Mind, Body, and Farm - How do Farmers Manage Stress?
Recently a new farmer asked me what I did to help condition and strengthen my body throughout the farming season. And the honest answer has been nothing or not much, historically. I do try to use good ergonomics in the field. I’m rethinking my approach not only physically but mentally when it comes to stress, to burn out, to the challenges on the field.
There’s a lot of info out there around self care and mental health. And a growing plethora of Farmer Mental health education and support has surfaced, mainly around accessing talk therapy. I could talk on and on with a therapist about how hard it is to farm, the ever-unpredictable weather, the policy issues, all the mediation and boundary setting farming actually requires, etc. There are additional therapy resources at the bottom of this blog if you or anyone you know might benefit from and are in need. Time is always a constraint as is money so I haven’t engaged in the arduous task of interviewing therapists just yet - it’s a complicated process!
Last year I crashed energetically and didn’t get up from the impact until January. I’d been hard at work trying to meet the farm’s demands consistently, though not always so successfully. Talk about prolonged stress!!! Last summer in 2021, I couldn’t recognize it then because I was busy surviving and putting my head down and moving forward, through to the end- but I was extremely irritable, easily triggered, my anxiety increased, I was very exhausted and emotionally overwhelmed with it all. I bet y’all were too, LIFE was enough to flame out over, let alone work, then add… well…you know, everything.
For the past 4 years it’s been go, go, go. Last year I learned first hand - “If you don’t pick a day to relax, your body will pick it for you.” It’s hard to balance the mind, body and farming. We live in a society that denies the impact and importance and sometimes the existence of weather. Farmers always have work to do, but especially when it’s sunny out and I don’t get to choose when it’s sunny. Therefore I am working on my “days off”, pulling long hours when I can and trying to support my employees with steady and predictable work hours and days. Though the work is never fully predictable. We have a set of Farm Chores that must happen everyday and an ideal list of prioritized activities - but the weather and other unforeseen emergencies will quickly re-prioritize our day for us. I set bumper rails and parameters but it often looks unorganized and chaotic around the Farm and that’s how it is when you are working within nature and the human achy, breaky body.
So this year I have had to really get a hold of things… and I have sorta, kind of, maybe begun to accomplish what I have set out to do. It’s non linear progress for sure, and I forgive myself. It takes time to establish new habits and to find what works for me. And oh, hey - April is National Stress Awareness Month! Here are some things I hope to do more of this season to take better care of my mind and body:
Epsom Salt Baths! - I DIY’ed a bathtub table for me to set a candle on, add a little vase of fresh flowers and a book. My body works hard, I need to give it a little more health care and a little more rest! I really like to buy bouquets I can dry out and add to the bath too! Ones with roses, lavender and eucalyptus.
Drink Water! Simple and we’ve all heard it but this year we are fully equipped with our Farm Hydration Station, I have multiple water bottles for cleaning rotation and I downloaded this app where I water little pet plants everytime I drink water. It’s adorable and the push notifications are actually really helping me out.
Meditation and Mindfulness - I’ve been trying to engage in a 5-10min session on some interval I have yet to determine. I meditated every day for the month of January? But have fallen out of rhythm again.
Stretching & Yoga - trying really hard to begin the day’swith 15 min stretching with the crew and end the week off with Yoga… I’ll let you know how this goes… making the time has been difficult and I am saying that doing it all from home!
A 5th item to my list of selfcare acts this year I would love to add : eating my very own, fresh vegetables in home cooked meals. I recall a post Amber Tamm, a Black Farmer and Advocate, https://www.instagram.com/ambertamm/ made about how Farmers eat some of the crappiest junk and fast food. And it’s so true! Recently I had the wonderful opportunity to attend a social Farmers of Color gathering here in Portland, and that topic came up. We were discussing what we could use support or help on. This theme pops up over and over again. I personally no longer cook for myself. By the end of a 8, 9, 10 hour day I am just too tired to think, let alone gather tools and ingredients, chop, slice and dice and manage a hot stove top. In fact a few years back, after a day of farming I was chopping garlic and chopped the tip of my thumb off! Turns our your thumb grows back but I don’t recommend you do so and spend 5 hours at the ER. You can help save farmer phalanges and support us in eating well by donating or volunteering for our Farmer Lunch Table! We promise we will share with other Farmers and will be happy to disperse funds as needed!
Lastly, I want to put together a small weight and strengthening gym of sorts so we can roll out, stretch and soothe our achy muscles and joints and build up some stamina! Send us your ideas!
It’s hard to find balance with farming. We don’t control the weather or the Capitalistic profit-over-people economy we live in. But we are finding creative solutions and committing to learning together as we find that balance and co-manifest the future of dignified and equitable food access. I want to end on gratitude to the Good Rain Farm staff for helping tackle tasks, problem solving and hustling that help free me up a few hours a day to partake in these activities, and to the CSA members and customers who also are willing to support us and who are understanding of the risks and wild ride of farming, investing in us so that we can make living wages and focus on farming for the long haul! I am hopeful Good Rain Farm will be passed onto the next generation but I need to be around for a few more years yet to insure this dream of mine.
Written By Farmer Michelle
Additional Resources =
https://www.agriculture.com/family/health-safety/farmer-mental-health-deserves-your-attention
@realfarmercare on Instagram - nominate a farmer and they receive some money to afford self care support.
https://extension.oregonstate.edu/farm-ranch-stress-assistance-network
PodCats by National Young Farmers & Ari - 2 parter
Podcast by Female Farmer Project
