Podcasts about michigan state university extension

Brownfield's Nicole Heslip visited with Michigan State University Extension viticulture specialist Mike Reinke about spray drone technology at the Great Lake Fruits, Vegetable and Farm Market Expo in Grand Rapids, MichiganSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jonny had a chance to talk with Beth Ferry from MSU Extension. In addition to serving as a swine industry educator for Michigan State University Extension, Beth and her husband live on the family farm where they grow apples, tart cherries and peaches.  Thank A Farmer is presented by the Berrien County Farm Bureau, with support from Greenmark Equipment, Culby's Landscape Supply, Big C Lumber, and Twin Maple Orchard.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this Pods for Profit, Michigan Soybean Committee President Mark Senk shares the details for the upcoming Michigan Soybean Harvest Equipment Field Day that's planned for Lenawee County on September 26th.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Darren discussed these topics:The latest news concerning the presidential race.Primary results in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Connecticut.The Arizona Supreme Court ruled that a fetus can be referred to as an "unborn human being" in an informational pamphlet.The first Black mayor of Newbern, Alabama, who has been locked out of town hall, will finally be allowed to govern after a lawsuit was settled out of court.A pro-Trump PAC started by Elon Musk is being investigated by the Michigan Secretary of State for falsely claiming to register voters.People who hated both Donald Trump and President Joe Biden seem to like Vice President Kamala Harris, according to new polling.And testimony is given in a case where a newly elected Ottawa County, Michigan commissioner was fired from his job at Michigan State University Extension. MSU's representatives confirmed that Ottawa Impact aligned commissioners put pressure on the school to fire him.

Farmers and ranchers have some of the highest suicide rates of all United States occupations. Misty Oebel, Health and Farm Stress Extension Educator at Michigan State University works with a team to help farmworkers manage depression and anxiety. Their educational initiatives, outreach, and teletherapy give farmworkers who often live in remote areas access to help without a commute or social stigma. Misty highlights the importance of community support, recognizing signs of stress, and maintaining a resilient mindset through learned optimism. She reminds listeners that the farmer is the most important asset on the farm. Resources:         988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline (USA) Agriservice professionals play important role in suicide prevention How to cultivate a productive mindset Michigan State University Extension – Managing Farm Stress Resilient Minds: Managing Stress on the Farm Youth farm stress Vineyard Team Programs: Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship - Donate SIP Certified – Show your care for the people and planet   Sustainable Ag Expo – The premiere winegrowing event of the year Sustainable Winegrowing On-Demand (Western SARE) – Learn at your own pace Vineyard Team – Become a Member Get More Subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode on the latest science and research with the Sustainable Winegrowing Podcast. Since 1994, Vineyard Team has been your resource for workshops and field demonstrations, research, and events dedicated to the stewardship of our natural resources. Learn more at www.vineyardteam.org.   Transcript Before we jump in, please note that this episode contains discussion on suicide. If you prefer to skip this one, there are nearly 250 other episodes to choose from. If you need resources or support. Call or text the suicide and crisis lifeline at 9 8, 8 for 24 hour free counseling services in the United States. [00:00:26] Beth Vukmanic: Of all occupations in the United States, farmers and ranchers have some of the highest suicide rates. Welcome to sustainable winegrowing with vineyard team. Where we bring you the latest in science and research for the wine industry. I'm Beth Vukmanic, executive director. Since 1994, we have brought you the latest science-based practices, experts, growers, and wine industry tools through both infield and online education so that you can grow your business. Please raise a glass with us as we cheers to 30 years. In today's podcast Craig Macmillan, critical resource manager at Niner wine estates with a long time sip certified vineyard and the first ever sip certified winery. Speaks with Misty Oebel. Health and farm stress extension educator at Michigan state university. Misty works with a team to help farm workers manage depression and anxiety. Their educational initiatives, outreach and teletherapy, give farm workers who often live in remote areas. Access to help without a commute or social stigma. Misty highlights the importance of community support, recognizing signs of stress and maintaining a resilient mindset through learned optimism. She reminds listeners that the farmer is the most important asset on the farm. Before we get into the interview, I wanted to share a message from Lupita, a vineyard team. Juan Nevarez is Memorial scholar. She says my parents left Mexico to give my siblings and me a better future. I want to make them proud by finishing school and pursuing my dream of becoming a pediatrician and the Salinas valley so that I can give back to my community. We know that higher education is important to many students, but paying for college could be challenging. This unique program provides financial and support services to the children of California's vineyard and winery workers. So they can earn a higher degree. You can help a student like Lupita, make their dreams come true by making a gift. By visiting vineyard team.org/scholarship. Or look for the link in our show notes. Now let's listen in. [00:02:35] Craig Macmillan: Our guest today is Misty Oebel. She is a health and farm stress extension educator with Michigan state university extension. Thanks for being on the podcast. [00:02:44] Misty Oebel: Well, so much for having me. [00:02:46] Craig Macmillan: And today we're going to talk about a concept called farm stress. When I first heard the term farm stress, I was thinking of farms that were stressed, you know, land that had been overworked or was in decline and that kind of thing, cause that's a lot of the stuff that I talk about and study, but that's not what we're talking about in this context. What does farm stress mean in your world? [00:03:05] Misty Oebel: So in my world, I'm focused on behavioral health. I look at providing education about stress, particularly chronic stress and its impact on the agricultural community. So I think it might be more accurate if we went by the term of like farmer stress or stress on the farm, but that's not the way it's titled. So farm stress is what we go by. [00:03:25] Craig Macmillan: One of the things that brought your project to our attention, and it's really extensive. MSU Extension is doing a lot of work in this area. It's really impressive, and we'll hear some more about that. Suicide rates are one of the highest in the occupations of farming and ranching of any occupations in the United States, actually. Which a lot of people might be surprised to find out. And related to that, there's also very high incidence of Depression and or at least meeting the criteria for depression and for generalized anxiety disorder. And, you know, by these, I want to make sure that we're clear that, you know, we're not talking about simply being like, Oh, I'm sad. Oh, I'm depressed, but actually things that impact your ability to function, your actual mental illness conditions [00:04:05] Misty Oebel: Right. That's exactly right. When we're looking at these numbers a lot of we're studying it through self report. So it's asking questions. It's not asking a question like, do you feel depressed? It's asking a question like, are you having problems with your appetite? How is your sleep changed? How are your relationships with other people? Are you experiencing irritability on a regular basis? Those are the kinds of questions that they ask. And then those are the criteria that they're looking at when they're saying agricultural workers are you know, we're finding that about 60 percent of the people that are participating in these studies are meeting the criteria for. depression, about 55 percent for generalized anxiety disorders. So this is significant because that does impact your ability to function. [00:04:50] Craig Macmillan: And are also risk factor for things like suicide and substance abuse. [00:04:54] Misty Oebel: And that's exactly right. We see much higher rates of suicide rates amongst agricultural workers than other occupations. We do see, really high substance use rates as well. Alcoholism we see is reported with heavy use for alcohol amongst farmers is about 38 to 50 percent of farmers in America, which is pretty significant. The other issue we see is farming or agricultural workers also have the highest rate of stress related death. due to disease. So that's a very major concern for us. [00:05:25] Craig Macmillan: It's a major public health health issue. Issue around this. When you said you were , asking these questions, getting this, this data, how is this data being collected? How do we even find out, this is an issue? [00:05:36] Misty Oebel: There's a preliminary study that's coming out of Illinois State University. It's being done by Rudolfi and Berg. They're the ones that are leading a lot of the information on this. And so there's the study that I'm going to quote most because those the numbers that are most they're the most relevant to me because I do work in the Midwest. And so what we're looking at is we're just when we start to see those statistics like the high suicide rates, the high rates of death by stress related disease we start to see the amount of issues we're having with alcohol and opioids and even we're seeing some stimulant use. increase at this point. Those are all things that start to trigger us to do a lot of research and try and figure out what this impact is and why it's happening. [00:06:13] Craig Macmillan: And I'm guessing that is where the MSU extension managing farms for stress program came from. [00:06:18] Misty Oebel: Yes, there was a significant need. The USDA was asking for people to participate in and start providing education and support for farmers because we were noticing that there were some pretty significant issues within the community. [00:06:32] Craig Macmillan: This is one of those things that's true for a lot of areas of public health. How do you. Get to the populations that need the help because people don't always come forward looking for help or there the demand there? People are having issues and they're coming looking for help. What's the what's the the interface? between the farm stress program and the target population [00:06:56] Misty Oebel: Sure. So one of the things that we're doing through our program, we spend as much time as possible in rooms with growers. Speaking at a lot of conferences, speaking at a lot of meetings. We spend as much time as possible, putting our faces out there and trying to build that rapport. And I have yet to speak in front of a group of people on a farm stress and not have people waiting in the wings afterwards to talk to me about that. So there is some face to face connection there. Sure. We also have people who hear about us through like news or hear a podcast or read an article and then they go looking for our website and then they connect with staff that way where they're reaching out to us and saying, I might need a little bit more help. Can you help me with this? So that's pretty common. We also receive phone calls and emails from people all the time who say, Hey, my veterinarian said I should reach out to you or my accountant or, you know, my Miller, it's these people who they have professional established relationships with who are saying there's something that's not right. right? There's something going on here and you need to talk to somebody about it. And so we connect with people that way. But I would say quite honestly, the number one way that we are connecting with people is we get an email or a phone call from someone who loves a farmer. So it's a parent or a spouse or a sibling who says, you know, my, sibling, he has this farm, he's been working on it for a long time. He's really, really depressed and he's not doing anything about it. And we're getting really, really worried about him. So there's a lot of different ways that we come in contact with these farmers. I would say probably the number one way is because somebody noticed something was going on and then they connected them with the appropriate resources at that point. [00:08:32] Craig Macmillan: And that's an important point the role of community and family and our social networks The old see something say something Sometimes it can be hard to do when it's a loved one and probably the most important to do when it's a loved one. [00:08:42] Misty Oebel: I agree with that. Just this year alone, I've talked with six different families as they're surviving the loss of a loved one to suicide. And one of the things that keeps coming up is I noticed something was going on, but I didn't want them to be mad at me. I didn't want them to be upset. I didn't want to hurt their feelings. And it's one of those things that I think we would all rather have somebody be upset with us than to lose that person. And so that's really important. If you see something, say something, notice something, refer them to somebody. It's also really important to start learning about how we can communicate. You know, how to ask open ended questions, how to ask difficult questions and how to practice those active listening skills so that when somebody is answering the questions, you're hearing what they're saying and you're not just waiting for that opportunity to start talking again. Those are all really important. There's trainings that we can offer through MSU Extension. There's an open course that's available on our website. It's called Rural Resilience. It's open to the community and it's free and it's online. So it's, it's really useful, but it's literally trained to teach you how to recognize signs of stress in yourself and how to manage that stress, but then how to recognize signs of stress in other people and then how to communicate with them and have positive communication that could be helpful. [00:09:52] Craig Macmillan: So you mentioned this website. We just talked about how you kind of get in contact with the population. What are some of the other methods that you folks are employing around this to get people help? What is the kind of help that you can provide? [00:10:03] Misty Oebel: Some things that I think are really useful, again, that referral process is really important to us. So if you know about us and then you see somebody that you care about is struggling, please let us know. Through MSU Extension, we offer a lot of other programs that aren't necessarily related to farm stress. So it's not unusual for us to talk to like a field crops educator or a fruit crop educator, and they're coming to us and they're saying, Hey, I'm working with this farmer. And we're seeing these behaviors and I'm talking to them and I'm trying to get them to talk to you. That's pretty common as well. So those are all resources we have available. We offer through the website, we offer a lot of things. And I always tell people if you're interested in the Farm Stress and you want to know more about our program, if you go to our website, and it's usually pretty easy if you type in like MSU Farm Stress. we're usually the first result. We come up pretty quick. And that website has everything. It has articles we've written. It has educational materials. It has those programs like the training materials available as well, that online training. And then it also has a form that you can fill out for our teletherapy program, which is also really beneficial. [00:11:04] Craig Macmillan: Yeah, so I was just gonna ask about that. So you are able to put people or connect people to talk therapy services either tell therapy or face to face. [00:11:12] Misty Oebel: Yeah, it's actually, it's one of the programs we're really proud of. We have this opportunity to provide it to people who are connected to the agricultural community. And it helps because there's a lot of barriers within the farming community to getting, you know, mental health services. You know, most farming is done in rural communities. So we know rural communities have less access to medical services, let alone behavioral health services. We know that then if somebody is interested in going to like counseling, it's going to take them longer to travel to a therapist. And then they're going to sit there and they're going to come back. There's also some stigmas attached still to like mental health issues within rural communities. So you know, when you talk to a farmer and they say, you know, I just don't want them to see my truck sitting in that parking lot. I'm just really concerned about that. I don't want people to think something's going on. And so teletherapy is a resource then that it removes those barriers for them. You can do it from the comfort of your own home on a laptop or a smartphone. They use cameras, so you're still able to see the person. You're able to have a conversation and talk with them. It's completely confidential. And then it's a really great resource then because then It removes the barriers and makes it accessible to everybody. The other piece of that is sometimes one of the barriers is cost. That can be really prohibitive for people, especially farmers who are independently, you know, they work for themselves, so they're not always insured, you know, so this can be a problem. And so MSU extension has the availability. We actually provide for and cover the costs for any agriculture workers within the state of Michigan. At this point, our funding is limited, but we're able to then cover the cost of that. So there's no cost to the farmer either. [00:12:44] Craig Macmillan: How many folks are you getting in contact with? How many folks are taking advantage of this? [00:12:48] Misty Oebel: At the moment, I don't have the numbers. That would be something my program lead would have. I just refer people. It is something that we refer people on a pretty regular basis, probably one to two a week we make a referral or we talk to somebody about sometimes more. So I think that that's a pretty good estimate that we are definitely reaching people this way. [00:13:06] Craig Macmillan: And that actually just reminded me of something else. So is this referring folks to behavioral health professionals that are outside of the MSU system. Is this, is this program funneling folks to other existing folks or is this counselors and therapists and prescribers inside the MSU system? [00:13:23] Misty Oebel: We work with partners. This is one of the things we wanted to do. Like for example, I have a background in counseling psychology. Our program lead has a background in psychology as well. We have the backgrounds in it, but we don't want to be doing therapy because that takes us away from that education piece. So we refer to licensed therapists and it's been really good so far. I think it's been a really great program. We try to look for therapists that have a background in agriculture as well. We recognize the subculture of farming is unique, and we don't want to send them to people who are not going to understand where they're coming from. We want to make sure that there's that background there already. [00:13:56] Craig Macmillan: In your experience so far can you describe what some of the aspects of a agricultural subculture are like? Because I agree with you. I think there's very much some commonalities. And there's a cultural component that's different than other aspects of American life. What are some of the things that you've seen and what are some of the barriers that come from that? [00:14:18] Misty Oebel: Oh, goodness. Yeah, there's a lot. There are things that are so unique to farming that you don't see literally in any other profession. You rarely see people who identify so much with their work as growers and farmers. People who, you know, It's so inherently ingrained into who they are. It's becomes part of their identity. I could use an example. It's kind of how I came into the firm stress work. My dad grew up on a farm and, you know, just a little farm had six brothers and sisters, parents. They worked this farm and his father passed away when he was 17 years old. And within a couple of years, they realized that without. Their father, they really couldn't continue the operation. They started selling equipment, selling animals and leasing the farmland. And when I asked my dad about it, when I was a kid and was asking questions about what it was like when he grew up, one of the things he said that's always stuck with me is he said, you know, it was really strange to be a farm kid without a farm. Even after the farm was gone, he's still so identified with that aspect of his identity that it just. never occurred to him that you're not really a farm kid without a farm mate. He still was. And so that's very unique to farming. There's a legacy aspect of farming that we don't see in every other profession as well. There is an understanding that this is something that we want to continue to go on. And we passed into the family. So kids are growing up knowing there's that expectation that, that This is going to be passed on and we will be taking this over. So there's that legacy aspect of farming. There's the idea that you're in a rural community, so you have fewer neighbors than people in urban areas. So sometimes that can mean that you have really strong community nets, but other times it can mean that you feel really isolated as well. As we're entering a more modern area and we're seeing less individual farmers. I want to say it that way. We're seeing bigger operations, less small farms that can also feel really isolating for farmers because less people understand what they're going through, less people are able to relate to them on that level. There's so many things that are so unique to this subculture. And and they're also just so, so much, when we say salt of the earth, we're literally talking about farmers. They are the people who are out there day to day. They feed us. They're taking care of the land, and they take such pride in their work, and they're so conscientious about that work. I think that's really important to recognize. They're a completely different culture of people, and so I think it's really important. It's really valuable that this work exists just for the fact that this is a culture we can't lose in our country. [00:16:40] Craig Macmillan: Absolutely. And you know, having programs that say, Hey, we we understand you and where you're coming from, I think might help a lot. And I was very impressed by what I've seen online. It's very welcoming the way that it's presented. It can be very daunting to try to reach out for something that you've just assumed no one's going to understand, right? And if you kind of get the sense that there are people there for you who understand who you are and where you're coming from, I think that definitely helps. There are a couple of things that I noticed that I thought were really cool. One thing is the idea of resiliency. A resilient mindset and a productive mindset are two things you have. Materials about developing and maintaining and etc. Can you tell me about those two ideas? I just think that's just so interesting [00:17:24] Misty Oebel: I'm gonna argue, and I'm always gonna argue this, that a resilient mindset is a productive mindset, because a resilient mindset I think we could define it, if we're going to define it just at its simplest terms, it's, it's learned optimism. I think there's already innate optimism when we're talking about agriculture anyway, because otherwise, how do you face a drought one year and then go back and do the same thing the next year? You have to be optimistic. I mean, you just have to, it's innate. But I think that a resilient mindset is that learned optimism, which is we're able to accept that, you know what, things don't always go the way we want them to. Things often happen that we did not hope for. We face uncontrollable circumstances all the time, especially in farming, when you're dealing with weather or, you know, pests, things like that. So we have to be able to accept when things aren't going well and still be able to move forward with the idea that things are gonna be okay, even though things aren't going well. Now they're gonna be okay and we're gonna get through it. I've survived everything up to this point. I'm gonna survive this. I'm gonna go on to the next thing, and it might look different, but it could still be good. And I think that's that resilient mindset that we talk about. And there's so many benefits of a resilient mindset. You know it decreases depression and anxiety. We see better physical health because our cortisol and adrenaline levels, those stress hormones are lower. We also see again that ability to move forward and to be adaptive and to be more focused on problem solving than getting stuck on just what the problem is. So that resilient mindset, I always argue this resiliency is is productive. If you're not resilient, you're going to struggle and you're going to get stuck. And then you're not going to be very productive. [00:19:02] Craig Macmillan: I'm gonna call on you as a practitioner now? What are some examples of techniques or tools or things that I can that I can do that. They will help promote this in myself [00:19:11] Misty Oebel: The two most important aspects in resiliency is making sure you have that community. So making sure you're building a community, you're finding people who support you, who understand you and who care about you. That's the number one thing that is actually the most influential factor we have found in resiliency and whether somebody is going to bounce back from a difficult situation. Community social connection. We actually find isolation is really, really dangerous. It increases depression and anxiety, it increases cardiovascular issues, and suicidal ideation goes up when people feel lonely. So, community is number one. The second thing I always argue is really focusing on that emotional health piece. And we can do that in a lot of different ways. But one of the simplest ways is to start practicing those mindfulness techniques. And sometimes when I say that people are like, Oh, that's that hippie, dippy stuff. And I don't want to do that. You know but what we're really talking about there, did they just put a name to it? It's just being engaged. It's just being present in your moment. Cause sometimes we get into the habit of. I'm stressed and I've got a lot to do and we get into this autopilot mode and we just keep working and we plug away at it and we feel really good because we just keep going. But when we're doing that, we also have to ignore a lot of other things that are going on and we're not really aware of what's happening. So practicing mindfulness. Because practicing mindfulness allows us to be engaged enough to be aware of what's going well so we can be grateful. Gratefulness is really great for you know, resiliency. The other thing that it does is it allows us to notice when things aren't going well, and that allows us to do that problem solving and be like, okay, what can I fix? And then if something can't be fixed, okay, I can accept this can't be fixed, it's out of my control. And that's also really important for resiliency. And then that third piece to when we're really aware of what our moment is like it allows us to be aware of our emotions and to recognize them as they're happening and to process them instead of doing the thing where we like are just shoving those emotions down because I'm busy. So I'm going to shove it down and then I'm going to keep working and then another emotion flies in and you know what? I don't want to deal with that right now either. So I'm going to shove that down too until we blow up because we have just this overwhelming flood of emotions we've been ignoring. And so when we're practicing mindfulness, it allows us to process them as they're happening and they never get to that huge overwhelming stage. And we can practice mindfulness in a lot of really simple ways. It's not complicated. It's not something that you have to go through a class or something to learn how to do. You know, it's a journaling. I'm going to sit down every night and write down what went well today and what didn't. It is meditation or prayer breathing exercises, really, really simple breathing exercises that just make you pause. and stop and notice what is happening around you and in your body. That's it. [00:21:53] Craig Macmillan: And I'm guessing You're communicating these ideas in various forms. I mean, there must be print form, there must be video form, there must be face to face form. I mean, are you doing clinics, trainings, newsletters? What are all the different avenues that you're using to communicate these very, very, very practical, very specific things? What routes are you using to get those to people ? [00:22:14] Misty Oebel: Like I said before, if there is a room with growers in it, we try to be in that room. We, we speak at every opportunity that we possibly can because we do want to make sure the message is getting out. We participate in podcasts. We write articles, we write a lot of articles. We are actually in the process of re updating a lot of our program materials right now to make sure they're all fresh and all the information is new and current. So we do that. Those are all available online. The training programs that are available online. We talk to families who are in the middle of it. And so we talk to people on the phone. It's not unusual for us to spend an afternoon at a farmer's kitchen table. talking with them and figuring out what their next steps are. Literally any avenue. So we have all of these print materials that are available, a lot of stuff available through our website, but we are also people who are available. Should there be a need for that as well? [00:23:03] Craig Macmillan: Something else that I noticed that I thought was great is, you know, obviously farm stress doesn't just affect the adults that are involved. It also affects youth. And like you talked about this generationality aspect and how important it is. Just like you said, farm kid without a farm. It's farm kid. You know, that's part of the kid. Can you tell us a little bit about that and how that's fit into your program? [00:23:23] Misty Oebel: Yeah. That same study that I was talking about earlier by Rodolphe and Berg, as those numbers have come out, they also did study on farm youth. And what they found is that the numbers for depression are the same. About 60 percent of farm youth meet the criteria for general depression. We see slightly lower on generalized anxiety, it's about 45%. The number that I find really interesting, I want to know more about, is 62 percent are reporting the, the diagnostic criteria for separation anxiety, which is very, very interesting. Yeah, that one kind of throws me. I don't know where that's coming from, but it's really interesting. And I'd like to know more about that one. What this tells us is that as parents and adults, we're not doing as good as we think we are and hiding how we're doing. It tells me we're not doing as good as we think we are in hiding, you know, when stress is occurring, when we're depressed, when we're anxious. Kids are pretty intuitive and they pick up on that. I know my kids have called me out on stuff like that before and like you weren't hiding it as well as you think you were. So that happens. I think there's also when we go back to it, there's that legacy aspect of it where there's an understanding that if this farm is going to continue, somebody is going to step up, somebody is going to take over it. And so you see really young kids who start assuming the responsibility of the problems. well before they really need to do so. So that is absolutely impacting them as well. I think it makes it really, really, really important for parents to be paying attention for those signs of stress in their kids as well as in signs for themselves and their neighbors. They need to be paying attention. Are they showing mood changes? You know, are they suddenly really irritable? Are they having problems sleeping? Am I seeing differences in their appetites? Are they shutting down? Are we not talking as much as we used to talk? There's a lot of things that we need to pay attention to when it comes to our kids just to make sure that they're okay and so that we're able to connect them with the support that they need earlier rather than later. [00:25:13] Craig Macmillan: Is there one thing, just one piece of advice or one observation that you would recommend to our listeners around this topic? [00:25:20] Misty Oebel: Can I go with two? Is that ok? [00:25:22] Craig Macmillan: Two is great, do two. [00:25:23] Misty Oebel: Okay. One of the first things I want to come back to. It's something that we've talked about a few different times. Is this idea of the generational aspect and the legacy piece? Because that is absolutely a barrier in farmers in, seeking behavioral health support. There is kind of this idea of like, well, my dad was a farmer and he never saw a therapist and my grandpa was a farmer and he never saw a therapist. So is there something wrong with me now if I need additional support? And what we kind of forget is that depression and anxiety are not new. And if you're facing it, your dad probably had it too. Your grandpa probably had it too, but they were struggling silently and never got the support that they needed. And I think that when we're looking at generational stuff, we always try to do it a little bit better with each generation. We want the farm to be a little bit bigger, a little bit cleaner. We want to make sure that our processes are a little bit smoother. With each generation, it gets a little better and we do the same thing with parenting. You know, we want to be a slightly better parent to our kids than our parents were to us, and we hope that they do the same thing with their Children. So I think that makes it really important that we recognize that just because past generations weren't receiving help, that doesn't mean we shouldn't receive help. It actually makes it more important because we're trying to prioritize that, and we're trying to make those changes in the family. So that's the number one thing I can think of. And then the other thing, this is something I tell farmers all the time is the growers and the farmers that I know are very, very conscientious when it comes to caring for their land. And their animals and their crops and buildings and equipment, and they invest a lot of time and money into the maintenance of all of those things, because their assets but I'm always going to argue that the farmer is the most important asset in any farm. And so I really feel very strongly that it's important that we prioritize caring for ourselves and we recognize that self care is not selfish. It's very important. If you're the most important asset on your farm, you've got to make sure that you're taking care of yourself. [00:27:21] Craig Macmillan: I think that is a fantastic observation. Absolutely. Where can people find out more about you and more about the Farm Stress Management Program? [00:27:30] Misty Oebel: I'm always going to recommend you go to our website. Not only do we have all of those great resources, but you can connect with staff through that website. We have all of our pictures on there. I'm on there. Dr. Remington Rice is our program lead. He is phenomenal. He has his information even in multiple places on the site. So please reach out to us if you have any questions, thoughts, concerns want more information, that's the best way to get ahold of us. [00:27:53] Craig Macmillan: Fantastic. Our guest today has been Misty Oebel. She's a health and farm stress extension educator with Michigan State University Extension. Thanks for being on the podcast. This is one of those areas we don't talk about very much. And I'm really glad that we did. And I think the work you guys are doing is fantastic. And I hope that this model gets picked up in other states. We see it more widely applied because farming is important. And because farming is important, that means farmers are important. Just like you said, it's our asset. So thanks for being on podcast, Misty. [00:28:22] Misty Oebel: Thank you so much for having me. [00:28:23] Beth Vukmanic: Thank you for listening. Today's podcast was brought to you by vineyard professional services. Vineyard professional services works throughout the central coast of California, providing vineyard management, financial planning, vineyard development, equipment services, and a range of consulting services to wineries, growers, and investors. Established in 1997. VPS has leadership in San Louis Obispo, Santa Barbara . San Benito and Monterey counties. Their primary focus is effectively growing vineyard assets for quality and client profitability. Make sure you check out the show notes for links to Misty. Tools on how to cultivate a productive mindset. And managing stress on the farm. If you liked the show, do us a big favor by sharing it with a friend subscribing and leaving us a review. You can find all of the podcasts@vineyardteam.org/podcast. And you can reach us at podcastatvineyardteam.org. Until next time, this is sustainable. Winegrowing with the Vineyard Team.   Nearly perfect transcription by Descript   Nearly perfect transcription by Descript

