Gardner leads bill to extend mental health support to farmers, ranchers

Citing statistics indicating that agricultural workers have higher suicide rates than any other occupation, U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO) introduced a bipartisan bill on April 19 that would expand access to mental health services and support for farmers, ranchers and other agricultural workers.

“As a fifth generation Coloradan who still lives in a tiny town on the Eastern Plains of Colorado that is totally dependent on agriculture, I see the hardships our farmers and ranchers experience every day,” Sen. Gardner said. “My friends and neighbors are filing for bankruptcy, being forced to sell their family farms, taking on more debt and struggling to provide for their families.”

In response to the challenging economic times faced by the agriculture community, Gardner introduced the FARMERS FIRST Act, which stands for the Facilitating Accessible Resources for Mental Health and Encouraging Rural Solutions For Immediate Response to Stressful Times Act. The bill, S. 2712, would amend the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 to reestablish the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network to provide mental health resources for farmers and ranchers. Sen. Gardner introduced the bill along with U.S. Sens. Michael Bennet (D-CO), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Jerry Moran (R-KS) and John Hoeven (R-ND).

“This bipartisan legislation will make sure our agriculture community doesn’t feel abandoned and alone,” Sen. Gardner said. “The forgotten men and women of America must know that we have their backs, that their communities have their backs, and that we will always strive to help them.”

S. 2712 would allocate funding to state departments of agriculture, extension services and nonprofits to establish suicide prevention helplines, support groups and training for farm advocates. Additionally, the bill establishes a Farm and Ranch Stress Assessment Committee to probe issues affecting farm workers’ mental health and to provide recommendations on how to better provide services to meet the mental health needs of the agriculture community, Sen. Gardner’s office said.

Speaking in support of the bill, Colorado Commissioner of Agriculture Don Brown said the nation’s farmers and ranchers must have sufficient services to help them weather stressful economic times.

“When a farmer and rancher is facing a financial crisis, it can create an emotional toll on every aspect of life,” Brown said. “From paying bills, to feeding their children, caring for the livestock and crops, retirement options and even what they will be able to leave their heirs, the worry and anxiety can be overwhelming.”

Indeed, agricultural workers have a higher suicide rate than any other occupation, according to a 2016 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Rocky Mountain Farmers Union President Dale McCall thanked Sen. Gardner for his leadership on the measure. “At a time when farmers and ranchers are facing unstable markets, low commodity prices and drastic weather, legislation like this helps bring certainty and stability to those who grow the food, feed, fiber, and fuel that sustain us all,” McCall added.

Meanwhile, National Milk Producers Federation President and CEO Jim Mulhern expressed support for the FARMERS FIRST Act because “the continued slump in milk prices is creating both economic and emotional stress for dairy farmers…”

Noting that net farm income has been cut in half in the last five years, and rural stress levels are running high, Farm Aid Executive Director Carolyn Mugar said, “This bill is a crucial first step to create a strong safety net for America’s family farmers. We urge Congress to come together and act immediately in a positive and preventative way to get help to the countryside. Farmers and the future of our food depend on it.”