For Farmers — of Land, Forest, or Sea - Cooperative Extension: Agriculture - University of Maine Cooperative Extension

For Farmers — of Land, Forest, or Sea

Resource Index:

Trainings
Legal stressors
Financial stressors
Assistance with PFAS-related stressors
Movement, health and wellness
Mindfulness for farmers
Communication, goal setting and more

Trainings:

Rural Resilience: Farm Stress Training – What is farm stress and how can you help? Learn to recognize the signs and symptoms of stress and suicide, effectively communicate with people under stress, reduce stigma related to mental health concerns, and connect farmers and ranchers with resources.
Agricultural Community QPR For Farmers and Farm Families – QPR training teaches laypeople and professionals to recognize and respond to mental health crises using the approach of Question, Persuade and Refer.

Legal stressors:

Farm Common’s Resilience Workshops are interactive, skill-building workshops helping to create or support legal resilience. All workshops are free for members. They offer workshops specifically for farmers and ranchers, agricultural service providers, and self-paced online, advanced workshops.
Legal Food Hub helps match farmers and food businesses with the legal help they need, pro bono. Contact 1.844.529.4769 ext. 2 or email legalfoodhub@clf.org
The Farmers’ Legal Action Group is dedicated to helping farmers understand their rights and has a long list of legal resources for farmers and ranchers facing anything from financial or natural disasters to land succession to tough situations with contracts. You can also call FLAG at 877-860-4349 if you have any questions, they will not be able to represent you but can help talk through your legal questions.

Financial stressors:

Farm Advocate Link is a network of professional farm advocates who address the need for fair access to credit, risk management, and disaster assistance programs for farmers. For additional information or to get involved with the Farm Advocate Link, contact Farm Aid at farmhelp@farmaid.org.
MOFGA’s Shared Use Farm Equipment Program can be accessed for an annual fee.
Check out MOFGA’s financial resources section which includes the organic farmer loan fund, technical assistance grant program, Maine produce safety improvement grant program, and more.

Assistance with PFAS-related stressors:

The Maine PFAS Farmer Wellness Fund is open to Maine farmers, farmworkers, and Indigenous food and medicine producers for wellness support (broadly defined). Farms do not need to have confirmed high PFAS test results though those farms and farmworkers will be prioritized. Applications are open now!
- Link to the English application: Maine PFAS Farmer Wellness Fund
- Link to the Spanish application: El Fondo PFAS de Bienestar para Trabajadores de Agricultura en Maine
- Link to the Haitian Creole application: Fon PFAs pou Byennèt Kiltivatè nan Maine
UMaine Extension’s Guide to Investigating PFAS Risk on your Farm.
MOFGA’s Roadmap for Addressing PFAS Contamination (Google Doc) offers a comprehensive guide for farmers dealing with PFAS.
PFAS Emergency Relief Fund for Farmers from MOFGA and MFT can help to provide short-term income replacement for farms that the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) has identified as having high test results, pay for initial PFAS testing on farms that choose to do their own testing, and support access to mental health services for impacted farmers.

UMaine Extension PFAS Contamination Response

Home | Agriculture | Garden & Yard | Contacts: General PFAS Information

To direct PFAS questions to University of Maine Cooperative Extension, please email: extension.PFASQuestions@maine.edu

Movement, health, and wellness:

Labor–Movement believes that when you move well, you work well. Its mission is to help farmers, fishermen, landscapers, and industrial athletes to improve their movement health + wellness, increase efficiency and extend longevity in a season or career.
Maine AgrAbility offers tips around farmer health, including topics such as arthritis and agriculture, back health, medical / rehabilitation, mental health and stress management, vision and hearing loss, and women’s health.

Mindfulness for farmers:

Farmers: here’s what mindfulness can do for your health, an article from the SIU School of Medicine.
Why Mindfulness is essential for farmers and their health, an article from Ecofarmingdaily.
Mindfulness Series with University of Maine Human Development Specialist Leslie Forstadt:

Communication, goal setting, and more:

Farm Coaching from the University of Maine Cooperative Extension: Discuss planning, stress, and decision-making. Visit the Farm Coaching: Supporting Relationships for Farm Success page to complete and submit a request.
The Maine Agricultural Mediation Program can talk with you about priorities, goals, and decision-making as you navigate changes in the future of the farm, immediate markets, and relationships with lenders. Contact 207.581.3487, email maineagmediation@maine.edu or complete the form on the Request Mediation page.
Maine Family Farms: Life and Business in Balance, Bulletin #4806: Active Listening to Improve On-Farm Communication
Maine Family Farms: Life and Business in Balance, Bulletin #4801: Why “Thank You” Matters: Expressing Appreciation Toward Partners and Family Members Farming Together
Small Bites – Practical Tips for Farm Resiliency – Small Bites are short, informational articles with practical ideas about stress reduction, improved communication, and farm and family well-being. They are written by coaches from UMaine Extension’s Farm Coaching team.