A host of agricultural industry groups have voiced support for bipartisan legislation from U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer (R-MN) that would make mental health treatment more available to farmers, an occupation the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports has among the nation’s highest rates of suicide.
“Farmers in Minnesota and across America are in the midst of a suicide crisis,” said Rep. Emmer. “Those who work in agriculture face uniquely high-stress challenges ranging from social isolation to strong dependence on factors outside of their control. Combined with the incredible lack of mental health treatment available, our farmers have been left to suffer alone in the shadows without the help and care they need and deserve.”
The Stemming the Tide of Rural Economic Stress and Suicide (STRESS) Act, H.R. 5259, which Rep. Emmer introduced on March 13, would reestablish a farm and ranch stress assistance network, according to the congressional record summary, to support agricultural producers and workers who the CDC reports have an elevated risk for depression and suicide.
“It’s no secret that the farm economy is struggling. What’s harder to talk about is the stress that it puts on farmers. The STRESS Act addresses the very real mental health challenges farmers face,” said Matthew Fitzgerald, co-leader of the Central Minnesota Young Farmers Coalition, in a March 29 joint statement with other organizations supporting H.R. 5259.
“Farms are the cornerstone of our communities and this legislation demonstrates that the community understands, values and supports its farmers. We are grateful for that and, as always, remain optimistic about the future,” said Fitzgerald, who is also a farmer.
The National Farmers Union (NFU) pointed out that farming and ranching is a highly stressful occupation as it is. On top of that, the worsening American farm economy has also put many producers “in a state of financial crisis,” the organization said.
Additionally, for anyone living and working in rural areas who seek mental health services, “they face two giant obstacles: availability and accessibility,” the National Rural Health Association (NRHA) said in the joint statement. “In 55 percent of all American counties, most of which are rural, there is not a single psychologist, psychiatrist or social worker,” according to NRHA.
The groups specifically support H.R. 5259 because it would reauthorize the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network (FRSAN), which was originally established under the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 but funding lapsed thereafter, according to Rep. Emmer’s staff.
“FRSAN could help support agricultural workers and their families in rural communities by providing easily obtainable resources for mental health services,” the NRHA said.
FRSAN funded partnerships to train farm advocates, establish helplines, and provide outreach and support services, according to NFU, which applauded efforts by U.S. Reps. Tom O’Halleran (D-AZ) and Emmer “to ensure family farmers get the support they need to stay healthy and afloat through these tough times.”
The Minnesota Farmers Union also thanked Rep. Emmer for introducing the bill, which would provide mental health support for producers facing “a sluggish farm economy, especially for dairy farmers.”
“With the unique and unpredictable stress and emotional situations in farming, having support when you need it is essential to keeping farmers farming,” Minnesota Farm Bureau President Kevin Paap said in support of the bill.
In addition to Rep. O’Halleran, other cosponsors of H.R. 5259 include U.S. Reps. John Katko (R-NY) and Rodney Davis (R-IL). H.R. 5259 has been referred to the U.S. House Agriculture Subcommittee on Biotechnology, Horticulture and Research.