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Farm stress program warns funding gaps can disrupt mental health services for farmers
An extension educator says consistent funding would provide better mental health resources for farmers.
Remington Rice with Michigan State University Extension’s Managing Farm Stress Program recently testified during a Michigan House subcommittee hearing about increasing demand for the program.
“If we want a strong agricultural system, we have to support the people who make that system work,” he says. “That includes their mental health, their family well-being, and the stability of the businesses they run.”
Rice says many state programs rely on funding through the USDA’s Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network, but appropriation delays can interrupt services.
“There’s this mismatch between the health of our farmers and the grant world,” he shares. “Grants can come and go. They can start and stop, and the stress doesn’t.”
Chairman Matthew Bierlien says farm stress is a growing challenge that needs to be addressed.
“I’ve seen firsthand what selling a farm does to a family,” he shares. “I’ve seen how it can affect multiple generations of that family. I appreciate everything you’re doing, and we want to be good partners and find ways to help you move forward with this.”
MSU’s program was established a decade ago in response to rising suicide rates and increasing farm stress.
Rice says staffing has fallen from a peak of 22 educators to just four with current funding levels.
The program’s counseling services were suspended for several months last year after a federal grant expired at the same time state funding lapsed.