Men living on Minnesota farms have a suicide rate of three times more than those who do not. The state program, which features two experts, offers a lifeline.
St. Paul, Minnesota – For years, Minnesota farm and country helpline It has provided unique outlets for farmers and ranchers across the state who are dealing with stress, anxiety and other mental health struggles.
The helpline offers three options to reach out. Phone, text, or email. However, only two mental health experts are primarily responsible for those calls.
“We travel around the state, go where they are and work on essentially farm-related issues,” said Ted Matthews, one of two state-certified rural mental health specialists. It states. “We’re there and it’s available. We’re very well trained too.”
For years, Matthews was the only person to handle those calls. Then, in 2019, the state invited another counselor, Monica McConkey, to help deepen the crisis.
State data shows that suicide rates among men and women living on farms and ranches in Minnesota were far higher than everyone else in the state.
“In a year when things are financially bad, these prices tend to skyrocket, whether they are extreme weather or due to product prices,” McConkey said.
Two recent data for 2021 and 2022 show that the issues continue to grow. Suicide rates among male farm residents in Minnesota were over 60 per residents, roughly three times as many as other Minnesota men.
“We’ve been hearing these things and seeing the huge numbers was a real shock,” said McConkey, who addressed the House Agricultural Finance and Policy Committee on Monday.
The suicide rates for farmers have not yet been calculated for 2023 and 2024, but McConkey says he is interested in the spikes he has received over the past few months.
“They started building last year,” she said. “When we look at product prices, we are heading into a really difficult period of growth. So what I’m hearing from the farmers I work with is, “I don’t know how to do that.” ‘”
It adds the continued impact of bad weather, the effects of avian flu on livestock, and all of the recent political turmoil surrounding tariffs and cuts in federal funds.
“I just got a call with the farmer. It was through several different federal grants, and he ordered a new airsizer,” McConkey said. “It’s a pretty substantial cost. It’s now being shipped. At the same time, he said, ‘Would these federal funds pass?’
McConkey also shared an email from a farmer who recently reached out for the first time despite admitting that he had struggled with mental health over the years.
“(In email) he says, “I’ve had more farming difficult for me than any previous year, for the past decade. I always think I’m optimistic about the past. But over the last few years I feel more uncertain about the future,” said McClinkey, who she read through an email. “This is like a snapshot of a lot of what we’re seeing.”
It’s also just one of the roughly 650 emails I received last year.
Multiply it by 2 and you start to understand what she and Matthews are against.
“We don’t have time, and that’s the truth,” Matthews said. “We’re really, really booked. The issues right now are so immeasurable that our phones are constantly ringing.
Are you a Minnesota farmer, rancher or employee and navigate financial issues, price and marketing uncertainty, farm relocation issues, production challenges, marital difficulties, and social pressure stress If you’re struggling to gate, there are people and organizations that can help.
Help us with stress, anxiety, depression, choked sensations, and crisis situations
Help me with my daily life
Business, financial and legal support
If it helps you figure out who to contact, call 833-600-2670 or use TTY on 711.
If you or someone you know is facing a mental health crisis, there is help available from the following resources:
Crisis Text Line – Text “MN” to 741741 (standard data and text rate apply)
Minnesota County Crisis Phone Number
Talk to someone now, National Suicide Prevention Lifeline in 988
Crisis throughout Minnesota (** 274747)
866-488-7386’s Trevor project
