Healthy Minds, Healthy Lives

This week, we welcomed Meredith Erwin into the studio to talk about a wonderful opportunity coming to Rushville very soon through the Indiana Rural Health Association called Healthy Minds, Healthy Lives! You can find more details about the program here: https://www.indianaruralhealth.org/services/healthy-minds-healthy-lives/

Transcript

Welcome to this edition of the Hoel Roofing & Remodeling Podcast! Today, our special guest is from our local high school, Rushville Consolidated High School.

Junior, Miss Meredith, and, today, I'll let you introduce yourself and we'll talk about what we're going to chat about today. So my parents are Mike and Sarah Erwin. I am a twin, and then I have a younger brother. I'm the owner and operator of Field of Poppies Dairy Goats that raises, show quality dairy goats to show around the state.

That's kind of the most about me. I plan to attend, Pre-Vet once I graduate, and hopefully come back home and be a mix practice vet here. Awesome. So what brings you in today? You reached out to us and wanted to talk about mental health in, you know, in rural America, rural Indiana, and, you're working on a project through, Living to Serve plan, which you came back with from going to the FFA, watching the DC trip that I believe happens in the summer.

Is that correct? That's correct. So I'll let you kind of give, maybe give a little bit of the story of, the DC trip and then, you know, kind of how this all came about. Okay. So the DC trip, I took it this past summer where I went with five other members of the Rushville FFA chapter, and spent a week, at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, DC.

It's a leadership conference with FFA members from all over the country. I had members in my group from, I think, almost ten different states. And over this week we develop, our living to serve plans, which is a way to get back to our communities. We travel and see different monuments. we do a lot of community service projects and just a time to kind of reflect and grow our leadership abilities.

So you do some community service projects in Washington, DC? Yes. So while we were there, we packed meals, for the homeless, and that were donated to food banks. Man too bad you didn’t drain the swamp while you're out there. Yeah, we were there the week that all the Canadian wildfires were going, oh crap. So it was smog.

Okay, so, so that's kind of what brought you into, the mental this this program. So we've got some facts sitting in front of us, but I guess go ahead. And, you know, so my understanding is you're doing a, an event. so go ahead and give them details. We'll make sure we share that when we post the podcast, but we'll make sure we reshare it closer to time because I know it's not till August.

So this program is called Healthy Minds, Healthy Lives. and it promotes mental health in rural America and in agriculture. this is funded through the Indiana State Department of Agriculture and put on by the Rural Health Association of Indiana. So this is going to be August 15th at the AG building, which is at 1501 North Sexton Street.

It covers the mental health landscape in Indiana. Information about telehealth, the produce stress program resources, question, persuade and refer training and then mental health resources that people can refer to. And we're going to start off with a youth session from 5 to 6. And then following, we're going to have a meal from Copper Kettle from 6 to 630.

And then from 630 to 830 we're going to host an adult session. that's going to cover all those topics I just listed. So what, that's in, August. What day of the week is that? Do you know it's a Wednesday? So Wednesday night. Are you guys back in school quite yet or not? Yeah, we'll be back in school.

It should be about our second week. Okay, okay, I just August 15th. You can't. I can't always keep track of, that. So at the egg building here in Roseville, any any adult is welcome. Yes. Okay. Okay. put on by the state Agricultural Association, with the state. Okay. Just trying to get some details out there, but kind of share your story.

Like why? Like why is this your living to serve plan? So this has always kind of started as mental health as a topic that I find really important, especially because, there are so many people not only my age but in agriculture that are struggling with mental health. And it's always kind of, been a stigma to not talk about it.

And so I kind of want to get it out there in the open and help address those problems, to help kind of keep our community and, better kind of head space. So, I guess you kind of hit on, you know, all the topics and everything that's going to be, is going to be spoken about, spoken of, who who is actually leading, like, who will do the speaking, that kind of stuff.

I believe it's led by you. Give me just a second. Oh. You're good. Find it. I'm pretty good sales guy, so I can kind of mumble. Kathy Walker. Okay, so is she, like, where? Who she work with? So she works with the Rural Health Association of, Indiana. Okay. Okay. Okay. No. Perfect. All right. Like, like I said, like, kind of dive in a little deeper.

Have you helped any. Is there other communities doing the same thing? is this kind of, you know, how talk a little bit about that. So this program's been funded for a little bit now by the Indiana State Department of Agriculture. And I know there's other chapters in the state that have held it. I believe there was up one up in Tippecanoe.

