By Juana Lopez, VT Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets
Farm First, a public, not-for-profit program provides farmers and their families with resources, support, and information to reduce stress. Their staff included license counselors and agricultural resources navigators with experiences in the agriculture. Farmers can reach out to Farm First for assistance.
Interested in a counseling appointment, peer connection, or receiving other resources and but have no idea how to make the first call? No problem! I decided to put this to the test by calling the Farm First with possible scenarios that farmers may call about to sort of get an idea of the process and to hopefully help future farmers learn more about the resources that are available.
On a Friday morning at 9am, I called the number listed on the Farm First website at 802-318-5538. Right away I was greeted by the Eva Griffin, The Farm First Resource Coordinator, who appreciated the time I took out of my day to call them. We began our conversation with asking how I was doing and what I am currently concerned about. I told her that I was having financial and mental health problems.
She asked me if any of my financial problems had to do with the recent flooding that occurred in Vermont. I stated that it was part of the issue, and she quickly told me about resources that I can contact and that if I wanted, she could connect them to me. Some of those included reporting to 211 or reporting my loss to my county Farm Services Agency. The Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA) is also currently providing emergency grants right now. The Vermont Farm Fund, which is run by the Center for an Agricultural Economy, is providing emergency loans at 0% interest.
When it came to mental health resources, she mentioned that Farm First gave up to 12 free counseling sessions with a counselor that would fit my needs and situation. After the 12 sessions, if I wanted to keep meeting with the same counselor, they would make sure that my insurance could cover the cost. If I did not have a current health insurance, she stated that they would help me find a counselor who would have sessions at a reasonable and affordable price.
I mentioned to her that if I was not comfortable talking to a counselor, was there another resource I could use. Excitedly, she mentioned the Farmer Peer Network. She stated that these farmers were trained in listening skills and confidentiality and come from all different farming backgrounds and locations in Vermont. The meetings with a farmer peer could be unlimited unlike the counseling session and would fit my schedule. She mentioned that these meetings could be held, in-person, on the phone, or through zoom. A conversation with a Farmer Peer could just be talking about things that I am overwhelmed about; express how I am feeling or even help guide me with situations or conflicts I am in. I told her that I was interested in it, and she mentioned that she could connect me with a specific peer using what she has gathered from our conversations and personal preferences, or that I could look at the interactive map that is in their website and see the farmer peer profiles and see who the best connection could be.
As we finished our conversations, she told me that she would be reaching out to me through email and text with steps moving forward and to call her for anything or if things did not get better. Before ending the phone call, we set up our next meeting and she thanked me once again for calling them.
Looking back at my phone call with her, I liked how during the whole phone call, I was always given a choice in the process. I was also given a lot of options that I could take moving forward and that I could take things one step at a time. It felt like I was being heard instead of just listened to, and sometimes that is just what someone needs in that moment.
For more information, please visit the Farm First website or reach out by phone 802-318-5538.