Online sessions to help women in ag cope with stress

Press release

COLCHESTER, Vermont — A new interactive series of online sessions to help women in agriculture cope with stress called “Cultivating Resiliency for Women in Agriculture” continues on Jan. 11 and 25.

The series of 90-minute webinars is a joint project of American Agri-Women, District 11 Agri-Women, University of Minnesota Extension-Women in Ag Network and the Upper Midwest Agricultural Safety and Health Center.

The free sessions start at 11 a.m. Mountain Time, will include a question-and-answer session and will be recorded and archived for later viewing:

• Jan. 11 — “Self-Care Tips to Help Reduce Stress”

• Jan. 25 — “You Can’t Pour from an Empty Cup — How do you fill it up to support yourself and others?”

A recording of the first session, “Impact of Farming and Ranching Stress for Women 101,” can be viewed online at https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/1561887448665213954/.

Upcoming sessions include:

• Feb. 8 — “Building and Maintaining Relationships in Stressful Times”

• March 8 — “Increasing Your Joy and Happiness While Living a Farm Life”

• April 12 — “Putting it All Together”

Sign up or view archived webinars at http://www.americanagriwomen.org/webinars.

The “Cultivating Resiliency” project, which is funded by a Upper Midwest Agricultural Safety and Health Center grant, also includes a survey to help gather data to develop future programming. The link to take the survey, which will be open soon, http://z.umn.edu/cultivatingsurvey/.

Shauna Reitmeier and Brenda Mack, both of whom have agricultural backgrounds, will lead the webinars.

Reitmeier has a master’s degree in social work and more than 20 years of experience in the behavioral healthcare and cognitive disabilities fields. She is CEO of the Northwestern Mental Health Center, which serves adults, children and families in northwest Minnesota.

Mack is a behavioral health and human services consultant, trainer and presenter and an assistant professor in the Social Work Department at Bemidji State University. Mack is a licensed independent clinical social worker through the Minnesota Board of Social Work.