Ashtabula County Farm Bureau’s On-Farm Outreach Creates a Harvest of Hope

To remind farmers that their lives are more valuable than any crop, and that Farm Bureau will always stand beside them - not just as advocates, but as neighbors and friends - Ashtabula County (Ohio) Farm Bureau launched a harvest-time outreach initiative.

Ashtabula County Farm Bureau was intentionally inclusive in its planning for "Feed a Farmer: Harvest of Hope," bringing in businesses and youth, along with Farm Bureau leaders, to ensure it was a community effort. Partners included ag loan institutions, two grocery stores, area cooperatives and FFA.

Eight volunteers, alongside county staff, set out to deliver 185 snack bags directly to farmers. They also distributed bags at four cooperative grain sites, ultimately reaching farmers from three counties and even a neighboring state.

The snack bags, packed by FFA members, included protein-packed snacks and water; a flyer thanking farmers and encouraging self-care with a QR code for farm stress resources; mental health resource cards with crisis hotline numbers, signs of stress to watch for and a link to peer support networks; and farm-themed stress toys for lighthearted relief. For the FFA members, volunteering was about more than just packing the snack bags, it was about gaining an understanding of the stressors farmers face and the mental health challenges that come with the way of life.

By meeting farmers where they were at - in their fields at harvest time, Ashtabula County Farm Bureau made it easy for farmers to open up, with some just happy for a quick break from the isolation of harvest and many others clearly wanting to talk, a strong sign that human connection mattered as much as the snacks.

County Activities of Excellence
Ashtabula County Farm Bureau's "Feed a Farmer: Harvest of Hope" earned the organization a County Activities of Excellence Award from the American Farm Bureau Federation. They were among 25 counties invited to display their activity at the 2026 AFBF Convention trade show in January in Anaheim, California.