Tennessee
May was recognized as Mental Health Month by Mental Health America (MHA). TN AgrAbility and Extension offices promoted Mental Health Month by sharing mental health resources and educational information to show the importance of removing labels on mental health and talking about it without shame. The 2024 theme "Where to Start, "notes the world is changing, and while society is getting more comfortable discussing mental health, it can still be hard to know "Where to Start" when it comes to taking care of your own well-being. Visit https://mhanational.org/mental-health-month to download the Mental Health Month toolkit to help plan your efforts and raise awareness of mental health today and beyond. It has tools, social media assets, resources, templates, printable handouts, and many other valuable pieces.
UT Extension Carter County and TN AgrAbility partnered with Carter County Cattlemen's Association, Farm Bureau Insurance-Elizabethton and SAgE TN to host a Bringing Awareness Right Now (BARN) Farmer Appreciation Dinner for 50 producers! Attendees had a wonderful time learning signs to help friends with farm stress and farm safety tips plus lots of laughs, fellowship, and good food thanks to our two chefs Chris Williams and Thomas Norris! Thank you to UT Extension Carter County for their hard work and SAgE TN for providing the theater script plus supporting our farmers!
Five veterans participated in the Veterans Horticultural Therapy Workshop at Alpha Omega Veterans Farm in Memphis, TN, hosted by TN AgrAbility, UT Gardens, UT TSU Extension, and Alpha Omega. Dr. Derrick Stowell, UT Gardens director of horticultural therapy programs, led the group in discussions related to: Why Garden?; Garden Planning & Management; and hands-on activities including succulent planting, microgreens, and propagation. TN AgrAbility staff led a discussion on assistive technology tools and resources available for veterans. The six-hour workshop was designed for current military personnel and veterans. Research shows that exposure to nature and gardening can improve mental health outcomes for veterans.
Dr. Derrick Stowell, TN AgrAbility partner and UT Gardens specialist, offered three scholarships for the Sow to Grow program. Sow to Grow is a program for teenagers 13 years old through high school seniors who have disabilities. By participating in various plant-based activities, participants learned a variety of skills including: a better understanding of what is expected of them in gaining employment and in the workplace, how to manage stressful situations using nature, and how to work both independently and as a team. Contact Dr. Stowell at dstowell@utk.edu to learn more about the scholarship opportunity.
Submitted by: Tennessee AgrAbility Project