mental health counselors whose therapy practices focus on serving farmers and other agriculture-connected people, the MDA offered a similar event this year (although supported by state funds rather than FRSAN-SDA funding). Three of last year's participants returned, one wanted to but wasn't available, and two were new to the group. Participants were involved in planning the retreat and, with help from a professional facilitator, served as discussion leaders. They again reported that they found great value in spending the day together discussing challenges and approaches with peers and are coordinating periodic Zoom meetings for themselves so they can stay connected. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Bend, Don't Break project is participatory by design -- the goals and activities that comprise our work plans are designed to involve and engage target audiences. However, we have also been sharing our efforts and experiences with diverse audiences. The MDA's BDB project director shared information about this multi-stakeholder effort at invited presentations and during webinars such as Farm Stress and Suicide: Faith, Place, and Community Health, put on by the USDA Office of External & Intergovernmental Affairs, as opportunities arose. Several inquiries about our suicide prevention education efforts for clergy and the Minnesota FFA Foundation's mini grant followed this informal outreach. Members of the U of M Extension project team also shared information about their curricula and program delivery at the National Health Outreach and Engagement Conference, National Association of County Agricultural Agents Proceedings, and North American Agricultural Safety Summit. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?While eight of our 12 project subawardees have finished their projects, the MDA and four subawardees still have objectives to accomplish before the project ends next August. (Parentheses indicate the responsible organization, whether MDA or one of the subawardees) Offer approximately five professional development webinars for rural Minnesota attorneys based on the new Farmers' Guide to Minnesota Lending Law. Many rural law practices do not currently serve farmer clients; these educational programs will give more rural attorneys the legal knowledge, tools, and resources to begin representing farmers, especially in financial disputes with lenders. Target audiences include members of the following Minnesota State Bar Association (MSBA) sections: Agricultural and Rural Law, Greater Minnesota Practice, Family Law, Criminal Law, and other applicable sections. FLAG is working with MSBA to publicize and to obtain free Continuing Legal Education credits for attorneys who participate. (FLAG). Identify farm families willing to participate in a process called Retrospective Fatality Analysis (psychological autopsies) to better understand the life of their loved ones leading up to death and contribute information that will result in more effective suicide prevention efforts for this community. (MDH and MDA) Fund three to five more FFA chapter mental health stigma reduction projects (Minnesota FFA Foundation) Implement work plan for teaching financial literacy to 10 emerging farmers through small groups and 1:1 interaction to help farmers with bookkeeping systems and applying for loans and/or grants that are fit their needs.(LEDC) Continue farm stress outreach and promotion via events, advertising, earned media, and relationship-building (MDA)

IMPACT: 2022/09 TO 2023/08
What was accomplished under these goals? 1. Expand the availability of and awareness about direct stress-related support services. Between 9/1/22 and 8/30/23 the Minnesota Farm & Rural Helpline responded 24/7 to more than 200 phone calls or texts from farmers in stress or people concerned about them. The Southern Minnesota Center of Agricultural Excellence provided 1:1 coaching, support, and resources to families on the continuum of transferring their farm to new ownership, either inside or outside the family. They interacted with 143 people affiliated with 35 different families. The MDA updated and redesigned the Coping with Farm & Rural Stress in Minnesota brochure and chip clips/can koozies that promote the Helpline (the promotional items were purchased with State, not Federal, funds). We ensured that two agricultural mental health specialists who work with farmers can access state-funded translation services if non-English speaking farmers contact them. We also had the Coping brochure translated into Hmong, Somali, and Spanish; these are available in print and online. All MDA farm stress outreach materials are now available through an online order form. Since 9/1/22, we have filled 74 orders from farm and commodity groups, public health agencies, mental health agencies, VA programs, Extension educators, Federal and State agencies, and others. The total number of items shipped is 28,563. The MDA conducted outreach about farm stress, resources, and services at events including MN State Fair, MN FarmFest, MN Farmers Union Annual Meeting, MN Rural Health Association Conference, MN Organic Conference, and U of M Extension Women's Ag Conference. Project subawardees also conducted outreach through all of the events and activities described below. 2. Provide opportunities for traditional and underserved farmers, ranchers, indigenous agriculturalists, and youth to enhance their own capacity to cope with stress. With input from a committee of 8-10 emerging farmers, BRF piloted a "Wellness Room" its 17th annual Emerging Farmers Conference in 2022. This event attracts more than 350 participants who speak eight languages. The Wellness Room offered materials about suicide, mental health, and crisis, as well as a quiet space participants could retreat to. The MDI held the last of its three relationship retreats for farm couples during this reporting period, offering farm couples a chance to get away from the farm, connect with peers, and explore the intersection of family relationships and farm management. "Couples mentioned how great it was to learn that they are not alone in their struggles, and that it was nice to know there are other people in the same boat." said project director Emily Mollenhauer. The Latino Economic Development Center (LEDC) organized a weekend mental