The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship has been awarded a $500,000 grant to expand farmer mental health support programs in Iowa, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig announced during National Farm Safety and Health Week.
The Department will partner with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach to help raise awareness about mental health and wellness resources, and help make them more accessible to farmers and rural communities, according to a release.
“We all need help from time to time and farmers and landowners are no exception. Some of the challenges they face are unique, like long-term financial stress, unpredictable weather and market uncertainty. We want anyone dealing with added stress and mental health challenges to know that they are not alone,” Naig said. “We are proud to partner with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach to help make mental health and wellness resources more accessible to farmers and our rural communities.”
Through this grant, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach staff will offer community outreach and programming to individuals involved in agriculture and those who support them, a release said. In addition, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach will conduct facilitator training for programs focused on strengthening families. Farmer resource packets will be available with information on how to access stress assistance, wellness and family finance programming.
“While commodity prices have improved over the last year, the derecho a year ago and the drought that has spanned both years has impacted many Iowa farmers. These resources can help farmers and farm families deal with the added stress,” said John Lawrence, Iowa State University vice president for extension and outreach. “Those who work with farmers will have access to tools to help them recognize mental health concerns and offer appropriate assistance.”
This grant was made possible through the “Farm and Ranch Assistance Network” program. Funding is provided through the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
For more information, click here. The Iowa Concern Hotline is also available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-447-1985.
