Farmers Stress and Solutions Series

Mental Health is a term that is thrown around a lot, but did you know it is refers to anything that connects with our emotional well-being? It can be as simple as how to deal with stress that your finances cause you, to dealing with the grief and loss of a partner in your life.  All of these parts of our lives are woven in and out of our farms and need caring for in order for our businesses to thrive! Earlier in 2022 we put together a series of videos talking with local farmers about a couple of different topics surrounding mental health/wellness. They're the perfect thing to listen to while moving fencing, weeding veggies or going to-and for in the busy market season. Give them a listen and see if you can learn a thing or two!
Farm Talk: A conversation about stress with CT farmers

Farm Talk

Farmers have a lot going on. When they're not farming, they're thinking about farming, when they are farming, they're thinking about all the other things they need to do in their personal life. It's stressful because sometimes it feels like you're playing a giant game of catch up.

Our panelist have all been stressed out, but they are trying their best to make the most of it. In collaboration with CT Dept of Agriculture, join UConn Extension's Solid Ground to hear from our panel of experienced farmers about the stresses of urban farming, raising a family while farming, succession planning with parents, and just balancing the every day demands this career put on you.

Our panelists are; Steve Munno (Massaro Community Farm), Lauren Little (Lauren Little Edutainment and I Got Next Farmer Coalition), and Andromeda Macri (River Crest Farm).

your farm's not perfect and recognizing your success

Farmer Stress and Solutions

Join Woven Roots Farm, Tyringham, MA, and UConn Extension's Solid Ground program as we talk about something that every farmer feels a little bit of- the guilt of not having your farm be perfect. We all strive to have our stalls perfectly mucked, our veggie rows weed free, and our tool sheds pristine and organized, but oftentimes, that's just not what farming is!

Jen of Woven Roots Farm in Tyringham, MA talks about the stress of striving for the unattainable "perfect" farm, but also the practice of saying it's okay to not be perfect. She will talk about how and why she takes time to celebrate the successes she does encounter on a regular basis and why taking the time to recognize those "wins" are just as important to the success of your farm's business as balancing your accounts!

What to expect if you want to see a therapist

What it's Like

That first step is always hard to take. Though it's more common these days, that doesn't mean it is any easier to dive in. Join therapist, and other half of Truelove Farm, Alana DiPesa, LCSW, and farmer Becca Toms (who also works at UConn Extension) as they talk about what you can expect if you'd like to see a therapist.

Becca will talk about what it was like for her the first time she went to a therapy, some difficulties she faced along the way, and how she eventually found some therapists that helped her through some challenges.

Alana (who has been a practicing psychotherapist for the last 10 years and has been writing and speaking about farmer mental health both in our community and on a national level for the past 3) will discuss the process from a therapists point of view: what can you expect when you are reaching out to a therapist, how to deal with insurance, different approaches to therapy, and her perspective on what therapists want to provide for clients.

This work is supported by the 2021 SDA Farmer Rancher Stress Assistance Grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture and is in partnership with the Connecticut Department of Agriculture.