Events and webinars

With suicide on the rise within the agriculture community, the Farm Family Resource Initiative is launching an open support group for farmers and farm family members 18 years and older who have lost a loved one to suicide. The group will meet monthly and the meetings will be held virtually.

Survivors of suicide loss share a singular bond. While each situation is different, those who have lost a loved one to suicide tend to experience similar feelings and stages of grief, and have similar questions. Support groups provide an opportunity to meet others who understand and are willing to share. 

The suicide bereavement support group will meet virtually on the fourth Tuesday of each month from 8 – 9 am. The dates set for 2024 are January 23, February 27, March 26, April 23, May 28 and June 25.

A separate grief support group also meets virtually on the fourth Wednesday of each month from 7 – 8 pm. In 2024, those dates are January 24, February 28, March 27, April 24, May 22 and June 26.
 

For more information, please contact Rachel Brown at 217-718-6315 or rachelbrown.lpc24@gmail.com. 

In this webinar, we discuss the pressing issues that often go unaddressed in the agriculture community. With the aim of providing valuable insights and support, our event empowers participants to discuss the challenges faced by producers and their families, identify signs of depression, anxiety, and suicidality, explore effective triage methods for suicidality, and uncover the myriad of resources available to producers, their families, and those who work with them.

Our knowledgeable hosts, Dr. Nick Weshinskey, a licensed professional educator with national board certification in counseling, and Karen Stallman, Ag Resource Specialist and Farm Family Resource Initiative Program Coordinator, are dedicated to shedding light on these crucial topics and fostering a supportive environment for our attendees. Join us as we come together to address the well-being of those who feed our communities.

As women in agriculture, we are faced with a multitude of challenges.  This webinar series focuses on strategies to confront these challenges head on through improving our sense of wellbeing, both as individuals and in our relationships.  All women who work in agriculture are invited to attend.  Come prepared to learn more about yourself and how you can move forward with renewed resilience!

Considering farming for several more years? Stepping back? Or something in-between?
It is estimated more than 70% of the farmland in America will be transferred in the next 15 to 20 years. Planning for that succession is important to you, your family and your farm’s future. Multiple family members/entities are encouraged to attend.

Tuesday, March 14
Farm Credit Building | 6:00 pm
410 Potomac Blvd | Mount Vernon
Wednesday, March 15
Sangamon County Farm Bureau | 6:30 pm
2631 Beechler Ct | Springfield 
Thursday, March 16
Spoon River College Conference Center | 6:30 pm
2500 E Jackson | Macomb

REFERENCE MATERIALS  FOR SUCCESSION PLANNING
Cultivating Your Farm’s Future - University of Wisconsin -Madison
https://farms.extension.wisc.edu/programs/cultivating-your-farms-future

Ag Transitions
https://agtransitions.umn.edu/

Farm Succession and Estate Planning - University of Nebraska - Lincoln
https://cap.unl.edu/succession

Elaine Froese has written books on having tough conversations around farming and farm transitions.
https://elainefroese.com/farm-succession-planning 

An opportunity for dialogue between Illinois agricultural leaders and health professionals to share, learn and develop relationships so we can better serve Illinois rural residents together.

Tuesday, March 28, 2023
Memorial Learning Center
228 W Miller St | Springfield, IL
Registration 9am | Summit 10am-2pm
Lunch provided

Registration $20 person
Please register by Tuesday, March 21st.