Maria Pippidis, Extension Educator Family & Consumer Sciences; pippidis@udel.edu and Jesse Ketterman, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, University of Maryland; jketterm@umd.edu
It is a stressful time for many of us whether we are farmers, family members or those who support farms and their families. The stress has been extraordinary – so much uncertainty and juggling home life, farm life and trying to meet demands from our communities. University of Delaware and University of Maryland Cooperative Extensions have teamed up to offer two online programs within the next few weeks. One of them is sure to suit your needs. See the announcements section for more details about each program.
Weathering the Storm – Managing Farm Stress Effectively is designed for farmers, their family members and workers. This session will provide information about stress, how it affects your body and ways to effectively manage it. This program is free and will be held on May 21 from 1-2 p.m. You can register here.
Communicating with Farmers Under Stress is designed for those who work with or support farming operations. No matter how you interact with farming audiences, this program will be for you. In this session we’ll focus on signs of stressors, how to communicate with farm audiences and lastly, how to recognize and respond when you suspect a farmer or farm family member might need help. This program is free and will be held on June 4 from 10am-12pm. You can register here.
Managing your own stress has implications for your health – mentally and physically. Setting up systems, connecting with you support systems and asking help of others can reduce the burdens of the environment in which we live. Learning how to help others effectively and what resources are available in our community are also key. We are all in this together and together we can improve our outcomes in the future.