Mental Health

With traces of winter’s unusually heavy snow still lingering, farmers were out dawn to dusk in early May, planting corn and soybeans across southwestern Minnesota fields many have owned for generations.

Much needed rain fell on our farm a couple of weeks ago, bringing us out of the “extreme drought” category and back to “severe drought.”

Ten years, 2,500 stories, thousands of photos, hundreds of blogs — and it’s just the beginning of my career as an agricultural journalist.

May is Mental Health Month, a great time to remember the difference we can all make — and to reach out to our neighbors, friends and family.

Breaking the stigma of mental health issues is one aspect of helping those who are challenged with stressful situations.

People who integrate play into their lives are more energized and able to complete their work. “The secret superpower of success is play, not working harder,” said Kelly McDonald at the Women’s Seminar organized by Compeer Financial.

After five years of outreach and education by farm groups, a new poll shows increased awareness and willingness to talk about the opioid crisis among rural adults, compared to 2017.

Discussing topics such estate planning and mental health may not be comfortable for family members, but are essential.

Sleep deficiency is a public health problem, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The 104th annual convention of the American Farm Bureau Federation was held in San Juan and brought together 338 voting delegates to shape AFBF policy.

There are several “brain support” online programs out there, but many cost more than we’d like to pay.

The successes by farmers and the accomplishments by the state’s Department of Agriculture were highlighted to open the Illinois Agricultural Legislative Roundtable.

A support system is available to help the Illinois farming community. “The farmer mental health initiative is incredibly important,” said Krista Lisser, public information officer at Illinois Department of Agriculture, at the Conservation Cropping Seminar.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Agriculture shared accomplishments made in 2022 to support the state’s No. 1 industry.

The Farm Bureau family will gather in San Juan for our 104th annual convention in less than a month. While we wish everyone could join us there, we understand that not everyone can make it to Puerto Rico Jan. 6-11.