News Releases

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) – member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies – today joined colleagues on both sides of the aisle in introducing the Facilitating Accessible Resources for Mental Health and Encouraging Rural Solutions For Immediate Response to Stressful Times (FARMERS FIRST) Act to provide our nation’s agricultural community with critical mental health support and resources.

A 2016 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found agricultural workers have a higher suicide rate than any other occupation. To assist these farmers in crisis, this bipartisan legislation would provide seed funding through the U.S. Department of Agriculture to state departments of agriculture, state extension services and non-profits to establish helplines, provide suicide prevention training for farm advocates, create support groups and reestablish the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network. In addition to these resources, the bill would establish a Farm and Ranch Stress Assessment Committee to better understand how agricultural workers’ mental health impacts rural development and provide recommendations for addressing mental health care needs within the agriculture community.

Additional co-sponsors include U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.), Joni Ernst (R-Neb.), Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) and Cory Gardner (R-Colo.). The bipartisan FARMERS FIRST Act also has growing support from more than ten agriculture-focused organizations.

“Farmers are facing uncertain times and need adequate services to deal with this mounting stress in the industry. The resources provided by Senators Baldwin, Ernst, Moran, and Heitkamp’s FARMERS FIRST Act provide tools farmers need to manage these difficulties, allowing them to connect with all the resources at their disposal. I thank the Senators for introducing this vital legislation,” said National Corn Growers Association Executive Vice President Jon Doggett.

“The National Farm Medicine Center shares the goals of FARMERS FIRST Act co-sponsors in wanting to increase access to mental health care for the farm and ranch populations, who are subject to such unpredictable and unfavorable economic and environmental stressors,” said National Farm Medicine Center’s Josie Rudolphi, PhD.

“The continued slump in milk prices is creating both economic and emotional stress for dairy farmers, which is why we support the continuation of the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network (FRSAN) and the FARMERS FIRST Act, sponsored by Senators Baldwin and Ernst. We hope to see it move forward as part of the 2018 Farm Bill,” said National Milk Producers Federation’s Jim Mulhern.

“For those in rural areas seeking mental health services, they face two giant obstacles: availability and accessibility. In 55% of all American counties, most of which are rural, there is not a single psychologist, psychiatrist or social worker. The Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network (FRSAN) could help support agricultural workers and their families in rural communities by providing at-home resources for mental health services. As rural communities and economies struggle to come back from the Great Recession, many in the agriculture industry who have experienced little recovery are at higher risk of substance abuse and suicide. We applaud the bipartisan work of our rural health advocates in introducing legislation to provide a key resource for those at risk,” said National Rural Health Association’s Jessica Seigel.

“With the current situation of farmers working below their cost of production, we are seeing a resurgence of financial and emotional stress and an increasing rate of farmer suicide, similar to the farm crisis of the 1980’s. There is a desperate need for the Federal Government to develop pricing formulas that insure farmers and farm workers have a living wage, since financial stress is the driving force in farmer depression and suicide. Re-establishing the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network can provide help for farmers who are suffering and contemplating suicide as their only way out,” said NFFC Board President Jim Goodman.

“With net farm income cut in half over the last five years, rural stress levels are dangerously high. We cannot afford to lose one more farmer. This bill is a crucial first step to create a strong safety net for America’s family farmers. We urge Congress to come together and act immediately in a positive and preventative way to get help to the countryside. Farmers and the future of our food depend on it,” said Farm Aid Executive Director Carolyn Mugar.

“Farmers and ranchers are among the hardest-working class of citizens. With net farm income plummeting more than 50 percent in the last six years, the job has become even tougher. The Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network (FRSAN) is intended to help ranching families in tough times overcome their challenges. The United States Cattlemen’s Association (USCA) thanks Senator Joni Ernst and Senator Tammy Baldwin for supporting U.S. producers. We look forward to working with Congress in the drafting of the upcoming Farm Bill to address the underlying causes contributing to declining farm income and to advance policies that strengthen the bottom lines of U.S. cattle producers,” said U.S. Cattlemen’s Association President Kenny Graner.

“The Rural & Agriculture Council of America (RACA) appreciates Senators Joni Ernst and Tammy Baldwin making resources available for ranching and farming families who may need it during this period of declining farm income. The Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network (FRSAN) is intended to help rural America overcome tough times. This bill is not a means to an end, but rather, it provides for much needed resources and tools. RACA will continue working with Congress and the Administration to promote policies that bolster the incomes of rural American families,” said Rural & Agriculture Council of America Vice President Chris Skorupa.

“Last fall, we traveled across Kansas and Iowa to report on the suicide crisis on America’s farms. We are proud supporters of The FARMERS FIRST Act, introduced by Senator Baldwin and her co-sponsors, Senators Ernst, Heitkamp, and Moran. This bi-partisan effort will re-authorize and fund the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network (FRSAN), which will provide life-saving assistance to America’s farmers and farmworkers. We extend our gratitude to the farmers, family members, and advocates who—from fields, pickup trucks, and around kitchen tables—bravely shared their stories with us,” said Female Farmer Project’s Debbie Weingarten and Audra Mulkern.

“NASDA applauds the bipartisan introduction of this bill to help individuals deal with the extreme stresses facing agriculture by providing resources for tools like stress hotlines and web services. State departments of agriculture are on the front lines with producers helping tackle these issues and the FRSAN will create needed coordination of these efforts,” said National Association of State Departments of Agriculture CEO Dr. Barbara P. Glenn.

The FARMERS FIRST Act has been endorsed by:

American Soybean Association
Female Farmer Project
National Association of State Departments of Agriculture
National Corn Growers Association
National Cotton Council
National Family Farm Coalition
National Farm Medicine Center
National Milk Producers Federation
National Rural Health Association
Rural and Agricultural Council of America
U.S. Cattlemen’s Association 

###