By Andrea Grayson, Farm First
As everyone knows, the stresses of being a farmer are many, from weather to equipment to regulations to family...and no one knows what you’re going through like another farmer.
That’s why Farm First, Vermont’s resource for helping farmers manage stress, is expanding its programming to include a network of trained Farmer Peers. Farmer Peers come from all over the state and do all manner of farming. They are trained to know about resources that help stressed-out farmers. This includes help coping with financial, legal, family, mental health and physical ailments that may pose a barrier to a successful farm operation.
Farmer Peers are big-hearted people who have been through a lot and want to support their peers in growing their resilience.
We are looking for farmers who want to be trained to become peers. Farmers are paid for the training time.
The six training sessions begin Thursday, November 10th. To learn more about the network and to apply to be a peer, please visit https://farmfirst.org/peer-support, or contact Andrea Grayson by email at andyg@investeap.org or by phone 802-277-7729.