In this episode of Produce Bites, we explore the role of composting on the farm and the food safety considerations every grower should know. This episode features Morgan Anderson, Produce Safety Technician with the Ottawa Conservation District, and Eliza Hensel, Compost Systems Educator with Michigan State University Extension. They discuss their composting processes, the importance of validation and recordkeeping, best practices for handling and storing compost, and more.Additional Resources: On-farm compost production and Right to Farm - Eliza HenselTips for composting in the summertime - Eliza HenselMaster Composter Online CourseMichigan On-Farm Produce Safety

Introducing the newest member of the Michigan State University Extension team in Coldwater.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today's news: The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is investigating a large number of dead gulls that have been seen along Napier Avenue and Pipestone Road in Benton Township this week. Tuesday will bring the third Whirlpool Foundation Day of Impact in Benton Harbor as more than 120 volunteers work to spruce up Charles Yarbrough Park. The Michigan State University Extension office in Berrien County is planning an extended Michigan Viticulture Field Day for this summer. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Darren discussed his latest adventures on Facebook, where he schooled conservatives on who is responsible for higher gas and grocery prices. (Hint: it's not President Biden.)Other topics included:Rep. Bob Good (R-VA) has squared off in a primary against State Sen. John McGuire, who is endorsed by Donald Trump. The contest is too close to call.The ethics probe into Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) is now focusing on allegations of sexual misconduct and illicit drug use.The Wisconsin Supreme Court will hear a challenge to Gov. Tony Evers (D) veto calling for schools to receive additional funding until the year 2425.The New York Court of Appeals has kept in place Donald Trump's gag order regarding his hush money case.Senate Republicans have blocked a bill that would ban bump stocks after the US Supreme Court ruled that the Trump era ban was unconstitutional.An Alabama man has pled guilty to phoning threats to Fulton County, Georgia prosecutor Fani Willis and the Fulton County Sheriff over Donald Trump's Georgia election fraud case.Newly elected Ottawa County, Michigan commissioner Chris Kleinjans was fired from his full-time job with the Michigan State University Extension. He's now suing to get his job back.And Darren takes a look at the candidates running for Michigan Supreme Court.

