How Ohio is working to help farmers with mental health concerns

COLUMBUS, Ohio ( WCMH ) — Tough. When you talk to farmers, it’s how they describe themselves. It’s also how people who work with farmers describe them.

No matter the weather or economic conditions, farmers show up and deliver a product. Their products fuel the country.

But modern farmers face compounding stress. Stagnant or sagging crop prices, rising production costs and the changing climate all factor into difficult times for the people who drive the agriculture industry.

“Just the stress of managing farms and the millions of dollars it takes to invest in the equipment of the farm, all the buildings and maintenance and everything that it takes, all of those things are very expensive,” said Scott Higgins, CEO of the Ohio Dairy Producers Association. “The stress level is certainly there.”

And stress has materialized in a grim manner. Mental health is now among the top concerns in the industry.

“I know there can be some mental health stigmas in agriculture that a lot don’t like to address,” said Ross Black, a central Ohio farmer. “When it doesn’t rain and your livelihood depends on rain, it sometimes gets difficult.”

According to data from the National Rural Health Association, American farmers are 3 1/2 times more likely to commit suicide than the general population. It’s become such a shocking trend that states like Ohio are ramping up resources to give farmers hope.

Ohio has introduced a new program called “Got Your Back,” born out of a partnership between the Ohio Department of Agriculture, the Ohio Farm Bureau and other state organizations. The website connects Ohio farmers to mental health support services, both at the state and local level.

“You think about everything the farmer has to deal with that’s out of their control: The weather, the markets, equipment breakdowns, even if they’re going to be able to save the farm because of economic pressures that they’re dealing with, or if it’s economic development that’s coming into their neighborhoods that might be taking their farmland down the road,” said Ty Higgins of the Ohio Farm Bureau. “All those things weigh on a farmer’s mind day in and day out.”

Ohio State’s Department of Agriculture has created an online training module called “Farm Stress Certified” to aid mental health professionals in assisting farmers who are struggling.

“If you’re not taking care of you, how are you taking care of your farm?” said Sarah Noggle from OSU Extension. “It’s ingrained. It’s called an agrarian imperative. And so when we talk about that agrarian imperative, I don’t want to lose my land. I don’t want to be the generation that loses that farm. I don’t want it to go away because I’ve grown up with that.”

If you or someone you know is struggling, you do not need to suffer in silence. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline can be reached at 988. The Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation can be reached at 614-429-1528.

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