May 28, 2020 – BEMIDJI, MN The Northwest Minnesota Foundation (NMF) is offering a free webinar series on their website to address mental health and wellness for farmers and ranchers. The agricultural sector of northwestern Minnesota, and all over the country, has been significantly and negatively impacted over this last year. Difficult weather and tariffs, and now COVID-19, have challenged many of farmers, ranchers and their families.

NMF has worked with regional mental health specialists to present three webinars for farmers, ranchers and the people who work with them. The series is titled “Seeds of Promise: Growing Resiliency in Times of Stress” and includes topics such as coping in times of stress, addressing self-care and resiliency, and helping farm couples thrive during difficult times. A link to access these webinars can be found on NMF’s website homepage at www.nwmf.org and click “Support for Farmers and Ranchers”.

Presenters include:
• Monica Kramer McConkey, MA, LPC: Monica grew up on a farm in northwestern Minnesota and has intimate understanding of the dynamics leading to farm stress and its impact on farm families. She currently works as one of two Rural Mental Health Specialists in Minnesota providing support to farmers and their families through a contract with the MN Ag Centers of Excellence and Farm Business Management. Monica also travels throughout the country speaking on the impact of Emotional Stress on the Farm through her consulting business Eyes on the Horizon Consulting, LLC.

• Dr. Brenda Mack, DSW, MSW, LICSW: Brenda is a behavioral health and wellness consultant, trainer, presenter, researcher, and Assistant Professor in the Social Work Department at Bemidji State University (BSU). Before joining the faculty at BSU, Brenda worked for twenty years as a program manager, outpatient and in-home therapist and mobile behavioral health crisis responder for a community mental health center. She has a Bachelor and Master of Arts degrees in Social Work from the University of North Dakota and a Doctorate in Social Work from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN. She is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker through the Minnesota Board of Social Work.

• Shauna Reitmeier, MSW, LGSW: Shauna serves as the Chief Executive Officer at Northwestern Mental Health Center (NWMHC). In addition to her leadership and management responsibilities at NWMHC, she is a Licensed Graduate Social Worker and sees clients at the Crookston clinic location. Shauna holds a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and a bachelor’s degree in social work from the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks.

Whether you are a farmer or rancher yourself, work at an ag lending institution, a school, church or you are a friend or neighbor, these sessions will provide information on how to best mitigate the challenges that farmers and ranchers are experiencing. These webinars can be watched or listened to at home, in the truck or the tractor – anywhere there is an internet connection. This webinar series has been funded by a grant from The Funder’s Network and the NMF work with the Philanthropic Preparedness Response and Emergency Partnership learning cohort.

NMF also provides a list of resources available to farmers and ranchers on their “COVID-19 Updates
and Resources” page, which can also be found by visiting www.nwmf.org and clicking the “Support for Farmers and Ranchers” link on the homepage.