ST. PAUL - The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) will offer “Down on the Farm: Supporting Farmers in Stressful Times” trainings across the state in the coming month. The free workshop is designed to help people who work with farmers recognize and respond when they see farmers experiencing stress, anxiety, depression and other challenges.
The three-hour workshops are offered at both 9:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. in these locations:
Jan. 30: Ridgewater College, Willmar
Jan. 31: Southwest Minnesota State University, Marshall
Feb. 22: South Central College, North Mankato
The MDA invites agency staff, bankers, veterinarians, crop consultants, clergy, social service and health care professionals, agriculture educators and others who work with farmers to attend.
Guest speaker is Ted Matthews, a psychologist who has worked with farmers and farm families statewide for more than 20 years and has led several state and federal crisis response efforts. Randy Willis from the Minnesota Sheriffs’ Association, Michele Page from the Farm Service Agency in Minnesota, and Meg Moynihan from the MDA (who is also a dairy farmer) will join Matthews to deliver the training.
Participants will learn to recognize signs of mental and emotional distress and crisis, use active listening skills and find resources available to farmers, and will improve their confidence in delivering difficult information to farmers in stressful situations. Continuing education credits are available.
To register, visit
mdadownonthefarm.eventbrite.com
. For more information, including a printable workshop brochure, visit
mda.state.mn.us/protecting/farmsafety.aspx
or call (651) 201-6012.