In today's news: The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is investigating a large number of dead gulls that have been seen along Napier Avenue and Pipestone Road in Benton Township this week. Tuesday will bring the third Whirlpool Foundation Day of Impact in Benton Harbor as more than 120 volunteers work to spruce up Charles Yarbrough Park. The Michigan State University Extension office in Berrien County is planning an extended Michigan Viticulture Field Day for this summer. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today's news: The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is investigating a large number of dead gulls that have been seen along Napier Avenue and Pipestone Road in Benton Township this week. Tuesday will bring the third Whirlpool Foundation Day of Impact in Benton Harbor as more than 120 volunteers work to spruce up Charles Yarbrough Park. The Michigan State University Extension office in Berrien County is planning an extended Michigan Viticulture Field Day for this summer. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today's news: The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is investigating a large number of dead gulls that have been seen along Napier Avenue and Pipestone Road in Benton Township this week. Tuesday will bring the third Whirlpool Foundation Day of Impact in Benton Harbor as more than 120 volunteers work to spruce up Charles Yarbrough Park. The Michigan State University Extension office in Berrien County is planning an extended Michigan Viticulture Field Day for this summer. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tyler Augst from Michigan State University Extension has details on an upcoming housing workshop in Coldwater.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The FSMA Produce Safety Rule does not give specifics on establishing no-harvest buffer zones, and it can be difficult for growers to determine the size of a no-harvest buffer zone when they find poop in the field. Laurel Dunn, assistant professor and food safety extension specialist at the University of Georgia, and Shirley Micallef, professor in the Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture & Center for Food Safety and Security Systems at the University of Maryland, have conducted research on the dispersal of contamination due to rain splash on feces in produce fields. In this episode, Phil Tocco, extension educator for on-farm produce safety at Michigan State University Extension, talks with Laurel and Shirley to find out what they learned from their research, and what growers can take away from their findings. Additional ResourcesFull research article: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2024.1370495/full Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement (LGMA)

In this Pods for Profit, Soybean Extension Educator Mike Staton with Michigan State University breaks down white mold fungicide application timing trials from 2023 on-farm research.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This episode is about entry points into the horse industry: what they've been, what they are now, and what they could be. Regina and Heather speak with Emily Ream and Karen Waite. From Ream Performance Horses, Emily Ream is a horse trainer with a long history of successfully working with youth and amateurs from 4-H shows to World Shows at the breed show level. Both guests bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to the topic of entry points into our horse industry. Karen, from Michigan State University, is an Academic Specialist and director of the Undergraduate Education Department of Animal Science. In her role with Michigan State University Extension, she coordinates the Adult Equine Extension program and is the Director of Leadership Development for My Horse University.  In addition, she oversees the Youth Equine Extension program and is active with eXtension Horse Quest.  Emily, Karen, Regina, and Heather discuss what they see in the industry. One of the key challenges they discuss is the demands of being a student-athlete and managing their horse show responsibilities with coaches' expectations. Also, where do we send those interested in getting to know horses? Should amateurs be able to judge? How do we get youth involved in 4-H, in open horse shows, in equine-focused summer camps, and so on? You are not going to want to miss listening to this episode! Do you have an idea that you can share? We all have to be part of finding the solution to the decreasing numbers in the horse industry. Thank you to Emily Ream and Karen Waite for joining us and having this critically important discussion! Good news… this is not the end of this discussion. We plan to return to this regularly.  Listen in to learn more :  (08:53 - 10:07) Decline in Horse Population Trend (13:53 - 14:48) Athletics and Agriculture (18:43 - 19:41) Seeking Opportunities in the Horse Industry (22:17 - 23:26) Hands-on Horse Experience for Beginners (30:47 - 32:08) Youth Equestrian Program Growth (38:38 - 39:47) Youth Interest in Equestrian Careers (44:58 - 46:54) Inspiring Small Steps for Industry

In this Pods for Profit, Michigan State University Extension's Eric Anderson discusses how effective Bayer's Delaro Complete foliar fungicide was against white mold in 2023 on-farm trials.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

If there's no disease outbreak, can a foliar fungicide still benefit soybean yields? In this Pods for Profit, Michigan State University Extension's Eric Anderson tells Brownfield last year farmers tested that practice with a new product from Bayer Crop Science.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Michigan Soybean Committee has been studying the effectiveness of foliar fertilizers for the past 15 years.In this Pods for Profit, Research Director Mark Seamon breaks down the last two years of foliar fertilizer on-farm trials across Michigan soybean fields using AgroLiquid's eNhance.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Michigan soybean farmers are exploring the effectiveness of additional nutrients for soybeans during the growing season.In this Pods for Profit, Soybean Extension Educator Mike Staton with Michigan State University discusses two years of on-farm research trials that prescribed foliar fertilizer applications based on in-season tissue samples. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Watch the video version here, we show lots of weather forecast visuals on screen in this episode: https://youtu.be/D9t0FEhdNoAOn this episode:

Last year, the Michigan Soybean Committee tested a foliar fertilizer that claims to also regulate soybean growth and development.In this Pods for Profit, Research Director Mark Seamon shares how ArchiTech did in on-farm growth regulator trials.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Biological products include some form of living organisms that are marketed to support crop health.In this Pods for Profit, Michigan State University Extension's Eric Anderson discusses ongoing research trials with the Michigan Soybean Committee of Simulate by GARRCO Products Inc. and how effective it has been as when used with soybeans in foliar applications.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Michigan farmers want to know if soybeans perform better with a specific type of planter.In this Pods for Profit, Michigan Soybean Committee Research Director Mark Seamon discusses research results from the past three years of on-farm research trials.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Michigan Soybean Committee has been researching what seed treatments are effective in controlling sudden death syndrome. But how do they compare against each other?In this Pods for Profit, Michigan State University Extension's Eric Anderson shares how iLevo from BASF and Syngenta's Saltro did in on-farm research trials.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Michigan Soybean Committee has worked with farmers to better understand if the seed treatment Heads Up can provide a benefit for the past two years.In this Pods for Profit, Michigan Soybean Committee Research Director Mark Seamon discusses how successful it has been at increasing soybean yields in recent on-farm research trials.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Adding nutrients in the seed bed when planting soybeans early is meant to increase yields.In this Pods for Profit, Soybean Extension Educator Mike Staton with Michigan State University shares what on-farm research trials actually found.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Are early planted soybeans worth the risk?In this Pods for Profit, Soybean Extension Educator Mike Staton with Michigan State University discusses the results of on-farm research trials that compare different planting dates across the state.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Michigan farmers have been conducting soybean research on their farms for nearly 15 years.In this Pods for Profit, Soybean Extension Educator, Mike Staton with Michigan State University, joins us to explain how it works and how farmers are benefiting.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In the ever-evolving world of crop science, mastering farm business management is key to staying ahead. In this episode of "The Crop Science Podcast Show", our special guest, Jonathan LaPorte, MS, from Michigan State University Extension, brings a wealth of knowledge in farm business dynamics. Delving into cost production, financial analysis, and risk management, this episode is a goldmine for anyone in the crop industry looking to sharpen their decision-making skills. Join us to unearth practical strategies that can propel your farming business forward."Revenue protection is looking at trying to provide you protection between both price and yields" - Jonathan LaPorteWhat you'll learn:(00:00) Highlight(00:49) Introduction(03:55) Jonathan LaPorte professional transitions(06:09) Opportunities for risk management(11:09) Traits that make a producer successful in marketing(16:49) Targeting niche opportunities in farming(20:00) Insurance for high-reward specialty crops(31:59) Final three questionsMeet the guest: Jonathan LaPorte is a seasoned Farm Business Management Educator from Michigan State University Extension, Cass County, and holds a Master's degree in Agribusiness from Kansas State University. With a rich background that includes roles as a USDA Farm Loan Officer and a Certified Crop Advisor, Jon brings a wealth of experience in production economics. He's dedicated to guiding farmers in making astute business decisions, focusing on cost of production, financial analysis, and risk management. Jon also spearheads the Beginning Farmers DEMaND series, aimed at helping new farm managers with financial and business strategies.Connect with the guest.The Crop Science Podcast Show is trusted and supported by innovative companies like:- KWSAre you ready to unleash the podcasting potential of your company? wisenetix.co/custom-podcast

The MSU Water Alliance brings together experts across the University to push the boundaries of discovery and find solutions to water-related challenges through research, education, and engagement with communities and industries. It's the Water Alliance for Teaching, Engagement and Research. Joan Rose is the Homer Nowlin Chair in Water Research at MSU. Jo Latimore is the director of the MSU Extension Center for Lakes and Streams. Amber Pearson is an associate professor in MSU's Charles Stewart Mott Department of Public Health. The trio discusses the alliance's vision, mission, and objectives. And they talk about some of the challenges and opportunities ahead for the world's water. Conversation Highlights: (0:44) – Rose describes her research interests of water quality and health. “I found out very quickly that when you're out in the field collecting water, there are people all around you that care about what you're doing and finding.” (1:54) – Latimore describes how the science of swimmer's itch in Higgins Lake played into her career and interest in water issues. “That connection between the science and being able to work with the public on conservation issues around lakes and streams has really driven my career.” (3:05) – Pearson describes her two streams of research. One is related to household water insecurity. “Yes, the safety of the water, but also having enough, affordable and reliable water.” (3:58) – What are some the key issues that make this alliance so important? (6:16) – What are the vision, mission, and objectives of the alliance? “The alliance is an amplifier and a connector and brings all the MSU expertise in this area together. MSU is uniquely positioned in this area to lead.” (11:25) – “We have a great opportunity to address this idea of the intersection between water, food, and health.”  (12:45) - The Michigan State University Extension perspective of “advancing outreach with science” and listening to Michiganders to learn of their issues. (14:03) – In Michigan, we're well positioned in two important ways.  (14:57) – The panel looks to the future.  (16:18) – How the alliance benefits students. (16:52) – The community is encouraged to come forward if they need their issues addressed. “Come forward and be part of the alliance. It's about engagement with the community.” (17:20) – How can each of us be a better steward of water? “The public doesn't really know where they get their water from. And they don't know where the water goes when they flush their toilet.” Listen to “MSU Today with Russ White” on the radio and through Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your show.

The FSMA Produce Safety Rule requires that growers take a standardized food safety training recognized as adequate by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Sara Runkel, a Local Produce Safety Coordinator with Carolina Farm Stewardship Association, and Steve Warshawer, Enterprise Development Manager with the La Montañita Food Co-op, are part of a team that is developing an equivalent training program to the Produce Safety Alliance (PSA) Grower Training that is accepted by the FDA. In this episode, Phil Tocco, Produce Safety Educator with Michigan State University Extension, talks with Sara and Steve to learn more about the details of this training, how it will compare to the PSA Training, and the key elements that make a produce safety training effective.Funding for this podcast was made possible in part by the Food and Drug Administration through grant PAR-16-137. The views expressed in the posted materials do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the Department of Health and Human Services, nor does any mention of trade names, commercial practices or organization imply endorsement by the United States Government.

A wet end to the growing season has created three main disease issues for growers.In this Pods for Profits, plant pathologist Marty Chilvers with Michigan State University will discuss how seed selection is a farmer's best line of defense for soybeans for next year. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Harvesting the best yielding soybeans comes down to equipment, technique, and timing.In this Pods for Profit, soybean extension educator Mike Staton with Michigan State University will discuss tips for gearing in equipment and operator skill to reduce losses.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Drumming @ 3:00pm est, Kamilah Harris @ 4:00pm A native of Detroit who has dedicated my career to supporting women and children. My journey began in 2005 with the "Mother to Mother" breastfeeding support program at Michigan State University Extension. Since then, I've worked with Women in Distress Domestic Violence Center and the Maternal and Infant Health division of the Florida Department of Health as a family support worker. My experiences as a birth and postpartum doula, midwife assistant, and lactation support specialist have given me invaluable knowledge and skills. My passion for maternal and infant health led me to establish Birth Work South Florida, which offers childbirth and breastfeeding preparatory courses, parent education series, and postpartum support. Kamilah and her team provide customized responses to all queries, and offer a range of comfort measures, guidance, and encouragement to help families achieve a natural hospital, home, or birth center birth. Kamilah's compassion, generosity, and expertise have made a significant impact on thousands of families over her 18+ years of service. She is dedicated to empowering her clients and providing unwavering support throughout their birthing journey. Kamilah's approach is holistic, addressing both the physical and mental aspects of childbirth, making her an invaluable asset to her clients. Currently, Kamilah is working on a non-profit sector for Birth Work South Florida. This initiative will help Birth Work South Florida serve more clients from underserved communities. In the past, they have provided pro bono services to underserved clients. passion is not enough and that support is crucial.If you would like to contribute to this short-term goal, you can donate viaZelle to birthworksouthflorida@gmail.com For volunteering opportunities, please send an email to info@birthworksouthflorida.com

Under drought conditions, what management decisions are necessary?In this Pods for Profits, soybean extension educator Mike Staton with Michigan State University will walk us through nutrient applications that might be necessary this growing season. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Dry weather could make early season weeds a greater issue in Michigan. In this Pods for Profits, agronomist Ed Benkurt discusses how April and May planted soybeans will lead to two different management plans. Hear his advice on what that means for weeds, nutrients and more.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This spring has offered short and sporadic planting windows for farmers. In this Pods for Profit, cropping systems agronomist Manni Singh with Michigan State University will break down what to consider when planting soybeans and other management decisions that impact emergence.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Fieldwork continues across Michigan and for many farmers, that means terminating cover crops to make way for the next rotation. In this Pods for Profit, field crops educator Eric Anderson with Michigan State University Extension explains some of the best methods.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of High Theory, Karl Dudman tells us about the Cooperative Extension System. Formed in 1914 as an extension of the Land Grant University system in the United States, the Cooperative Extension System is an extraordinarily public model of scientific communication. There is an extension officer in every county of the US. The original goal was to transmit academic scientific knowledge on agriculture to America's farmers, but the program's remit has expanded over the past hundred years. And it varies widely from place to place. You might go to an extension office to test the soil of your rose bed, to find a food pantry, or attend a kids exercise class. You might also have a conversation about climate change. In the full version of our conversation, Karl discussed the National Extension Climate Initiative which aims to unite climate change education and research across the cooperative extension system and Christopher Henke's book, Cultivating Science, Harvesting Power: Science and Industrial Agriculture in California (MIT Press, 2008). Karl Dudman is doctoral candidate at the University of Oxford's Institute for Science, Innovation and Society and a fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School's Program on Science Technology and Society. He does qualitative research on climate science in the US. His ongoing fieldwork, hosted by the North Carolina State Climate Office, examines how actors within climate science, coastal management and local politics navigate accelerating sea level rise in the context of widespread ambivalence towards the mainstream climate change narrative. Karl is also a photographer, and through his work explores the politics of competing cultural relationships with landscapes, and their subsequent representation. This week's image is a photograph of two men in a field of tall grass taken November 11, 2008 by Dennis Pennington, Bioenergy Educator, Michigan State University Extension. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

In this episode of High Theory, Karl Dudman tells us about the Cooperative Extension System. Formed in 1914 as an extension of the Land Grant University system in the United States, the Cooperative Extension System is an extraordinarily public model of scientific communication. There is an extension officer in every county of the US. The original goal was to transmit academic scientific knowledge on agriculture to America's farmers, but the program's remit has expanded over the past hundred years. And it varies widely from place to place. You might go to an extension office to test the soil of your rose bed, to find a food pantry, or attend a kids exercise class. You might also have a conversation about climate change. In the full version of our conversation, Karl discussed the National Extension Climate Initiative which aims to unite climate change education and research across the cooperative extension system and Christopher Henke's book, Cultivating Science, Harvesting Power: Science and Industrial Agriculture in California (MIT Press, 2008). Karl Dudman is doctoral candidate at the University of Oxford's Institute for Science, Innovation and Society and a fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School's Program on Science Technology and Society. He does qualitative research on climate science in the US. His ongoing fieldwork, hosted by the North Carolina State Climate Office, examines how actors within climate science, coastal management and local politics navigate accelerating sea level rise in the context of widespread ambivalence towards the mainstream climate change narrative. Karl is also a photographer, and through his work explores the politics of competing cultural relationships with landscapes, and their subsequent representation. This week's image is a photograph of two men in a field of tall grass taken November 11, 2008 by Dennis Pennington, Bioenergy Educator, Michigan State University Extension. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of High Theory, Karl Dudman tells us about the Cooperative Extension System. Formed in 1914 as an extension of the Land Grant University system in the United States, the Cooperative Extension System is an extraordinarily public model of scientific communication. There is an extension officer in every county of the US. The original goal was to transmit academic scientific knowledge on agriculture to America's farmers, but the program's remit has expanded over the past hundred years. And it varies widely from place to place. You might go to an extension office to test the soil of your rose bed, to find a food pantry, or attend a kids exercise class. You might also have a conversation about climate change. In the full version of our conversation, Karl discussed the National Extension Climate Initiative which aims to unite climate change education and research across the cooperative extension system and Christopher Henke's book, Cultivating Science, Harvesting Power: Science and Industrial Agriculture in California (MIT Press, 2008). Karl Dudman is doctoral candidate at the University of Oxford's Institute for Science, Innovation and Society and a fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School's Program on Science Technology and Society. He does qualitative research on climate science in the US. His ongoing fieldwork, hosted by the North Carolina State Climate Office, examines how actors within climate science, coastal management and local politics navigate accelerating sea level rise in the context of widespread ambivalence towards the mainstream climate change narrative. Karl is also a photographer, and through his work explores the politics of competing cultural relationships with landscapes, and their subsequent representation. This week's image is a photograph of two men in a field of tall grass taken November 11, 2008 by Dennis Pennington, Bioenergy Educator, Michigan State University Extension. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/environmental-studies

