Fourth-generation farmer, Air Force veteran, and mental health advocate Connie Baptiste will give the keynote address at the 2025 Farm Stress Summit in Statesboro, Georgia, on March 13.

For the third year, University of Georgia faculty, farmers, farm family members, agricultural community members, and agricultural mental health stakeholders will convene at the 2025 Farm Stress Summit to network and strategize ways to safeguard the well-being of Georgia’s farmers and farm families.

Small-group sessions and workshops will feature information on suicide prevention and post-disaster recovery.

Connecting advocates, farmers and rural communities

From health care providers and nonprofit organizations to county officials and faith leaders, the summit welcomes advocates addressing farm stress in Georgia’s rural communities. The goal of this event is for attendees to learn from each other, connect communities with existing resources, and establish partnerships across organizations.

Baptiste, owner of Hunter Family Farm in Cobbtown, Georgia, has dedicated herself to serving the mental health and well-being of rural farmers and their families.

“Being a Black woman in both the military and farming exposed me to unique stressors, and developing a mental wellness plan for myself proved crucial in navigating life in both spaces,” said Baptiste in a Georgia Department of Agriculture interview honoring her as a mental health hero.

Mental wellness essential for farmers and their families

“Focusing on farmers is crucial because our roles encompass much more than most people realize,” added Baptiste, who was honored as the 2023 Woman Veteran of the Year by the Georgia Department of Veterans Affairs. “We can't focus on farming without focusing on the mental well-being of their families. Focusing on the whole farmer, family included, will bring some of the younger generation back to the profession.”

Key target audiences for this free event include medical providers, counselors, church leaders, Extension agents, Georgia Farm Bureau members and staff, policymakers, lenders, local elected officials, county/city municipal staff, pharmacists, school system personnel, agricultural producers, and agribusiness owners/operators.

Additional speakers at the event will include:

• Mike Toews, associate dean for Extension, CAES

• Allisen Penn, associate dean for Extension and Outreach, UGA College of Family and Consumer Sciences 

• Tyler Harper, commissioner, Georgia Department of Agriculture

• Kevin Tanner, commissioner, Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities 

• Venessa Sims, director of Outreach for Law Enforcement and Emergency Management, Georgia Department of Agriculture

• John McElveen, director, Georgia Agricultural Wellness Alliance

• Jean Sumner, dean, Mercer School of Medicine

Speakers will focus on farm family health and wellness, including strategies for enhancing collaborations at the local, state and national levels to cohesively support farm families and to share proven and emerging practices for combatting farmer mental health challenges. Breakout sessions will focus on identifying and leveraging existing community resources and natural support systems.

Registration open through Feb. 24

The Farm Stress Summit is hosted through a partnership between UGA Cooperative Extension, the Georgia Agricultural Wellness Alliance, the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, the Georgia Rural Health Innovation Center, UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, UGA College of Public Health, UGA School of Social Work, Georgia Farm Bureau, Georgia Foundation for Agriculture, and the Georgia Department of Agriculture.

Registration is open to the public through Monday, Feb. 24. For event details and to register, visit the attendee registration page.

To learn more and help share event details, visit the Farm Stress Summit event page.