health retreat for five Latino farm families (21 people). Spouses and kids both attended; the hotel had a water park, which helped make the retreat a family occasion. In addition to large group sessions, farmers spent an hour with each of the two therapists who facilitated the retreat and all of them said they were interested in having more therapy sessions. Leech Lake Tribal College (LLTC) held three small multi-generational retreats for women (geared toward mothers and daughters) in Northern Minnesota Anishinaabe communities. The retreats incorporated traditional foraging, cooking, and craft activities as a basis for personal and spiritual connection. Agendas were flexible in response to the weather, retreat location, interests, and backgrounds of the attendees. "At each retreat we did a closing ceremony, and everybody really felt good when they left," said project director Esther Humphrey. "They felt almost a sense of relief - that tension, sadness, and stress were left behind. That they didn't have to take it with them and carry it." The Minnesota FFA Foundation joined our group of subawardees as a result of supplementary award funding provided by NIFA. In consultation with chapter leaders and the MDA, staff developed a mini grant program to increase awareness about and reduce stigma about mental health challenges. To date, 17 chapters have developed creative projects and activities that raise awareness and and/or distribute supportive resources. 3. Create outreach and messaging that reduces stigma about stress and mental health challenges. The Minnesota FFA mini grants described above created and deployed stigma-reducing messaging about mental health that reached thousands of students across 17 schools. The MDA used digital advertising on Facebook to normalize the idea that stress is common in agriculture and there are effective ways to cope with it. We continued to promote episodes of TransFARMation, as well as the Minnesota Farm & Rural Helpline, and Minnesota Farm Advocate Program, reaching a total of 1,166,398 impressions. U of M Extension expanded the availability of stress-related support services and built awareness of mental wellbeing in over 73% of Minnesota counties through presentations and workshops for youth and adults, putting tools and resources in the hands of volunteers, youth leaders, Extension office and 4-H program staff. 4. Collect information about farm suicide that will shape effective prevention and post-vention efforts. Little progress during this reporting period. 5. Explore and respond to stress and improve the psycho-emotional/physical wellness continuum in underserved farming populations. Big River Farms (BRF) held a heat exhaustion training, reaching 16 attendees with interpretation in Hmong and Spanish. Many farmers who came were shocked and surprised at the toll heat can take. BRF also included a holistic health-oriented "On-Farm Wellness" workshop in the 2022 Emerging Farmers conference, taught by a certified massage therapist and medical providers. U of M Extension's developed a new module called "Healthy Habits for Farm Safety," for its Youth Tractor and Farm Safety Training. The module explores how stress can increase the risk for mistakes and accidents and taught 55 youth about wellness and the ways they can attend to physical, emotional, and mental health. 6. Identify additional needs and opportunities for impactful programs and services. The MDA and its subawardees are already creating new programs based on Bend, Don't Break Initiative efforts funded by FRSAN-SDA program and planning others for the future. For example: While LLTC program leader Esther Humphrey wants to continue to develop opportunities for women and girls, she recognizes the need to develop new opportunities focused on men and sons. BRF will continue providing education about physical and mental wellness. Project director KaZoua Berry said " We are going to do more wellness classes at BRF and also continue our wellness room at the conference. It's really because of this funding opportunity that we were able to explore [ideas like these], and farmers were so grateful and appreciative of it." Feedback from the Suicide Prevention for Rural Faith Leaders Conference prompted MDA and MDH to collaborate again and offer two 4-week online courses focused on suicide prevention skills (these were supported with State funds). In addition, we secured funding to expand this online training effort to include clergy and faith leaders neighboring states in 2024. The MDA is continuing support for individual farm succession/transition coaching services for farm families. MDI Director Emily Mollenhauer reported that her team is exploring the idea of creating a "2.0" retreat program for graduates of the first retreats.

PUBLICATIONS (not previously reported): 2022/09 TO 2023/08
1. Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Krekelberg, E., McGuire, J.K. 2023. Place-Based Supports for farm families recovering from stress and crisis: An ambiguous loss programmatic approach. Breakout session. National Health Outreach and Engagement Conference Proceedings.
2. Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Krekelberg, E., McGuire, J.K. 2022. Support for mental health as a production tool in farming: An ambiguous loss perspective. Agricultural Issues Seminar. Annual Meeting and Professional Improvement Conference of the National Association of County Agricultural Agents Proceedings.
3. Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Krekelberg, E., McGuire, J.K. 2022. 2022 North American Agricultural Safety Summit: A New Day for Safety - Conference Abstracts, Abstract JA:2022-18: Support for mental health as a production tool in farming: An ambiguous loss perspective. Journal of Agromedicine, online. https://doi-org.ezp1.lib.umn.edu/10.1080/1059924X.2022.2112419
4. Type: Other Status: Other Year Published: 2022 Citation: Krekelberg, E., McGuire, J.K. 2022. Support for mental health as a production tool in farming: An ambiguous loss perspective. Poster presentation. North American Agricultural Safety Summit Proceedings.
5. Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2023 Citation: Moynihan, M.M. and Monica Mc Conkey. 2023. Cultivating Insight and Overcoming Barriers in Rural Mental Health. Plenary. Minnesota Rural Mental Health Conference.