Building Farm and Farm Family Resilience in our Communities

socio-ecological model. Using literature reviews, this guide, and professionals from a variety of fields will help to understand better the nuances of the issues and the problems you are trying to address. 2. Name and frame problem and issue. When working toward developing programming that addresses farm and farm family risk and resiliency, it will be important to identify, name, and frame the issue or problem in such a way that risk management and resilience factor development can be addressed. In addition, program planners who follow the socio-ecological model and resiliency thinking will be tackling the issue from multiple levels of the framework, identifying appropriate strategies of engagement for each of the audiences in relation to desired outcomes. 3. Identify Outcomes. Identifying outcomes is critical to selecting strategies for program development and implementation. Effective outcomes achievement will be determined by partners inside Extension and external partners through their expertise and other resources to address issues and problems. Depending on the issue or problem, a variety of community partners, professionals and decision-makers may be needed. Recognize that there may be a variety of programmatic activities and thus evaluation strategies to determine if outcomes are achieved. 4. Develop Timeline. The authors recognize that the development of a program plan using an integrative approach will take time. Developing a strategic timeline will be helpful to allow sufficient time yet do the programming within a desired or required timeframe. For example, raising awareness with the community and other professionals may have to come before educational programming can be done with farmers, families, and farmworkers. Working backward in your timeline may be helpful. As an example, in Delaware, significant programming efforts with farmers happen after the first of the year. To prepare our partners and professionals to be aware of the needs and enlist their assistance, working almost a year ahead of time helped them and our Extension colleagues prepare for programming around mental and physical health. This illustrates how thinking through the timeline was essential for successful program implementation. 5. Use a Program Planning Tool. The authors created the Program Planning Tool Worksheet to help educators with program planning to prevent or reduce stress and build resilience. The worksheet can be found in Appendix D. The tool allows for using the socio-ecological approach by planning coordinated responses across audience groups based on the interventions that will best meet the needs to address an issue or problem for each audience group. By programming at multiple levels within a timeframe, simultaneous awareness and knowledge building and collective programming can make a greater impact. Specific strategies can be developed based on appropriate theories, current conditions and resources, needs and values of local farmers, families, communities, and existing public policies. When combined with logic models, educators have tools to plan programs for farmers and farm families, for professional development for those who support farmers and farm families, and for informing and engaging stakeholders.

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