Youth Stressors and Mental Wellness

Welcome to the Talking Total Farmer Health podcast from AgriSafe Network. At AgriSafe, we work to protect the people that feed the world by supporting the health and safety professionals, and by ensuring access to preventative services for farm families and the agriculture community

Hello everyone! Stress is a normal part of our everyday lives. And there’s nothing new in that statement. Agricultural stress has it’s own unique nuances and those twists and turns within our day. Adults are not the only individuals experiencing the effects of farm and ranch stress. Our youth see, hear, and experience those stressors too. And it’s important that we acknowledge that fact. That’s why for today’s episode, we are going to delve into stressors and mental health and wellness for youth working and livingin agriculture. I had the great pleasure of meeting the next generation of agriculturists – she’s a poised young lady whose at the American Farm Bureau Convention back in January, hence why you might pick up on some background noise. She openly shared her inside perspective and I am grateful for her to sit down for a one-on-one conversation. I enjoyed our time together, and I think you will too.

So I am here with Mattie Smith. Mattie, Welcome to Talking Total Farmer Health podcast.

Thank you. I'm so glad to be here.

So, tell me your position within the Tennessee 4-H Extension.

Yes, ma'am. So I'm actually with the Tennessee 4-H State Council, and my role on that council is the all star state chief. And although I serve the entire state of Tennessee, I work directly with the all star program to serve our entire Tennessee for which is a high school program, and it's completely devoted to service within the state. So 4-H is leadership, life skills, youth development and all kinds of more youth and advocate advocating for agriculture and all sorts of ways. But then we have our all star program on top of that, which is completely service based, and we have youth in Tennessee devoted to doing just that.

Awesome. Awesome. How did you come into this position?

So I will be the third generation to be a 4-H-er in my family, and that really is a really special thing to me and never did I think I would be in this position. But the more I got involved, the more I realized that this is really an organization that welcomes all walks of life, all youth, whether they have a place in agriculture or if they're brand new to the industry. So I originally have been raised on a beef farm in East Tennessee, and that's a really special thing to me. And not everyone gets to have that walk of life. So I'm really privileged to have that and I get to go with this organization all across the world and spread the word and advocate for agriculture.

That's wonderful. I love that understanding of where you came from and where you went ahead. So do you have a college education in agriculture?

No, ma'am. So I'm actually a senior in my high school year. Yes. So our elections, they can run from freshman all the way to your senior year of high school. And then from there on, you can go into - University of Tennessee has a collegiate 4-H and FFA club. So that's my plan for now, is to go to the University of Tennessee in the fall and maybe run for an office there. I'm not quite sure yet, but I'm excited.

You have a path. You have a path. That is wonderful. So we're going to dig into a little bit about the work that you and I spoke about and your extension educators. So tell me the name of the program.

So this program is through the USDA and it is called the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Program.

Awesome. And how are you going to apply this program into your work and what you do?

So this is actually through the USDA and it's through the University of Tennessee is the lead in it for the South. And so what they are doing is it's a stress network for farmers and ranchers. So we know how much mental health and stress is a major part of a farmer and ranchers day to day life. And the university is creating hotlines or websites to help with that and give them a place to go to teach them how to work with that.

So how did the program begin? Do you can you tell us more about how you pulled together the resources within the southern southeast part of the United States? Yes. How you pull together those resources to form the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network.

So like I said, it's through the USDA, but it's a complete grant and it goes to different universities and it's all within a regional base. And then I'm actually pretty sure it goes to some US territories like Puerto Rico.

So how has this organization, when they came together, how did they make it relational to all of the cultures within agriculture? Do you know how that program, that basis of that foundation, came about?

Yes. So from there, from the university, it goes out to our family, consumer science agents, which we are lucky enough to have at least a 4-H agent or agriculture agent or a family consumer science agent in every county. So those family consumer science agents reach out to farmers and ranchers and they can be a connection for them in the county level. Instead of being so spread out, spread out across the state that they can just go somewhere local to them. So where they might understand because. Tennessee is very diverse. We have a ton of beef and dairy on the east side, whereas out in the west we have a ton of row crops. So it can be different trials and troubles for every farmer or rancher and it has made it really accessible for them.

Very. You're very right. There's such a diversity in agriculture and and even the different cultures within each community, within within each area is so very different. And the issues, of course, are different.

