Although entertainment is the main purpose of most theater productions, a new play about stress also has the health and safety of Minnesota farm families in mind.

The play will be presented in northern Minnesota at the following locations: Thief River Falls on Thursday, February 18, at 6:00 p.m. at the Northwest Technical College and in Crookston on Friday, February 19, at 6:00 p.m. on the University of Minnesota, Crookston (UMC) Campus, in the Salhlstrom Conference Center, Brown Dining Hall. Both of these performances are free and open to the public. A light supper will be served, also free of charge. Farm Alarm will also be presented at the Potato Growers and Small Grains Expo on Tuesday February 9, at the Fargodome in Fargo, ND.

Farm Alarm is part of a new University of Minnesota Extension Service project called "Partners for Farm Health and Safety." It's funded by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and involves three regional coordinators working with U of M faculty and staff on the St. Paul campus.

Carolyn Weber, Partners project coordinator in the Red River Valley, says stress is an increasing concern in farming today. "Early in this project, I talked with dozens of people to find out which farm health and safety issue they are most concerned about," she says. "The response was overwhelming--stress."

Weber was active herself in farming until 1995 when their family farm near Crookston reduced to 200 acres from a former 2,000 acre operation. "Farming has become a very demanding big business with time constraints, deadlines and enormous financial pressures," she says. "Many farmers I've talked with are also consumed at times with internal stressors such as being afraid of failure, pressure to succeed and concern about the possibility of losing the family farm."

Weber says that Farm Alarm and the discussion that follows will help farmers see that they're not alone as they work through the current farm issues. The play and workshop will provide very specific, concrete, manageable strategies to reduce stress and the potential for a serious injury or illness.

The play should work well as an educational vehicle, says John Shutske, farm safety and health specialist with the University of Minnesota Extension Service and Partners project director. "Good educational programs are engaging, fun and involve participants in an interactive way," he notes. "We will be presenting true stories through the actors. The stories are based on our research with dozens of farm families, as well as agribusiness people such as feed and fertilizer salespeople, lenders and consultants."

"Our own research supports the fact that farmers like to learn from other farmers," adds Shutske. "A study we've just completed on the occupational health and safety needs of livestock industry employers indicated 'other producers' are one of the most credible sources of information. Many farm magazines feature stories of helpful hints gleaned from their producer-readers. Often, these are the most popular sections. We hope farmers and their families will share ideas and positive methods for reducing stress and improving safety."