Farm Family Resource Initiative

The Southern Illinois University School of Medicine Center for Rural Health and Social Service Development (CRHSSD) is leading the effort to build a network of support and resources for Illinois farm families. The purpose of the initiative is to provide a range of resources including a helpline to assist with farmer and farm-related issues that include mental and physical health needs. Additionally, the initiative offers ongoing outreach, education and training to rural clients and partners working to improve the health and safety of farm families.

 

Events and webinars

Fielding resilience webinar
FFRI Grounds for Wellness Coffee Break - Square
Grief & Suicide Bereavement Support Group for Farmers and Farm Families
Remote video URL

Experiencing a crisis or know someone who is? Learn more about Farm Rescue and find more resources for farmers and farm families.

Farm Rescue

The mission of Farm Rescue is to help family farms and ranches bridge crises so they have an opportunity to continue viable operations. Farm Rescue provides planting, haying, harvesting, commodity hauling and livestock feeding assistance to farm and ranch families that have experienced a major injury, illness or natural disaster. We have assisted more than 1,000 farm and ranch families since our inception in 2005!

We see that one of the biggest financial drains on a family is an unexpected medical injury or illness and, of course, a natural disaster. It is even more pronounced on a farm where a family's livelihood depends on the ability to plant, harvest or provide for their herd.

Farm Rescue gives families a chance to continue their livelihood by providing the necessary equipment and manpower (free of charge) to get the job done.

AgriSafe Nurse Scholar Program

The AgriSafe Nurse Scholar program is a distance learning opportunity designed for rural nurses. Experienced health & safety educators share their expertise in prevention, identification, and assessment of diseases related to agricultural work exposures. Classes are in the form of webinars to be viewed on your own time. Nurses who complete this course will be eligible for 23 hours of continuing nursing education.

Applications are open for the 2024 Nurse Scholar program. There are scholarships available for 125 individuals. The deadline to apply for a scholarship is April 8, 2024.
To be eligible to receive a scholarship, nurses must:
• Be employed by a rural health clinic, FQHC, government agency, non-profit hospital or organization, or work in academia
• Demonstrate an interest and ability to integrate learnings into their practices
• Work in a rural and medically

FFRI AgriSafe Nurse Scholar Program

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