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Webinar: Strong Roots: Keeping Farming in the Family Through Health and Resilience
Summary: A mother-daughter team (Nurse Practitioner and Agricultural Extension Agent) discusses how farm families can preserve their legacy by prioritizing mental, emotional, and physical health across generations. Representing 2 generations of their farming family, they discuss chronic stressors unique to farm life, including economic pressures and isolation. The presentation offers practical coping strategies, promotes mental health literacy, and emphasizes the importance of open communication, family resilience, and succession planning. The discussion encourages integrating the younger generation through meaningful involvement, innovation, and shared values, while also connecting families to resources and community support systems. By fostering a culture of health and understanding, the presentation empowers farm families to navigate challenges together and secure the future of their farms.
Objectives: At the end of this webinar, participants will :
Recognize the vital role of family farms in sustaining local economies, food systems, and cultural heritage, and identify the emotional and structural threats to farm continuity.
Understand the ways mental health challenges, including chronic stress, depression, and burnout, affect not only individual farmers but also multigenerational family dynamics and long-term farm viability.
Identify signs of mental health distress common in agricultural communities and explore strategies to reduce stigma and encourage early intervention and open dialogue.
Apply simple, effective wellness practices—such as routine, nutrition, rest, spiritual grounding, and communication tools—that can be integrated into daily farm life.
Promote family-centered resilience by learning techniques that foster generational respect, conflict resolution, and shared decision-making.
Support succession planning that includes emotional readiness, physical capability, and transparent communication—using available legal and financial tools.
Connect with local and regional resources—such as cooperative extension services, rural clinics, faith-based groups, and mental health hotlines—that strengthen both individual and community support networks.
Intended audience: Farm families, extension agents, healthcare providers
Meet the Presenter: Theresa G, Long, DNP, FNP-BC, Nurse Practitioner, Riverside Medical Group and Theresa Long Pittman, Agricultural and Natural Resources Extension Agent, Virginia Cooperative Extension
To register for this training, you must have a free account in the AgriSafe Learning Lab. If you do not have an account, please create one here.
