WAYFC Takeover 4: Miles Griffin and Amanda Doughty on Farmer Mental Health

Miles Griffin and Amanda Doughty currently live on 20 acres in Twisp, Washington. Amanda is a

licensed therapist, who works off the farm full-time but loves a good Saturday weeding session. Miles is the owner and operator of Posterity Farm, producing pastured turkeys, wholesale organic garlic, and diversified vegetables. Miles and Amanda find deep interest in the intersection of their professions, especially the contrast between the risk factors that farmers face and the inherent therapeutic benefits of their practices. Miles and Amanda hope to one day use their experiences to develop a farm therapy

program that reduces stigma around mental health and addresses food insecurity, community-building, and job training. If you are interested in learning more about their farm you can visit posterityfarm.com or email them at eatforposterity@gmail.com.

A note: this episode discusses topics related to suicide and mental health. Please take care of yourself and your needs before you listen, as you listen and as you process this conversation.

At the end of the episode you will hear from Chandler Briggs, of Hayshaker Farm, who introduces you to Justin McClane. Justin was a farmer and an active member of the WA Young Farmers Coalition and died by suicide. His death was a wake-up call for the chapter and the community. Justin continues to impact the work of WA Young Farmers and his contribution inspired us to center care as one of our foundational values. 

Amanda wanted to share the following resources with folks in the audience who want to access more resources for mental wellness: 

National Suicide Hotline 1-800-273-8255 Crisis Text Line - text “help” to 741741 

Telehealth platforms: 

-Ginger.io 

-Talkspace 

-BetterHelp 

For more on the WAYFC Farmer Mental Health Bill: https://www.washingtonyoungfarmers.org/hb2671 Music credit to Made By Finja by Sascha Ende Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/6171-made-by-finja License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

To join the National Young Farmers Coalition, visit youngfarmers.org/join