The free seminar is set for May 27 at 5:30 p.m. at the Delaware Agriculture Museum in Dover.
Experts from UD will present strategies to cope with stress, burnout and depression while also offering resources to assist during difficult times.
Museum Director Sara Busker grew up on a farm outside Harrington. She said in her experience, there is a stigma attached to seeking help for mental health, especially in older generations.
“You just do it, and you don't talk about it, and you don't ask for help, and you don't do all of these things…” Busker said. “So I think it's important to put light on the issue, so people understand that there's resources out there to help them when they're not sure where to turn.”
As part of the Ag Museum’s artists and lecture series, the seminar will highlight factors that play into mental health struggles in the agricultural community, including stress, isolation and economic uncertainty.
The event is open to any interested attendees looking for resources for themselves or to learn how to help others.
Delaware sheep farmer Steve Breeding said he is the point person on mental health for Delaware farmers after addressing his own mental health struggles.
“I'm still here and now it's kind of my mission to not lose another farmer because farmers or the agriculture community is three and a half times more likely to commit suicide than any other sector in the workforce,” Breeding said.
Breeding added that many people in the ag community deal with depression and isolation.
He said farmers are taught to be quiet and keep to themselves, but it’s important to talk to a professional or to friends about mental health.
“We don't ever go to the Parks Department or or go to the local coffee shop and complain to each other about how bad we've got it because we're all in the same boat,” Breeding said. “So as farmers, we're taught to be quiet and don't tell anybody else your business. And that's the biggest issue that we're fighting when it comes to mental health.”
UD Cooperative Extension’s Maria Pippidis will be presenting her “Observe, Engage, Share” model that teaches folks to recognize signs of depression.
