by Sarah Thomack
St. Joseph Post
The Kansas Department of Agriculture has launched a website in an effort to support ag families impacted by stress.
Kansas Department of Agriculture Assistant Secretary Kelsey Olson was the one who spearheaded the effort to create the website kansasagstress.org. Olson says the project stemmed from an application for a USDA Farm Stress grant.
“We just know that we’ve got growing concerns of stress," Olson says. "We had a lot of recent natural disasters, whether they be water related or periodically have tornadoes that come through Kansas and we’ve got the depressed commodity prices and there are just a lot of issues that weigh heavily on farm families and that can often lead to mental and emotional distress or substance abuse and anxiety and depression. So, we wanted to do what we could to help.”
One of those ways they found to help was by putting all the resources in one place. Olson says the website pulls together different resources to support all members of the family involved in agriculture including teens, aging adults, men, women and more.
Olson says there was a lot of positive support to launch the website when she mentioned the idea.
“Many people would chime in about how they had either personally been connected or knew of someone and that everyone had generally had a sense that stress is continuing to grow and there was a need to start the conversation and a need out there for how do we direct individuals or if you’re concerned for a loved one, where do you turn?”
Olson says they have also received positive feedback since launching the website and they will continue to add to the website as they learn of more resources and as they receive feedback on what’s needed.