Building Farm and Farm Family Resilience in our Communities

3. Excellent Joy: Fishing, Farming, Hunting and Psychology

Dr. Michael Rosmann, psychologist and farmer, authored the book Excellent Joy: Fishing, Farming, Hunting and Psychology, for which he received the Silver 2011 Book of the Year Award in the nature category from Foreword Reviews. Dr. Rosmann explained the psychology of why people engage in outdoor work and recreation with lessons from the field and celebrating life. ISBN 9781888160550

4. Mental Health in Rural America

In August 2020, the American Farm Bureau, National Farmers Union, and Farm Credit produced a 54-minute video that aired on RFD-TV. The video is part of the partners’ efforts to increase awareness, reduce stigma and share mental health resources. The video provides an overview of farm stress and farmer mental health. The video could be used with the farming population and/or those who support the farming population.

American Farm Bureau, National Farmers Union, and Farm Credit produced a 54-minute video that aired on RFD-TV.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFfYBykLt14

VIDEO

5. Farm Family Stressors: Private Problems, Public Issue

This policy brief provides a summary of the stressors faced by farm families and their implications. It also provides strategies communities and decision-makers can use to better support farm audiences. This brief can be used to help inform decision-makers. Written by Dr. Bonnie Braun for the National Council on Family Relations. It can be found at https://www.ncfr.org/resources/research-and-policy-briefs/farm-family-stressors-private-problems-public- issue

6. Linking Farm Vitality and Health Community Forums

The objective of community forums was to increase awareness of issues related to farmer health and access to health and farm and community vitality by professionals in key sectors (health care, mental health, agriculture, finance, estate planning, and risk management). The forums were held in Vermont, Ohio, Maryland, and Delaware. During a daylong event, information was provided to set the stage, and participants worked together to understand better the resources they could bring to supporting the farming community. Additionally, short-term action plans were developed to rally collaborative efforts in addressing issues faced by farmers and their families regarding health, mental health, farm and family risk management, and transition and succession planning. These forums were funded, in part, by the Northeast Region Center for Rural Development.