Help on the Way for Florida Farmers Coping With Stress
November 4, 2021 Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried has announced the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) has been awarded a $500,000 grant from USDA to carry out a new Farm Stress Awareness and Reduction Initiative.
With this grant award, FDACS will launch an outreach campaign to help raise awareness about mental health and to promote existing and expanded services to farm and rural communities across the state. FDACS also will partner with UF/IFAS to train public school agriculture teachers, 4-H, Future Farmers of America members, and others to recognize the signs of farm stress in their communities and families.
Additionally, the program will help create partnerships to help agriculture producers connect with mental health services in their communities and to expand the reach of new telehealth sites in rural counties.
Statistics indicate stress on the farm and suicides have been increasing over the past decade, with suicides among farmers 3.5 times the national average in 2019. Half of farmers and farmworkers say it’s difficult to access therapy or counseling in their communities. Nearly nine in 10 farmers cite financial issues, farm business issues, and fear of losing their farms as mental health stressors, particularly with farm bankruptcies reaching high levels last year despite record federal aid – and that was before the COVID-19 pandemic began. Two thirds of farmers and farmworkers say that COVID-19 has impacted their mental health.
“Florida’s farmers and producers have had to contend with a number of difficult issues over the past few years, from pandemic supply chain disruptions to natural disasters and unfair trade practices, which is why this new initiative is so important,” Fried says. “All of these stressors can create significant mental health challenges for even the most self-reliant farmers. It’s crucial that our farming communities know that they aren’t alone in dealing with these issues and that there are places they can turn to help.”
See more of what she has to say in this video.
On this #NationalStressAwarenessDay I want to take the time to highlight farmer & farmworker stress and mental health.
I am proud to announce that @FDACS has been awarded a $500k grant from the @USDA to implement our Farm Stress Awareness and Reduction Initiative. Learn more ⏬ pic.twitter.com/agp8UZtU0W
— Commissioner Nikki Fried (@NikkiFriedFL) November 3, 2021