4 minute read
Calendar of Events
Visit www.TheLandOnline.com to view our complete calendar & enter your own events, or send an e-mail with your event’s details to editor@thelandonline.com.
May 18 — Strategic Farming: Field Notes —
Advertisement
Online — Webinar will discuss in-season cropping issues as they arise. Weekly sessions may include topics related to soil fertility, agronomics, pest management and equipment. You need to register only once and may attend any or all of the webinars. Register at z.umn.edu/strategic-farming. Contact Jared Goplen at gople007@umn.edu or (320) 589-1711.
May 25 — Agronomy in the Field — Mason City,
Iowa — A multi-session, hands-on workshop for women interested in learning more about agronomy. The goals of this series are to provide a better understanding of inputs for crop production, different conservation practices and increase confidence in communication with their spouse, farming partner, ag retailer or tenant. Contact Sarah DeBour at sdebour@iastate.edu or (641) 423-0844.
May 25 — Strategic Farming: Field Notes — Online
— Register at z.umn.edu/strategic-farming. Contact Jared Goplen at gople007@umn.edu.
June 1 — Strategic Farming: Field Notes — Online
— Webinar will discuss in-season cropping issues as they arise. Weekly sessions may include topics related to soil fertility, agronomics, pest management and equipment. You need to register only once and may attend any or all of the webinars. Register at z.umn.edu/ strategic-farming. Contact Jared Goplen at gople007@ umn.edu or (320) 589-1711.
June 7 — Pipestone Lamb and Wool Facility Tour
— Pipestone, Minn. — This full day tour will feature five producers with new and remodeled facilities. The buildings and feeding systems reduce labor, minimize feed waste and enable larger herds. Contact Philip Berg at philip.berg@mnwest.edu or (507) 825-6799.
June 8 — Agronomy in the Field — Mason City,
Iowa — Contact Sarah DeBour at sdebour@iastate. edu or (641) 423-0844.
June 8 — Strategic Farming: Field Notes —
Online — Register at z.umn.edu/strategic-farming. Contact Jared Goplen at gople007@umn.edu or (320) 589-1711.
June 10 & 11 — Youth Tractor and Farm Safety
Certification — Fertile, Minn. — The youth tractor and farm safety certification program is a two-part program, including both an online learning experience and two days of in-person hands-on training in the summer. The online course is a self-paced one- to two-week program. Contact Heather Dufault at pohl0024@umn.edu or (218) 563-2465.
June 14 & 15 — Youth Tractor and Farm Safety
Certification — Howard Lake, Minn. — Contact Karen Johnson at ande9495@umn.edu or (320) 4844303.
June 15 — Strategic Farming: Field Notes —
Online — Register at z.umn.edu/strategic-farming. Contact Jared Goplen at gople007@umn.edu or (320) 589-1711.
#SoyHelp mental health resource to help manage farm stress
The American Soybean Association, United Soybean Board and soy states want to help farmers who may need a hand managing the stress of life on the farm. This May during Mental Health Month, the soy community will continue its proactive communications campaign to combat farm stress by offering #SoyHelp.
Help comes in many forms and from many sources that live on the soygrowers.com website year-round. These include national mental health resources, including crisis centers and suicide hotlines; along with griculture-specific resources for farmers and farm families, both national and by soy state.
Brad Doyle, president of ASA and soybean farmer from Arkansas said, “We want these resources to resonate regardless of age, location, race, gender, or the circumstances that have led to needing a hand. Whether a long-time farmer feeling overwhelmed by a current situation, a young person just starting out in agriculture facing financial hardships, or family members trying to navigate how to assist their loved ones, we want them to have a starting point for seeking help.”
Included in the resources are links to self-assessments, professional services, and local health care facilities; hotlines for urgent needs; warmlines for helpful advice; chat and text lines for instant access; and articles on symptoms, solutions, and how to start uncomfortable but healthy discussions.
Soy farmer and USB Chair Ralph Lott from New York said, “The #SoyHelp campaign has two objectives. Certainly we want to get resources in the hands of those who need help and make sure they are aware that options exist for managing and mending their mental wellness. But, we also hope this ongoing campaign will continue to chip away at the old stigmas that sometimes exist in talking openly about the tolls of stress and seeking help—especially in rural communities.”
The #SoyHelp campaign will include #SoyHelp social media posts throughout May on ASA & USB social media; related content in the organizations’ newsletters shared by soy states and other interested groups; editorials from soy growers on their encounters with #FarmStress; and, qualified advice on the subjects of farm stress and seeking emotional support.
The #SoyHelp campaign is a joint outreach project started by concerned national and state soy groups in May 2020 at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This article was submitted by the American Soybean Association. v
