New Agrarian Wellness Training Program

Applications open February 26, 2025

 

 

Early career agrarians often seek out the technical skills necessary to build careers in farming and ranching, as these skills are essential in building an efficient operation. However, to truly thrive in agriculture for the long-term, beginning agrarians also need community support and socioemotional tools to cultivate resilience in the face of the inherent stress and isolation that comes with ranching and farming in the West. 

Quivira Coalition and AgWell (an initiative of the Rocky Mountain Farmers Union) have partnered to offer a peer-to-peer wellness training program and support network in 2025. Participants will gain the ability to recognize, understand, and address behavioral health challenges, which will then prepare them to implement supportive measures within their own networks and facilitate sessions that support their own communities. Over the course of five months, participants will learn frameworks for navigating stress, strategies for addressing mental health challenges, and skills to serve as facilitators in a peer-to-peer support network focused on wellness within an agricultural context. 

The purpose of this program is not to train participants to be mental health professionals or licensed counselors, but instead to provide them with the skills to facilitate local or virtual support gatherings and create opportunities for social connection among peers after the training has ended.

Program elements:

  • Virtual orientation and kickoff call (appx. 1-1.5hrs*) to meet other participants and the support team, and discuss the importance of embracing a paradigm shift around wellness and behavioral health within our agricultural communities (April 2025) 
  • Monthly virtual training sessions (appx. 1.5hrs*) that will cover the following:
    • Reflective listening and compassionate facilitation skills
    • Stress management techniques and recognizing physical and social signs of distress
    • Engaging with people in crisis or hardship: providing resources and strategies for referrals 
    • Embracing a living root: building protective factors and applying the wisdom of the soil to our lives
    • Optional modules that will be offered outside of the official programing include COMET training, QPR certification in suicide prevention and/or mental health first aid training
  • Virtual concluding session (appx. 1.5hrs*) in August to recap and create strategies for organizing and building support networks within participants’ local context 
  • Self-assessment on mental wellness and behavioral health skills at beginning and end of program to track progress and inform learning goals

    *once participants are identified, we will survey participants to find a regular day/time that works for everyone

Upon completion of the peer-to-peer training program, continued support and benefits will include:

  • $225 minimum stipend, up to $300 stipend (depending on # of participants) 
  • Access to Quivira’s and AgWell’s network of resources, trainings, workshops, and information
  • Network of cohort graduates

 

To be eligible for the program, a candidate must: 

  • Be a beginning farmer or rancher in the first 10 years of their career
  • Be committed to proactive learning, including attending all monthly training calls and engaging in reflection-based discussions
  • Be located in Alaska, American Samoa, Arizona, California, Colorado, Guam, Hawaii,  Idaho, Micronesia, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Northern Mariana Islands, Oregon, Utah, Washington, or Wyoming
  • Have access to reliable internet during the season
  • Commit to being involved with facilitating a local peer-to-peer support network in their agricultural community after completion of the program

Additionally, an ideal candidate:

  • Brings vulnerability and openness by sharing personal experiences, applying them to training modules, and contributing to a culture of trust.
  • Is comfortable in a discussion-based learning environment where modules incorporate reflection and conversation rather than lectures.
  • Has a strong interest in wellness, behavioral health, and building supportive networks within their agricultural community.
  • Actively participates in creating a culture of mutual support within the cohort, and works on developing ideas to engage their community after the program’s completion. 

 

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis beginning on February 26, 2025 and will remain open until all positions are filled or until April 1, 2025.

Top candidates will be invited for a short interview with program staff upon review of their application, with positions being offered by mid-April. Please email Mattie Griswold, mattie@quiviracoalition.org with any questions about the program logistics or application process. If you have questions about the program content or curriculum, please contact Carlyle Stewart at carlyle.stewart@rmfu.org. 

Apply