Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** agricultural producers in the north…

Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** agricultural producers in the north central region experience anxiety, depression, substance use, and death by suicide at disproportionately higher rates than the general population. The university of illinois at urbana-champaign mobilized partners inthe north central region to form the north central farm and ranch stress assistance center to create and expand stress management and mental health resources and services to agricultural producers and advocates and stakeholders who supportagricultural producers. The key target audiences for this project include individuals engaged in production agriculture with specific emphasis on producers, hired workers, farm youth and farm families, and allies of agricultural producers (specifically agribusiness professionals and healthcare providers). The north central farm and ranch stress assistance center will expand programs that provide professional agricultural behavioral health intervention, support farm telephone hotlines and websites, and provide needed training and resources for producers, agriculture-related occupations, and individuals who support producers. The project will increase community capacity and healthcare providers' readiness to respond to producers' mental health needs and potentially increase agricultural productivity by reducing presenteeism, absenteeism, and work-related injuries.