Home National partnership working to combat farmer stress
Local News

National partnership working to combat farmer stress

Contributors
farm agriculture
Photo Credit: flownaksala/Adobe Stock

A national poll conducted in April found that 48 percent of rural adults are experiencing more mental health challenges than a year ago.

Based on those findings, the American Farm Bureau Federation is partnering with Farm Credit and the National Farmers Union to help combat farm stress with a training program that will offer online and in-person training for individuals working with farmers.

The program is based on one developed by Michigan State University Extension for the U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency. It focuses on training participants to understand farmers’ sources of stress, recognize warning signs of stress and suicide, and create communication strategies to reduce the stigma related to mental health concerns in farming communities.

Research found farmers are less likely to seek help, despite suffering higher rates of stress and depression. With 60% of rural Americans living in areas with shortages of mental health professionals, program trainees will work to coordinate mental health services for farmers.

AFBF’s partnership will further connect farmers with financial, legal and mental health resources through the NFU Rural Resilience program and its Farm Crisis Center, which can be found at farmcrisis.nfu.org.

“Farm Bureau is a family, and when a member is hurting, we all feel it and are eager to help. But we may not always know how to spot the warning signs that someone is overwhelmed,” said AFBF President Zippy Duvall. “This training program will help our members recognize the warning signs and empower them to get help for their friends, family, neighbors or even themselves.”

The poll, conducted by AFBF, also showed that 91% of farmers said the main source of their stress was caused by financial issues and 87% feared losing their farm.

At the 2019 Virginia Farm Bureau Federation Annual Meeting in December, Minnesota grain farmer Theresia Gillie warned Virginia farmers that similar stressors led her husband, Keith Gillie, to take his own life in 2017.

Contributors

Contributors

Have a guest column, letter to the editor, story idea or a news tip? Email editor Chris Graham at [email protected]. Subscribe to AFP podcasts on Apple PodcastsSpotifyPandora and YouTube.

Latest News

lgbtq+ court
Politics, Sports News

Trump signs executive order banning trans athletes from high school, college sports

Venezuelan Venezuela flag protest unrest immigrant migrant TPS
Politics, U.S. & World News

Venezuelan family legally in the U.S.: ‘For most people, we are criminals’

A number of Venezuelans living legally in the United States are afraid after the Trump Administration has revoked their protective status.

mark warner
Politics, U.S. & World News

Mark Warner throws down: ‘People need to stand up and speak out’

Mark Warner is starting to get it, that go along to get along isn’t going to work with Trump 2.0, that his predilection for being thought of as a radical centrist is outdated when the other side thinks everybody else is the enemy, and isn’t willing to triangulate.

lab with researcher and test tubes
Politics, U.S. & World News

‘NIH is mission critical’: Lawmakers call out Trump for endangering medical research

fire truck jacket helmet
Local News

Albemarle County: Cooking fire causes blaze in residential structure

crime scene tape
Local News

One injured in Harrisonburg shooting: Police searching for leads in case

student at computer
Politics, U.S. & World News

Trump pledges to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education; He doesn’t say why