AUDIO: Rachel Brown – Farm Family Resource Initiative
The mental health specialist with the Farm Family Resource Initiative (FFRI) says the group’s Helpline is seeing an increase in calls from farmers battling stress.
Rachel Brown tells Brownfield, “Just to have somebody to talk to sometimes, to talk about the stress that’s going on, sometimes we just need to have somebody there to be a listening ear.” She says, “With the way the economy is going and the financial stress that’s happening on the farm right now, there’s lots of folks who are taking advantage of the resources that we offer.”
She says the uptick in calls coincides with spring planting season.
“We’re facing a lot of financial stress in this season.” She says, “We’re heading into planting. There’s going to be some long hours. They’re out there working, and I know that they’re just kind of sitting in the cab of the tractor thinking about all the financial worries and the stress that’s happening.”
In Illinois, farmers that call 833-FARM-SOS are also eligible for up to six free counseling sessions.
“It’s a really great way to kind of get your foot in the door with counseling, especially if you’ve never been.” She says, “This is an opportunity to do it where you don’t have to pay anything upfront to do this and you can talk through some of those challenges that you’re facing.”
Farmers across the country can call 1-800-FARM-AID for access to resources, and the national Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is 988.
