Madison Messenger - October 23rd, 2022

PAGE 4 - MADISON MESSENGER - October 23, 2022
columns/opinions
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Helping farmers deal
with stress on the job
With Madison County being a rural
community, most of us probably know at
least one farmer. Weather challenges, current
input prices and supply chain issues
have stress levels running high on many
farms. While we all deal with stress fairly
regularly, difficult times in farming can
cause an excessive amount of stress that
is hard for someone to process.
Most farms are family businesses that
have their own stressors, such as being
able to provide for one’s family and keeping
a farm that has been in the family for
several generations afloat. Also, many factors
that affect farms are ones over which
farmers have no control. I mentioned
weather and commodity prices, which are
the big ones, but farmers also deal with
disease and pest issues, working with
family, consumer perceptions, machinery
breakdown and so on.
The following warning signs may indicate
that a loved one is experiencing an
undue amount of stress. Being able to assess
the situation accurately may help
prevent a more serious situation. Jinnifer
Ortquist with Michigan State University
Extension outlines the warning signs of
stress in “How to Talk with Farmers
Under Stress,” available at MSU’s Managing
Farm Stress website.
1. Look for changes in emotions such as
a decrease in energy or show of enthusiasm
for the future, depression or loss of
humor.
2. Changes in attitudes or cognitive
skills—such as frustration over small
things or having trouble making decisions—could
indicate high stress levels.
3. Changes in behavior that indicate an
issue might show up in missed meetings
with coworkers, friends or businesses, difficulty
sleeping or becoming quieter than
usual.
4. All of these can culminate into
changes on the farm through a lack of care
for animals or crops, themselves or carelessness
in general.
What can you do to help? Being there
to listen, and I mean really listen, can go
a long way in helping the person deal with
and process what they are going through.
Ortquist suggests using the following
questions and statements while listening:
• I hear you saying ____ (repeat back
the main concerns the farmer is expressing).
• This sounds like a lot to manage.
How are you coping with this? (or, What
are you doing to take care of yourself?)
• It sounds like the current situation is
guest column
By Amanda Douridas
very difficult. What can I do to support
you?
• These are some tough challenges.
How can I help?
• Would it be helpful if we work together
on an action plan for how to manage
your concerns?
• Every situation is different. In a similar
situation on another farm, they tried
____. What do you think about that?
• Are there other people who have been
helpful or supportive when times have
been tough in the past? Are any of those
people able to help now?
Ortquist also recommends showing empathy
rather than sympathy. The difference
here is, when practicing empathy,
you make an effort to understand what
the person is going through and then talk
to them about ideas that may help them
work through their feelings or the situation.
For farmers, this could be helping
them come up with a long-term plan to
keep the farm in working order or recommending
someone who can help with this
goal. This may be another farmer who has
been through a similar situation, financial
advisors, or the Extension Office.
If conflict arises, remain calm and continue
to listen. Avoid placing blame on
anyone. Talk about what you are trying to
achieve and repeat statements back to the
farmer to ensure you understand what
they are saying.
Lastly, always follow up with the
farmer after your conversation and continue
to check in and listen. If you believe
the person is in eminent danger, directly
ask them if they have had thoughts of suicide.
This is uncomfortable but better than
the alternative. Call 911 and get help from
family and friends.
Resources:
• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline:
1-800-273-TALK or text “4hope” to 741
741
• Logan and Champaign Counties Suicide
Prevention Coalition:
https://www.mhdas.org/suicide-prevention-coalition.html.
Crisis Hotline: 1-800-
224-0422.
Amanda Douridas is Madison County’s
agriculture and natural resources Extension
educator.
Time to stop kicking
the can down the road
“Kicking the can down the road”
This phrase gets used a lot. I think it’s letter
time we quit blaming others and realize we
no longer have a choice but to start to fix
station was a want and not a need.
things.
At a special finance committee meeting,
When the decision was made to have the
options were discussed and the city council
London Fire Department handle EMS services
in the city of London, it was known
members who were there felt the new police
station is a need and that the voters of London
would be more willing to support an in-
there would be a cost to do this. Personally,
I was in favor of taking care of our own, but
come tax increase if it was only for our
I was not in favor of how it happened. It’s
safety forces.
time to move on from the hurt feelings and
To me, there are two differences in how
take steps to make sure our fire department
this was approached. This time, the London
can still provide the services they have been
city council members, who have been elected
tasked to do.
by the voters, made a decision they felt was
The decision to pull out of the Madison
best for London. The second difference was
County Emergency Medical District (EMD)
realizing the community center was not supported.
meant property owners would no longer
have to pay the 3 mills of property taxes
Most of you are not aware that I was a
being collected for Madison EMD. City council
also decided to stop collecting the 1.4
dispatcher for the London Police Department
for 11 years. I was a dispatcher when
mills of property taxes that was directly
the police were moved into the building on
used to help fund the fire department.
East First Street, and it was never supposed
City council then decided to put another
to be a permanent location. It was probably
property tax on the ballot. It was smaller
the best solution at the time, but the world
than the 4.4 mills that were being paid and
has changed since then. We should be concerned
that it’s not a safe location for the po-
was set at 2 mills. It would have been
enough to cover the extra expenses the fire
lice officers, and, more importantly, it’s not
department expected to have. The voters of
safe for victims of a crime that are followed
London voted this down.
in by the person they are running from.
London Fire Chief Todd Eades advised
Many have suggested that the police
the city administration and city council that
move into the current city building. It’s not
he would try to keep the budget in check,
that simple, because when the world
and that he thought he could “make it work”
changed because of 9-11, the federal government
mandated that new police stations
for three years.
It’s now four years later, and the London
have safety measures to keep the police
Fire Department is looking at a deficit of
safe. The cost to make an old building safe
about $800,000 next year. The proverbial
is probably as much as a new building.
can was kicked down the road, as no new
It is time to start taking care of the issues
that have been ignored for years. I
initiatives were presented by council until
this year.
know there are many other issues, but we
The plan presented this past spring was
have to start somewhere. Many people have
a levy to provide additional funding for the
said this is not a good time. Unfortunately,
fire department, build a new police station,
there is never really a good time.
and build a new community center. This
I will be voting for the tax increase for
was defeated soundly. In discussions after
our safety forces. I hope you see the need to
the election, the feeling was that the community
center was seen as a want and not a Greg Eades
support it with your vote.
need. Some people also felt that the police London
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