Farm First is a free, Vermont-based program providing farmers and their families with support, resources and information to reduce stress. We can help connect you to resources, including technical, legal or financial assistance, as well as to a counselor or trained peer. You don't have to be alone with your challenges. We're good listeners and can help you address the challenges you face. We're here to help.
Welcome Summer, Sunshine and Just the Right Amount of Rain.
The Farm First Peer Network is a group of farmers who have been trained in listening skills and accessing resources, and are available to talk-through anything a farmer might be going through.
Peer Support
We're starting a network of farmers throughout Vermont who want to support each other in different ways.
Get Our Help
We welcome your call or email. One of our resource specialists will get back to you and arrange an initial meeting.
Self Assessments
Try our screening tools for alcohol, anxiety, and depression to help you learn more about yourself.
Helping Other States
Farm First also provides assistance to other states.
Farm First News
Curious About What to Include in Your farm First Aid Kit?
Check out this new infographic from Agrisafe Network or if you prefer a checklist, you can access it here: https://www.agrisafe.org/first-aid-kit-checklist-for-farmers-ranchers/
or see the graphic here https://www.agrisafe.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/First-Aid-Kit-Checklist-for-Farmers-Ranchers-Updated-6.25.26.pdf
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or see the graphic here https://www.agrisafe.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/First-Aid-Kit-Checklist-for-Farmers-Ranchers-Updated-6.25.26.pdf
Free (for now) First Aid Training for Farmers Online Through Oregon State University
Enjoy enrolling in this temporarily free Farmer First Aid training through Oregon State University! This is a virtual course on Farmer first aid, visit https://workspace.oregonstate.edu/course/farm-safety-and-first-aid-osu-continuing-education to enroll and see the course content!
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Farmer Mental Health Awareness Concert with Jeff Corle - Branstorming Tour
Friday July 10th Jeff Corle will be making a stop at the Lazy Dog Farm in Orwell Vermont on his Barnstorming Tour, raising awareness about farmer mental health and wellbeing. This is a free community event with opening acts starting at 5:30pm. Farm First will be at the event and we hope to see you there!
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July 2026 Farm First Newsletter
“Radical Acceptance is the willingness to experience ourselves and our lives as it is.” - Tara Brach
Summer promises to provide sun and warmth, two conditions to nurture the growth of our foods, offer us precious vitamin D, and reprieve from the long Vermont winter. Too much of anything takes a toll, and our hope is for the right balance of sun and rain to create a bountiful farming season.
These fleeting moments we have together in these bodies can be opportunities to meet each moment with curiosity and care. As you move through your day, we invite you to consider:
Kind Acts: There are a million kind acts that have happened so far throughout your life. See what kind acts you can notice today? The way the cows willingly offer their milk, the kindness of a friend, neighbor, or family member to help with a task. The kindness of a stranger holding a door or offering a hello.
What We Feed: Just like the seeds we sow, our thoughts need food to grow. See your consciousness like a garden and tend to it. Ask yourself, is this thought nourishing? If this thought was food, what would it be? Would I want to consume it, or offer it to others? Tend to your thoughts as lovingly as you tend to your crops.
Moment to Pause: This exact moment has never been here before and cannot be recreated. Moments may feel very similar to others, and we also know they are different. Breathe in the beauty of this very second, savor it, as it will pass away without notice.
Curious about Vermont suicide statistics?
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention release an update to their data on Vermont suicide rates in April of 2026. In Vermont, suicide is the 9th leading cause of death with adults aged 35-44 being the most at risk.
In Vermont 58% of suicide deaths involved a firearm, visit the Vermont Department of Health’s Firearm safety webpage (https://www.healthvermont.gov/emergency/injury-prevention/firearm-safety) to learn about how to keep your family safe and firearms secure. Farm, fishing, and forestry workers have a suicide rate that is 3x higher than the general population and a death rate of 6X higher than the general population.
For more details about the most recent statistics on Industry and Occupation of Vermonters who Died by Suicide visit https://www.healthvermont.gov/sites/default/files/documents/pdf/HSRV-Injury-IndustryOccupation-Suicide-Brief.pdf.
Read More »
Summer promises to provide sun and warmth, two conditions to nurture the growth of our foods, offer us precious vitamin D, and reprieve from the long Vermont winter. Too much of anything takes a toll, and our hope is for the right balance of sun and rain to create a bountiful farming season.
These fleeting moments we have together in these bodies can be opportunities to meet each moment with curiosity and care. As you move through your day, we invite you to consider:
Kind Acts: There are a million kind acts that have happened so far throughout your life. See what kind acts you can notice today? The way the cows willingly offer their milk, the kindness of a friend, neighbor, or family member to help with a task. The kindness of a stranger holding a door or offering a hello.
What We Feed: Just like the seeds we sow, our thoughts need food to grow. See your consciousness like a garden and tend to it. Ask yourself, is this thought nourishing? If this thought was food, what would it be? Would I want to consume it, or offer it to others? Tend to your thoughts as lovingly as you tend to your crops.
Moment to Pause: This exact moment has never been here before and cannot be recreated. Moments may feel very similar to others, and we also know they are different. Breathe in the beauty of this very second, savor it, as it will pass away without notice.
Curious about Vermont suicide statistics?
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention release an update to their data on Vermont suicide rates in April of 2026. In Vermont, suicide is the 9th leading cause of death with adults aged 35-44 being the most at risk.
In Vermont 58% of suicide deaths involved a firearm, visit the Vermont Department of Health’s Firearm safety webpage (https://www.healthvermont.gov/emergency/injury-prevention/firearm-safety) to learn about how to keep your family safe and firearms secure. Farm, fishing, and forestry workers have a suicide rate that is 3x higher than the general population and a death rate of 6X higher than the general population.
For more details about the most recent statistics on Industry and Occupation of Vermonters who Died by Suicide visit https://www.healthvermont.gov/sites/default/files/documents/pdf/HSRV-Injury-IndustryOccupation-Suicide-Brief.pdf.