National Grange to Highlight Rural Health at Annual Convention – American AG Network
By Jesse Allen
The National Grange, the United States’ oldest agricultural fraternity and rural service organization, will hold its 157th annual conference and legislative session at the Niagara Falls Convention Center in Niagara Falls, New York from November 14-18, 2023. With nearly 600 elected officers, Delegates, Grange members and guests attending, the annual convention serves to set national legislative policies for the organization and is also a major networking and social event for members from across the country.
This year, partnerships will be elevating the National Grange’s work on behalf of all Americans.
While most events during the week are for members only, one event open to the public is presented in partnership with Rural Minds, a nonprofit focused on destigmatizing conversations about mental health in rural America, and NY FarmNet. The “Talk Saves Lives” program will be held on Saturday, November 18 at 9 am in the Olmsted room of the Niagara Falls Convention Center, 101 Old Falls Street, Niagara Falls, NY.
To help confront the rural mental health emergency happening in rural America, this presentation will provide suicide awareness and prevention training from Becky Wiseman, LCSW-R, a mental health professional with an approach that’s relevant to people living in rural communities. Among other things, attendees will learn what causes people to consider suicide, protective factors that lower suicide risk, and strategies for managing mental health and being proactive about self-care.