In this 2019, 60-minute webinar, sponsored by the American Psychological Association and Farm Aid, a panel addresses stressors faced by farmers and ways to help them overcome barriers to mental health care. Speakers include Michael Rosmann, Ph.D., Psychologist; Meg Moynihan, Dairy Farmer and Senior Advisor to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture; and Alicia Harvie, Director of Farmer Services for Farm Aid. The panel explains the farming culture and environmental and economic conditions that affect farmer s’ mental health and well-being. Site: https://www.apa.org/members/content/farmer- mental-health
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Video: https://youtu.be/c7K6VQotDJk
COVID-19 - A Super Extraordinary Stressor
COVID-19 is an extraordinary stressor experienced in 2020 by the farming population, farming and allied enterprises, and by consumers. The effects will continue in 2021 and beyond. Early indicators of COVID-19 effects are found in several studies. Effects on Farmers. The USDA chief economist released an article in October 2020 with an overview of COVID-19 effects on farm operations (Johansson, 2020). According to the economist, farmers had been through multiple years of financial distress going into the pandemic. Then, in 2020, the pandemic produced supply and demand shocks in the food system. For farmers and farm families, effects included a reduction in demand for biofuels, corn in particular, as the public drove less; decline in restaurant food sales, especially for meat, dairy, and specialty crops; falling gate prices and extra output of some livestock, milk and perishable products; and rising rates of farm loan delinquency. According to March 2020 figures, cited by the chief economist, bankruptcies continued a five-year rise, with a 23% increase from 2019. And some farmers counting on off-farm income to service debt lost part or all of that income due to COVID 19-related unemployment (Becot et al., 2020). In previous research (Inwood et al., 2019), farmers also used off-farm income and employment for their health insurance to manage risk (Inwood et al., 2018). Near the end of 2020, Johansson remained optimistic that U.S. agriculture could recover as reflected in this quote: The COVID-19 outbreak has severely dampened expectations for 2020 and 2021. And, while the timing and pace of the economic recovery remain uncertain, the fundamentals of U.S. agriculture are sufficiently strong to withstand the crisis. (Johansson, 2020). In April 2020, the Farm, Food and Agribusiness COVID-19 Impact Survey was conducted by the Ohio Farm Bureau and state commodity organizations. In the course of a week, data were collected from slightly over 1,100 farmers. Within this group, 65% reported a negative or very negative impact on farm revenue. Among those farmers, market distribution channel problems and cash flow issues were at the top of the list of negative effects. They also reported problems with access to sanitation and protective equipment; sell ing directly to consumers and restaurants; transportation; access to supplies; and business resources, including labor and processors (Ohio Farm Bureau, 2020).
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