Page 6 - MidWeek - January 25, 2023

6 MIDWEEK JANUARY 25, 2023
Sowing The Seeds Of Care In Hawai‘i’s Local Farms
By Thao Le, project director with Seeds of Wellbeing
Farmers, ranchers, and allied agricultural pro- ducers were consid- ered essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. They remain essential, feeding and nurturing us. Yet, caring for ag producers is often not the first consideration in most local residents’ minds, despite the Centers for Disease Con- trol and Prevention’s alarming statistics that rank them as be- ing fourth-highest for depres- sion and suicide, above even those in health care, education and retail professions.
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the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa is to understand and advocate for the health and well-being of farmers and ranchers in Hawai‘i. It aims to elevate appreciation and care for those who feed us, to mālama the farmers.
Resonating with the cul- ture of ‘ohana and relational care in Hawai‘i, SOW de- veloped the ag mental health mentor program. In less than a month, 44 ag community members signed up to par- ticipate. They are currently receiving training, and will assist SOW in a pilot vouch- er program that includes referral to therapeutic mas- sage, and to therapists with background or expertise in serving the ag community.
Jim Crum, staff and farm- er of Tinyville, exclaims, “This should be on every- one’s table.”
The mission of the Seeds of Wellbeing project under the College of Tropical Agricul- ture and Human Resources at
With funding and support from the Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture, USDA-NIFA, a comprehensive needs assess- ment survey with 408 ag pro- ducers during the pandemic, revealed that Hawai‘i ag pro- ducers are challenged on mul- tiple fronts, with multiplicity of factors/stressors, resulting in depression and suicide rates that are higher than Hawai‘i’s general population.
The SOW team also de- veloped an ag-specific mental well-being resource guide called The Cool Mind, Main Thing, both personal and peer-to-peer versions.
Funding for the SOW proj- ect ends this March. We are seeking funding to continue our work to provide resil- iency resources, and elevate respect and appreciation for ag producers. Folks interested in supporting the project can reach out to the project direc- tor, Thao Le, at thaole3@ha- waii.edu, and visit the SOW website at manoa.hawaii.edu/ sow-well.
Pictured at the Seeds of Wellbeing Booth at the Ag2022 Collaborative Leaders as Ag-ents of Change Conference are (from left) project director Thao Le, and staff members Alexis Kerver and Alex Wong.
PHOTO COURTESY SEEDS OF WELLBEING
For more information, fol- low @sow.ctahr on Instagram and Seeds of Wellbeing Proj- ect on Facebook.
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