Tennessee Farm Family Health & Wellness | Family and Consumer Sciences

The Tennessee Farm Family Health and Wellness Program (FFHW) is a multi-disciplinary Master Producer Program that:

addresses Tennessee farmer health and well-being, and
is focused on helping farm families and their communities make long-term health investments.

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Farm Family Health & Wellness Promo

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UT Extension Family & Consumer Sciences announces the

2025 TN Farm Family Health and Wellness program.

This year’s webinars are on:

Jan. 30, Feb. 13, Feb. 27, March 13, and March 27

2025 Webinars and Topics

Jan. 30	MANAGEing for Success, Strategies for Financial Strength David Bilderback, Extension Specialist, UT Center for Farm Management
Feb. 13	Understanding and Better Managing Persistent/Chronic Pain Dr. Don Penzien, Professor, Wake Forest School of Medicine
Feb. 27	Identifying and Managing Stress on the Farm Dr. Paul Norrod, Assistant Professor, University of Cincinnati
Mar. 13	Farm Biosecurity Dr. Wesley Crabtree, Staff Veterinarian, TN Department of Agriculture Zoonotic Diseases and Human Health Jane Yackley, Senior Epidemiologist and Program Director, TN Department of Health
Mar. 27	Farm to Fork – A Farm Family’s Guide to Safe and Healthy Food Preservation Dr. Kristin Riggsbee, Assistant Professor, University of Tennessee

*Participants of the 2025 program have until Dec. 31, 2025 to finish the program.
*Participants of the 2024 program have until Dec. 31, 2024 to finish the program.

Webinar Details

Webinars will be held from 6:00-8:00PM CST/ 7:00-9:00PM EST

Title: MANAGEing for Success, Strategies for Financial Strength

Description:
This presentation offers practical strategies and tools to help farmers enhance their financial management skills and build long-term resilience. Learn how to assess your farm’s financial health, set realistic goals, and implement effective decision-making processes to ensure sustainable growth and profitability. Whether you’re navigating challenges or seeking new opportunities, this session provides actionable insights to strengthen your farm’s financial foundation.

Presenter: David Bilderback, Extension Specialist, University of Tennessee Center of Farm Management

David has worked for 17 years with the University of Tennessee Extension as a Farm Management Specialist in the MANAGE program. Based in Loudon County, he serves farmers and rural business owners in Anderson, Blount, Bradley, Hamilton, Knox, McMinn, Meigs, Monroe, Morgan, Polk, Rhea, Roane, and Scott counties.

David has been involved in agriculture his entire life, having grown up on a family dairy farm in Sweetwater, Tennessee. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Economics and Business and a Master of Science in Agricultural Economics with a concentration in Agribusiness, both from the University of Tennessee.

In his role, David has the opportunity to work directly with farm families, providing confidential whole-farm plans and financial analyses through the MANAGE program. This program is designed to help farm families evaluate their situations carefully, develop plans for family living expenses, and improve their quality of life. Through this program, farm families can assess their management strategies and explore farming and financial alternatives that may benefit them greatly.

Title: Understanding and Better Managing Persistent/Chronic Pain

Presenter: Dr. Don Penzien is a professor at Wake Forest School of Medicine.

Dr. Don Penzien is a professor at Wake Forest School of Medicine. After he completed his graduate studies in clinical psychology/behavioral medicine (Ohio Univ. & Brown Univ. Program in Medicine), Don began work as a medical school professor at the Univ. of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC; Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior & Director of the UMMC Head Pain Center, ‘86-‘14). While there, he engaged in headache and pain management research, teaching/supervising, and provided clinical services for people suffering from migraine and/or chronic pain. In ’14, he retired from UMMC and joined the faculty at the Wake Forest School of Medicine (Winston Salem, NC; Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Neurology, & Epidemiology and Prevention) where he continues to work full-time as a pain management researcher. He’s now “principal investigator” of several large grants funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH; ~$8M budget) with a primary focus on behavioral/nonpharmacologic approaches to self-management of persistent pain among (e.g., cancer survivors).

Title: Identifying and Managing Stress on the Farm

This presentation will discuss with participants the different types of stress, how stress affects the body, and ways to manage stress effectively. Through interactive discussions and practical activities, participants will gain insights into recognizing stress in their daily lives on the farm and learn tangible strategies to improve their overall well-being.

Presenter: Dr. Paul Norrod, Assistant Professor, University of Cincinnati

Dr. Paul E. Norrod is an Assistant Professor at the University of Cincinnati’s College of Nursing, specializing in occupational mental health and rural community health. He holds a Doctor of Public Health with a focus on occupational epidemiology, alongside his nursing degree and license. Dr. Norrod has contributed extensively to research on community-based health interventions and farmer mental health, securing funding from organizations such as the CDC. His work, which includes numerous peer-reviewed publications and national awards, has had significant impact, including recognition by the Kentucky House of Representatives for his service to farmers and rural communities.

