National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
You are not alone. You, your family, staff and operations matter, and help is available. Please reach out for support.
Dial 988
(Veterans press #1)
NC Farm Helpline
Available 24/7, the Help Line connects individuals experiencing a crisis or in need of other help with resources including mental health, financial, legal, farm safety/health, Cooperative Extension and more.
Please reach out for support.
844-325-3276
What is the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network-North Carolina (FRSAN-NC)?
FRSAN-NC is a partnership that connects farmers, ranchers, and others working in agriculture-related settings with stress assistance programs and resources.
These connections help to improve the physical and emotional wellbeing of our state’s agricultural workforce.
Overview
The Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network-NC (FRSAN-NC) connects farmers/ranchers, farmworkers, families, and others working and living in agriculture-related settings with stress assistance programs and resources.
If you or someone you know could benefit from the services below, please call (844) 325-3276 or email info@farmstress.org.
Programs are supported with funds from the US Department of Agriculture/NC Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services (NCDACS), NC Tobacco Trust Fund Commission, NC Farm Credits, and Corn Growers Association of NC.
FRSAN-NC is a partnership among NCDACS, NC Agromedicine Institute, CareNet Counseling, NC Cooperative Extension, and Eastern Area Health Education Center.
Purpose of FRSAN
The purpose of the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network (FRSAN) Program is to establish a network that connects individuals who are engaged in farming, ranching, and other agriculture-related occupations to stress assistance programs.
The establishment of a network that assists farmers and ranchers in times of stress can offer a conduit to improving behavioral health awareness, literacy, and outcomes for agricultural producers, workers, and their families.
Free Training
Training on the signs/symptoms, and management of farm and ranch-related stress is available and can be tailored by request.
Suicide prevention training (e.g., Mental Health First Aid, QPR, ASIST, etc.) is also provided. Explore the training opportunities on the FRSAN-NC training page.
Agricultural Behavioral Healthcare
- Manage stress in an unpredictable environment
- Understand anxiety and manage symptoms
- Understand depression and manage symptoms
- Understand and manage symptoms of grief and loss
- Problem-solve; find better ways to communicate
- Continue growing healthy families
…because when everyone on the farm is healthy, farms are at their best.
Assistance is provided to locate and/or pay for counseling/behavioral health services. In-person and telehealth options are available. Learn more about behavioral healthcare on the FRSAN-NC behavioral healthcare page.
Farm Health Connectors
Connectors help identify community resources to assist with physical, social, and spiritual issues causing stress not addressed by counseling/behavioral health services (e.g., medical supplies/equipment, food, utilities, transportation, caregiving, etc.).
Target counties: Anson, Duplin, Pitt, Robeson, and Wilkes.
Farmer to Farmer
Specially trained members of the farming/ranching community provide confidential, non-judgmental peer support for other community members needing someone to talk to who understands day-to-day stress associated with farming/ranching.
Peers are matched on factors such as commodities, age, and education but are never from the same or a neighboring county.
Details are available on the farmer to farmer site.
Women in Agriculture
Read more on the USDA women in agriculture page.
Farm Theater
ssues surrounding farm/ranch-related stress, safety, and/or health are presented using a short script read by members of the community followed by a brief facilitated discussion.
Individuals can socialize, laugh, and reflect on how the contents of the script relate to their own situation. Additional information is on the NC farm theater site
Collaboration with SAgE
The Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network of NC works collaboratively with the Southern Ag Exchange Network (SAgE).
For more information on SAgE efforts, please visit the Southern Ag Exchange Network website.
Funding Priority
Section 7522 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008, 7 U.S.C. 5936, authorizes NIFA to establish a Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network as follows:
§ 5936. Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network
In General – “The Secretary, in coordination with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, shall make competitive grants to eligible entities described in subsection (c) to establish a Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network that provides stress assistance programs to individuals who are engaged in farming, ranching, and other agriculture-related occupations.”
The authority for the FRSAN-State Department of Agriculture (SDA) is Public Law No: 116-260 Sec 766(a), 7 U.S.C. 5936 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021.
Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network-(FRSAN)
Southern Ag Exchange Network
The Southern Ag Exchange Network (SAgE) offers comprehensive support for farmers through resources, training, and a dedicated hotline for stress assistance.
Visit the Farmer Support Hotline Page for confidential help, available by calling, texting, or chatting online.
Western Regional Agricultural Stress Assistance Program (WRASAP)
Funded by a USDA grant, WRASAP supports 13 states and 4 territories, addressing stress from finances, farm pressures, injury, illness, weather, climate change, and COVID-19. WRASAP ensures access to essential resources for you, your family, and colleagues.
Network for Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance in the Northeast
Cultivemos enhances the well-being of Northeast agricultural producers and workers through accessible mental health care and assistance programs. By building an inclusive network, it improves mental health awareness and access in the agricultural community.