Rural Minds Founder and Chairman Jeff Winton joined RFD-TV's Market Day Report to discuss the Rural Youth Mental Wellness Program and the rising suicide crisis among young people in rural America.

Rural Minds Social Media and Program Manager Adriel Rigsby spoke with Brownfield Ag News about the Rural Youth Mental Wellness Program, a new digital platform built with Northwestern University's Lab for Scalable Mental Health.

Rural Minds founder and chairman Jeff Winton joined host Jesse Allen on a recent episode of Agriculture of America to talk about the work Rural Minds is doing and why mental health awareness matters so much in agriculture and across rural America…

A bill meant to support farmers nationwide has stalled once again on Capitol Hill, and Rural Minds Founder and Chairman Jeff Winton warns the effects reach well beyond the farm. Winton told WKBW's Adam Beam that funding propping up agricultural programs since the last Farm Bill expired in 2023 is at risk of disappearing, calling the potential fallout "catastrophic for people in rural America."

Legislation to create a Rural Suicide Prevention Council is once again awaiting Governor Kathy Hochul's signature, after she vetoed similar legislation in 2024. This year's bill, largely championed by Steuben County legislator Joe Tobia, who lost his son to suicide in 2021, passed the Assembly 140-0 and passed the Senate unanimously. The council would work to identify barriers to mental health and substance use treatment in rural communities and recommend policies to help close those gaps. Rural Minds founder and chairman Jeff Winton noted that people in rural counties like Chautauqua are 50% more likely to die by suicide, and rural youth ages 15 to 19 are 74% more likely to take their own lives, underscoring why a rural-specific approach is so badly needed.

Rural Minds Executive Director Chuck Strand sat down with Hillsdale Hospital President and CEO JJ Hodshire on Rural Health Today, a podcast that connects listeners to the issues shaping rural healthcare.

In this Farm Progress feature, Wallaces Farmer editor Gil Gullickson revisits an unsigned, handwritten letter he received 26 years ago after a farmer's death by suicide, and pairs it with guidance from Carol Anderson, program director for Rural Minds, on recognizing when a neighbor or loved one is struggling and how to start the conversation.

In this RFD-TV special, produced as part of the ProtectHER initiative in partnership with Nationwide, FarmHER + RanchHER host Kirbe Schnoor sits down with Jessica Cabrera of Farm Bureau's Farm State of Mind, Jeff Winton of Rural Minds, and Rupa Mehta of Perfect Sundays and NaliniKIDS for an honest conversation about mental health in agriculture.

On the farm, the most important part of any operation is the person running it. In this episode of Innovations in Your Field, Powered by New Fields Ag, hosts Michael Musselman and Dennis Michelsen sit down with Jeff Winton of Rural Minds for a conversation about mental health and how to get help for yourself or someone you care about.

Farming and ranching come with pressure that most people never see. In this episode of Brownfield's Next Gen Podcast, Kellan Heavican and Erin Anderson sit down with Carol Anderson of Rural Minds to discuss mental health, stress, and resilience among young and beginning farmers and ranchers.

In Farm Progress’ This Week in Agribusiness, mental health awareness month is highlighted featuring an interview with Rural Minds Program Director Carol Anderson.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and a national nonprofit is helping farmers and people who live in rural America access mental health resources.

During a crucial, pressure-filled time for farmers with high input costs and unstable markets, the group Rural Minds is working to help people in these communities access these resources.

“Even the strongest person has got to feel this stress and even the strongest person, we want to encourage them to ask for help when they need it, you’re not alone,” said Marilyn Cummins with Rural Minds.

Rural communities, specifically those working in agriculture, face many struggles in their day-to-day lives. However, one struggle that many don't talk about is one that deals with mental health.

In honor of Mental Health Month, AAFP Board Member Dr. Shannon Dowler and Rural Minds Founder and Chairman Jeff Winton spoke about how family physicians can help break the stigma around mental health, connect patients with resources and advocate for better access to care within rural communities.

As a fitting start to Mental Health Awareness Month, May 2026, the latest Roadtrip Nation documentary series, “Where Wellbeing Grows,” features Rural Minds Founder and Chairman Jeff Winton as one of the innovative leaders working to expand access to well-being for all.

News Director Terry Frank is joined by the founder, and head of the national organization known as "Rural Minds" which is the only national, 501(c)3 organization that focuses solely on mental health equity. Winton says they represent not just farmers and ranchers, but, all 46-million people who live in rural parts of the United States. He says he started the group about 4-and-a-half years ago, after a family tragedy in which his nephew had committed suicide. Winton says no one knew or realized he was dealing with those issues because he seemed fine. He says he's optimistic though because the younger generations -- even those living in rural areas -- are more inclined to open up about their struggles. Winton says a lot of their work is based off of "storytelling," and using that to get people to talk about those struggles. We discuss efforts to get people to get over the stigma, and into help, which sometimes is hard to find in more isolated, and rural areas. We also talk about immediate help that's available at the national Suicide Help line at 988.

A national nonprofit organization based in Chautauqua County recently launched a program aimed at supporting mental wellness for farmers and farm families. Jeff Winton, the founder and chairman of Rural Minds, spoke about the Farmer Mental Health Resilience Program as a guest on Friday's edition of "Viewpoint" on WDOE. Winton says the program is like a "toolkit" for farmers who may not be comfortable discussing mental health issues in a support group or with a mental health provider...

“Rural Americans, including those here in New York State, are nearly 50 percent more likely to die by suicide than residents living in more urban areas. What is even more shocking is that young people growing up in rural areas like Chautauqua County are 74 percent more likely to die by suicide than their urban peers. This is unacceptable and something must be done before more lives are lost,” said Jeff Winton of Mayville, founder and chairman of Rural Minds, an organization dedicated to improving mental health in rural areas. “The formation of this committee will allow New York State to further focus and advance suicide prevention and improved mental health services for all residents of this state. A similar bill has been passed in Maryland that is helping to provide insights and greater understanding of this growing epidemic we have in America, where every 11 minutes someone dies from suicide.”