Featured photo: ChaNaè Bradley, senior communications specialist for Fort Valley State University’s Cooperative Extension Program, facilitates a post-disaster recovery group discussion during the Farm Stress Summit in Statesboro, Georgia.
By ChaNaè Bradley
FVSU Extension conducts outreach and research on farm stress
Fort Valley State University’s Cooperative Extension personnel participated in the 2025 Farm Stress Summit held in Statesboro, Georgia. The event took place at the Georgia Southern Center for Professional Excellence.
The Farm Stress Summit is a one-day workshop where community leaders, healthcare providers, non- profits, county officials and faith leaders connect to develop partnerships to support farm families and develop best practices for assisting farmers with mental health challenges. The 2025 summit is the fourth gathering of this group.
This event was attended by more than 130 Georgia farmers and professionals representing the University of Georgia (UGA) Cooperative Extension Service, the Mercer University Georgia Rural Health Innovation Center, the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD), the Georgia Department of Agriculture, the Georgia Farm Bureau, the Georgia Agricultural Awareness Alliance, the Southern Ag Exchange Network (SAGE) and other agricultural partners.
Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Tyler Harper and Commissioner of the GDBHDD Kevin Tanner, shared remarks and provided observations from across Georgia. The goal was to develop solutions to help farmers combat stress and to collaborate across agencies to develop strategies.
Mark Latimore, Jr, PhD, associate dean for Fort Valley State University’s Cooperative Extension Program, attended the summit with ChaNaè Bradley, senior communications specialist for FVSU’s Agricultural Communications Department.
Bradley was invited to serve as a post-disaster recovery group table facilitator. She led a small group discussion about post recovery from Hurricane Helene with farmers, mental health professionals and support groups.
“It was a good discussion where I was able to hear testimonials directly from those impacted by Hurricane Helene. It was eye-opening to learn how both mental health professionals and farmers were impacted and are still recovering from this disaster. It is also interesting to see how communities came together and the efforts that are being made to mitigate challenges in the future,” Bradley said.
Connie Baptiste, owner of Hunter Family Farm, provides the keynote address during the 2025 Farm Stress Summit in Statesboro, Georgia. Photo courtesy of the Georgia Farm Bureau.
Her involvement with this work stemmed from a Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) grant awarded to UGA Extension where FVSU Extension is connected as a collaborator.
Bradley assisted Dr. Anna Scheyett, Extension behavioral health specialist, to develop resources and supports for farmers under stress. Bradley joined Scheyett as a collaborator on a proposal and with her contributions and others, UGA successfully applied and was awarded funding for the project, Sustaining the Farmer to Sustain the Farm.
For the past two years Scheyett and Bradley have worked together to fulfill the objectives of the proposal. They have engaged in interviews with a wide range of farmers across multiple communities, analyzed interviews and are currently using those findings to shape resources and materials for farmers that can be disseminated in a range of settings.
Bradley, Scheyett and a doctoral student are currently working to publish a research journal article about this work. In 2024 they presented their work at the Professional Agricultural Workers Conference (PAWC) hosted by Tuskegee University in Montgomery, Alabama. http://bit.ly/45v48io
“A year ago, I connected with Dr. Anna Scheyett, coordinator for the University of Georgia’s Cooperative Extension Behavioral Health Team, to develop a focus group where we interviewed farmers about stress and suicide. From that research we presented a breakout session at the Professional Agricultural Workers Conference (PAWC) in 2024. This work is relevant and invaluable. Its needed and I’m glad I could be a part of an important initiative that aims to address a major problem.”
Latimore said there are many stressors that farmers face daily. He said Cooperative Extension is here to help. “Extension is that outreach arm from the universities. We provide information to growers to weather the storms they currently face,” Latimore said.
In the future, Latimore hopes to host a summit on FVSU’s campus and provide literature for farmers and professional contacts.
Contact:
FVSU Agricultural Communications Department
(478) 825-6345
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