In this episode of High Theory, Karl Dudman tells us about the Cooperative Extension System. Formed in 1914 as an extension of the Land Grant University system in the United States, the Cooperative Extension System is an extraordinarily public model of scientific communication. There is an extension officer in every county of the US. The original goal was to transmit academic scientific knowledge on agriculture to America's farmers, but the program's remit has expanded over the past hundred years. And it varies widely from place to place. You might go to an extension office to test the soil of your rose bed, to find a food pantry, or attend a kids exercise class. You might also have a conversation about climate change. In the full version of our conversation, Karl discussed the National Extension Climate Initiative which aims to unite climate change education and research across the cooperative extension system and Christopher Henke's book, Cultivating Science, Harvesting Power: Science and Industrial Agriculture in California (MIT Press, 2008). Karl Dudman is doctoral candidate at the University of Oxford's Institute for Science, Innovation and Society and a fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School's Program on Science Technology and Society. He does qualitative research on climate science in the US. His ongoing fieldwork, hosted by the North Carolina State Climate Office, examines how actors within climate science, coastal management and local politics navigate accelerating sea level rise in the context of widespread ambivalence towards the mainstream climate change narrative. Karl is also a photographer, and through his work explores the politics of competing cultural relationships with landscapes, and their subsequent representation. This week's image is a photograph of two men in a field of tall grass taken November 11, 2008 by Dennis Pennington, Bioenergy Educator, Michigan State University Extension. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/food

In this episode of High Theory, Karl Dudman tells us about the Cooperative Extension System. Formed in 1914 as an extension of the Land Grant University system in the United States, the Cooperative Extension System is an extraordinarily public model of scientific communication. There is an extension officer in every county of the US. The original goal was to transmit academic scientific knowledge on agriculture to America's farmers, but the program's remit has expanded over the past hundred years. And it varies widely from place to place. You might go to an extension office to test the soil of your rose bed, to find a food pantry, or attend a kids exercise class. You might also have a conversation about climate change. In the full version of our conversation, Karl discussed the National Extension Climate Initiative which aims to unite climate change education and research across the cooperative extension system and Christopher Henke's book, Cultivating Science, Harvesting Power: Science and Industrial Agriculture in California (MIT Press, 2008). Karl Dudman is doctoral candidate at the University of Oxford's Institute for Science, Innovation and Society and a fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School's Program on Science Technology and Society. He does qualitative research on climate science in the US. His ongoing fieldwork, hosted by the North Carolina State Climate Office, examines how actors within climate science, coastal management and local politics navigate accelerating sea level rise in the context of widespread ambivalence towards the mainstream climate change narrative. Karl is also a photographer, and through his work explores the politics of competing cultural relationships with landscapes, and their subsequent representation. This week's image is a photograph of two men in a field of tall grass taken November 11, 2008 by Dennis Pennington, Bioenergy Educator, Michigan State University Extension. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/american-studies

You decided to listen to today's episode. Carly and Sarah bring you our last episode (unless you're requesting more??) to discuss two very important skills in play therapy--Returning Responsibility and Limit Setting. These skills can also be used in other aspects of your life, not just play! We give examples involving roommates, bar fights, and even possibly teachers. AD: This week's ad is brought to you by Please Give Us Extra Credit LLC Follow us on Instagram: @inhereyoucandecide Email us: inhereyoucandecide@gmail.com References: DeMink-Carthew, J. (Director), & Beahm, J. (Writer). (2002). Choices, Cookies, and Kids [Video]. Michigan State University Extension. Landreth, G. L. (2012). Play therapy: The art of the relationship (3rd ed.). Routledge.

In this episode of High Theory, Karl Dudman tells us about the Cooperative Extension System. Formed in 1914 as an extension of the Land Grant University system in the United States, the Cooperative Extension System is an extraordinarily public model of scientific communication. There is an extension officer in every county of the US. The original goal was to transmit academic scientific knowledge on agriculture to America's farmers, but the program's remit has expanded over the past hundred years. And it varies widely from place to place. You might go to an extension office to test the soil of your rose bed, to find a food pantry, or attend a kids exercise class. You might also have a conversation about climate change. In the full version of our conversation, Karl discussed the National Extension Climate Initiative which aims to unite climate change education and research across the cooperative extension system and Christopher Henke's book, Cultivating Science, Harvesting Power: Science and Industrial Agriculture in California (MIT Press, 2008). Karl Dudman is doctoral candidate at the University of Oxford's Institute for Science, Innovation and Society and a fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School's Program on Science Technology and Society. He does qualitative research on climate science in the US. His ongoing fieldwork, hosted by the North Carolina State Climate Office, examines how actors within climate science, coastal management and local politics navigate accelerating sea level rise in the context of widespread ambivalence towards the mainstream climate change narrative. Karl is also a photographer, and through his work explores the politics of competing cultural relationships with landscapes, and their subsequent representation. This week's image is a photograph of two men in a field of tall grass taken November 11, 2008 by Dennis Pennington, Bioenergy Educator, Michigan State University Extension. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/public-policy

In this episode of High Theory, Karl Dudman tells us about the Cooperative Extension System. Formed in 1914 as an extension of the Land Grant University system in the United States, the Cooperative Extension System is an extraordinarily public model of scientific communication. There is an extension officer in every county of the US. The original goal was to transmit academic scientific knowledge on agriculture to America's farmers, but the program's remit has expanded over the past hundred years. And it varies widely from place to place. You might go to an extension office to test the soil of your rose bed, to find a food pantry, or attend a kids exercise class. You might also have a conversation about climate change. In the full version of our conversation, Karl discussed the National Extension Climate Initiative which aims to unite climate change education and research across the cooperative extension system and Christopher Henke's book, Cultivating Science, Harvesting Power: Science and Industrial Agriculture in California (MIT Press, 2008). Karl Dudman is doctoral candidate at the University of Oxford's Institute for Science, Innovation and Society and a fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School's Program on Science Technology and Society. He does qualitative research on climate science in the US. His ongoing fieldwork, hosted by the North Carolina State Climate Office, examines how actors within climate science, coastal management and local politics navigate accelerating sea level rise in the context of widespread ambivalence towards the mainstream climate change narrative. Karl is also a photographer, and through his work explores the politics of competing cultural relationships with landscapes, and their subsequent representation. This week's image is a photograph of two men in a field of tall grass taken November 11, 2008 by Dennis Pennington, Bioenergy Educator, Michigan State University Extension. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/science-technology-and-society

In this episode of High Theory, Karl Dudman tells us about the Cooperative Extension System. Formed in 1914 as an extension of the Land Grant University system in the United States, the Cooperative Extension System is an extraordinarily public model of scientific communication. There is an extension officer in every county of the US. The original goal was to transmit academic scientific knowledge on agriculture to America's farmers, but the program's remit has expanded over the past hundred years. And it varies widely from place to place. You might go to an extension office to test the soil of your rose bed, to find a food pantry, or attend a kids exercise class. You might also have a conversation about climate change. In the full version of our conversation, Karl discussed the National Extension Climate Initiative which aims to unite climate change education and research across the cooperative extension system and Christopher Henke's book, Cultivating Science, Harvesting Power: Science and Industrial Agriculture in California (MIT Press, 2008). Karl Dudman is doctoral candidate at the University of Oxford's Institute for Science, Innovation and Society and a fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School's Program on Science Technology and Society. He does qualitative research on climate science in the US. His ongoing fieldwork, hosted by the North Carolina State Climate Office, examines how actors within climate science, coastal management and local politics navigate accelerating sea level rise in the context of widespread ambivalence towards the mainstream climate change narrative. Karl is also a photographer, and through his work explores the politics of competing cultural relationships with landscapes, and their subsequent representation. This week's image is a photograph of two men in a field of tall grass taken November 11, 2008 by Dennis Pennington, Bioenergy Educator, Michigan State University Extension. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michigan State University Extension has a course that might help us all better communicate during the holidays.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A local crop update from Michigan State University Extension's Eric Anderson. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Michigan State University Extension is hosting a free webinar via Zoom on Tuesday.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Michigan State University Extension is hosting a free webinar via Zoom on Tuesday.

This episode features Gianna Costa, Food Safety Quality and Assurance Manager for Square Roots indoor farm, and Phil Tocco, a statewide Produce Safety Educator with Michigan State University Extension. They talk about how Square Roots works as an indoor growing operation, how they mitigate food safety hazards, and how they build a culture of food safety. Square Roots website: https://www.squarerootsgrow.com/ SQR Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/squarerootsgrow/?hl=en SQR Twitter: https://twitter.com/squarerootsgrow SQR LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/square-roots-urban-growers/

Dennis Pennington of Michigan State University Extension shares what wheat growers need to look at as the crop is coming out of dormancy. Cloudy skies are in store for much of Michigan, but Ryan Martin is forecasting a brief warm up. Ken Lake of Michigan Agricultural Commodities talks about the bull run in the corn market with futures hitting new contract highs and if the market is getting worried about a lack of planting progress. The National Pork Board shares safety tips for handling hog manure.

Michigan State University Extension's Dave Thompson recapped a modified farmer's Day and talked about other pork issues. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Michigan State University Extension's Dave Thompson. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lyndon Kelley from Michigan State University Extension discussed Water Use Reporting and irrigation for Branch County farms. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The FDA recently proposed changes to the FSMA Produce Safety Rule Agricultural Water Rule requirements. In this episode, Phil Tocco, Food Safety Educator with Michigan State University Extension, and Annalisa Hultberg, Food Safety Educator with the University of Minnesota, discuss the proposed changes to the rule and provide guidance on how to submit comments.Comments can be written and faxed to the FDA at 301-827-6870 or mailed to:Division of Dockets Management (HFA-305)Food and Drug Administration5630 Fishers Lane, Room 1061Rockville, MD 20852To read more about the rule or if you would like to comment on the proposed rule, you may do so at FSMA Proposed Rule on Agricultural Water.Comments must be submitted by April 5, 2022.Additional Resources:Agricultural Water Proposed Rule Fact Sheet

Michigan soybean farmers helped to fund 12 on-farm research projects this past season. Soybean educator Mike Staton with Michigan State University Extension coordinates the research and is getting ready to present the results.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Michigan State University Extension's Connie Lange discussed more activities available through 4-H. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Talking turkey with Val Albright from Michigan State University Extension. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We talked about 4-H fall enrollment with Connie Lange from Michigan State University Extension in Branch County. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bruce MacKeller of Michigan State University Extension discussed the problem of corn tar spot. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Michigan State University Extension's Val Albright gave us details on the new USDA Food Safety Handbook. https://www.fsis.usda.gov/news-events/publications/kitchen-companion-your-safe-food-handbook   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We discussed vegetables with Val Albright from Michigan State University Extension. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Michigan State University Extension 4-H Educator Connie wrapped u the 2021 Branch County Fair and previewed the upcoming year for 4-H. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Two Bees in a Podcast, released on June 30th, 2021, we are joined by Adam Ingrao, Veteran's Liaison for Michigan State University Extension and an Agricultural Entomologist, to discuss Heroes to Hives. In the 5 Minute Management segment, Jamie and Amy discuss basic swarm management techniques. This episode is ended with a Q&A segment.

We discussed strawberries with Val Albright from Michigan State University Extension. https://www.canr.msu.edu/uploads/resources/pdfs/hni31_strawberries.pdf https://myplate-prod.azureedge.net/sites/default/files/2020-12/Strawberry%20Fact%20Card%20%282017%29.pdf   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We discussed the use of asparagus, and the upcoming Corner Farmers Market, with Val Albright from Michigan State University Extension. Check out the asparagus walnut salad we discussed. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join Dr. Rob Sirrine and Erin Lizotte from Michigan State University Extension to talk about all-the-things hop related!

Michigan State University Extension's Val Albright joined us to discuss healthy snacking. Tropical Fruit Dip 8 servings 1 c. non-fat yogurt, vanilla 1 c. non-fat milk 1 (3.9 oz.) pkg. instant coconut pudding mix 1 c. crushed pineapple, drained 1 c. non-fat sour cream 1. In a medium bowl, stir together all ingredients until well blended. Cover and chill at least two hours. 2. Serve with fresh fruit or graham crackers See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Paola Bacigalupo Sanguesa, Dairy Educator with Michigan State University Extension, gave us details on several COVID-19 related webinars for local farm families. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Connie Lange from Michigan State University Extension had details on upcoming virtual classes and the 4-H Leaders Council Virtual Pie Auction, on our MSU Extension Update. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Val Albright from Michigan State University Extension discussed eating Healthy on a Budget, and is sharing a mini pizza recipe   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

