EVERS' PLANS TO PUT A NEW
LEGISLATIVE FOCUS ON FARMERS AND
MENTAL HEALTH.
>> OUR MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAM
WILL ASSIST FARMERS IN ACCESSING
MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT.
THEY WILL ALSO HELP COORDINATE
AND REGIONAL PEER SUPPORT
PROGRAMMING, AND PROVIDE
CONFIDENTIAL ONE-ON-ONE
COUNSELING AND ASSISTANCE TO OUR
FARMERS.
[APPLAUSE]
>> ON THURSDAY THE GOVERNOR
RELEASED A PACKAGE OF FARMER
BILLS THAT INCLUDED RESOURCES
FOR FARMERS IN NEED OF MENTAL
HEALTH SUPPORT.
AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE BILLS'
WOULD AUTHORIZE FIVE NEW
POSITIONS AT THE DEPARTMENT OF
AGRICULTURE TO SERVE AS REGIONAL
AGENCY AGENTS TO ASSIST
FEAMPLES.
THE AGENTS WOULD OVERSEE
REGIONAL PEER SUPPORT PROGRAMS
AS WELL AS CORD
UNDERCOUNSELLING.
THE BILL ALSO -- AS WELL AS
COORDINATE COUNSELING.
TO UNDERSTAND FARMERS' STRESS
AND IDENTIFY THE WARNING SIGNS
OF SUICIDE.
THE PROGRAM IS A
DODGEVILLE-BASED NONPROFIT THAT
DOES DIRECT OUTREACH TO FARMERS
IN NEED OF SERVICES.
THE WORK IS LARGELY PAID FOR BY
A GRANT FROM THE SCHOOL OF AND PUBLIC HEALTH.
WALLY ORZECHOWSKI IS THE
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.
THANKS SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANK YOU FOR INVITING ME.
>> WHAT'S YOUR REACTION ABOUT
THE BILLS THAT THE GOVERNOR
ANNOUNCED THIS WEEK?
>> IT'S ABSOLUTELY TERRIFIC.
WE NEED AS MANY RESOURCES AS WE
CAN.
WE HAVE A VERY SMALL GRANT,
WONDERFUL GRANT, SMALL GRANT AND
WE'RE USING IT TO INTERACT AS
WEST WE CAN WITH THE FARMING
COMMUNITY AND HELP FARMERS WHO
ARE STRESSED AND IN THE END --
YOU KNOW, SOME ARE THINKING
ABOUT AND A FEW HAVE COMMITTED
SUICIDE, WHICH IS ABSOLUTELY
HORRIBLE FOR THEM AND THOSE
AROUND THEM, THEIR FAMILIES.
AND SO THE MORE RESOURCES WE
HAVE, THE BETTER.
AND I THINK WE HAVE SOME GOOD
IDEAS.
WE'RE DOING OUTREACH.
WE'RE WORKING WITH FARMERS.
BUT IT'S JUST THE TIP OF THE
ICEBERG.
WE NEED TO DO MUCH MORE.
SO THOSE RESOURCES ARE GOING TO
BE VERY WELL RECEIVED.
>> AND YOU GET THE SENSE THAT
THOSE RESOURCES WILL KIND OF
TRICKLE DOWN TO THE KINDS OF
PROGRAMMING THAT YOU DO?
>> YEAH.
WE COORDINATE WITH EVERYBODY.
AND WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH
DAD CAP AND THE FARM BUREAU IN
THE PAST ABOUT WORKING TOGETHER.
AND SO, YEAH, SOME OF THEM MAY
TRICKLE DOWN TO ORGANIZATIONS
LIKE OURS, BUT IT'S JUST A
MATTER OF COORDINATION.
>> YOU'VE BEEN ON THE FRONT
LINES OF THIS PROBLEM.
HOW HAVE YOU SEEN THE NEED FOR
MENTAL HEALTH CARE AMONG FARMERS
INCREASE?
>> IT'S BECAUSE OF THE ECONOMIC
ISSUES THAT THEY'RE FACING.
FARMING HAS ALWAYS BEEN A
WONDERFUL BUT AT THE SAME TIME
STRESSFUL OCCUPATION.
BUT WITH THE OVERPRODUCTION OF
MILK AND THE TRADE WARS AND THE
BAD WEATHER AND A WHOLE NUMBER
OF OTHER FACTORS, IT'S REALLY
INCREASED THE STRESS LEVEL.
AND SO MANY FARMS I THINK WE
LOST LIKE 700 FARMS A YEAR IN
2018.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE '19
NUMBERS ARE.
AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, SOME OF
THEM ARE GOING INTO FORECLOSURE
OR BANKRUPTCY.
FARMERS ARE LOSING MONEY.
IT'S CREATED THIS HORRIBLE,
HORRIBLE PERFECT STORM THAT
THESE FARMERS ARE GOING THROUGH.
>> WHAT KINDS OF WORDS DESCRIBE
THESE FARMERS' DESPAIR THAT YOU
HEAR FROM THEM?
>> DESPAIR, STRESS.
NOT KNOWING WHAT TO DO.
I MEAN, FARMERS ARE VERY
INDEPENDENT, TOUGH, STOIC GROUP.
AND IN THAT RESPECT, IT'S -- IT
HELPS THEM IN THEIR OCCUPATIONS
BUT ALSO MAKES IT VERY HARD FOR
THEM TO REACH OUT FOR SERVICES EXPERIENCING THIS.
