by Joy Kirkpatrick

Do you look forward to and dread the holiday season at the same time? The holiday season can be even trickier when you are a part of a family farm. Often, farmers are juggling the end of crop harvest, year-end financial decisions and changing weather as we step into the full swing of the holiday season. A family farm blends home and workplace, creating a mix of family ties and work duties. Finishing the harvest and completing the daily farm chores are as important as spending time with loved ones. It is unrealistic to keep the farm talk and farm work completely out of the family celebrations, but with planning and clear communications, you can make it through the holidays and lighten the holiday stress. The full article (linked below) includes ideas that address some of the more common family farm – holiday dilemmas.

Joy Kirkpatrick is the Farm Succession Outreach Specialist for the University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension.

Tips for Supporting Your Mental Health During the Holiday Season
As we approach the holiday season, it is important to remember that it is very common to feel added stress. However, there are ways to help address the stress or condition and improve your mental health. Click below to read about strategies to help you find moments of joy amidst the hustle and bustle this holiday season.

Free Resources and Support During the Holidays
The holiday season can be a time of joy, community, and connection, but many people experience an increased sense of loneliness and isolation during this time of year. While you might want to reach out to friends, family, and loved ones, sometimes it feels better to talk to someone with shared experiences or someone you don’t even know. Click below to learn about some free resources for extra support and connection this season and all year round.

Rural Realities podcast: Tips to Help Farmers Effectively Communicate
Communicating effectively is important to running a successful farm business, but often farmers aren’t taught how to be good communicators. On this episode of the Rural Realities podcast, Ted Matthews chats with Karen Endres of the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP), sharing his tips on improving communications with your family and your farm partners. Ted has two decades of experience working with farmers as a rural mental health practitioner in Minnesota and is the 2023 Minnesota Rural Health lifetime Achievement Award recipient.

A Closer Look at the Farm – Mental Health, Wellness and Risk
10am – 11:15am CST
Tuesday, December 12, 2023

The Great Lakes Rural Opioid Technical Assistance Regional Center and the Ohio Youth Resilience Collaborative are pleased to offer a free, virtual seminar titled "A Closer Look at the Farm – Mental Health, Wellness and Risk" led by Ted Matthews and Fiona Doherty.

Participants will identify unique stressors, risks, and factors supporting farmers, family, rural life and agriculture workers. The presenters will assess impact of stressors on daily life, morale and job satisfaction for agriculture workers, families and communities, and identify opportunities for access to wellness services.

Please take a minute to share the following image and caption on your Facebook page along with a link to the Navigating Your Ag Business: From Stress to Success page: go.wisc.edu/NYAB!

Are you considering a change for your farm or ag business? Or maybe you have an issue that needs to be addressed to improve your business and you are not sure how to get started on that planning. Navigating Your Ag Business: From Stress to Success is a new UW-Madison Division of Extension online course that will provide you strategies to answer these three questions:

To learn more about the course and to register go to go.wisc.edu/NYAB.