*PLEASE BE ADVISED: This episode discusses very sensitive and triggering content including suicide and self harm. Please continue reading/listening at your own discretion. This Rural Mission is a podcast brought to you by Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, The Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation, and the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine Family Medicine Department. We are so excited to bring you season three. I'm your host, Julia Terhune, and I hope you enjoy this episode. On January 24th, 2020, the CDC published the following, "In 2017, nearly 38,000 persons of working age, that is, 16 to 64 years, in the United States died by suicide," which represents a 40% rate increase in less than two decades. 79% of those 38,000 people were male. And the breakdown of those men in different occupations was as follows, fishing and hunting workers, machinists, welders, soldering, and brazing workers, chefs and head cooks, construction managers, farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers, and retail sales persons. In addition to this devastating data, the CDC has shown that suicides are around 30% higher in rural communities in general when compared to urban communities. What do these two things have in common? Farmers. That's the population that I want to pay attention to on this list, though I want to acknowledge the depravity and the sadness that this list holds. The thing about farmers is that they are a really important population. They take care of our plates, of plates around the world. And in 1900, 40% of the workforce was in agriculture, but by 2002, that number was down to a staggering 1.9% of the workforce. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that there will actually be an even greater reduction, a 6% reduction in farming jobs over the next 10 years. And since the 1990s, the rate of suicides by farmers when compared to the general public is 3.5 times higher. So here we are. In the last six years, more than 450 farmers have killed themselves. The numbers of farms totally has decreased, but the productivity and output of the farms that are left has increased more than 50%, partly because it's had two. And the total amount of debt that farmers owe has increased 5%, which may not sound like a lot, but that number equals $16.4 billion, billion with a B, that farmers owe since 2017, in addition to what the debt already was. There's a fantastic article that USA Today has published, and we will link to that on our website. This article goes over many of the reasons why this phenomenon of farmer suicide is happening, but I wanted to provide all of you a perspective from the people who are working with this population, live with this population, love this population, and are trying to do something about this problem. I conducted interviews for this podcast in late 2019 and early 2020, but the stressors and complexities for farmers that my interviewees talk about are not outdated. If anything, they've become more acute than they were before. The first thing I want to show is that the stressors that the CDC, NIH, USA Today, and so many others have identified as problems were also identified by my interviewees. And I think that these are issues we're all worried about. We all care about the environment, and obviously we all want to have financial stability, but these are all real stressors for farmers because it affects their livelihood, and their livelihood affects our livelihood. Literally. It's actual food. They make our food. Without farmers, we don't eat. And of course, there's a lot to say about small farms versus big farms and how that business phenomenon and how that transition is affecting our food, but the idea of farm stress and the idea of farmer suicide doesn't hit one sized farm over the other. It's something that is taking a toll on everyone, and something that my first guest, Sarah Zastrow, knows firsthand and professionally. So I grew up on a farm out kind of in Freeland, south of Midland a little ways, and my dad and his brother farmed sugar beets, corn, soybeans, and wheat. And I swore that I would never shovel manure again after I left for college. And my dad said, "Don't marry a farmer," and so of course I did. So we just farm a little bit, both with his grandparents, and so that's kind of fun. It's interesting to see the dynamic of several different farms. We've got a lot of farming families, and so it's kind of cool to see that dynamic and the different ways that every farm operates. So that's kind of cool. And then what I do is I have my own wellness business where I teach people how to manage stress, which has turned into teaching farmers how to manage stress. And so that's been really, really interesting this year and really has just taken off this year with this terrible farming season and all the pressure with these tariffs and different things like that. So you came across the issue of farm stress organically? Yes. Can you tell me that story? How did this come to into your purview? Yeah. So I think that farm stress has always been really evident in our family, both my mom's brother's farm and my dad and his brother's farm, and everybody sort of has a touch of anxiety and you just notice things that are affected by that stress. And so I think that I have always known that sort of growing up and that people just handle stress very differently, however, it's always been really apparent to me that farmers in particular are stressed out. And especially when the weather doesn't cooperate and when there's so many factors outside of your control, that contributes to a level of stress because everything feels so crazy and so out of control. And so I think that that was kind of the first introduction I had to farm stress. We had a farmer neighbor who committed suicide a little while ago earlier this fall. And it was just devastating. And I'm going to be honest, I didn't know him at all, however, we heard the gunshot and then heard through the grapevine later that day that he had committed suicide. And I thought, "This is terrible." And then we went out for breakfast a couple of days later, and the girls in the restaurant at the breakfast joint realized that there was something different about him, but what do you do? What do you say? And when you notice something is off like that, at what point do you say something? At what point do you mind your own business? At what point does another person need to reach in and help? And so that was another kind of determining factor for me that this and what I'm doing, this talking about stress management, giving people the tools to communicate with their spouse, with a counselor, with different people, whoever you feel comfortable with is really, really important and really, really needed on every single farm. This issue of farm stress and farmer suicide is so big that people from the community and people outside of the community, people at the state and federal level have taken note. Eric Karbowski is a community behavioral health extension educator for Michigan State University Extension, and Eric's job was created by Extension to tackle the immense social issue that is plaguing Michigan farms. Eric's job is to help find large-scale solutions and also develop grassroots and educational efforts to help this targeted population. Well, my name's Eric Karbowski. I'm behavioral health educator working with Michigan State University Extension. My path to becoming here, I really had no intentions of working for Extension. I grew up in a rural area. My grandparents were farmers. I had the opportunity to participate as part of the CMU football team, which is really part of the reason I actually went to college. My parents never attended a university or anything like that. My dad worked for GM and my mom worked in the post office. And so athletics really was my opportunity to go to the university. And then, so after that, I started my career. I worked in inner city Saginaw in Detroit, working with individuals with mental illness and helping them find jobs, competitive employment. Eric's job was created by Extension, and Sarah was developing her business at the same time that the CDC and other health entities were shocked at the suicide rates among farmers, a discovery that was being published and made known at the same time that huge tariffs and trade wars with China were being conjured up by the Trump administration, an administration that was largely supported by a rural farming base. It was a great opportunity for me to give back, because I married into a farming community, and give back and stay connected with really where my roots are, working with the farmers and talking about farm stress, talking about a lot of the hard discussions, suicide, mental health, mental illness, that really aren't comfortable conversations for people to have. And so it's been a really unique and good opportunity for me to connect with the farmers and really try to make a profound difference in their lives. So with an America first mindset playing out internationally, huge hurdles for selling commodity farm goods were being positioned for farmers in the United States, something that has led to new cultural and social issues that are developing for many farming families, families like Carolyn's. Carolyn is one of our leadership and rural medicine students and she grew up on a small farm in the center of our state, one that is still running today, and one that has been managed by her parents, partly because they ran it as a second full-time job, having other means of income outside of the farm. Yeah. So I just spoke with my father about the tariffs and what his perspective of it was. And he thinks that they lost, because of the tariffs, about $40 to $50 an acre money-wise for... I guess we had soybeans for the tariffs [inaudible 00:12:19] how prices went down. And then a big conversation that's been at I guess Thanksgiving dinner was whether or not they went and got aid packages, whether they got their Trump checks, and my brother did receive aid. So he went and applied to get this emergency aid for his smaller farm, and I think he got around $1,000, $1,500 for the money that he potentially lost because of the tariffs. My father did not collect any aid. And he said, "Why would I want other Americans to pay for my misfortune?" What are these Trump checks? So with the tariffs that happened, there was emergency aid that was given out to farmers in the past couple of years. And so they originally, from my understanding, they originally put a cap on how much that you can collect, but larger farms were using multiple names to go collect more. And then so far, smaller farms weren't able to collect as much. But I think overall, the emergency aid that was given out was just seen as a band-aid. There's no way to really collect that money that was truly lost. You can't get all of that power back, that money back? So here we are. If I can be so bold, I would say we're in a culture war. We have political, environmental and social issues that are trickling, no, rushing down to our food systems and the people who are taking care of our plates and the plates around the world. This is a totally rural issue and there's too much at stake to turn away from this problem, but I do have a hopeful message for all of you today, and it is from people like Eric and Sarah, people who are caring about this population and trying to do something unique and person first to solve this problem of farm stress, not only for the people who are in this work, but for the future of this work and the future of all of our communities, specifically rural communities. So I think some of the changes in the industry that we've really been observing and trying to create some unique opportunities for are that farmers don't communicate as much as they used to. A lot of it is done via social media now. And so you don't see a lot of the farmers connecting at the local coffee shops or gathering where they may have in the past. And I think that it was a pretty interesting feedback to hear from especially a couple of the farmers themselves, but then even locally, we tried to do just an observation where we worked with the local elevator just to create an opportunity for the farmers to get together. We made chili and bean soup, and it was awesome to see even though amidst of all of the difficult times and the financial struggles and the delayed planting and the tough growing season that we had this year, that there was a sense of comradery and there was a lot of smiles and laughter and talking. And it was really cool to see and experience that. I think there is kind of, there's generational differences for sure. I mean, a lot of the things, especially the more I've transitioned into this role and learning that, I think the average average age of a lot of the Michigan farmers are in their early to mid-60s. And then, if they do have a son or a daughter that are going to start working on the farm, Facebook, internet, cell phones, those didn't exist when they were growing up. And so now those are all kind of parts of where they're at or where we're at today, and I think that creates some communication challenges for sure. And part of your job is now almost trying to get people back to that grassroots community piece. Is that what I understood? Well, I think that's kind of one of the things that we're looking into is, if we create some of these social outlets for the farmers that they kind of naturally had in the past, will that help? Because you always feel good when you talk to your peers or your coworkers, or somebody that you know has something in common with you, right? It's like you're speaking the same language, and farmers are no different. It's an opportunity for them to vent, to talk about stuff, maybe good, bad, or indifference, or even just a chance to catch up. And it's amazing just to see really the atmosphere and the environment, how it changed, even just over the course of those two hours. And there was no formal programming or no formal lesson that was being taught at that. It was just, it was farmers talking to farmers. So what I would hang my hat on are community involvement and stronger relationships in your family, with your spouse, with your community in general, and really just working on and focusing on the things that you have control over. Because at the end of the day, we don't have a lot of control over many things. We don't have it over the weather. We don't have it over the grain market or any commodities market. We don't over the tariffs and things like that. Focus on what you can control. And I always tell people, you need to figure out a way to manage stress now. Create habits for stress, stressing less over the long haul, and then building those relationships. Those are the three things that we can focus on and those are the three things at the end of the day that are going to make the biggest difference in our lives, in our families and in our neighborhoods, and that is what is important. And then at the end of the day, whatever happens to China happens to China because I have a good home life and good community and things are going to be okay. Sarah's efforts with her business are helping people and giving people creative solution, and Eric's time with the farming community is starting conversations that need to happen. We can also have hope that the work that farmers are doing is not just feeding us. They are shaping and molding people who are coming out of these communities and working to return and make a difference. Maybe they're not going to be behind the wheel of a combine, but their work will directly affect those drivers. I guess being on a farm where I have to help my father do things that I've never done before or I've only seen done, it's given me a little bit more confidence in the medical setting that, "Hey, I've done things in the past and I can do them in the future." So in that aspect, it's been helpful. I don't know if farming has influenced me to go into medicine, but I know it's influenced in where I want to practice in the future. I know I want to be in a small community where I can rely on neighbors and friends and they can rely on me. Thank you to Eric, Carolyn and Sarah, for speaking with me today. There's so much more to say on the issue of farm stress, and we will be revisiting this issue in season four. So if you have ideas for people, you think would be a great interview for that episode, please email us at thisruralmissionpodcast@gmail.com, or message us on Facebook or Instagram. Our Facebook and Instagram handle is @MSURuralHealth. Our last thank you as always goes out to another farm descendant, Dr. Andrea Wendling. We are so grateful that your time growing up on a centennial farm brought you back to rural Michigan, where you have helped serve so many. We hope you enjoyed this podcast, and I hope that it inspired you to make rural your mission.

Dave Thompson from Michigan State University Extension joined us for this week's Branch County Ag Today with the latest on the replacement event for the annual Branch County Farmers Day. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Michigan State University Extension behavioral health educator Eric Karbowski joined us with details on new farm stress resources. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Michigan State University Extension aims to help people improve their lives. The Children and Youth Institute within MSU Extension is focused on programming for those from birth to age 19, including Michigan 4-H. In this episode we sit down with two of CYI's leadership to discuss resources for students and schools in Michigan, whether they're in a hybrid or fully remote environment.

Val Albright from Michigan State University Extension gave us an update on the My Plate program, as well as a yummy recipe Apple Spice Baked Oatmeal Ingredients 1 egg, beaten 1⁄2 cup applesauce 1 1⁄2 cups nonfat or 1% milk 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 Tablespoons oil 1 apple, chopped (about 1 ½ cups) 2 cups old fashioned rolled oats 1 teaspoon baking powder 1⁄4 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon cinnamon TOPPING 2 Tablespoons brown sugar 2 Tablespoons chopped nuts (optional) Directions Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly oil or spray an 8" x 8" baking dish. Combine the egg, applesauce, milk, vanilla and oil in a bowl. Mix in the apple. In a separate bowl, mix the rolled oats, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Add to the liquid ingredients and mix well. Pour mixture into baking dish, and bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with brown sugar and (optional) nuts. Return to oven and broil for 3 to 4 minutes until top is browned and the sugar bubbles. Serve warm. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours. Notes Substitute other fruit for the apple. Try bananas, pears, blueberries or a mixture. Serve warm topped with vanilla yogurt. Replace the oil with peanut butter for some added protein and flavor Serve with fresh fruit   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, you’ll hear from Jordan DeVries, a Produce Safety Technician with the Newaygo Conservation District, Marissa Schuh, with Michigan State University Extension, and Don Stoeckel, with the Produce Safety Alliance at Cornell University. They discuss the produce safety risks you should consider when it comes to water, along with what is required by the FSMA Produce Safety Rule regarding water system inspections.Additional Resources:More on Water Testing: https://www.buzzsprout.com/936625/episodes/3028309-fsma-compliant-water-testingWater Testing Lab Map: https://www.canr.msu.edu/agrifood_safety/produce-safety-education/water Irrigation Risks Infographic: https://www.canr.msu.edu/resources/irrigation-methods-infographic

Dave Thompson from Michigan State University Extension's Pork Working Group discussed the current environment for pork producers on this week's Branch County Ag Today See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Val Albright from Michigan State University Extension with some nutritious school lunches https://food.unl.edu/newsletter/food-fun-young-children/planning-nutritious-school-lunch https://food.unl.edu/recipe/string-cheese-caterpillars See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

The Michigan On-Farm Produce Safety Team consists of the Michigan Conservation District Produce Safety Technicians, Michigan State University Extension, and Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD). In this episode, you’ll hear from Michelle Jacokes, a Produce Safety Technician with the Manistee Conservation District, Mariel Borgman, an MSU Extension Educator, and Heather Borden, the Logistics Coordinator with MSU Extension. They talk about how these organizations collaborate to form the Michigan On-Farm Produce Safety Team, along with the free, voluntary, and confidential resources available to help growers with all aspects of produce safety on the farm. Learn more about your local Michigan Conservation District Produce Safety TechnicianSign up for an On-Farm Readiness ReviewMSU Extension Agrifood Safety WebsiteOther online produce safety resources:MIFFS Spanish ResourcesProduce Safety Alliance websiteNorth Central Region FSMA teamNational Young Farmers Coalition

What skills do kids need to have when they enter kindergarten? Should they know how to read, or how to count? What can you do if their preschool has been closed and they've been watching Frozen on repeat for the past four months? Not to worry: Carrie Shrier, an early childhood educator at Michigan State University Extension, has straightforward tips and strategies to get your child ready this summer (no cramming required). To keep your child learning at home, shop Malty the Blue Tiger bilingual books & audiobooks at www.MaltyTheBlueTiger.com or on Amazon now! These are the teacher-recommended resources that will teach your child language skills and help them embrace their unique voice.