Of course it always has been, and I believe it always will be. But of course we have those core issues. But depending on what part of the industry you're in, whether you might be doing communication side and you're not directly working in the fields or anything in the agriculture industry, there's always going to be some issue or some stress level that you're going to need help with. And that's exactly what they're doing, is helping those farmers and ranchers and industry workers.

Find the right people to help them with whatever the issue is that they may have. Sometimes I think when we think about extension educators, we think about they help us with agronomy issues or commodity pricing, anything that's maybe new and trendy in the whole broad spectrum of agriculture. But there's also the health aspect of agriculture as well. And we know that if farmers and ranchers aren't healthy to do their daily work, then it's going to be impactful to us as a society.

It's not healthy for the society if the farmers and ranchers aren't healthy.

Right. Right. It's so different. How are family, consumer science and ag connected in this program? So how are you making those direct connections?

Whenever we think about 4-H, we think about just the youth and we don't necessarily think about the family consumer side besides maybe our Skill-a-thon side of it. But whenever you send youth out and you teach them about mental health and you teach them how to promote this, they take it home to their families, which Tennessee agriculture is the largest industry in our state. So it's very important to us. So whenever you teach youth about this, they're going to take it home to their families where it's going to make an impact as well. And from there it's just going to spread and spread and spread. So those family consumer science agents are also teaching our foragers and youth how to spread the word and really be advocates.

Exactly. So starting at from the youth up. So as we think about youth that work in agriculture and you're young and with so much promise, but what are some of the mental health stressors you see from your perspective?

As a high schooler and growing up in the beef industry, I've seen firsthand the stress that comes with it all. So that could be anywhere from losing acreage. So I'm actually the fourth generation to be growing up on our family farm, and it's slowly getting harder to keep that land. It's slowly getting taken away, it's slowly getting bought out, or you're slowly cutting down woods off acreage or somehow you're losing that. And that causes a lot of stress, especially when it's been in your family for so long. And I know there's so many families that their farms have been in their family for 15 generations. And it just is really difficult to deal with. And it's not even just losing acreage. It's day to day life of taking care of it because it truly is a full time job in itself and how our economy works. It's hard to just be a farmer or rancher. Most of Tennessee, you own a small farming operation and then you have a full time job on top of that, and that's juggling a lot in itself. So that can be really stressful. And then as a youth, the pressure is on us, I feel like to change our future and it's a real privilege to say that I get to be a part of that. But it's also about our crazy economy that's ever changing and it's a lot of pressure. But, you know, we live in such a different world than, say, 50 years ago, and so much has changed and we're still changing with it and we're still learning. And so it's almost like, you know, we have to adapt in certain ways in order to make that lasting legacy.

You're exactly right. You amaze me, your vision. You are well beyond your years. Maddie. Thank you. Oh, gosh. It's very inspiring for those that are working in agriculture. And and of course, as as a farmer myself and a farmer for many, many decades to know the youth that are coming up that have this great vision and so aware. Right. I feel like you're watching, learning, absorbing, and I think that helps. I mean, that is also going on in many farms as the youth absorb whatever the temperament is going on of that farm, the stressors to the work that needs to be done, you're feeling it. You're seeing it.

Most definitely. So I actually had the opportunity this past year to give a speech on agriculture issues, and it wasn't really specified on what I exactly had to talk about within an agriculture issue. So it became very personal to me whenever I got to say my family's story. And it was the speech I titled was called Losing Our Farming Legacy. And it was all about how my family farm, it's the most beautiful place on earth to me. And there's millions of people that think the same exact thing about their farms, but we're all facing the same issue, and that's extinction. And that's the greatest part of it all, is we all have our different issues, but we're all facing that extinction. And it was all about how we can come together and how different organizations are coming together, whether that be an youth organization like 4-H and FFA, or if that be like the USDA or the Department of Agriculture.

Right? You're very right. We are all in this together. And and I feel like farmers sometimes feel like they're isolated and have to take those burdens of the world on themselves. But to know that you have a supportive team around you and some are going to be more skilled in different resources than others to help you to find your way out of whatever stressor that's there. So if we thought pie in the sky, what would be? As for a youth that's in forage, what are some strategies that you think you could employ that are doable for youth coping strategies to mental health?

Hmm. That's a little difficult.

So what would be… what is missing, do you feel like when it comes to mental health and coping strategies for the youth?

