Browsing by Author "Mason, Garland"
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- Best Practices to Managing Farm Financial Health and WellbeingNiewolny, Kimberly L.; Morgan, Kim O.; Mason, Garland; Nunoo, Nicole (Virginia Cooperative Extension, 2020-09-02)Most farmers and ranchers—and, particularly beginning farmers and ranchers—do not have the financial capacity to hire financial managers to manage their finances for them. The onus is therefore placed on the farmer to assume the multiple roles of accountant, business manager, and farmer at the same time. The tried-and-true approaches to addressing financial risk begin with the development of a whole-farm risk-management plan. We provide best management practices to manage and mitigate the whole-farm, and whole-family risks associated with finances, production, marketing, legal issues, and human interaction (Nickel, 2020).
- Dairy Pipeline, May 2020Petersson-Wolfe, Christina S.; Mason, Garland (Virginia Cooperative Extension, 2020)How the CARES Act helps dairy producers. Farm Bureau-Virginia ha developed an excellent repository of resources related to COVID-19 at https://www.safb.com/FarmerResources. AgrAbility COVID-19 Notice. AgrAbilty Virginia is here to support farmers as they face distinct challenges during this time. Farmers are older and therefore more susceptible to the corona virus
- The Farm Safety, Health & Wellness ToolkitMason, Garland; Niewolny, Kimberly L. (Virginia Cooperative Extension, 2020-11-09)Farmers nationwide are experiencing socio-economic crisis and Virginia’s farmers are no exception. Farmers in Virginia are under immense stress due to various threats including social threats (within the family or community), economic threats (including land or market loss and associated financial stress), political threats (such as systemic discrimination, racism, and disadvantageous political policy), and environmental threats (like drought, flooding, or pest infestation). Farmers in Virginia experience overwhelming feelings of stress and may encounter associated mental health issues due to the current crises and the threats they face.
- Farm safety, health and wellness resource: Mental Health Case StudiesCoffey, Hannah; Adducci, Haley; Samuels, Laura Ashley; Wyker, Jessica; Mason, Garland; Niewolny, Kimberly L. (Virginia Cooperative Extension, 2020)Thomas, the adult son on a family farm, attempts suicide because his parents are getting ready to retire and the farm is failing because of a loss of cattle who have been drinking from a pond with algae in it. Since Thomas feels the farm is now his responsibility, he blames himself and becomes very depressed. An FSA officer intervenes with the other family members and recommends that he see his primary care provider who can recommend psychiatric care.
- Farm safety, health and wellness resource: Mental health case studies. The family vegetable farm in Roanoke, VirginiaWyker, Jessica, Adducci, Haley; Coffey, Hannah; Ashley Samuels, Laura; Mason, Garland; Niewolny, Kimberly L. (Virginia Cooperative Extension, 2020)Family farm is stressing farmers because of previous drought and debt. This publication is a description of their situation as well as suggesting that an extension agent can give good options and advice to struggling farmers.
- Farm safety, health, and wellness resource: Mental health case . The Montel family: an intergenerational farmWyker, Jessica, Adducci, Haley; Coffey, Hannah; Ashley Samuels, Laura; Mason, Garland; Niewolny, Kimberly L. (Virginia Cooperative Extension, 2020)A son takes over the family farm from his father in a time of drought and financial instability. He holds his worries in, not wanting to reach out to his community for help, which causes his mental health to decline. Perhaps and extension agent, counselor, religious community, or peer group could stop in and help him.
