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Farmers have a higher suicide rate than almost any other occupation in America, advocates say.
According to data from the CDC in January 2022, the suicide rate in agriculture is the worst of any sector at 36 per 100,000. said Becky Wiseman, mental health first aid instructor at NY FarmNet. Only construction and mining have high value.
Founded by Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, NY FarmNet offers a confidential hotline at 1-800-547-3726 for agricultural workers to discuss mental health, family and financial crises.
It also offers mental health first aid courses to teach people how to recognize the signs of mental health challenges, help those in crisis and maintain mental health self-care techniques.
One will be on October 19th at the Albright Grange on Route 13 in East Homer, NY FarmNet will also host a Talk Lives webinar on suicide on September 29th.
The series of free mental health first aid courses is funded by a $25 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, according to FarmNet Office Administrator Kendra Jansen.
Wiseman specializes in mental health problems in the agricultural industry. “One of the main ones is their long hours and isolation.” She said. “They mostly work alone and often suffer from fatigue, pain and physical problems.”
“Farming is very dangerous. A skid steer tractor can overturn and kill the farmer. A few were mixed with dung and killed.” Wiseman said.
Uncontrollable factors such as weather and unpredictable crops weigh heavily on farmers. “Heavy rains flood crops. Dry seasons mean that there is not enough crops. Wiseman said.
Wiseman said dairy farms have been hit financially. “Many are selling their farms and cows. “Milk has become very difficult these days as the price of milk is not stable.” She said.
Casey Slade, who has worked around dairy farms all his life, emphasized the society’s dependence on milk production and rising prices. “We have heavy dairy products. Dairy is king in Cortland County.” Slade said.
“Some of the recent stressors in dairying are the cost of growing crops and feeding cows. And buying equipment.” Added Slade.
Slade suggested that dairy farmers try to fix the cause of their distress instead of seeking help for mental health problems.
“As far as responses to stressors go, most farmers take it upon themselves to educate the general public. There is a huge gap between what the public understands about agriculture and what goes into it.” Slade said. “Their response is trying to get the point across about what needs to change. This is about the strength and amazing part of dairy farmers: their resilience. As you reduce the chips, they continue to work.
Many farmers’ insurance policies don’t cover mental health care, Wiseman said. There is also an even worse case of marginalization in the farming community.
“If you park your truck at a so-and-so clinic, there’s a risk that people will see you.” She said. “Sometimes you have to find farmers at the firehouse or the library to talk to them about it.”
People can look at the physical manifestations of mental health problems, Wiseman said, making it easier for farmers to talk about them: “Head and back pain, muscle pain, insomnia, chest pain and indigestion.” She said. “These are symptoms that can talk more than what they are causing.”
Wiseman also suggests looking for changes in routines and behaviors. “If you know the farmer, you can observe changes in their behavior. Have you seen anything out of the ordinary? Does he not go to church? Is he more isolated? She said.
Wiseman’s first step to help is simply to contact the farmer. “Listen. Don’t feel like you have to fix it. This is not what mental health first aid teaches. He says we are people who listen and give hope. She said. “And then we make a referral.”
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