By Cynthia Chafin

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee State University has been named Tennessee’s lead partner organizationfor the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network South, or FRSAN South, with the MTSU School of Agriculture and Center for Health and Human Services jointly leading the statewide effort.

A grant awarded to the School of Agriculture in the College of Basic and Applied Sciences will support the partnership’s work to convene and engage organizations across Tennessee, strengthen awareness and access to farmer stress and mental health resources, and build connections among agricultural, health and community partners.

FRSAN South is the Southern Region of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network, which connects individuals engaged in farming, ranching and other agriculture-related occupations with stress assistance programs and resources. North Carolina State University serves as the regional lead institution for FRSAN South.

Chaney Mosley, associate professor of agricultural education in the MTSU School of Agriculture and lead principal investigator for the MTSU project, said addressing farmers’ mental health requires understanding the unique pressures of agriculture, as well as the importance of trusted relationships within agricultural communities.

“Those who work in agriculture face pressures that are often unique to the profession, from financial and production uncertainties to long hours, isolation and the responsibility that comes with maintaining a farm or agricultural operation,” said Mosley, whose earlier work includes suicide prevention training and research on farm stressors. “This project gives us an opportunity to work through the people and organizations farmers already know and rely on to make information and support more visible, practical and accessible.”

Initial activities through the MTSU initiative will include Question, Persuade, Refer, or QPR, suicide-prevention training for agricultural stakeholders, students and community members; outreach and distribution of FRSAN South resources; partner meetings and listening sessions; and identification of farm stress and mental health resources available to Tennesseans.

The MTSU team will engage agricultural educators, Agricultural Extension Service personnel, businesses, community organizations, health providers and other trusted partners.

Cynthia Chafin, director of the MTSU Center for Health and Human Services and co-principal investigator, said the initiative aligns with the center’s focus on improving health and well-being in rural communities.

“The health of our agricultural communities is inseparable from the health and well-being of the people who sustain them,” Chafin said. “At CHHS, much of our work focuses on reaching people in rural communities, increasing awareness of health resources and reducing barriers such as stigma that can keep people from seeking support.

“Farmer mental health is an important rural health issue, and this partnership allows us to combine that experience with the School of Agriculture’s expertise and trusted relationships within the agricultural community.”

CHHS brings experience from rural initiatives involving mental health awareness and suicide prevention training, stigma reduction, substance use education, community outreach and partnership development. The School of Agriculture contributes expertise in agricultural education, research and direct engagement with agricultural stakeholders.

MTSU is also developing a Tennessee Farm Stress and Wellbeing Resource Directory to help farmers, agricultural workers, families and those who serve them more easily identify available programs, services, training opportunities and support resources.

Through FRSAN South, the Tennessee initiative will connect with a broader Southern network to share local needs and experiences and learn from resources and practices developed across the region.

For more information, visit the MTSU Farm and Ranch Stress and Mental Health initiative at https://chhs.mtsu.edu/farmmentalhealth/.

Learn more about the MTSU School of Agriculture at https://agriculture.mtsu.edu/ and the MTSU Center for Health and Human Services at https://chhs.mtsu.edu/.

About FRSAN South

The Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network South, or FRSAN South, is the Southern Region of the USDA-funded Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network. Led regionally by North Carolina State University, FRSAN South works to strengthen community relationships and strategic partnerships, improve resource sharing and expand the collective capacity to support farmers, ranchers and other agriculture-related workers experiencing stress.

— Cynthia Chafin ([email protected])