Each year honeybee colonies in the United States decline an additional 30 percent, according to research published by the nonprofit Bee Informed Partnership and Apiary Inspectors of America. But did you know honeybees and other pollinators produce more than 30 percent of the world's food supply? Last year, Ford launched a global beekeeping program with honeybee hives at its Dearborn World Headquarters. And now Ford has partnered with Michigan State University to help the university with its Heroes to Hives Program. Michigan is home to 640,000 veterans who are facing a multitude of challenges as they transition from military to civilian life. These challenges include anxiety, depression, dealing with service-related health issues and disabilities and finding career opportunities that are personally rewarding. The Heroes to Hives Program was started by Adam Ingrao, a veteran and now Michigan State University Extension educator, to help veterans who may suffer the effects of PTSD by training them to be beekeepers.Heroes to Hives had no location to carry out the project in southeast Michigan, where the majority of the veterans are located. So Cormac Wright, Global Energy Systems Project Manager at Ford, coordinated to provide Adam and his crew with a location at Henry Ford's old farm just outside Ann Arbor.“Heroes to Hives started in 2015; my wife and I had a vision for what this program could do for veterans,” Ingrao says. I had transitioned from the military in 2005 and after that transition, really struggled to find purpose and find that next mission. As veterans, we're service oriented individuals and I wanted to continue serving my country and my community. And really for me, it started in 2010 when I took a beekeeping class at my alma mater, Cal-Poly, San Luis Obispo. When I transferred to Michigan State University to finish my PhD, my wife and I had a conversation about the effects that beekeeping had on me. It really offered me this opportunity to continue serving my country by protecting the most important managed pollinator on the planet.“And in 2015, we launched the program at our own farm in Lansing, Bee Wise Farms, with five local veterans. From then, the program has just taken off like wildfire. We moved to MSU in 2016 with 15 students; in 2017 108 students, and now we're at a point where we have 280 veterans and their dependents from 25 states participating in the program.”Related Content: Ingrao tells MSU Extension Director Jeff Dwyer more about Heroes to Hives.Ingrao says the program offers many benefits to veterans.“What we find is as they go through this nine months of being together, seeing one another, interacting with each other in on-ground workshops, these veterans start to build bonds. And the conversations that we see happening over the bees really go from things about biology and management to things that happen in combat or maybe experiences that we've had returning home and struggling.“And so Heroes to Hives is much more than a beekeeping education. It's an opportunity for veterans to reconnect and to have this broader mission that really gives us purpose, which a lot of us struggle with that when we come back.“Often times as soldiers we're tasked with destruction, with going and taking over areas by destroying enemy installations. But when we come home, we want to diversify that ability to interact, not just from a destructive perspective, but from a nurturing perspective. And that's what beekeeping offers individuals as they transition is an opportunity to come from that mindset of destruction to that mindset of nurturing and taking care of this small animal.”Ford has been working to help the honeybee population and partnering with Heroes to Hives was a natural progression.“I was aware of the plight of honeybees, but to me it was one of those abstract problems like a global warming that seems so big you don't know where to begin to help,” says Cormac Wright, Global Energy Systems Project Manager at Ford. “I proposed a plan to Ford's vice president for sustainability at various locations throughout Ford. We have such a large global footprint so this would be an opportunity to educate our employees and to have the conversation around what challenges are facing bees and how we could help.“When we were rolling out hives at the world headquarters site, we had Adam in for a conversation on how we might help the bees. In the course of our conversation, he was telling me about Heroes to Hives and the issues they had with not having a location in southeast Michigan. And to me, it just seemed like such a great opportunity to step in and offer Ford property to help. We were establishing hives around the southeast Michigan area so if we could dedicate some to the Heroes to Hives Program, it seemed like our partnership could solve this issue for MSU.”“This partnership is an opportunity for Heroes to Hives to explore these corporate partnerships,” adds Ingrao. “Ford is helping us by offering us a site, and we're also helping Ford by offering our training to their employees. We have 280 veterans and their dependents participating in the program. And we have 440 Ford employees participating in the program.“And one of the things that I constantly hammer on with my students is we're in a situation where we don't need more beekeepers. We need more educated beekeepers. Because an uneducated beekeeper is just killing bees year after year and that's not helping the problem. That's exacerbating the problem.“The partnership with Ford shows that we can have an impact by helping veterans, and through these corporate relationships, we can also foster and promote this type of education within an organization. Ford has a global sustainability initiative around pollinators. We want those individuals who want to be part of that initiative within Ford to be the best educated individuals so that they can actually contribute to solving this problem rather than contributing to the problem.”MSU Today airs Sunday afternoons at 4:00 on 105.1 FM and AM 870.

Sin isn't just a personal problem. It impacts and involves other people too. Hear how Jesus says to handle sin in Learning to Follow Jesus (https://www.thecrossingchurch.com/podcast-series/how-to-follow-jesus/) . Interested in more content like this? Scroll down for related episodes and resources like Barbara Duguid's book Redefining Love (https://www.thecrossingchurch.com/podcast-series/redefining-love/) . Like this content? Make sure to leave us a rating and share it with others, so others can find it too. To learn more, visit our Twitter (https://twitter.com/thecrossingcomo) @TheCrossingCOMO.   Outline 0:20 - Emotions are contagious (https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/emotions_are_contagious_learn_what_science_and_research_has_to_say_about_it) 1:50 - Serious Christians vs. Sinners 3:20 - Luke 17.1-4 (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+17.1-4&version=NIV) 5:45 - Tracey Foley (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/may/07/discovered-our-parents-were-russian-spies-tim-alex-foley) 6:50 - What should we do with sin? 7:45 - Galatians 6.1 (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=galatians+6.1&version=NIV) : Gentle rebuke 8:20 - forgiveness (https://www.thecrossingchurch.com/podcasts/the-power-to-forgive-redefining-love-1-cor-13/) 10:20 - Subscribe. Rate. Share.   Social Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheCrossingCOMO (https://www.facebook.com/TheCrossingCOMO) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecrossingcomo/ (https://www.instagram.com/thecrossingcomo/) Twitter: https://twitter.com/thecrossingcomo (https://twitter.com/thecrossingcomo)   Passages Luke 17.1-4: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+17.1-4&version=NIV (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+17.1-4&version=NIV) Galatians 6.1: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=galatians+6.1&version=NIV (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=galatians+6.1&version=NIV)   References Emotions are contagious (from "Emotions Are Contagious" by Jodi Schulz in Michigan State University Extension): https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/emotions_are_contagious_learn_what_science_and_research_has_to_say_about_it (https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/emotions_are_contagious_learn_what_science_and_research_has_to_say_about_it) Tracey Foley (from "The Day We Discovered Our Parents Were Russian Spies" by Shaun Walker in The Guardian): https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/may/07/discovered-our-parents-were-russian-spies-tim-alex-foley (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/may/07/discovered-our-parents-were-russian-spies-tim-alex-foley)   Resources Extravagant Grace by Barbara Duguid: http://www.barbaraduguid.com/extravagant-grace (http://www.barbaraduguid.com/extravagant-grace) Sacra Pagina: The Gospel of Luke Commentary by Luke Timothy Johnson: https://www.amazon.com/Sacra-Pagina-Gospel-Timothy-Johnson/dp/0814659667/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=sacra+pagina+luke&qid=1577984288&s=books&sr=1-1 (https://www.amazon.com/Sacra-Pagina-Gospel-Timothy-Johnson/dp/0814659667/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=sacra+pagina+luke&qid=1577984288&s=books&sr=1-1) The Gospel According to Luke by James Edwards: https://www.amazon.com/Gospel-according-Pillar-Testament-Commentary-ebook/dp/B00WIVFQ1C (https://www.amazon.com/Gospel-according-Pillar-Testament-Commentary-ebook/dp/B00WIVFQ1C)   Related What Forgiveness Really Means: https://www.thecrossingchurch.com/podcasts/the-power-to-forgive-redefining-love-1-cor-13/ (https://www.thecrossingchurch.com/podcasts/the-power-to-forgive-redefining-love-1-cor-13/) Learning to Follow Jesus: https://www.thecrossingchurch.com/podcast-series/how-to-follow-jesus/ (https://www.thecrossingchurch.com/podcast-series/how-to-follow-jesus/) Support this podcast

Click to listen to episode (4:04)Sections below are the following: Transcript of Audio Audio Notes and AcknowledgmentsImagesSources Related Water Radio Episodes For Virginia Teachers (Relevant SOLs, etc.)Unless otherwise noted, all Web addresses mentioned were functional as of 5-1-20.TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIOFrom the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, this is Virginia Water Radio for the week of May 4, 2020. MUSIC – ~ 9 sec - instrumental This week, we feature original music about some semi-aquatic, multi-legged creatures, whose land-dwelling relatives are well-known in nature, human habitats, and human stories and legends.  Have a listen to about 30 more seconds of the music, and see if you know these creatures.  And if you’re fishing for a clue, count to eight. MUSIC - ~ 27 sec - instrumental If you guessed fishing spiders, you’re right!  You’ve been listening to “Spider Strike,” by Torrin Hallett, a graduate student at Manhattan School of Music in New York.  Over 40,000 species of spiders occur worldwide, and both real and imagined versions of these eight-legged creatures are a familiar part of human life from corner cobwebs to comic book heroes to various cultural myths.Fishing spiders are probably less familiar to most people, although these spiders are large and they’ll sometimes wander into houses.  Fishing spiders get their name from their habit of capturing aquatic prey that sometimes includes fish.  More typically, however, these spiders feed on insects.  They can swim, dive, and walk across water to reach their prey. Living along the margins of streams, ponds, or other water bodies, they’re known to anchor themselves to an object near the water, place their front legs on the water surface, and wait to ambush insects whose movements the spiders can detect through surface ripples sensed by the spider’s legs.  In this way, the water surface serves the function that a web provides for many terrestrial spiders.  While fishing spiders don’t make webs to capture prey, they do produce silk to make structures for protecting their eggs; accordingly, they’re classified in the family known as nursery-web spiders. At [up to] about three inches long, fishing spiders are some of the largest spiders in Virginia.  They aren’t venomous to humans, but they may bite.  Look for them—carefully—along water bodies in vegetation, under rocks, or on trees. Thanks to Torrin Hallett for composing this week’s music especially for Virginia Water Radio, and we close with the last few seconds of “Spider Strike.” MUSIC - ~10 sec – instrumental SHIP’S BELL Virginia Water Radio is produced by the Virginia Water Resources Research Center, part of Virginia Tech’s College of Natural Resources and Environment.  For more Virginia water sounds, music, or information, visit us online at virginiawaterradio.org, or call the Water Center at (540) 231-5624.  Thanks to Ben Cosgrove for his version of “Shenandoah” to open and close the show.  In Blacksburg, I’m Alan Raflo, thanking you for listening, and wishing you health, wisdom, and good water. AUDIO NOTES AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS“Spider Strike” is copyright 2020 by Torrin Hallett, used with permission. Torrin is a 2018 graduate of Oberlin College and Conservatory in Oberlin, Ohio; as of 2020, he is a graduate student in Horn Performance at Manhattan School of Music in New York.  More information about Torrin is available online at https://www.facebook.com/torrin.hallett.  Thanks very much to Torrin for composing the piece especially for Virginia Water Radio. To hear the complete piece (47 seconds), please click here. Thanks to Eric Day, Virginia Tech Department of Entomology, for his help with this episode. IMAGES Dark Fishing Spider (Dolomedes tenebrosus), photographed at the Mariner’s Museum in Newport News, Va., June 15, 2019.  Photo by lhjenkins, made available on iNaturalist at https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/27061502 (as of 5-4-20) for use under Creative Commons license “Attribtution-NonCommercial 4.0.”  Information about this Creative Commons license is available online at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/. Six-spotted Fishing Spider (Dolomedes triton), photographed in Suffolk, Va., April 7, 2020.  Photo by Kathy Richardson, made available on iNaturalist at https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/41713432 (as of 5-4-20), for use under Creative Commons license “Attribtution-NonCommercial 4.0.”  Information about this Creative Commons license is available online at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/. SOURCES Used for Audio BBC News, Fish-eating spiders ‘Widespread,’ 6/18/14. Eric Day, “Wolf Spiders and Fishing Spiders,” Virginia Tech Department of Entomology/Virginia Cooperative Extension Publication 3104-1586 (ENTO-212NP), 2016, online at https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/3104/3104-1586/3104-1586.html. Encyclopedia Britannica, “Arachnida,” online at https://www.britannica.com/animal/arachnid; and “Nursery-web Spider,” online at https://www.britannica.com/animal/nursery-web-spider. Iowa State University Department of Entomology, “BugGuide/Genus Dolomedes—Fishing Spiders,” online https://bugguide.net/node/view/1985; “Nursery Web Spiders,” online at https://bugguide.net/node/view/1963; and “Order Araneae—Spiders,” online at https://bugguide.net/node/view/1954. Lindsay Lane, “Animal Diversity Web/Dolomedes triton,” University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, online at https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Dolomedes_triton/. Blake Newton, “Nursery-web and Fishing Spiders,” University of Kentucky Department of Entomology, online at https://www.uky.edu/Ag/CritterFiles/casefile/spiders/fishing/pisaurid.htm. Martin Nyffeler and Bradley J. Pusey, “Fish Predation by Semi-Aquatic Spiders: A Global Pattern,” PLOS One, 6/18/14, online at https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0099459.  This reference (pp. 9-10) was Virginia Water Radio's source for the idea that fishing spiders use the water surface in a similar manner to how terrestrial spiders use their web to capture and locate prey. Phys.org/University of Oxford, “How Can Spiders Locate Their Prey?” 5/22/19, online at https://phys.org/news/2019-05-spiders-prey.html. Howard Russell, “Fishing Spiders,” 6/11/10, Michigan State University Extension, online at https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/fishing_spiders. Reese Voshell, A Guide to Common Freshwater Invertebrates of North America, McDonald and Woodward, Blacksburg, Va., 2002. Patti Wigington, “Spider Mythology and Folklore,” Learn Religions Web site, 12/23/18, online at https://www.learnreligions.com/spider-mythology-and-folklore-2562730. For More Information about Spiders in Virginia and Elsewhere American Arachnological Society, online at http://www.americanarachnology.org/. Prince William Conservation Alliance [Prince William County, Va.], “Discover Northern Virginia Nature: Arachnids/Spiders (Aranae),” online at http://www.pwconserve.org/wildlife/insects/spiders/index.htm. RELATED VIRGINIA WATER RADIO EPISODES All Water Radio episodes are listed by category at the Index link above (http://www.virginiawaterradio.org/p/index.html).  See particularly the “Invertebrates Other Than Insects” subject category. Following is a link to a previous episode with information about spiders found beside a stream. Episode 336, 10-3-16. Following are other music pieces composed by Torrin Hallett for Virginia Water Radio, with episodes featuring the music. “Corona Cue” – used in Episode 517, 3-23-20, on the coronavirus pandemic. “Geese Piece” – used most recently in Episode 440, 10-1-18, on E-bird. “Lizard Lied” – used in Episode 514, 3-2-20, on lizards. “New Year’s Water” – used in Episode 349, 1-2-17, on the New Year. “Rain Refrain” – used most recently in Episode 455, 1-14-19, on record Virginia precipitation in 2019. “Tropical Tantrum” – used most recently in Episode 489, 9-9-19, on Storm Surge and Hurricane Dorian. “Turkey Tune” – used in Episode 343, 11-21-16, on the Wild Turkey. FOR VIRGINIA TEACHERS – RELATED STANDARDS OF LEARNING (SOLs) AND OTHER INFORMATION Following are some Virginia Standards of Learning (SOLs) that may be supported by this episode’s audio/transcript, sources of information, or other materials in the Show Notes. 2013 Music SOLs SOLs at various grade levels that call for “examining the relationship of music to the other fine arts and other fields of knowledge.” 2010 Science SOLs Grades K-6 Earth Resources Theme 4.9 – Virginia natural resources, including watersheds, water resources, and organisms. Grades K-6 Life Processes Theme 1.5 – animals’ basic needs and distinguishing characteristics. 3.4 – behavioral and physiological adaptations. Grades K-6 Living Systems Theme 2.5 – living things as part of a system, including habitats. 3.5 – food webs. 3.6 – ecosystems, communities, populations, shared resources. Life Science Course LS.4 – organisms’ classification based on features. LS.6 – ecosystem interactions, including the water cycle, other cycles, and energy flow. LS.8 – community and population interactions, including food webs, niches, symbiotic relationships. LS.9 – adaptations for particular ecosystems’ biotic and abiotic factors, including characteristics of land, marine, and freshwater environments. Biology Course BIO.8 – dynamic equilibria and interactions within populations, communities, and ecosystems; including nutrient cycling, succession, effects of natural events and human activities, and analysis of the flora, fauna, and microorganisms of Virginia ecosystems. Virginia’s SOLs are available from the Virginia Department of Education, online at http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/. Following are links to Water Radio episodes (various topics) designed especially for certain K-12 grade levels. Episode 250, 1-26-15 – on boiling, for kindergarten through 3rd grade. Episode 255, 3-2-15 – on density, for 5th and 6th grade. Episode 282, 9-21-15 – on living vs. non-living, for kindergarten. Episode 309, 3-28-16 – on temperature regulation in animals, for kindergarten through 12th grade. Episode 333, 9-12-16 – on dissolved gases, especially dissolved oxygen in aquatic habitats, for 5th grade. Episode 403, 1-15-18 – on freezing and ice, for kindergarten through 3rd grade. Episode 404, 1-22-18 – on ice on ponds and lakes, for 4th through 8th grade. Episode 406, 2-5-18 – on ice on rivers, for middle school. Episode 407, 2-12-18 – on snow chemistry and physics, for high school. Episode 483, 7-29-19 – on buoyancy and drag, for middle school and high school.

