Group urging farmers to monitor mental health

Community Report

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) is reminding farmers that a small gesture can go a long way for a loved one who’s not OK.

The AFBF is focusing on the power of relationships this year—both as a tool for helping farmers cope with stress, and as a lifeline for those struggling with depression, suicidal thoughts or substance misuse.

During May, AFBF is challenging members to reach out to friends, neighbors and fellow farmers by send- ing a text or note, or calling to check on them.

“You never quite know what someone is going through,” said Jeremy Daubert, a Virginia Cooperative Extension agent and recent guest on Virginia’s Young Farmers Podcast with Laura Siegel, AgriSafe health communications officer.

AgriSafe, a national network of agricultural resources and trainings, created the AgriStress Helpline, which is available 24/7 in Virginia. Farmers can call or text 833-897-2474 to speak directly with a healthcare professional, and crisis specialists have access to a Virginia-specific database of agricultural and health resources. Hosted by Virginia Farm Bureau Federation Young Farmers Ashley Kuhler and Morgan Slaven, the podcast episode emphasized the importance of recognizing stress in a friend or a loved one, particularly among farmers.

“They can’t just take a week off here or take a month off there. It’s day in, day out, and that stress really has a detrimental impact on mental and physical health,” Daubert said.

The farming population is

3.5 times more likely than the general population to die by suicide, according to Siegel.

Poor mental health also can lead to increased risk of injury on the farm, according to Becky Broaddus, a member of the VFBF Farm Safety Advisory Committee and a leader of mental health trainings for those who work with farmers.

Common barriers to farmers seeking mental health counseling include accessibility to counselors, the need to take time away from the farm, admitting that a problem exists, and the stigma associated with seeking help,

From 6 incredible scenery at any time of year, but most notably in the fall when the leaves change and the winding roads beckon.

Perhaps it’s because I’ve lived in this area for so many years that I forgot how good our own roads can be for driving, especially once you get out past the more densely populated areas.

I know I’m certainly guilty of being so caught up with whatever task I’m trying to accomplish or problem I’m

Mobley

From 6 behind. I further explained that my sewing skills were cut out for quilts and crafts and that making a proper garment, like baking the perfect pound cake, takes practice.

My cry-me-a-river dis- trying to solve that I forget to take notice of anything else.

Last Saturday, however, after an afternoon spent with a few good friends, I found myself driving home just as the sun was dipping low and the light dappling the trees was golden. The road was winding gently, the window was down and there was bluegrass on the radio. For a moment I felt that familiar joy of having miles of unexplored road ahead and no particular place to be. While years ago I might have just kept driving, this time I did go home. I fed my dogs. I answered some e-mail. I threw in a load of towels, made a grocery list and went about the business of being an adult with the kinds of responsibilities that can sometimes crowd out the ability to do things “just because.”

But I also vowed that I would do what I could to find time every once in a while for a good long drive, not for any particular reason other than the pure joy of it. Hopefully, I’ll see you out there too.

Do you have a favorite place to drive, or memories of a special road trip? Tell us about it at news@powhatantoday.com.

LDVnet in 2000. Both companies continued a focus on financial services and business-tobusiness direct and database marketing.

In 2009 Lyle’s new firm, Highway Information Media (HIMedia) was hired by Virginia’s Department of Transportation and Virginia’s Tourism Corporation. HIMedia’s assignment was to create a distribution system and manage said Broaddus.

A 2021 AFBF survey suggests that stigma surrounding mental health among rural adults has decreased by 11% since 2019, but 61% of the 2,000 rural adults surveyed still agree it is an obstacle to seeking help.

“The farm community can help fight this stigma by working together to recognize signs and symptoms, encouraging those who need help to get it, supporting those who are struggling, and by not being afraid to say something or do something,” Broaddus said.

Any change in behavior the tourism marketing and messaging at Virginia Tourism’s 12 Visitor Welcome Centers and at VDOT’s 33 Safety Rest Areas across Virginia.

Lyle was elected by Goochland’s voters to the Monacan Soil and Water Conservation District Board of Directors as a Goochland Director in 2011.

He was re-elected in 2015, and again in 2019.

He currently serves as Chairman of the sixmember board. In 2020

Lyle was also elected a Director of the Gooch - can be a sign that a loved one or friend is struggling. Common signs of distress include nervousness, agitation or irritability, excessive crying or sleeping, changes in personal relationships, or avoidance or withdrawal.

“If you know someone is struggling but you’re not sure what to do, start by just listening to them,” Broaddus said. “You don’t have to fix the problem; just listen, and be there.”

Visit AFBF’s Farm State of Mind website for more information.

—Submitted by Virginia Farm Bureau land Farm Bureau by the c ounty’s Farm Bureau members.

Lyle is a member of the Goochland Rotary Club; the Goochland Chamber of Commerce; the Virginia Restaurant, Lodging Travel Association (VRLTA); the Goochland NAACP and the Goochland County Republican C ommittee. He is a Life Member of the NRA, and has been a member of the Sports Backers’ Marathon Training Team since 2009.

—Submitted by Jonathan Lyle sipated into the wind as my husband’s negotiation skills kicked in. He can be persuasive at times and at times I can be receptive. The next thing I knew, we were in Piece Goods collaborating on a pattern, even though I had not sewn a dress since Mr. Carter’s presidency.

Back at home I pulled several yards of sunshineyellow gabardine from a stash of relics and made a prototype of the asymmetrical one-shouldered dress, learning again that following directions is easy but obtaining the right fit is challenging. Undeterred, I pinned and re-pinned before heading to the fabric store again to purchase two yards of satiny black fabric and a zipper.

I cut out the dress a second time then pressed the foot pedal of my Kenmore with tenacity and apprehension. My perseverance paid off and soon a dress that I liked emerged from my sewing machine but it lacked pizzazz. After yet another shopping trip, I spent two hours handstitching a sequinned trim around the neckline, across the shoulder and back. When the time came for the once-in-a-lifetime affair, I put on the dress and zipped it up, free of any homegrown shame or psychological snags.

The dress still hangs in the archives of my closet, nestled between skirts and blazers leftover from my office years. As predicted, I only wore it once, but a few dollars and a trifle of hours turned out to be well spent.

A little bit of grit goes a long way, especially when you throw in some sequins and satin.