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Rural Stress Podcast Excerpts Now Available for Broadcast

MDA makes TransFARMation 60-second stories available for free use

St. Paul, MN - Prompted by the many sources of stress affecting farmers and ranchers, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) and the Red River Farm Network joined forces to create a new radio and podcast series called TransFARMation. Now, the MDA is making the first five 60-second episodes broadly available to radio stations around the Upper Midwest.

The series is designed to increase awareness and reduce inhibitions about acknowledging farm stress, as well as highlighting the resources available. Local farmers, ranchers and agricultural stakeholders are featured, sharing personal stories and offering a message of hope.

The five available 60-second summaries cover the following topics:

• How Not to Let the Farm Wreck Your Marriage – dairy farmer Brenda Rudolph talks about maintaining your relationship when your coworker is your spouse

• There is Life After Farming – a 1,500-acre cash grain farmer makes the tough decision to leave farming and try a new career.

• A Survivor’s Journey – farmer Theresia Gillie, whose husband Keith died by suicide, describes her journey after his death

• The Ostrich Syndrome – a farm psychologist encourages farmers to concentrate on what they can control

• It’s OK to Not Be OK – farmer Doug Kramer sought help from a counselor during the 80s farm crisis. He and his daughter talk about how hard – and helpful – that was.

Radio stations interested in airing the 60-second episodes can obtain them by contacting MDA Communications Coordinator Larry Schumacher by email at larry.schumacher@state.mn.us or by phone at 651-201-6629. Stations airing the episodes receive permission to edit the intro and outro to reflect station branding. Credit must be given somewhere in the final aired piece to the MDA and Red River Farm Network.

For additional details, including photos, visit http://www.rrfn.com/transfarmation

TransFARMation is supported by a grant from the Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) National Institute for Safety and Health (NIOSH), the Great Plains Center for Agricultural Health, and by AgCountry Farm Credit Services, Minnesota Corn Growers Association, Minnesota Soybean Growers Association, Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council, North Dakota Corn Growers Association, North Dakota Farmers Union, North Dakota Soybean Council, North Dakota Wheat Commission, and Prairie St. John’s.

 

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