Farmers in crisis: mental health matters on the prairie
From High Plains Reader:
Jarett Keith doesn’t talk much about it, but he knows the numbers. The 33-year-old farmer near Sherwood has experienced suicide among producers in his own community.
“I’ve been in proximity to some of this,” he said. “I know a handful of younger guys in our area that have taken their own lives that are farmers. I definitely think it doesn’t get talked about very often, but I do believe it’s an issue.”
Researchers and mental health professionals throughout farm country describe the problem in stark terms — farmers and ranchers die by suicide at a rate roughly 3.5 times higher than the general population, according to figures cited by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and backed up by mental health advocates.
…
Vern Thompson —the ag commissioner candidate who farmed through the 1980s crisis himself — has hosted [a round table discussion] aimed at drafting mental health legislation for the 2027 legislative session.
Participants have included legislators from both parties, farmers, ranchers, mental health professionals, faith leaders and representatives from ag organizations. The session in Fargo a few months ago, which involved 48 participants, left an impression on Thompson.
“It was overwhelming,” he said. “Very intense, very emotional and very real. Their heart is in the right place. They’ve come up with some workable solutions.”
