approach and the most effective approach to
preventing this particular virus.
>> In other health related news, the number of farmers
facing significant mental health challenges has been
increasing for decades. But "Here& Now"? Reporter
Steven Potter has this story about the efforts of
state funded programs and the growth in volunteer
groups stepping up to meet the need and help farmers.
As a warning, the following story does discuss suicide.
>> He was always the the happy guy who had a good
story to share, and everybody's like, I never
would have thought your dad would have done this.
>> Growing up in northwestern Wisconsin,
where her family has raised cows and grown crops on the
same stretch of land since the 1880s, Jennifer Webster
remembers her father as a proud farmer.
>> I think my dad chose to farm because he truly
enjoyed it. He enjoyed being a steward of the land.
>> She says. The work was difficult but rewarding.
>> Especially like when you plant the crop, you see it
through to the growing season and then you harvest
it. And he really enjoyed to to see all of his hard
work pay off. >> But over the years
things changed. >> He had had a rough
spring just with how the farming economy was going.
He had mentioned to my mom that farming wasn't fun
anymore a couple of months before he had died.
>> And then her father, Bryan Webster, made one
last decision that would send shockwaves through his
family and the local farming community.
>> He died by suicide, actually, on our farm in
August of 2023. >> While no one expected he
would take his own life, her father did have known
problems with his mental health problems he was
trying to solve. >> He was actually seeking
medical care for depression. He was on medication and
actually was going to go to therapy. But for whatever
reason, he couldn't find a solution to to different
things that were bothering him.
alone in the grief of losing a farmer and loved
one to suicide. According to the federal centers for
Disease Control. Suicide in rural parts of America
increased 46% from 2000 to 2020. That's nearly twice
the suicide rate of urban areas. More specifically,
according to the National Rural Health Association,
farmers and agriculture workers have a suicide rate
that's 3.5 times higher than the general population.
Several individuals, organizations and
government agencies are trying to make sense of
these heightened suicide statistics. One of them is
Karen Endres, who runs the Farmer Wellness Program for
the State of Wisconsin Farm Center.
>> When farmers don't take care of their emotional
wellness, it becomes very challenging. They're
isolating. They also overwork, and it gets to be
very stressful. The number one stressor for farmers is
time management. There's just not enough time in the
day to get everything done that we need to get done to
take care of our land, as well as take care of our
livestock. as a dairy farmer, Endres
says that agricultural work is full of uncertainty.
>> We don't have a lot of stability, so that is a
very large stressor for farmers is the market
conditions. And in the world we are today when we
just we don't have control over trade agreements and
other things, and that can add a lot of pressure when
you don't know what your income will be.
>> Webster adds that there are several other stressors,
like severe weather and sick animals.
>> You kind of have to be able to adjust.
>> But she says some farmers are not able to
adjust and can't cope with the pressure.
so they kind of crawl into a hole. Because farmers are
very prideful, they think that they can manage it.
We're finding more and more farmers are experiencing
depression because they're keeping it all bottled up.
So it's really hard to really be able to express
those and put your pride aside and say, and raise
your hand and say, I'm struggling.
>> There are state run programs designed
specifically for farmers struggling with their
mental health. >> We connect farmers to
either in-person or telehealth visits with
licensed clinical social workers, counselors
throughout our state that are interested in working
with farmers. >> Endres says. A 24 over
seven mental health helpline, as well as online
support groups and therapy vouchers offered through
the state's Farmer Wellness Program, have seen a spike
in interest over the last few years.
increase in the volume of calls, whether that's more
people being aware of the program or increased stress
on our farms. But it's all of us out there. We're
dealing in some very heavy times right now.
>> Overall, the 24 over seven farmer helpline has
seen nearly 750 calls this year, and the therapy
voucher system has grown from about 200 vouchers
issued in 2021 to 500 vouchers issued this year.
Farmers are also becoming more willing to share with
each other. groups were up over 50% in
attendance last year. We created a new group last
year just to fill the demand of people wanting to
connect, wanting to talk. >> Aside from the cost of a
therapist and the and getting an appointment,
there's another barrier from seeking help with
their mental health. And that's the stigma behind
admitting that they need help in the first place.
>> They work really long hours, and a lot of them
are just you're raised to be very independent and
self-reliant. Southwest Health Behavioral
Services in Grant County, says that her client base
of farmers and their problems continues to grow.
>> The biggest ones I probably see are like the
depression and anxiety. And then also, again, kind of
starting to use substances to help cope because they
don't know where else to turn.
>> But once farmers do get some help, things begin to
improve. >> Just helping to kind of
get over that stigma or that that kind of sense of,
I'm really hesitant to do this. You can tell, like
they're starting to take care of themselves a little
bit more, or they're starting to feel like
spirits are up a little more.
>> We're all working together to try to help
farmers understand that it's okay not to be okay.
>> Families like the Websters know that nothing
will bring their loved ones back, but they can try to
help other farmers from sinking so deep into
depression and hopelessness that they end their own
lives. And that's where organizations like the
Farmer Angel Network come in.
is an organization that focuses around farmer to
farmer suicide prevention. We are an organization that,
in western Wisconsin that really promotes fellowship
and encouraging conversations in our
community around farm mental health.
the network, Webster and others have raised
awareness about the struggles farmers face by
hosting community events like picnics and educating
health care providers. Their goal is to make
farmers feel seen, recognized, and appreciated.
>> One other thing we do is we do what I call random
acts of kindness. So we give gift cards to farmers
where, especially if you're a dairy farmer, going out
for dinner with your family can be really challenging.
>> As she and her brothers and mother Steil at the
Webster Farm know that help is needed now more than
ever. >> We definitely want to be
able to give them a sense of hope that that that
their life is, is worth living. Their farm is worth,
is worth the fight. And just giving them a sense of
of hope and opportunity and providing resources for
them to help them cope. them to help them cope.