Virginia’s Farmer Stress Task Force Provides Access to Mental Health Resources
In partnership with: Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Launched in the spring of 2019, the Farmer Stress Task Force was created by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) in partnership with agricultural-and health-related agencies and organizations. The goal of the task force is to connect the state’s agricultural community with mental health resources while reducing the stigma associated with seeking help.
“Many farmers believe reaching out and asking for help is a sign of weakness, which becomes a huge problem when they’re suffering with mental health issues,” says Robert Mills, a first-generation farmer who owns Briar View Farm in Callands. Mills actually helped inspire VDACS Commissioner Dr. Jewel H. Bronaugh to establish the Farmer Stress Task Force. “It’s important for farmers to have stress-management resources that are easily accessible, and they need to be able to speak with someone who understands their situation,” Mills says.
Another Virginia farmer who inspired the creation of the Farmer Stress Task Force, Joshua Fleenor, knows firsthand the challenges and stressors associated with the agriculture industry. After unexpectedly losing his farm-management job in 2015, Fleenor battled depression – an issue he never thought he would encounter.
See more: Mental Health Resources Are Available for Farmers in Need
“If this depression could happen to me, I know it could happen to anyone,” says Fleenor, who now owns the farm he managed and serves as an agriculture instructor and FFA advisor at Cumberland High School. “Farmers are under so much stress, with commodity prices fluctuating and weather out of our control, and there’s the added pressure many feel to keep their multigenerational farms up and running. We can’t change the design of the market, but we can change how we approach dealing with these stressors.”
The Farmer Stress Task Force intends to do just that by ensuring the state’s farmers understand the importance of mental health and have the necessary tools and support to handle any mental health issues or crises that may occur.
“We are developing a network of resources for farmers and their families that can help meet their mental health needs,” says Landre Toulson, VDACS mental health and stress manager who works closely with the Farmer Stress Task Force. “We’re focusing heavily on more rural areas of Virginia that may not have an abundance of mental and behavioral health services. Statistically, farming is one of the most dangerous professions in our country, and when you combine that with the everyday stresses of farming, it’s easy to see why we need to support our agricultural producers.”
Resources for Farmers in Need
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
Call: (800) 273-8255
Text: 741741
Virginia Department of Behavioral Health & Developmental Services
Call: (804) 786-3921
Website: dbhds.virginia.gov
Farm Stress Task Force Brochure