- Farm Safety, Health, and Wellness Resource: Mental health case studies. The Johnsons' broiler farmWyker, Jessica, Adducci, Haley; Coffey, Hannah; Ashley Samuels, Laura; Mason, Garland; Niewolny, Kimberly L. (Virginia Cooperative Extension, 2020)A larger broiler company makes a good offer to take over this family farm but the farmer has reservations about it because the farm was passed to him, he has an immigrant family who work the land and rent a house there that the family is very close to. Interventions through couples counseling or extension agents are suggested
- Farm Safety, Health, and Wellness Resource: Mental health case studies.Farm Safety, Health, and Wellness ResourceWyker, Jessica, Adducci, Haley; Coffey, Hannah; Ashley Samuels, Laura; Mason, Garland; Niewolny, Kimberly L. (Virginia Cooperative Extension, 2020)Family dairy farm is struggling and the whole family is pitching in. The wife and mother has a stroke and the family decides to sell the farm and the farmer goes back to his previous profession
- Farm Stress and Grief in the Time of COVID-19Mason, Garland (Virginia Tech, 2020-04-02)I recently read an article from the Harvard Business Review titled “That Discomfort You’re Feeling Is Grief.” It’s filed under the category of “Stress” in their archives. Thinking about the stress farmers face every day it seemed pertinent to share this new form of stress that is descending on farm families as they cope with the realities of a global pandemic. Coronavirus has resulted in ‘stay-at-home’ mandates and social distancing. Coronavirus has left us feeling isolated and uncertain.
- Farmer Financial Health and Wellbeing Assessment: A Tool for Fostering Supportive Financial ConversationsMorgan, Kimberly L.; Nunoo, Nicole; Mason, Garland; Niewolny, Kimberly L. (Virginia Cooperative Extension, 2020-09-28)Extension agents are closely involved in advising farmers and farm families on identification and mitigation of financial risks unique to the agricultural industry. Financial decisions are often time-sensitive and complicated, and the source of many sleepless nights to farmers and advisors alike. This tool is intended for use as a communication aid to foster safe, productive conversations between farmers and service providers. It is designed to complement related resources aimed at supporting the mental health of our farmers who make tough decisions under conditions of uncertainty on a daily basis.
- Lawn Care Safety for the Whole Family During COVID-19Mason, Garland; Niewolny, Kimberly L. (Virginia Cooperative Extension, 2020)Because children are home during COVID 19, some people will want them to help cut the lawn and do yard work. Safety tips about appropriate dress, methods, and mower safety mechanisms.
- A Nimble Farmers Market Adapts and PivotsMason, Garland (Virginia Tech, 2020-07-27)As the pandemic shuttered farmers markets across the state, the Madison County Farmers Market used its online platform to nimbly pivot to online sales, contributing to the community’s food security during a time of panic and bare shelves in conventional retail sites. This short vignette is part of our “Virginia Food Systems and COVID-19 Story Collection Project” that aims to highlight, collect, and share stories of hope and resilience in our food system amidst the pandemic.
- Participatory praxis for community food security educationNiewolny, Kimberly L.; Schroeder-Moreno, Michelle S.; Mason, Garland; McWhirt, Amanda; Clark, Susan F. (2017)Community food security (CFS) has a robust history as a social movement addressing the politics and practice of food access and availability. While CFS advocacy and policy activity are closely connected to grassroots efforts, the academic community has supported CFS goals in a number of ways. CFS intersects with similar food movements, such as food sovereignty, emphasizing a social justice agenda for achieving democratic social change in the food system. In our paper, we illustrate the teaching of CFS in higher education at the graduate level where masters, professional, and doctoral students seek programmatic and community-based research experiences rooted in the goals of food justice, health equity, and ecological sustainability. Drawing upon a participatory education and critical pedagogy philosophy, we describe our approach and outcomes in developing a graduate course centered on CFS with two institutions and stakeholder participation in central Appalachia. An interdisciplinary approach was taken using a food justice lens, with special attention given to rurality, race, and class as issues informing CFS work in the region. We illustrate how course themes, assignments, and community engagement aims were collectively developed by students, faculty, and community practitioners through the Appalachian Foodshed Project, a regional CFS project. We focus our insights learned through several processes: developing and offering a pilot course in food systems; conducting focus groups with graduate students from two institutions; and collecting course evaluations from the final CFS course we developed. Our paper concludes with suggestions for utilizing a participatory approach-as praxis-to create new opportunities for students, faculty, and CFS practitioners to learn together for food systems change.