Okay. but I don't know that there have been any near us. Okay. so normally it's a local FFA chapter that teams up with the state. Well, it can be a local FFA chapter. she had told me that there was a school. I can't remember which one it was, but they had had her in and she talked to every student in the high school.

Okay. so it's not just have a few chapters, it can be businesses, schools. really, anybody that wants to host this program can. Okay. So no, I mean, thank you for the initiative. Like, I'm, I'm a big fan of when youth wants to step up, like, I'm kind of on a, me and my wife been visiting a bunch of classes that we sponsored, at the high schools, and I just love to hear kids and what they're wanting to do and, like, you know, at your age, your willingness to to do this, this isn't, you know, an easy feat.

So I guess kind of kind of give some of the details kind of the, you know, unfortunately, probably the ugly statistics, you know, just, you know, may help open some eyes of for some people. So according to a CDC article, as of 2017, nearly 38,000 people committed suicide in the US. And that's the every year. That's every year.

And the top five groups at risk for suicide are people in the mining, quarrying, oil and gas extraction industries, construction, what they categorize as other sort of other services. and they categorized automotive services into that, agricultural forestry and hunting, particularly males and hunting, and then transportation and warehousing. So that's you know, in the top five, the fourth top.

and, you know, one thing that they're talking about now is with commodity prices, dropping in in the agricultural field, you know, that's, that's what is horrible about farming. Like, you plant corn, you don't really know what it's going to sell for when it's done. I mean, fortunately, before I go put a roof on, I know what it's going to, what I've got, what we've got sold for.

So and that's, kind of goes along with, natural disasters, especially since we've just had tornadoes. And luckily enough, it didn't cause damage to really any fields here. But, falling commodity prices, natural disasters harming crops and livestock, increased farm, labor shortages and trade disputes have made it, so hard for agriculturalists. and that's some of the main factors.

It's kind of contributing to the mental health crisis in rural America. Right. So how are you going about to invite adults? I mean, I know the FFA will open it up to, for the for the kids or. Yeah, the kid version or the kid part of it. But how are you going about, advertising to get more, adults in there?

Well, you're kind of hoping that this podcast would kind of be an interest in inter.

That's the I'm looking for would kind of be the way to kind of kick it off a little bit. and then we're going to post it on the Facebook, the FFA, Facebook. Mr. Cook's going to share it with, on the school social media pages. I'm going to obviously share it on my own personal pages.

My, family history will as well. And so kind of doing it that way. And of course, spreading it through word of mouth, and, and speaking with agriculturalists in our community. And have you, let the forage extension know and that stuff? I haven't actually. And that was, kind of my next thing to reach out to is just because it's been a little busy lately with, a and obviously, yeah, sign ups have just well, I mean, now, I mean, we're all last minute kind of people.

So if you start talking about it in May, it's not going to. Yeah. You better you better wait till it gets, you know, close to the time. But no. Absolutely. And like I said, we'll push it out. the best you know, the most we can, maybe get other, FFA local. Yeah. You know, surrounding chat chapters.

I'm horrible today. just to get it, to get it pushed out there. But what, what are some of the signs? You know what what people are most likely to notice, you know, when something's off, you know, for the the typical farmer. so for the best, the people that are going to notice it, more likely those people that they have regular contact with so their family, farm employees, vet, you know, even your feed store workers, or, and you really need local affiliates.

so like the Indiana Soybean Alliance, just people that you have regular contact with, are probably gonna be the most likely to help notice those signs. So, and we can get in because one of our, another kind of, factor that we kind of look at is that farming culture kind of celebrates a do it yourself mentality.

And, that kind of is pretty. Those don't work well together with mental health. And so, making kind of opening that up so you can talk about it and, and that's hopefully kind of what this conference will do. Yeah. I mean, you know, you make you make a good point. And especially with the age of the average farmer, they just, you know, they don't talk about their feelings and, you know, yeah.

And it's just unfortunately, it's a, you know, it's it's a real thing. And you know what? Whatever whatever that looks like, you know, it's it's not it's not positive for, for the future or anything at all. So, absolutely. and, you know, there's other resources that hopefully, people will reach out to and but yeah, the do it yourself mentality, I mean, it's just there's just a farming mentality.

You, you've got to some eggs, like you've got to get up and check cows in the middle of night or whatever it is, you know. so it's what's made a farmer a farmer, but that doesn't always mean it's, it's, you know, best way to do it. It's the best thing. and then, I guess, what are some of the ways to get rid of that stigma?