Title: Farm Biosecurity

An introduction to the principles and practices of routine and enhanced biosecurity to help prevent disease on your farm and begin developing your own unique secure food supply plan.

Presenter: Dr. Wesley Crabtree, DVM, Staff Veterinarian, TN Department of Agriculture, Animal Health Division.

Dr. Crabtree is originally from Gallatin, TN where he grew up on a small beef cattle farm and attended UT Knoxville where he received his Bachelors of Animal Science and Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine (2015) degrees. After graduation, he worked as a general practitioner for small animal private practice before transitioning to a Supervisory Public Health Veterinarian role for the USDA Food Safety Inspection Service in 2019. He has since transitioned to the TDA in 2023 where he oversees the TDA One Health, disease reporting, and Swine Health Improvement programs. His professional interests include zoonotic disease, biosecurity, and cardiology. When he’s not at work, he spends most of his time with his wife and children at their home in middle Tennessee and enjoys fishing, playing ball with his kids, and working on his landscaping and vegetable garden.

Title: Zoonotic Diseases and Human Health

This presentation will cover common illnesses that can be passed from animals to humans (zoonoses) and strategies for preventing human illness in a farm setting.

Presenter: Jane Yackley, MPH, Sr. Epidemiologist and Program Director, TN Department of Health

Jane Yackley, MPH is a Senior Epidemiologist and Program Director at the Tennessee Department of Health. She directs the Waterborne and Zoonotic Disease Program, which is responsible for tracking waterborne and zoonotic diseases, responding to outbreaks and providing prevention education. She received her Master of Public Health from Emory University in Atlanta and is an alumna of the Council for State and Territorial Epidemiologists Applied Epidemiology Fellowship.

Title: Farm to Fork: A Farm Family’s Guide to Safe and Healthy Food Preservation

This presentation will explore concepts of food preservation while focusing on utilizing local, fresh foods to enhance health. Session attendees will be able to describe current, evidence-based food preservation methods, identify key food safety principles while preserving items, and demonstrate an understanding of more nutritious approaches to preserving foods. The session will include resources for food preservation, including recipes.

Presenter: Dr. Kristin Riggsbee, Assistant Professor, University of Tennessee

Dr. Kristin Riggsbee is an Assistant Professor and Nutrition and Food Safety Specialist at the University of Tennessee in the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences. Her programmatic focus areas include nutrition education, food safety, culinary skills, and food preservation. Dr. Riggsbee is also a Registered Dietitian and focuses on providing education to individuals, families, and communities regarding safe and nutritious food preservation practices.

Webinar Library and Resources

Below is a list of on-demand webinars. These are available to registered participants and can be viewed for credit in the FFHW program.

Safety Around the Farm
Protecting Your Lungs on the Farm / Grain Bin and Farm Safety
Farm Safety & Handling Livestock / Farm Transition – Planning Today for Tomorrow’s Farms
Health Issues Affecting Farm Families
Family Relationships on the Farm
Prevent and Preserve: Being Proactive to Protect Your Health
Productivity Protocol: Monitoring the Most Valuable Farm Asset / The Impact of Stress on Thinking, Decision Making, and Risk Taking
Managing Stress on the Farm
Risks in Rural America / Money – Let’s Talk About It
You Are Not Alone: Taking Care of Your Mental Health
Taking Control of Family Finances
Maximizing Your Body’s Endurance and Potential
Matter of Balance: It’s not all in your head / Talking About Tough Topics
Strategic Thinking for the Farm Business: Recognizing Opportunities / How to Identify, Manage and Mitigate Farm Stress
Tough Dinner Conversations / Building Connections and Changing Perspectives
Farm and Ranch Succession Planning / Mending the Stress Fence
Work Smarter and Safer on the Farm / Farm Safety and Injuries Management
Livestock and Stress / Keeping Practical People Healthy

Previous Recorded Webinars

Did You Know?

Eligible for 50% cost share for the following TAEP Master Certification Programs:
Genetics, Hay Equipment, Livestock Equipment, Livestock Solutions, Permanent Working Structures, Dairy Solutions, Row Crop Solutions, Agritourism, Fruit & Vegetable, Value-Added Products, Honey Bees, Horticulture, Poultry Grower

Learn More About TAEP Master Certification Programs

Learn More About TAEP

*For More Information:

Janet Fox, jfox35@utk.edu

Wendy Smith, wksmith@utk.edu

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