Progress report for WPDP24-022
Project Information
The rapid acceleration of climate change is bringing new
challenges to producers, not only in terms of drought and
wildfire, but also mental health and emotional well-being.
Agricultural service providers who support farmers are also
experiencing increasing demands to provide support in the wake of
more frequent extreme weather events. Research shows that people
who increase their awareness of and talk about stress and grief
related to climate change are more resilient, likely to take
action, and have a better quality of life.
Climate Stress & Grief: Building Awareness and Resilience
Strategies for Ag Professionals & Producers in the West is a
train-the-trainer proposal developed by an interdisciplinary team
comprised of Oregon State University Extension educators,
researchers in agricultural education and behavioral health, and
a community-based mental health provider. In 2023, we piloted a
successful thirty-minute climate stress and grief module, which
was vetted by producers. This project will build a
train-the-trainer program for agricultural professionals and
producers based on the lessons learned from the pilot. Grant
funds will be used to:
- identify five farmers dealing with climate stress and
document their stories through videos and articles - create a 90-minute train-the-trainer program that can be
delivered virtually or in person - deliver 90-minute program three times on-line and at six
conferences - develop a guide to using the educational materials
(powerpoints, agendas, producer videos and facilitator best
practices) - offer a quarterly moderated discussion group for agricultural
professionals on climate stress and grief - create a three-hour module on climate stress and grief for
producers
Strong partnerships with existing train-the-trainer programs for
agricultural professionals in the West will enable us to quickly
disseminate the trainings. An expert evaluation team will analyze
the impacts of the project and allow us to adapt the materials
and approach throughout the project based on feedback from
participants.
Objective 1: By March 2027, 300 agricultural professionals will
have been trained online to provide the 30-minute and the 3-hour
curricula during their existing programming for producers.
Objective 2: By July 2027, 240 agricultural professionals will
have been trained at 6 conferences to provide the 30-minute and
3-hour module curricula.
Objective 3: By July 2027, 325 agricultural professionals will
have participated in a moderated discussion on Climate Stress and
Climate Grief.
Objective 4: By July 2027, 540 agricultural professionals will
have received permission to access training and evaluation
materials through a secure website.
Objective 5: By July 2027, each trained agricultural professional
will have provided at least one training to
producers.
|
Date |
Milestone |
Participants |
Outcomes |
|
April 2024- Dec 2024 |
Develop three-hour curriculum for producers and ag |
Project team members and producer collaborators |
Three-hour curriculum for producers on climate stress and |
|
Jan 2024-June 2024 |
Develop a ninety-minute module for ag professionals with |
Project team members and producer collaborators |
Ninety-minute curriculum for ag professionals on using |
|
Jan- July 2025 |
Interview and film five producers who have been affected |
Project team and five producers |
Five videos of producers discussing climate stress |
|
July 2025-June 2027 |
Present ninety-minute training at 6 conferences for |
240 ag professionals |
Trained agricultural professionals will be able to be |
|
Aug 2025-July 2027 |
Quarterly moderated discussions for ag professionals on |
325 ag professionals |
Participants will have greater capacity to identify the |
|
March 2025, March 2026, March 2027 |
Ninety-minute on-line presentations for ag professionals |
300 ag professionals |
Trained agricultural professionals will be able to be |
|
2025-2027 |
Website as one-stop-shop for materials developed in the |
540 ag professionals |
Trained agricultural professionals will have access |
|
Ongoing |
Evaluate all sessions |
540 ag professionals |
Determine short and medium term impacts of programming |
Cooperators
- - Producer
- - Producer
- (Educator)
- - Producer
Education & Outreach Initiatives
Offers a landing page with our publications, programs, and media coverage,
https://extension.oregonstate.edu/climate-stress-grief-building-resilience-farmers-ranchers
Due to the increasing stress and uncertainty of the future of farming due to climate change, more farmers are seeking mental health support. This project, based at the Southern Oregon Research and Extension Center, offers a variety of workshops and trainings to help food producers better identify and understand stress and grief related to climate change, identify strategies for greater mental health resilience, and learn about available mental health resources.
We are able to refer workshop participants and collaborators to this website.
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Educational & Outreach Activities
Learning Outcomes
Project Outcomes
We developed a three-hour curriculum for producers on climate stress and grief.
We presented 17 programs on climate stress and grief for farmers, ranchers, and agricultural service providers.