Tag Archives: farmer suicide

Resources Available for Those Struggling with Mental Illness, Stress

Posted on by

Atlanta, GA |

Weather, input prices, commodity prices; these are just a handful of the things that are out of farmer’s control and are the reasons why so many struggle with stress and mental health issues. It’s a real problem across the country and is something Kevin Tanner, Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities finds deeply troubling and is something he’s seen firsthand.

“For me, having been born in that lifestyle and raised on a farm and having a farm of my own, I know what it’s like to have that generational farm where you’re looking at seven generations of people before me have farmed in North Georgia. They’ve had land in this in this state, you don’t want to be the generation for that to end. And then the other thing about being a farmer; if you work for a company, you’re getting a paycheck every week, every two weeks, you know exactly what you’re getting paid and if it rains or if a storm comes through, you’re still getting a paycheck. But as a farmer, there’s so many things you can do the very best job you can, but there’s so many things out of our control,” says Tanner.

In recent years, the topic of mental health has found its way into the spotlight, as there’s less stigma surrounding the topic. In Georgia, the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities has even formed a hotline for those in need to be able to call, which Tanner says is just the tip of the iceberg.

“988 is more than a phone number because you can call 988 as a law enforcement officer, as a family member, as someone who needs help themself, whatever the case might be and it may be something as simple as calling 988 to say, ‘I’ve been depressed lately. I’ve got a lot of things going on financially, and I need someone I can talk to, and I have a certain type of insurance,’- they can help connect you to a community-based service. It may be a family member calling to say, ‘my child is in mental health crisis and I need help.’ 988 can dispatch a mobile crisis team anywhere in the state of Georgia. So they will come and meet you where you are and I think that’s important for people to understand. So, it’s more than just talking to someone on the phone. If you need the resource, they’ll come to you,” says Tanner.

In the end, Tanner says regardless of zip code or occupation, 988 is a resource for all, but understands the complexities of mental health challenges within the ag community and wants to reassure that help is just a phone call away.

“I just think that it’s important for the farming community to know how much they’re appreciated because so many people don’t understand where their food comes from, and they just take those things for granted, but I just want our farming community to know that I appreciate the sacrifices they make each and every day. There’s a lot of us that feel that way and that we are here, ready to stand up and provide the resources they need to be successful, because they are the backbone of our state, the number one industry in our state, and they’re the backbone of our country,” says Tanner.

By: John Holcomb

Presidents’ Conference Focuses on Unity

Posted on by

Perry, GA

With agriculture being so diverse and spread out across Georgia, bringing together industry leaders to discuss issues facing different areas of the state can be challenging. However, it’s a gap the Georgia Farm Bureau President’s Conference looks to bridge by gathering the more than one hundred and fifty county presidents under one roof.

[Tom McCall – President, Georgia Farm Bureau]
“The good thing about getting all the presidents from all over the state together in one room is they get to know each other,” says GFB President, Tom McCall. “We have a good many new presidents that were elected back in the Fall. This is their first conference here. We want the guy from South Georgia to know the guy in North Georgia, so they’ll be able to talk to each other and know who they’re talking to, especially when it comes to a legislative issue that we need help all over the state.”

That type of cooperation between farmers will not only help them on their operations, but also strengthen an already heavy presence in the legislative arena.

“Our people up there are top notch, trusted, and reputable. So, we want to get all our people to be able to help them take care of farmers,” says McCall. “Farmers are who we look after. That is our main goal, is our members and our farmers and that’s what we all get together and talk about what we can do better to help them promote the largest industry in the state.”

Aside from the networking, a number of informational sessions were also available such as connecting with the younger generation and a new priority issue, the mental well-being of farmers.

[Lily Baucom – Executive Director, Georgia Foundation for Agriculture]
“They say that farming and forestry and other ag related professions is the most stressful industry. We found that actually sixty-five percent for first generation farmers are having thoughts of suicide at least once per month,” says Lily Baucom, Executive Director of the Georgia Foundation for Agriculture. “The data is extremely startling. We’re trying to look in on how to support different demographics like first generation farmers, like female farmers, farmers of color who have a different and unique set of stressors.”

While an uncomfortable topic to discuss, having a more open dialogue is the first step in combating the problem.

“You are your best asset on your farm and without you, there is no farming. So, I think it’s something as simple as talking about ag safety on the farm is really how you fold into talking about this issue. But if we don’t talk about it, we’re not going to address the stigma. And so, we’re trying to do more sessions and presentations like this, working with county farm bureau leadership so it is a topic of conversation and people feel more comfortable sharing what they’re going through,” says Baucom.

With so many different commodities and regions of the state represented at this annual event, the takeaway is really quite simple.

“I want us to be able to take ideas back home whether it be from north, middle, south, wherever from in the state of Georgia and use those ideas from different people that we may not have heard to follow along on the eighty-five years and growing to make us grow better over the next year for our future generations,” says McCall.

By: Damon Jones