First session is Friday, Aug. 28
Farming can be stressful in the best of times. Financial worries, unpredictable weather, unpredictable commodity prices, plant pests, livestock diseases and isolation all contribute to farmers’ anxiety. And now Iowa’s rural communities and families are coping with the unpredictability and imposed isolation produced by the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the destruction from the derecho that swept through Iowa.
In response to this additional stress, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, in collaboration with COVID Recovery Iowa, will offer 10 online “Stress on the Farm: Strategies That Help” programs beginning Friday, Aug. 28, said David Brown, behavioral health specialist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.
“While our agricultural community has been impacted by COVID-19, many have now experienced extreme losses of their crops, buildings, storage and other hardships that came with the storm. This is all additional stress that is impacting our agricultural community and it’s important we’re all aware of the signs of stress for ourselves and so that we can be of help to our neighbors,” Brown said.
ISU Extension and Outreach will offer Stress on the Farm: Strategies That Help at various dates and times to meet the busy schedules of those in the agricultural community. Each program will last for one-half hour on the following dates and times:
- Friday, Aug. 28, 1:30 pm
- Monday, Aug. 31, 10:30 am
- Thursday, Sept. 3, 8:30 am
- Tuesday, Sept. 8, 3:30 pm
- Friday, Sept. 11, 10:30 am
- Monday, Sept. 14, 12:30 pm
- Tuesday, Sept. 22, 6:30 pm
- Friday, Sept. 25, 12:30 pm
- Monday, Sept. 28, 6:30 pm
- Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2:30 pm
Agribusiness professionals, agriculture lenders and bankers, veterinarians, vet techs, commodity group members, producers and other concerned individuals can register at no cost for any of these programs. Persons who want to register, can visit https://www.extension.iastate.edu/humansciences/stress-farm. Participants will receive a unique URL prior to the program to access the Zoom hosted program.
Persons who want more information can contact David Brown at dnbrown@iastate.edu.
