Increasing resilience on farms and in farm families is the focus of the 2019 High Plains Crop Convention Monday-Tuesday, Nov. 25-26, in Torrington.
Ted Matthews, director of Minnesota Rural Mental Health, will provide his rural mental health support training Monday. He has been working with farm families for two decades.
“This training is for people who work with farm and ranch families on a regular basis to help them recognize and respond when they see farmers experiencing stress, anxiety, depression and other challenges,” said Caleb Carter, University of Wyoming Extension educator in Goshen County. Cost for the training is $75 and includes lunch. The training is 8 a.m.-5 p.m. at the Goshen County 4-H Building.
The conference continues all day Tuesday at the Rendezvous Center on the Goshen County Fairgrounds and begins with registration at 8:30 a.m. and a keynote address at 9 a.m. by Matthews discussing the realities of stress, anxiety and depression in agriculture.
Carter said Matthews will be available for free one-on-one counseling sessions during the convention.
The resilience theme continues with presentations on coping with stress and anxiety in creating an ag legacy for families, resilience strategies during disasters and an update from the Wyoming Farm Bureau Young Farmer and Rancher committee on its efforts to build the program and create a network for young producers. UW Extension plant pathologist William Stump will provide a dry bean and soilborne disease update, and there will be an update on the Wyoming Bean Commission.
Other topics include an introduction to growing hemp in Wyoming, alfalfa weevil and alternative crops research and new herbicides. Steve Koontz, agricultural marketing expert from Colorado State University, will give a crop market update.
Continuing education credits for certified crop advisers and commercial pesticide applicators will also be available.
Registration cost for Tuesday is $20 and includes lunch. Online registration is preferred at bit.ly/highplainsCC2019. Brochures and registration forms are also available by calling Carter at 307-532-2436, or the brochure with full schedule can be downloaded at http://bit.ly/HPCC19info.
