Page 3 - Hawaii Island MidWeek - Feb 1, 2023

Farmers, ranchers and allied agricultural pro- ducers were consid- ered essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. They remain essential, feeding and nurturing us. Yet, caring for ag producers is often not the first consideration in most local residents’ minds, despite the Centers for Disease Con- trol and Prevention’s alarming statistics that rank them as be- ing fourth-highest for depres- sion and suicide, above even those in health care, education and retail professions.
The mission of the Seeds of Wellbeing project under the College of Tropical Agricul- ture and Human Resources at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa is to understand and advocate for the health and well-being of farmers and ranchers in Hawai‘i. It aims to elevate appreciation and care for those who feed us, to mālama the farmers.
Pictured at the Seeds of Wellbeing Booth at the Ag2022 Collaborative Leaders as Ag-ents of Change Conference are (from left) project director Thao Le, and staff members Alexis Kerver and Alex Wong.
PHOTO COURTESY SEEDS OF WELLBEING
With funding and support from the Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture, USDA-NIFA, a comprehensive needs assess- ment survey with 408 ag pro- ducers during the pandemic, revealed that Hawai‘i ag pro- ducers are challenged on mul- tiple fronts, with multiplicity of factors/stressors, resulting in depression and suicide rates that are higher than Hawai‘i’s general population.
sage, and to therapists with background or expertise in serving the ag community.
er of Tinyville, exclaims, “This should be on every- one’s table.”
in supporting the project can reach out to the project direc- tor, Thao Le, at thaole3@ha- waii.edu, and visit the SOW website at manoa.hawaii.edu/ sow-well.
Project Helps Sow Seeds Of Care
By Thao Le, project director with Seeds of Wellbeing
FEBRUARY 1, 2023
HAWAI‘I ISLAND MIDWEEK 3
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Too Sleepy To Fish?
and attend the
Sleepy in Paradise
Support Group for Individuals with Excessive Daytime Sleepiness For information, call
808-495-8815
www.SDPAF.org
Sleep Disorders Patient Advocacy Foundation Michael B Russo, MD, President
The SOW team also de- veloped an ag-specific mental well-being resource guide called The Cool Mind, Main Thing, both personal and peer-to-peer versions. Jim Crum, staff and farm-
Funding for the SOW proj- ect ends this March. We are seeking funding to continue our work to provide resilien- cy resources, and elevate re- spect and appreciation for ag producers. Folks interested
For more information, fol- low @sow.ctahr on Instagram and Seeds of Wellbeing Proj- ect on Facebook.
Fill in the blank cells using numbers 1 to 9. Each number can appear only once in each row, column, and 3x3 block. Use logic and process of elimination to solve the puzzle. The difficulty level ranges from Bronze (easiest) to Silver to Gold (hardest). Answers are on page 7
RATING: SILVER
Resonating with the cul- ture of ‘ohana and relational care in Hawai‘i, SOW de- veloped the ag mental health mentor program. In less than a month, 44 ag community members signed up to par- ticipate. They are currently receiving training, and will assist SOW in a pilot vouch- er program that includes referral to therapeutic mas-