I would say kind of the best way is just to open it up with family members. Don't keep it a, kind of a hush topic. Sit down with your family once a week and have a conversation, making using more accessible language. So instead of, you know, mental health or behavioral health, we use things like wellness and stress, and, making it a more inclusive and, I guess kind of a soft reference, and kind of using that.

But I think the biggest, biggest way that we can do this is just to normalize it. Mental health is something that should be addressed, and, like, it's not something to be ashamed of. Right. So what for your live in this serve plan? Like is this the only thing or are you doing other research for mental health? What's that look like?

so it's something that I, I try and keep very well read on. any new articles that come out? I'm subscribed to Magnetic Egg and they just recently and their episode yesterday, released some more information about that, which I haven't officially gotten the time to read the full articles, but so I try and keep up on the latest, indeed test or latest and greatest.

Yeah, that's the one I'm looking for. and try and keep up with those new statistics and facts. and then I hope that maybe we can do this more than just this year and maybe make it a yearly thing or something like that. but as of right now, this is kind of just the way to step into it and see where this goes.

And, you know, if we aren't able to hold this program next year, maybe holding something similar or branching out and doing it in schools or inviting other FFA chapters and, I've kind of made up my platform as a chapter officer and, I'm on it as a district officer. So kind of using those, platforms to kind of spread awareness about it.

Absolutely, absolutely. What's your chapter office? I'm student advisor. What are you writing for? For administrative secretary. Oh, awesome. When is, when does the district elections happen? Those happen. So you can mention in June so that should take place I think June 19th. So a month away. Yeah. Awesome. Awesome. okay. No, I mean, that's that is great.

what is, so learning serve program, which a lot of people don't even know. I mean, doing realize how active FFA members are and, how a lot of initiative initiative comes from here. another resource that I know of that I would recommend most definitely reaching out or following, Doctor John. Okay. he's actually works for Dave Ramsey.

I'm a huge Dave Ramsey guy. You'll hear me talk about a million times, but he talks a lot about mental health. He talks a lot about, man, especially. I mean, he talks about, I mean, in some of his, his business related to we just heard him at, speak, and, you know, he talks about, you know, what's what is enough is enough.

And maybe that ties back to agriculture because, you know, I get it. Farmers, they want to farm more ground. They have to do to make ends meet, you know, and, you know, you got to stop and realize, like, where is enough out like where? Enough here is it is it here or is it here? And you know. But Doctor John Baloney also says like, hey, we need you business owners, farmers, construction owners, all the all the business owners, not just, you know, it's kind of scary to see that construction's number two, being in construction, you know, but, but we also need us guys to push to deal with the crap because people

need jobs, you know? And he'll even say that in his closing remarks, like, hey, guys, I need you. I got two kids growing up in this world that are going to need jobs, too. So that's that's that's the unique balance. You know, there is like, how hard do you push, just to get stuff done. Fortunately, this spring's been nice for him of getting the crops put in.

Yeah. which is, which is beneficial. So. Yeah. And that's another thing that I, kind of think is another way we can help kind of get rid of the stigma is, you know, having not just, you know, maybe the, for example, the FFA chapter here in spark spreading mental health make it so companies in the area have something similar or to kind of go from within local businesses to break it down.

Right. and, and get mental health services integrated with other existing services. Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. So now, we appreciate your time to come in here. Is there anything else you want to add? you know, like you said, you're going to push it on FFA, social media. We're going to help push it. high school is going to help push it.

What what way can our audience help you out? to, you know, get people, butts in the seats for you? Pretty much. I guess the best way would just be to kind of, shared on social media, get the word out there. If you signed up, refer a friend. we have to have, hopefully around 20 people to actually make this program come to life.

but we cannot have more than 30. So once people do start signing up, we are at kind of a window there. but so just encourage others to sign up. Sign up yourself. and that's I think kind of the biggest thing is just getting the word out there and getting people to sign up. And if they're hesitant, urge them to do it.

It's going to be a great program. I'm really excited for it. my advisors are super excited for it. So, I think it'll be something really interesting. We get the chance to do well and, you know, others go ahead and say this. If you're going to sign up, bring bring another friend. like, don't just invite them.

Just go pick their butts up, you know, and bring them, you know, support, you know, support the local youth that's willing to give back, you know, to their community. So, yeah, thank you very much for your time. And, guys, I just want to encourage you, if you're listening to this. I mean, I'll even go ahead and say it like, if you're in a different field and mental health is an issue, like come out, you will for surely, you know, coming to come away with, with something beneficial to help.

So yeah. Thank you for your time, ma'am. Thank you.