Mental Health

Charley Jordan retired from the Army as a Chief Warrant Officer 4 in 2017, after more than 28 years of service.

We are in that tough phase between decent residue grazing and great stockpile grazing. It is the hardest time of the year for grazing management.

Between harvest and preparing for the state corn-husking competition, From the Fields contributor Clay Geyer has a busy October ahead of him.

4-H has a greater reach than any other youth development organization — and young people need it now as much as ever before.

Harvest is in full swing for Mark Seib, a grain farmer from Posey County in the southwestern corner of Indiana.

A late-summer drought across much of the Midwest certainly altered the landscape. The cows are moving slowly, single file as they often do, coming from a pasture to get a drink from the automatic waterers.

Sometimes, life is heavy. Trying to balance my career, household duties and helping on the farm quickly became overwhelming. To put it lightly, I was exhausted.

In a rapidly evolving agricultural landscape, the role of a government affairs advocate is more critical than ever. Kala Jenkins has spent the past year navigating the intricate world of agricultural policy and advocacy.

National Farm Safety and Health Week will be observed Sept. 15-21 this year. The theme, “Don’t Learn Safety by Accident,” encourages people to take a proactive approach to safety education.

Many farmers quietly struggle with mental health and are reluctant to ask for help. If you or someone you know needs help, reach out to the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.

Animal shelters across the country are loaded with adoptable animals, with more coming in all the time. How did this happen?

Maybe it’s time to put some eggs in a different basket — that is, livestock. And since cattle prices are formidable for newcomers, I suggest a more reasonable approach to diversification: sheep.

As the Fourth of July celebrations come to a close, it’s a good idea to look out for your pets and livestock.

A peer-to-peer community is available to farmers and their families from across the United States to build farm family wellness.

Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch and the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs announced the Building Socially Connected Communities grant program.

Throughout the years I have seen our agriculture community come together during times of need.

I’d heard that once we seniors reach a certain age, we start losing people — friends, acquaintances, other senior relatives — they start dying one by one.

May is Mental Health Month. This time is a great reminder for each of us to make sure we are consistently checking in with ourselves, with our friends and family, and beyond our fencerows with our neighbors and community members.

We owe a great deal to those who provide emergency care, protection and support to our community. Their bravery is astonishing. They are always ready to dive headfirst into danger without batting an eye.

I’ve been reading in too many places about taking steps to hold off memory and cognitive impairment, so I’ve paid attention to some of the ideas we can use to keep our brains active.

When a storm comes rolling through or tragedy strikes, farmers and ranchers are always willing to pitch in to help our family, friends or community. It’s how we are wired.

FarmFirst Dairy Cooperative invites dairy farmers to attend the cooperative’s Producer Discovery Workshop series as part of its 2024 Annual Meeting taking place on Feb. 9 at the Wintergreen Conference Center and Clarion Suites in Wisconsin Dells.

Taking steps now can help cattlemen prepare for changes in the market. “We are still in the tail end of the liquidation phase, but it seems to be slowing down,” said Ross Bronson, agricultural risk consultant.

This is not the world we grew up in, or even the world we knew for much of our lives. If my informal poll of friends and acquaintances is correct, we don’t like it much.

I hope you all enjoyed Thanksgiving with family and friends. I hope you had the opportunity to take some time to relax and reenergize your mind and body. I hope you allowed yourself some time to rest.

Seasonal affective disorder, also called SAD, is a type of winter depression that can be found in the young as well as the old. The decrease in daylight can affect us, as can the lack of sunshine.

All medicines should be stored in a cool, dark place, as direct sunlight and heat can damage their effectiveness. Studies have proven that medicines sent by mail order can indeed get out of their published temperature range.

Thank you for your service. Those five words mean so much to men and women serving or who have served in the military. Each year on Nov. 11, rural and urban communities across the country host parades and ceremonies to honor those who served.

Many military veterans find that farming promotes self-healing, purpose and self-identity upon return from active duty.

Jeremy Rutledge is proud of his service to his country, he’s proud of returning to the family farm, but what he’s most proud of is being a father and husband.

The kids are fully back in school, holidays are around the corner and things on the farm are getting a lot busier with harvest season. With all the busyness, it is even more important to prioritize mental health and wellness.

The Illinois State Fair will feature two initiatives aimed at increasing accessibility and inclusivity for those who suffer from sensory processing disorders.

So many things in this old world feel a bit off kilter these days. It reminds me of lyrics from an old Willie Nelson song, “At a time when the world seems to be spinnin’ hopelessly out of control…”

The most recent U.S. Drought Monitor shows nearly all of the Midwest is experiencing shows nearly all of the Midwest is experiencing some level of drought.

Illinois dairy farmers are committed to building up communities experiencing food insecurity.

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.