Agribusiness Council of IN, Ag Lobbying, & Feel Good Songs

Agribusiness Council of IN, Ag Lobbying, & Feel Good Songs

How does the ACI educate the legislators who are making decisions that impact the agriculture industry? Melissa Rekewag joins hosts Sal Sama and Jeff Jarrett for today’s episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Melissa is the President and CEO of the Agribusiness Council of Indiana (ACI). Melissa will share about her extensive background in agriculture and what ultimately led to her the ACI and her appearance on The High Ground podcast. We’ll learn about the makeup of ACI, which is the largest trade association for agribusinesses in Indiana, and ultimately how it impacts state policies and the grower. Melissa will also share how the ACI helps educate policy makers and is able to voice concerns of businesses in a way that’s not connected to the business itself. Finally, Melissa, Sal, and Jeff will discuss the Emerging Professionals Leadership Program (EPLP) which is a year-long program designed to help individuals expand their experience in and knowledge of policy and leadership in the agriculture industry.  Interested in seeing what it might look like to join the ACI? Visit https://www.inagribiz.org/ [https://www.inagribiz.org/] for more information.

IN Rural Health Association, Handling Stress, & How to Recharge

Have you ever heard anyone say something like, “He’s a typical farmer. He’s built tough and will just power through.” Well, maybe it’s time for this image to go. Special guest Kathy Walker joins hosts Jeff Jarrett and Sal Sama for today’s episode of The High Ground powered by Premier Companies. Kathy has a degree from Purdue University in health promotion and is the Program Director for the Indiana Rural Health Association (IRHA) who handles the programming for Healthy Minds, Healthy Lives. Kathy will share about how she ended up working for IRHA and specifically, how she began working with growers and ag businesses in the areas of mental health and suicide.In addition to her QPR (Question, Persuade, and Refer) and Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training, you’ll learn how Kathy is equipped to help employers by providing training to assist and refer employees and growers in navigating mental health and stress issues. “Farmers… [are] a demographic that has a high rate of suicide… Yeah, they’re strong, self-sufficient… but they’re also human beings, and we all have our limits.” If you’re struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 to reach Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or reach out to the Purdue Farm Stress team which is a group of professionals who are equipped to resource growers with tools, programs, and additional resources to help handle the day-to-day stresses growers face. You can find out more information about the Purdue Farm Stress team at https://extension.purdue.edu/farm_stress/index.html [https://extension.purdue.edu/farm_stress/index.html].