by Karen Endres & Megan Wolf

Every day, Wisconsin farmers and farm families face financial challenges, physical demands of the job, and changes outside of their control that impact their lives. These challenges can lead to chronic stress that can affect a farmer’s mental and physical well-being, their relationships, and decision-making and create unhealthy coping mechanisms, such as alcohol and substance use.

In Wisconsin, alcohol is part of our culture, and it is easy to access alcohol as a way to relax and forget about daily stressors. However, it is difficult to get clean or sober without a support network of family and friends. Are they aware of the problem? Are they there to support users when times get tough? Families sometimes don’t like to talk about substance use, and often push it under the rug.

Karen Endres is the Farmer Wellness Program Coordinator for the Wisconsin Farm Center at the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.

Megan Wolf is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Substance Abuse Counselor in Wisconsin.

The Great Lakes Rural Opioid Technical Assistance Regional Center has a Resource Library with community resources, videos and podcasts, app, and more. There are specific resources for combatting addiction, reducing alcohol consumption, quitting alcohol, and more.

Changing Our Mental and Emotional Trajectory (COMET™)

Looking to support your friends and neighbors this winter? UW-Madison Extension educators are offering a short, two-hour COMET™ program to help people take the next step after noticing someone might be struggling. COMET™ is a gentle introduction to supporting friends and neighbors in a vulnerable space to help them shift their mental health trajectory back to a place of wellness and away from the path of a mental health crisis.

This FREE training will be available statewide on Wednesday, November 15, 2023, 10AM-12PM.

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Navigating Your Ag Business: From Stress to Success, a new online course is available to help farm businesses make decisions, take action, and reduce stress among farm members. Whether you are considering a change or need help addressing an issue, this course aims to support you in planning and improving your business. To learn more about the course and to register go to go.wisc.edu/NYAB.