So, I think that what's missing a lot of is how to manage this, because I think youth have a lot more on their shoulders now than they did. And I mean, social media goes a long way for that. But also I think by the time you step into high school, you get rushed with questions of what are you going to college for? Where are you going to college? Why don't you have your life planned out? And I'm like, I'm only 17 and you know, life works in funny ways and it's always changing. But I've noticed that no one really said, Hey, maybe try this or maybe manage this over here and do this also. And instead I just rushed into all of these things and I'm a very busy body and no one taught me how to manage that. And I think if I would have learned earlier how to manage everything and being raised on a farm and working every day and trying to figure out my future career, my future life, and then just being a high schooler as well, that was a lot in itself. And I think if someone would have taught us how to in a way that would go such a long way.

Yes, help to decrease that stress. And I can feel that and just and just watching your face and your nonverbals and talking about that, it's not easy to be young because you can do so many things. It is an and there are it's trying to find that right path and try to hone where your skills are when you're still trying to figure out who you are as a person.

Oh yeah. And it's in a way, you know, I'm in my senior year of high school and I'm seen as just a kid still, but the rest of the world sees me as a future, you know, whether I could be a future CEO or a future agriculturalist, future extension agent, future officer, whatever that might be. And in my eyes, you know, I'm still a kid.

Oh, yeah. And it's important that you honor that right, too, to make sure that you do all of those things that kids like to do when they're 17 and to be silly or whatever it is so that you have that balance. I feel like for Generations now that are the bulk age of farming, which is like that 50- to 60-year-old, we never learned how to balance. And I feel like the youth it's so important that you learn how to find that that place. To let off the pressure to be able to just relax and be yourself.

The harmony within it all.

Harmony within the farm. Harmony within yourself. That's good. That's really good. So a couple of questions to to round this up. It's been a quick 15 minutes and you've done awesome. So if I had to throw three questions at you, tell me, what's your favorite meal?

My favorite meal. You can't go wrong with a good filet.

With a filet?

Yes, and you can never go wrong.

And how do you like your steak done?

Medium rare, Of course. That is the best way.

I hear you. How about the sides? What would you put with that steak?

Some red potatoes on the side. Uh, some good asparagus goes a long way.

Awesome. Awesome. And tell me what you do for yourself to decrease stress.

So I do a lot of different things, I think. Although, my job as a state council member, that relieves a ton of stress. I mean, my best friends are all spread across the state through the state council. And even though we might be working and advocating, it's just a good time. We're all here to support each other and we're all teenagers here for the same reason. And that's super fun. But besides that, between school and everything else I do, I would say where I find a lot of peace would be on the back of the horses whenever I get to go ride. And it's just me and my horse and my thoughts.

Awesome. You got that figured out. And that's really going to help you to find your balance. And one last question. What matters to you most? What is one area of your life that matters to you most?

Preserving our legacy in agriculture. It's so important. And we wouldn't be who we are without it. None of us would. So I think that's really the most important part of all of us, not just me.

Awesome. Well, you were a pleasure to talk to. I know you're going to do great things in agriculture no matter where that path takes you. You're on the right course. And. And I congratulate you for all your work thus far and a senior. And your last semester, right, of high school.

Yes ma’am

Wow. Wow. It's a wonderful time. Exciting time. Thank you, Mattie.

Thank you for having me.

You're welcome.

Okay everyone, that wraps up our conversation with miss Mattie Smith. Thank you again for tuning in to another episode. If you’re interested in taking a deeper dive into this topic, visit our Learning Lab and watch the webinar called “Farm Youth Mental Health: What We Know and How to Help.” You can find a link to that webinar in our show notes, as well as useful youth mental health and well-being resources! Be sure to subscribe to this podcast to hear more from AgriSafe on the health and safety issues impacting agricultural workers. If you’d like to suggest topics, or have a story you’d like to share, contact us by email at INFO AT AGRISAFE DOT ORG, and title your email “T T F H Podcast.” You can also get our attention by using the hashtag "T T F H pod" on Twitter! To see more from AgriSafe, including webinars and our newsletter, visit us at w w w dot agrisafe dot org. This episode was created by AgriSafe Network, directed by Laura Siegel, hosted by Linda Emanuel, edited by Matt McKenney for ProPodcastingServices.com, with special guest Mattie Smith.