In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, the May episode of Wheat World, The National Association of Wheat Growers’ monthly podcast, focused on how to tackle the mental health crisis in rural America. Host Elizabeth Rivera spoke with Jeff Winton, President and Chairman of Rural Minds, and Nathan Lawson, Kentucky producer and mental health advocate.

More than 100 million Americans live in an area where there’s a shortage of mental health professionals. According to the National Rural Health Association, about two-thirds of those areas are rural. Barriers to care can affect all aspects of daily life, and can lead to physical health challenges. Our guests help us understand the current state of mental health care in rural areas and what can be done to improve it.

Cattle producers from across the country gathered in New Orleans, LA, for the 30th annual Cattlemen’s College, which was held prior to the 2023 Cattle Industry Convention & National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Trade Show. Cattlemen’s College, sponsored by Zoetis, is one of the cattle industry’s premier educational events and features live animal handling demonstrations and sessions with industry leaders tackling innovative topics… Another well attended breakout was “Are You Brave Enough to Attend This Session?” featuring Rural Minds founder Jeff Winton, who addressed the mental health crisis in rural America and provided solutions for producers to prioritize mental health, care for themselves and check in on neighbors.