AND WHATEVER WE'RE DOING, YOU
KNOW, WE HAVE TO WORK -- KEEPING
IN MIND THOSE CULTURAL AND
SOCIAL ISSUES.
I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE STARTED
DOING AND WE NEED TO EXPAND AS
MUCH AS WE CAN.
>> I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU KIND OF
BRING FARMERS TOGETHER BECAUSE
OFTEN THEY FEEL VERY SILHOUETTE.
>> YEAH.
-- ISOLATED.
>> YEAH.
THERE'S OUT THERE WORKING ON
THEIR FARMERS.
THEY'RE NOT INTERACTING EVERY
DAY AND THEY'RE DEALING WITH
THEIR ISSUES ALONE BECAUSE THEY
FIX A TRACTOR OR THEY HAVE A
SICK CALF OR WHATEVER IT HAPPENS
TO BE.
THEY'RE VERY INDEPENDENT.
AND AGAIN, I UNDERSTAND WHY
THAT'S IMPORTANT IN THAT TYPE OF
OCCUPATION, BUT IT ALSO LEADS TO
A LOT OF DIFFICULTY IN TERMS OF
SEARCHING.
THEY WANT TO FIX IT THEMSELVES.
AND FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS,
IT'S NOT -- YOU CAN'T FIX IT
YOURSELF.
YOU NEED HELP.
>> I WAS READING IN REPORTING
AROUND THE KINDS OF WORK THAT
YOU'RE DOING YOU BRING FARMERS
TOGETHER AND OFTEN THESE ARE
TIMES -- THEY HAVEN'T BEEN
TALKING TO EACH OTHER.
AND HOW IS THAT HELPFUL?
>> WELL, FARMERS WILL TALK TO
FARMERS.
OR THEY WILL TALKING TOO MAYBE
THE MILK TRUCK DRIVER.
MAYBE THE LARGE ANIMALS THAT
ARE -- OR SOMEBODY LIKE THAT.
THEY'RE NOT GOING TO WALK INTO A
MENTAL HEALTH CLINIC.
THAT'S JUST NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.
THEY'RE LUCKY IF THEY WALK INTO
MITYPE OF HEALTH CLINIC FOR --
ANY TYPE OF HEALTH CLINIC FOR
ANYTHING.
SO IT HAS TO BE PEOPLE THAT
THEY'RE COMFORTABLE WITH, THAT
THEY TRUST.
WE ARE -- WE REALLY WANT THE FARMERS
TO HELP THE FARMERS.
WE'RE STARTING TO IDENTIFY SOME
FARMERSES BECAUSE OF THEIR
PERSONALITIES AND THEY'RE LIKED
AND TRUSTED IN THEIR COMMUNITY.
THOSE ARE THE FOLKS THAT ARE
GOING TO BE THE THE ONES THAT
ARE GOING TO PROVIDE THAT
SUPPORT.
THERE ARE NOT MUCH MENTAL HEALTH
PROVIDERS ANYWHERE, INCLUDING IN
RURAL PARTS OF WISCONSIN.
AND SO IT HAS TO BE BUBBLING UP
FROM THE COMMUNITY TO HELP THE
FARMERS.
THERE MAY BE MORE COMPLICATED
ISSUES THEY HAVE TO DEAL WITH BY
A PROFESSIONAL, PUT IN TERMS OF
IDENTIFYING THE UNDERLYING
STRESS AND THE POSSIBILITY OF
PEOPLE CONSIDERING SUICIDE, THAT
HAS TO COME FROM THE COMMUNITIES
THEMSELVES.
>> WHAT WOULD YOU TELL TBHEERMS
MIGHT BE IN A POSITION --
FARMERS WHO MIGHT 9 A POSITION
WHERE THEY'RE FEEL BE STRESSED
AND CLOSE TO SUICIDE?
>> YOU'RE NOT ALONE.
THERE'S OTHERS LEAK YOU WHO HAVE
EXPERIENCE -- LIKE YOU WHO ARE
GOING THROUGH WHAT YOU'RE GOING
THROUGH AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE
OUT ALONE.
REACH OUT WHETHER IT'S A
MEMBER OF THE CLERGY OR YOUR
PHYSICIAN OR YOUR SPOUSE OR
WHOMEVER IT HAPPENS TO BE.
THERE ARE SOME RESOURCES OUT
THERE.
AND SOMETIMES IT'S A MATTER OF
TALKING TO THE RIGHT PEOPLE.
BUT YOU DO HAVE TO REACH OUT.
AND THAT'S VERY DIFFICULT.
BUT YOU'RE GOING TO KNOW
SOMEBODY, WHETHER IT'S SOMEBODY
TO COME GET YOUR MILK OR
SOMEBODY WHO'S GOING TO WORK
REQUEST YOUR CATTLE -- WITH YOUR
CATTLE.
YOU'RE GOING TO KNOW SOMEBODY
AND WE'RE FRIGHTENING TO GET TO
THE SOMEBODIES -- TRYING TO GET
TO THE SOMEBODIES TO GET TO THE
FARMERS WHO ARE HIGHLY STRESSED
BECAUSE THEY CAN TELL BY THE
QUALITY OF THE FARM AND HAVE
THOSE CONVERSATIONS AND BRING
THEM INTO THE WORLD THAT CAN
HELP THEM.
>> ALL RIGHT.
WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR