Overview
Building Bridges to Farmer Mental Health seeks to address farm stress, decrease mental health challenges and reduce mental health access barriers among Kentucky’s farmers and rural communities by leveraging community partnerships and training Mental Health Advocates.
on the air
Check out this radio clip from “Dave Begley in the Morning” on WANV-FM in London featuring Dr. Sarah Geegan and Mary MacDonald as they talked about UK’s QPR training effort making waves across Kentucky.
Impact
Connect With Us
Coming Soon- Roots of Agricultural Resilience (ROAR)
In partnership with Trevor Claiborn (Farmer Brown Tha MC), we are making a documentary/docu-series featuring Kentucky farmers. The intention is to create a documentary that resonates with and inspires other farmers or members of the Ag community who may have experienced or are currently experiencing similar challenges within their operations and farm families. This promo video features Breta and Tyson Graves, owners of Imperial Farms and one of the families we’ll hear from in ROAR
the team
Dr. Melinda Ickes | Principal Investigator/Director
What drives your interest in farmer mental health? “Addressing farmer mental health is crucial not only for the well-being of individuals involved in agriculture but also for the sustainability and resilience of rural communities. As a health promotion professional, my passion is engaging and empowering communities to find community-driven solutions.”
Dr. Paul Norrod | Co-Investigator
What drives your interest in farmer mental health? “I am interested in farmer mental health because as a farmer, I witnessed firsthand the impact of mental health challenges and suicide can have on farmers and their families.”
Kylee Pipgrass | Program Coordinator
What drives your interest in farmer mental health? “Growing up on a small farm in a rural area, I saw firsthand both the importance of farming and community and how tough farming life can be. I watched people around me carry a lot of that stress and this project is a way to provide the support I know is so greatly needed in farming communities.”
Mary Macdonald | Graduate Research Assistant
What drives your interest in farmer mental health? “I was raised in a rural farming community. I was a 4-H kid who raised meat rabbits and grew up running around my best friend’s farm. In my community, farmers are significantly impacted by mental health challenges and have nowhere to go to get much-needed help. This drives me to try to help my community by giving back with our project.”
Lizabeth Pratt | Community Health Worker
What drives your interest in farmer mental health? “Growing up in a rural farming community, I saw the different challenges and barriers that farmers deal with on a daily basis concerning mental health. Farming can be a stressful but fulfilling job and my heart is to show compassion and help any way possible.”
Jennifer Grubb | Community Health Worker
What drives your interest in farmer mental health? “My interest stems from having a helper’s heart and wanting to make sure the people who keep our community going know where they can turn for support.”