A growing body of literature documents the mental health impacts of climate change on the general population, but there is little focus on food producers who are traditionally less likely to seek mental health support. However, due to the increasing stress and uncertainty about the future of farming caused by climate change, more farmers are seeking mental health support and want to learn resilience skills.
Several factors cause farmers to experience climate change stress and grief. Drought is one example. According to the 2021 Pacific Northwest Water Year Impacts assessment, 80% of surveyed farmers reported they changed their operations due to drought. In preparation for a 2021 climate resilience training for Oregon’s agricultural professionals, 55% of the 275 registrants said the most common questions they receive are about drought or water scarcity.
The Climate Stress and Grief project contributes to the overall resilience of Oregon’s rural communities.
By increasing awareness and providing venues for discussing climate grief and stress, farmers can learn to take proactive measures to improve their emotional resilience. During the 2022 climate resilience training for Oregon’s agricultural professionals, climate grief and stress were introduced, and the training received extensive positive feedback from participants who expressed a desire for more training sessions.
In response to this feedback, Oregon State University Extension Service and community partners in Southern Oregon formed a working group to address these issues. They aimed 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. The working group designed a 30-minute module on climate-related stress and grief for food producers.
The result was the Climate Stress and Grief project, which focuses on building resilience among farmers and ranchers who are affected by climate change. This initiative, based at the Southern Oregon Research and Extension Center, offers workshops and training sessions to help agricultural producers understand and manage the stress and grief associated with climate change.
Farmers gain access to valuable resources like the Climate Emotion Wheel and a directory of climate-aware therapists, which can help them better understand and manage their emotions related to climate change.
Farmers can participate in various workshops and training sessions offered by the project. These sessions cover topics like climate grief, stress and resilience strategies. By teaching resilience skills and coping strategies, the project helps farmers become more emotionally resilient. This can improve their overall well-being and ability to handle the uncertainties of farming in a changing climate.
The program has been well-received, with a significant number of participants expressing interest in further learning about these issues. The project also collaborates with various grants and funding sources to continue developing and expanding its training and research efforts.
By supporting the mental health and resilience of farmers, the project contributes to the overall resilience of Oregon’s rural communities. Healthy, resilient farmers are better able to maintain their operations, which supports local economies and food security.
