The forum was intended to facilitate the exchange for best practices and for partnerships, programs, and policies to be advanced to support farmers’ wellness.
HALLOWELL, Maine — Farming and fishing are cornerstones of Maine’s economy, but the people behind these industries face unique challenges, from severe weather that can wipe out crops to accidents on the water that change lives in an instant.
State officials and professionals who work closely with Maine’s farmers and fishermen gathered in Hallowell at the Maple Hill Inn and Conference Center on Monday for the first-ever Maine Land and Sea Farmer Wellness Forum, a new effort aimed at improving the health and wellbeing of farmers and fishermen.
Leslie Forstadt is a professor with the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, which hosted the event.
“We’ve been talking for years about physiological wellbeing related to the stresses of both farming and fishing,” Forstadt said. “This is a chance to focus on the human beings who farm and fish and how we can help support them.”
Forstadt said the forum’s goals were to identify gaps in mental health and other services, for programs to develop partnerships with one another, and to promote the sharing of best practices.
RELATED: New minimum wage will include farm workers. Farmers say their opinion is complicated.
One of the organizations at the forum was Labor-Movement, owned by Cynthia Flores. Her work focuses on helping farmers.
“I work primarily with farmers in body mechanics and movement patterns on an injury prevention side to teach them how to use their bodies well and efficiently,” Flores told NEWS CENTER Maine.
But she added that not all resources reach the people who need them: “A lot of programming doesn’t get to the farmworker as well.”
It’s issues like these the forum hopes to address.
“There’s a lot of stuff people don’t have control over in these industries,” Forstadt said. “At the same time, how can we create supportive systems so that folks don’t feel alone and isolated.”
The conversation doesn’t stop here. The University of Maine Cooperative Extension will host a virtual workshop Sept. 30 for farmers focused on coping with the challenges that can lead to stress and feelings of loss.
For more local stories continue with us on our NEWS CENTER Maine+ streaming app.
For the latest breaking news, weather, and traffic alerts, download the NEWS CENTER Maine mobile app.
link