EXCERPT: “The University of Minnesota has established a new rural stress task force to address a wide range of socioeconomic issues. University of Minnesota Extension Dean Bev Durgan said the effort comes in response to the stress on farm families and rural communities brought on by several years of low farm income. ‘We’re losing farms. Main Street is looking different — and [the] Extension’s role is to really help people be able to get the information they need and to help them make decisions of what this means for them,’ Durgan said. ‘Is it to prevent farm foreclosures? You know, that is probably something we can’t do, but it really is how do we help communities to respond, how do we help families to adjust to this change.’ The task force has been established to work for one year, but Durgan expects it will be needed for the long term.” FULLSTORY: http://bit.ly/2UVITzV
