SPRINGFIELD, IL (Chambana Today) — Illinois Department of Agriculture Director Jerry Costello II is encouraging farmers and agricultural families to prioritize mental health and seek support amid ongoing financial and emotional pressures facing the farming industry.
In a letter released during Mental Health Awareness Month, Costello said today’s agricultural challenges are creating stress levels unlike those seen in decades.
“Across Illinois, farmers are navigating financial uncertainty and the mental strain that comes with an increasingly unpredictable industry,” Costello wrote. “These challenges do not stay in the field or the barn. They follow farmers home, impacting stress levels, family relationships, and mental health.”
Costello cited statistics showing farmers are 3.5 times more likely to die by suicide than the general population, while noting that stigma surrounding mental health treatment often discourages people from asking for help.
“That mentality needs to change,” he wrote. “Seeking support is not a sign of weakness. It is a sign of strength.”
The Illinois Department of Agriculture supports the Farm Family Resource Initiative, a confidential assistance program designed specifically for Illinois farm families. Through the initiative’s toll-free hotline, 1-833-FARM-SOS, farmers and family members can access free telehealth counseling from professionals familiar with the unique challenges of agricultural life.
Costello said the state hopes to continue reducing stigma and ensuring farm families understand that help is available year-round, not only during Mental Health Awareness Month.
More information about the Farm Family Resource Initiative is available through the Illinois Department of Agriculture and Southern Illinois University School of Medicine.