Organizations can be part of local communities but may be county, regional, state, multistate, or nationally based. Organizations can use their influence among members and outside the organization to address issues impacting the farming population and farm businesses. Examples from agriculture include the American Farm Bureau, Association of American Indian Farmers, Farm Aid, National Black Farmers Association, National Farmers Union, National Latino Farmers and Ranchers Trade Association, National Young Farmers Coalition, Traditional Native American Farmers Association, and Women in Agriculture. Other organizations with expertise include the American Public Health Association, the National Council on Family Relations, organizations representing, for example, consumers, psychologists, social workers, nutritionists, financial counselors, therapists, health care, and members of communities of faith. Another example is that of land-grant universities engaged in research and Extension education about health and well-being (Rodgers & Braun, 2015). Multiple articles in the Journal of Extension provide evidence of programming. A recent article in the American Journal of Public Health addressed Extens ion’s historical and contemporary role as a force for healthy rural communities (Buys & Rennekamp, 2020). Land-grant universities can call attention to issues, conduct research, and work with local communities through their outreach and/or Extension capacity, and produce materials such as those documented by a study in the North Central Region (Inwood et al., 2019). Cooperative Extension across the nation has responded to address multiple facets of stress across the farming population as evidenced by programs posted on websites and articles in such journals as the Journal of Extension and through Connect Extension (https://connect.extension.org/). Many of the tools developed by Extension educators are included in this guide. Extension as a system can bring people from multiple disciples together through professional development, community engagement, and direct farmer and family programming. Within Extension, professionals from multiple disciplines and program areas can work together for greater impact. Communities can support farms, farmers, and farm families by removing stigma and lack of awareness or understanding about challenges facing the farming population and by providing easy access to care (Woods, 2015). Communities can:
Feature articles in local newspapers
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• Provide access to health care, including mental health care
• Conduct conversations or forums to address the health and vitality of the farming populations and their farms and the community as a whole
• Collect information about stressors and their impacts among the farming population
• Explore existing and potential public policies that add to, or relieve, some stressors.
Communities can come together to support the farming population using a variety of methods: facilitated discussion, dialogue, and deliberation. Two well-documented approaches include the Charles F. Kettering Foundation’s National Issues Forums and Strategic Doing launched by Purdue University. Both have a history of demonstrated success in understanding and acting on issues. Both bring diverse members of a community together to explore and/or determine actions.
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