A&T Partners on Mental Health Grant to Support Helene-Affected Farmers, Communities

EAST GREENSBORO, N.C. (Aug. 29, 2025) – Additional mental health services will be available to support farmers, ranchers and communities affected by Hurricane Helene, thanks to a federal grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Those services are needed now as much as when Helene struck North Carolina in September 2024, said Crystal Cook-Marshall, Ph.D., director of NC AgrAbility and agromedicine coordinator for Cooperative Extension at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University.

“People have been so busy trying to clean up and get back on their feet that they just now may have enough time to really feel the feelings that came with the events last fall,” said Cook-Marshall.

The $292,439 grant will be used by the North Carolina Agromedicine Institute's Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network-NC to provide:

• An updated N.C. Farmer Stress Directory. The directory will be expanded to include resources related to natural disasters;
• An expanded N.C. Farm Helpline (844-325-3276), to offer round-the-clock help with resources, crisis intervention and emotional support services;
• Free, confidential counseling and behavioral health support from peers and providers who understand agriculture;
• Free psychological first-aid training and mental health literacy for farmers and other agricultural workers;
• A project impact report.

North Carolina A&T, East Carolina University and North Carolina State University are the primary partners of the N.C. Agromedicine Institute, which is based at ECU. The Institute can be reached by calling 252-744-1008 or emailing agromedicine@ecu.edu.

People seeking mental health assistance also can call the NC Farm Help Line at 844-325-3276 or visit the website, ncfarmstress.org.

The grant is funded through the Rapid Response program of the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.