Mercer University School of Medicine’s Georgia Rural Health Innovation Center and its Georgia Agricultural Wellness Alliance hosted more than 230 attendees at the 2026 Georgia Farm Stress Summit. The event took place at Fort Valley State University’s C.W. Pettigrew Farm and Community Life Center.
Underscoring the theme of “Deep Roots, Strong Communities: Building Healthy Ag Networks,” speakers and panelists emphasized the toll stressors can take on farmers’ mental health and offered encouragement and ideas for support. Notable speakers included Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities Commissioner Kevin Tanner, Georgia Farm Bureau President Tom McCall and AgriSafe Network Health Director Tara Haskins, DNP, RN, AHN-BC.
Attendees participated in breakout sessions on topics including COMET (Changing Our Mental and Emotional Trajectory) training, farm mental health resources for providers and agricultural agencies, and heirs’ property issues. Preconference activities included a research discussion, farm tour and Community Resiliency Model (CRM) presentation on stress-management tools.