In this episode, Phil Tocco from Michigan State University Extension talks with Shane Mart, Director of Compliance at H&A Farms in Mt. Dora, Florida. With all the uncertainty in our current world and with Michigan U-pick seasons coming up soon, this episode gives you some insights from a grower who has been through a U-pick season already.

Guest Adam Ingrao, a former U.S. Army soldier, devotes his life to making sure no veteran is left behind through MSU Extension services. Partnerships and Peninsulas: Why Veterans Matter Transcript Jeff Dwyer: Here's something I didn't always know. Michigan is home to more than 630,000 military veterans. When you count those who serve with them, their spouses, their partners, their children, their parents, that means that more than one in four Michiganders is a veteran or closely connected to a veteran. We rank number 11 in terms of overall veteran populations per state. What I did know is that veterans have made great sacrifices for our country and as they transition back to civilian life, they often have unique needs that deserve our attention. I'm Jeff Dwyer, Director of Michigan State University Extension. Today on Partnerships and Peninsulas, we're going to talk to Adam Ingrao, a fourth generation US Army soldier who served honorably following the 9/11 attacks as a patriot missile fire controller. Following a career ending injury, he was medically separated from the Army in 2004. His life's goal is to make sure no veteran is left behind. I was so impressed with Adam's dedication to helping his fellow veterans assimilate and find purpose that we recently hired him at Michigan State University Extension. After he finished his PhD in entomology, Dr. Adam Ingrao became the MSU Extension veteran liaison specialist. Thank you for joining me here today, Adam. Adam Ingrao:Thank you, Jeff, for having me. Dwyer:Adam, you and I first got to know each other around a program you and your wife began a few years ago called Heroes to Hives. Tell me a little bit about that and the impact that it's had on your fellow veterans. Ingrao:Well, Jeff, Heroes to Hives really was a product of my own personal experience with beekeeping and how it helped me transition from my military service. Like a lot of veterans, as you transition from the military, finding a career opportunity that is rewarding and still allows you to feel like you're serving your country is something hard to come by. For me, when I went back to school after leaving the military on my post 9/11 GI bill, beekeeping was one of the first courses I took as an undergrad. Up until that time, I had really struggled to find my place. I had really wanted to continue to serve. I didn't plan on leaving the military. That's something I had planned on doing for a career. But just like many other veterans, our service oftentimes is interrupted by injuries. So, when I came back and I found that beekeeping class my first quarter there at Cal Poly, I really started to see this healing capacity for beekeeping and also this opportunity to really have a rewarding career by serving my country by protecting the most important pollinator on the planet, honeybees. So, Heroes to Hives was really a product of that experience of my own. My wife and I moved here to Michigan in 2014 for me to come to MSU and we had started a small farm just off of MSU's campus, about a mile away, called Bee Wise Farms. We had had a discussion about how can we start to give back to our veteran community here in Michigan? We were new transplants and we wanted to get involved with the community. So, we came up with this idea to offer this program called Heroes to Hives, which is essentially a nine month beekeeping education program for military veterans and their spouses. What we do is we essentially take those veterans through an entire season of beekeeping in Michigan. They go from everything from basic biology to management all the way to overwintering practices. Then we couple that with therapeutic training. So, that program started with five veterans on our own farm. Those individuals, a couple of them that are still beekeeping today successfully, completed that program. At the time, we thought, well, this is a great program we can continue to offer at our farm, something that's fun to do. But we were approached by The AT&T Foundation to basically help us scale up the program. Fortunately, Dr. Meghan Milbrath here at MSU, a good friend of ours, worked with me to bring that over here to MSU. Now the program resides in MSU Extension as, again, a nine month beekeeping education program. Ingrao:But we have really increased the scale of that program. Now we are currently in our 2018 program, which is our second year here at MSU. We have 108 students enrolled in this program, veterans and their spouses from all over the state that are participating with each other to learn how to become beekeepers and developing a strong veteran community to support them once they get out of the program. Dwyer:It's a really terrific program and I think our listeners already can tell how brilliant we are to have asked you to join us at MSU Extension because you bring the kinds of traits and experiences and leadership abilities that we need. That reminds me, I think you and I met three or four years ago at a couple of Vets to Ag-related events that were really eye opening for me and really a terrific opportunity for me. But I remember us talking about two things. So, one is that I remember, even though you had been involved in Extension through Heroes to Hives, I remember you saying you really weren't very aware of what Extension did outside of agriculture. So, I know you've only been on the job here a handful of months, but what do you know differently now about what Extension might have to offer to all residents of Michigan, but particularly, the veterans community? Ingrao:Jeff, what I really found is that not only does Extension offer a suite of services in the agricultural realm, including 4H services, which are part of those services that are really important to military families. But what I've really found is that it goes well beyond just that agricultural respect. We involve ourselves in education programs around things like marriage and relationships, with understanding how violence prevention can be incorporated into that, we work in areas, particularly one of the areas that I'm really excited about is the area around health and nutrition, particularly around supplemental nutrition assistance benefits, SNAP benefit, through the federal government. One of the things that is striking for me, especially with veteran communities, is we have a lot of veterans that struggle with homelessness, with poverty, and a lot of those individuals struggle with those issues because of service connected disabilities. So, being able to provide them with healthy food through SNAP benefits is a really, really important thing to be able to do and really lifts those individuals up by providing them the food and the nutrition that they need. But it just doesn't stop there. Not only can you think of Extension as veteran services, so services for veterans specifically, but you can also think of Extension as services for those families, and I talked about a couple of those things, but also for veteran-owned businesses. Veterans, they are a part of this culture. When we come out of the military, the leadership training that we receive in the military is really second to none. So, when those individuals discharge, a lot of them are thinking, "I might want to go into a business on my own." There are a lot of veteran-owned businesses here in the State of Michigan. One of the things that I think is really exciting about Extension that we offer are these business-related services like the Product Center, allowing us to be able to take an idea with a value added product and bring that to market. That’s something that's very powerful and very, very beneficial for veteran-owned businesses. So, I think that what I've learned overall is that Extension offers a tremendous reach as far as these services that we provide. Like I said, I like to think of them as not just services for veterans, but for their families and for their businesses. So, we've got all of these potential services coupled in these categories that veterans can take advantage of. We actually just came out with a fact sheet here just recently about veterans' resources, particularly related to those specific areas. So, veterans that are listening to this program or individual service providers that are participating in listening to this podcast, one of the things that we need to understand as service providers, as veterans is that we should be looking at all the possible avenues for assistance. I think that Extension offers a suite of assistance services that really cover a lot of areas that are relevant to veterans and their families. Dwyer:Well, I couldn't agree more. You and I have talked about this several times, but you did touch upon the second thing I recall talking about that first day, which is if I as a leader of an organization or others are looking to bring talented people with leadership skills into an organization, why wouldn't we look to veterans? Because they have those traits. They have that experience. I think that's certainly reflected in you. But I think that's something that we're looking to do together too in the coming months and years. I think another part of Extension that fits here is the Great Lakes Leadership Academy- Ingrao:Absolutely. Dwyer:... and the opportunities to work with you and work with others and the veterans community to see, how can we help in those leadership transitions and how can we help find opportunities and help them gain entrée into other civilian opportunities that would take full advantage of their leadership experiences. So, you and I talk often about, and I've said in my two and a half years in my role as the Director of Extension, that the two things that I still find is one, the number of people who have no idea that we exist and number two, often people know us for one thing like agriculture, but then don't know other things. So, not long ago, I had the privilege of attending and speaking at a veteran's assistance day up in Iron Mountain. I know you've done similar in Sault Ste. Marie and other areas. I remember in Iron Mountain asking people about 150 people in the room to raise their hand if they knew about Extension and either five or six hands went up. Then I talked about you and talked about why we wanted so much to bring you into the organization as we've done. I said, "My goal would be that when I'm here next year that every hand goes up." I think that that's part of what we want people to understand. We know that veterans and their families have used Extension services across all of the categories in which we provide opportunity. But frankly, we've never intentionally looked to make ourselves available to that group. So, it has been a concern to me and I know to you that there are veterans and their families who have needs that we may have because we're in every county. Because we have 700 people all over the state in youth and child development and health and nutrition and agriculture and agribusiness and community resource development, we may have what they need literally around the corner in some cases. But we're a rather humble lot and we don't talk about it enough. So, I'm really thrilled that you joined us and you can help us to make these connections and I envision a world where not too far down the road, we have many more veterans. We do currently have veterans in Extension, but we have many more who are helping us grow and accomplish the things we need to do. So, now with a few months under your belt, how can veterans get ahold of us, either indirectly or directly through you, and what kinds of things might we be able to talk to them about? Ingrao:Well, we can definitely talk about the suite of different services. One of the things that I'd like to say, Jeff, before we jump into what we can offer them is that I take the approach with each veteran individually. So, as veterans contact us, and they're welcome to contact me at I-N-G-R-A-O@msu.edu through email or they can get us on our website at msue.msu.edu as well to find those veterans' resources, but one of the things that works for me really is working with these individuals on an individual basis. So, I like to get to know the veteran that we're working with. I like to understand what the dynamics are going on in their lives. Then we associate those dynamics with the services that we provide here at Extension. So, it is a case by case basis. Overall, for veterans in general and veteran service providers, the type of outreach effort that we're trying to do here at Extension is really not reinventing the wheel. It's really just connecting individuals with existing services and us as providers, as Extension, trying to understand how those services meet the needs of veterans. Now, veterans have a lot of different needs and oftentimes when we're dealing with veterans, we're also dealing with associated disabilities, oftentimes post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injuries that can lead to some challenges in working with individuals. So, one of the things that I think is important for us at Extension and one of the things that we'll be pursuing this year is training our staff on how to actually work with veterans, how to understand these disabilities, and how to work within them. I think that it's those types of partnerships within Extension and outside of Extension with other service providers and with veteran communities on their own that will inform us as to how best to serve those veterans. But currently, we have a suite of services to offer and I will be happy to help those individuals navigate those services that best fit their needs. One of the things that I don't like and one of the things that I learned early on working in this space with veterans, the last thing you want to do is tell a veteran that, "Okay. You called me. I'm your point of contact. You contacted me and I'm going to give you an 800 number to contact somebody else." That's not how I generally like to operate. We take a very, very close look at veterans and their needs and then try to associate those services with those needs. So, I'm not going to send you to another 800 number. We are a one stop shop and we've got a lot of services to offer. So, I'm very excited about connecting those veterans with our services. Dwyer:Right. Well, and I'm very excited about the fact that you joined more than 700 talented, experienced, well trained professionals across many different areas. And I can't imagine us doing anything more important than making more of that talent and more of that experience available to veterans and their families in the State of Michigan. Ingrao:Absolutely. We have a tremendous pool of talent. The knowledge base that we have at Extension is tremendous. So, if it's something that you're looking for as far as assistance from a veteran perspective, we more than likely have someone on staff who's an expert in that area. So, we really do have a tremendous amount of resources. I've worked in the nonprofit realm for the last five years working with veterans. One of the things that I always struggled with was not having all of those experts on hand. But even in that time, MSU Extension was always the organization that I came to to tap those experts. Really, within Extension, there is a willingness on the part of educators, specialists, and staff to want to work with veterans. They genuinely want to help those individuals. So, it's really our responsibility to bring them into the fold so that they can access those services. This campaign of getting around the state and letting veterans know that we're here and we have a whole bunch of services available, that's part of that and really just getting the word out. I couldn't be more excited about what we have to offer here at Extension for veterans. It is an exciting time for veterans in Michigan. There's a lot going on as far as veteran support services, and I think that Extension taking the lead on this by offering just the suite of services we have, having a dedicated individual to veterans is really a great start for moving that forward as far as the opportunities for veterans here in the State of Michigan. Really, just my main goal is making sure that every veteran has the opportunity to succeed. Success looks very different for many different people. But ultimately, these are the men and women who served our country. When no one else was willing to stand up, they were the ones. In my opinion, making sure that those individuals have every opportunity to succeed when they come home, that is our ultimate responsibility as citizens of this country. Dwyer:Well, I couldn't agree more. We owe veterans and their families a great deal. Ingrao:Absolutely. Dwyer:We can, in a small way through you, provide more and better services. It's really wonderful for us. So, thank you very much for being willing to join us. Ingrao:Couldn't be happier about that. Dwyer:So, let's one more time tell people how they could get in touch with you directly and then also, if they want to, I'll give you in a minute here an opportunity to give your email address. But they can also get more information and get you through msue.msu.edu and put veterans in the search box or just go to any search engine and put MSU Extension veterans and they'll get there as well. But your email address again is? Ingrao:Is I-N-G-R-A-O-A-D@msu.edu. Then for those individuals that are interested in the Heroes to Hives program, they can locate that page directly by putting in www.heroestohives.com. Dwyer:Fantastic. This is Partnerships and Peninsulas. My name is Jeff Dwyer. I have the privilege of being the Director of Michigan State University Extension. Thank you very much for being here today. Ingrao: Thank you very much, Jeff, for having me.  

For this episode, our guests discuss the importance of on-farm research. Dean Baas works for Michigan State University Extension, serves as SARE Coordinator for the state of Michigan, and is on the Midwest Cover Crops Council. He’ll be speaking with Allen Sundermeier from Ohio State Extension. Allen also has a history with SARE as a former co-coordinator for the Ohio program.

Farm stress, civil discourse, and raising healthy livestock were among the topics at the East Ohio Women in Agriculture conference. Speakers and attendees from the conference are featured on this episode including Dr. Jeff Dwyer, Director of Michigan State University Extension, who gave the keynote at the conference about farm stress and the innovative approach MSU is using to reach farmers. Other guests are State FFA officers Grace Lach and Holly McClay, veterinarian Dr. Terri Specht, and Susan Mykrantz, editor of the Ohio Jersey News. More information about Ohio Women in Agriculture is available at u.osu.edu/ohwomeninag

In this episode you will hear from Dr. Judy Marteniuk who is a veterinarian with the Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine and also has an appointment with Michigan State University Extension. Dr. Marteniuk discusses the importance of vaccinations, recommended vaccines, where to administer vaccines and much more!

This week we are staying in Clare, Michigan to discuss how people living in rural communities access food. Food insecurity is 5% higher in rural communities across the country and rural Michigan is no exception. We speak to experts who are trying to make a difference and alleviate this disparity. Kara Lynch is a Registered Dietitian who teachings vulnerable and low-income families about healthy eating and food safety through Michigan State University Extension. Justin Rumenapp provides an overview of the hard work that the Greater Lansing Food Bank puts forth to feed thousands of food insecure and hungry people across the state. Finally, we get a unique look at how the Amish in Clare County feed and cook for their families and impact that has on health and wellbeing.      - [Julia] This Rural Mission is brought to you by Michigan State University, College of Human Medicine, Leadership in Rural Medicine programs. The podcast is funded in part by a generous grant provided by the Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation. To learn more about the Leadership in Rural Medicine programs, please visit www.msururalhealth.chm.msu.edu. I'm your host, Julia Terhune, and stay tuned for more from this Rural Mission.  (spirited violin music)  (overlapping group chatter) -[Julia] The sounds you are hearing are coming from a mobile food pantry hosted in Harrison, Michigan. These food distributions are organized almost every month in Clare County by the Community Nutrition Network, a group coordinated by Veronica Romanov and community volunteers. - [Veronica] Good morning, everybody. - [Man] Good afternoon. - [Veronica] I hear we have watermelons coming today, so everybody's gonna get some watermelon. - [Julia] Veronica and her team spend weeks making sure that the distribution is supplied with as much fresh produce as they can get, low-fat dairy options, lean protein, and lots of healthy non-perishables like whole wheat pasta, bread, and low sodium canned food. The task of making sure that people living in Clare County, one of the most underserved counties in the state, is a community effort. It takes weeks of Veronica and her team's planning to get the mobile food pantry up and running and then it takes the labor of 10s of volunteers to just get the food to the people. Even Dr. Bremer, who we have highlighted before on this podcast, comes out to help load up baskets of bread. It really is a community effort and it has to be to make these distributions a reality. - [Justin] It's really a community coming together to solve a problem that does affect the whole community. We are so happy for people that want to volunteer, that want to get involved, that want to help out, that if people come up and say, "We wanna work," we're gonna put 'em to work because we're happy to do that. - [Julia] That was Justin Rumenapp, the communications manager for the Greater Lansing Food Bank the food bank that provides food to the mobile food pantries in seven counties, four of which are designated as rural counties by the state of Michigan. We will hear more from Justin in a bit, but I want to make something very clear about the coordination and implementation of these mobile food pantries, they are hard work. Food needs to be shipped from the greater Lansing area, distributed at a local site, distributed in a food-safe manner and sent home with hundreds, yes I said hundreds of people. - [Woman] Does everyone have a number? - [Woman] Yes. - [Woman] Number, number, number? - [Woman] I got mine. - [Woman] All right, perfect. Number, number? - [Julia] Getting food from mobile food pantries and food pantries alike is a reality for so many people living in a state of food insecurity. - [Justin] Even if you've never been food insecure, which means that you've either had to eat less food or lower quality food as a result of financial issues, people understand hunger as a state of mind. Other community issues, while equally important, sometimes are harder to grasp your mind around. And when we say we feed people, we mean exactly that, we ship food. If you volunteer here and you move a hundred pounds of produce, that translates directly into a number of meals that you help serve the community. - [Julia] Food insecurity is something that perils so many people living in poverty. The ALICE population, which stands for Asset Limited Income Constrained Employed, or what used to be called the working poor, and it even plagues certain demographics at higher rates than others, specifically older adults and children. In rural communities, especially across the country, we see food insecure households in greater number than in any other geography. While there are many reasons for this discrepancy, there was one reason that resounded with all my interviewees. - [Justin] Transportation, transportation, transportation. Getting the food out there, getting families to the distribution site, trying to make it centrally located. With a sparse population, it becomes much more difficult to try to get food out there in a cost effective manner. - [Kara] I think Missaukee County is a great example. There's no big box supermarket or anything there, so there's a couple of grocery stores and communities, but people might still have to drive 20 or 30 minutes there and then they're paying more for fruits and vegetables and food in general. - [Julia] Kara Lynch is a registered dietician and an educator with Michigan State University Extension. Kara oversees nutrition education and food safety in Isabella, Clare, Gladwin, Mecosta, Osceola, Wexford, and Missaukee counties, all of which are rural, and she had this to say about nutrition and food insecurity in rural communities. - [Kara] There are more and more food distributions and food pantries popping up in communities. A lot of 'em are faith-based, so the food banks that provide food to these distributions and food pantries are trying to get more healthy foods, more produce, more fresh foods, but there's also some education that has to take place with the pantries themselves. The people that are ordering the foods because maybe they can order in bulk some Little Debbies or some candy or cookies or things like that, and maybe it's even free through the food bank, so they bulk up their order with that kind of stuff and then they don't get some of the nutritious food that they could. Part of what we're doing as well is our effort is trying to teach them how to plan their meals so that they can make lists and maybe get a week or two weeks of groceries at a time, so when they do travel 30, 40 plus minutes to the grocery store, they can get the food that they need.  (gentle instrumental music) The government is actually taking some steps to try to get more food to these areas where they might be considered like a food desert, where they don't have the fruits and vegetables accessible to them. In the past, in order to accept or to be a SNAP retailer, meaning that in order to accept what we used to call food stamps, they had to essentially only offer like 12 items. But now it's moving to where the retailers have to have at least like 84 items. I mean there's a little bit more, there's more to it than just that, so it's making it so that basically stores that accept benefits have to also provide a variety, like fruits, and a variety of vegetables, and a variety of grains. Hopefully that will b helpful and not hurtful. - [Julia] Equitable food policies do make a difference in where and what people can buy on food subsidies, but understanding how to cook can really help bridge financial and social gaps. It can also help to empower persons of all backgrounds to choose healthy options. - [Kara] And just recently with this new organization that's trying to happen within our community, anyways there was a food pantry involved with it and they received from the food bank and a food distribution a bunch of, I think it was eggplant that they said and people didn't know what it was. And then they're like, okay, if I take this, what am I going to do with it? And there's some really, really good recipes that are easy and healthy to make eggplant with, but people don't know. It's helpful to have things that people can taste as well, so that they can say wow, this is really good. So that's nice when we're able to do that. Like yesterday I was actually at an event and we had some celery with hummus. This one child came along and he didn't wanna try it at first. And finally we did encourage him enough that he did try it and he came back, he was so excited. He said, "I really like it." So if he hadn't tried that he would never probably, 'cause his parents were there and said, "Go ahead, try it," and they were encouraging him to do it, they said, "We don't like it, but you might." And sometimes we hear feedback from parents, not sometimes, but quite often, our instructors will get stopped in the grocery store by a parent, or maybe they'll be in the school and see the parent and they'll say, wow, I had to start buying cilantro, or jicama, or something like that that my child tried in the classroom. I never really tasted it before, so I didn't really know how to prepare it and they came home with a recipe and said that they liked it and they're really wanting to eat more fruits and vegetables and so we get responses like that from the people, so that's encouraging to know that it does happen.  (lively music) - [Julia] With the efforts that MSU Extension makes to educate people in almost county of Michigan, organizations like the Greater Lansing Food Bank help to make that job easier by providing healthy options that not only feed, but nourish the people who receive these items. - [Justin] This is the main side of our warehouse where we store a lot of the stuff. You can see there's stacks and stacks and stacks. These are all donated to us. Other things are donated to us directly from the stores because they get too much that they're not gonna be able to sell everything, so instead of letting that go to waste, give it to us, we get it out to folks, and occasionally we do have to buy some product with monetary donations that people give us. We get a great cost, it's below even wholesale 'cause we don't pay for any brand names, and so if there's something we don't have a lot in, like cereal, again, is a big one, we'll buy a pallet of that to make sure that cupboards are full across Michigan. - [Julia] Because that's a big one that people buy? - [Justin] Cereal's a big one. And another thing that people have told us that is really important is fresh produce. So over the last year, we've really tried to make an effort to work with some of our retail partners, some of our agriculture partners, to make sure we have fresh produce in stock to be able to get out to folks.  (lively guitar music) - [Julia] Katie Lindauer, whom you've also heard on our podcasts before, was part of the Rural Community Health Program and spent two years of her clinical medical education in Clare County. She has seen firsthand what people in underserved rural communities have to do to feed their families, but she also had personal experience with the Amish population in Clare County. Through those experiences, she saw how an understanding of food, cooking, food preservation, and nutrition, had an overall positive effect on this population's health. Just a little background, students who complete the Rural Community Health Program in Clare, have a unique opportunity to go into the homes of the Amish and provide immunizations and other public health outreach. - [Katie] So Clare's really interesting. So actually my answer now is different after having hung out with some Amish folks last week. Than it would have been before last Friday, before doing the Amish immunization rounds with the public health folks. I know that a lot of my patients  who have kids get their food from WIC in Clare. I've seen that in the family practice clinic, and so actually that's something I learned this week. We were talking to a couple moms about food and what they're feeding their kids, and they're like, well, I just feed 'em whatever WIC gives me. So Women, Infants, and Children, right, it's a food supplementation program. So I didn't know very much about Amish people at all. It's interesting 'cause I expected like really simple lives and really simple people, but like people are people, and when you have a bunch of kids, so you have 10 people living in a house, like there is really nothing simple about that (laughs) like you may not have a telephone in your house or you may not have electricity, but there's nothing simple about raising eight kids  (laughs) especially when you're cooking for eight kids with no electricity. So it was canning week when I was there, like three or four of the houses we had visited had harvested tomatoes. So like one woman had actually 20 pint jars of tomato sauce on her counter. And she did all that without a blender. She chopped all this by hand. There's no food processor. But also Amish people do go to the grocery store and buy groceries, which I didn't realize. I thought it was all like the fruits of the earth, but no, we saw it. The kids eat cereal for breakfast. And I don't know where they get their milk from, but like one family their child had a lot of food allergies, so like their family only drank almond milk. And the kids, we, the nurses give out cookies after they vaccinate the kids, so they like are known more for the cookies than the vaccinations actually, as they go around. And they're store-bought cookies and the kids can have those too, so it's not, I mean there's like definitely a preference for the simple, but it's not only what they've grown on their farms that their family is consuming, so that's cool. But they're definitely healthier. Like the Amish kids compared to the non-Amish kids, like already in seven year olds I can see a difference. Like they chart different on a growth curve. They listen better. Like all the non-Amish kids I've seen so far, have been on some sort of ADHD medication. And all of the Amish kids sit and focus and have no problems focusing, and it's not a question, they just do it. And so I don't know how much of that is nutritional, like the Amish kids aren't having as many processed foods and sugars and things that we're starting to think now may lead to those sorts of attention issues, and how much of that is that like Amish family community value really preference well-behaved kids, whereas some of the non-Amish families, their lives are so busy and complicated because of their jobs and whatever social issues they have going on that sometimes they maybe spend, I don't want to say spend less time with their kids, but have different  priorities with their kids, or their lives have forced them to sort of spend their time with their kids differently than maybe an Amish family would. So that's been really interesting to see too. - [Julia] Nutrition and food insecurity is a complex animal. Coming from a dietetics and nutrition education background myself, I know that trying to change habits and outlooks on the food we eat can be a deeply emotional and personal experience. But I also know this: food is not optional an hunger does not discriminate.  (somber music) Yet there's a real disparity in rural America. 15.4% of rural households are food insecure compared to 12.2% of all metropolitan homes. Rural communities see 5.1% more people receiving WIC benefits and 3.9% more people on supplemental nutrition assistance than in urban areas. Looking to Michigan, we see that 50% of all children, both urban and rural, are receiving free and reduced lunch. But what that 50% looks like in rural Michigan is a little different. When we say 50% are receiving free and reduced lunch, that means in Beaverton School District, 603 students out of 1,101. And in Clare School District, 664 out of 1,542 students are receiving free and reduced lunch every school day. And yes, I said district, which means there are whole classrooms in Clare and Beaverton where a majority of the students are living in a level of varied poverty. And while I don't have time to get into that now, we're talking about free and reduced lunch during the school year, we haven't even spoken about what that looks like for those children during the summer and on holidays. We don't have an answer to this issue, but we do have efforts. Organizations like the Clare County Community Nutrition Network, the Greater Lansing Food Bank, and MSU Extension, are doing what they can to reach people where they are. While there will always be more room for access and education, we can continue to support these programs and organizations, providing avenues for exposure in nutrition education in medical school can also make future medical leaders into advocates and volunteers for nutrition security. If the theory of equity is to take care of the least, so even the greatest is provided for, then if we can make sure that the most remote and isolated person in rural Michigan has adequate food, then everyone will have food.  (vibrant instrumental music)   Thank you for listening to this Rural Mission. This podcast is produced by me, Julia Terhune. Thank you Justin Rumenapp, from the Greater Lansing Food Bank, for agreeing to be interviewed and for touring me around your amazing establishment. The work that the Greater Lansing Food Bank does in our state is outstanding and makes a difference in so many lives. Thank you also to Veronica Romanov for letting me be part of the Clare County Mobile Food Pantry. And Kara Lynch and Katie Lindauer for agreeing to be interviewed for this podcast. As always, a huge thank-you goes out to Dr. Andrea Wendling for making this podcast a part of the Leadership in Rural Medicine programs. I want to encourage you to make rural your mission and until next time, I'm Julia. ♫ Well, I guess I've got to see that silver lining ♫ I don't mind a little rain ♫ Truth be told, I can't complain ♫ 'Cause life is full of give and take ♫ And there ain't no rainbows without rain ♫ I heard the wind start picking up ♫ Just when I thought I'd had enough ♫ But it was rough and it was coarse ♫ And took the trees with all its force ♫ It blew a left, then blew a right ♫ It rushed the land with all its might ♫ But when the wind had finally ceased ♫ Well we'll cleaned up all the leaves ♫ So I guess I've got to see that silver lining ♫ I don't mind a little rain ♫ Truth be told, I can't complain ♫ 'Cause life is full of give and take ♫ And there ain't no rainbows without rain ♫ I don't mind a little rain ♫ Truth be told, I can't complain ♫ 'Cause life is full of give and take ♫ And there ain't no rainbows without rain - [Julia] To learn more about the Rural Community Health Program, please visit our website at www.msururalhealth.chm.msu.edu. By joining our website, you can connect to us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. You can also find out more about our musician. Music today was provided by Horton Creek and Bryan Eggers, a local musician and Michigan native. We hope you tune in next time to hear more from this Rural Mission.

Did you know that MSU Extension has existed for 103 years?! Tune in to hear how Jeff Dwyer, Director of Michigan State University Extension is bringing new life and leadership to MSU Extension! Jeff, Phil and Gerry discuss so many awesome topics of MSU Extension's impactful work: partnerships throughout the state, mental / behavioral health outreach, and being the outreach extensions arm of MSU. If you don't feel like feel like food insecurity can be solved - how can you hope for it?

In this episode Bronson interviews Jordan Burroughs and Johanna Dart of Michigan State University Extension about two programs designed to get people hunting, understand what hunting and conservation are all about, and last but not least, how to make a spectacular meal using wild game. For more information please visit www.gourmetgonewild.org and www.learntohuntmi.org to learn how to bring these innovative programs to your hometown.

The consensus among our guests in this segment is that zero tolerance behavior policies don't work. What then are the tools and strategies that do? Follow: @sarahdavidon, @ECEPolicyWorks @bodymindchild @bamradionetwork #edchat #teaching #edreform #AskingWhatIf Sarah Davidon, M.Ed. is on the faculty of the University of Colorado School of Medicine working on policy and systems-building initiatives related to early childhood social and emotional development. Sarah co-authored Colorado’s Strategic Plan for Early Childhood Mental Health and is the board president of the Colorado Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health. Gail Innis has worked for Michigan State University Extension for 24 years; providing research and evidence based education to Michigan residents in the area of parenting education, family resource management, anger management and stress. Susan Ochshorn is the founder of ECEPolicyWorks, a New York consulting firm that links early childhood research, policy, and practice, laying the foundation for healthy, successful, productive citizens. She brings more than 15 years of experience, at the local, state, and national levels, to advancing the work of nonprofits, coalitions, professional organizations, and institutions of higher education.

Lena Stevens is the Resource Conservation Coordinator for the City of Decatur, GA. She began working with the City in June 2008, as a post-graduate intern, and began her current position in October 2009.  Originally from Michigan, Lena received her Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Economics and Policy from Michigan State University, and her Masters of Public Affairs from Indiana University’s School of Public and Environmental Affairs.  She began her career in local government working for the State and Local Government program at Michigan State University Extension.  Her work focuses on Decatur’s four pillars of sustainability; environmental, community, economic, and organizational/institutional. Some highlights of her work include the DecaturWISE residential rebate program, Kilowatt Crackdown Neighborhood Energy Challenge, and training for Atlanta area code officials on the new Georgia commercial and residential energy code.  She is currently working with the City’s Environmental Sustainability Board to create a city-wide environmental sustainability plan.

This episode of Inside Muskegon features an interview with Kesha Taylor-Jordan and Frank Cox with Michigan State University Extension speaking about their Journey 4-H Youth Mentoring program, a commentary on the interview and information on contacting Inside Muskegon. Hosted by Jason Piasecki. For more information visit www.insidemuskegon.com.