Why has mental health has become a leadership issue for agriculture and what will it take to make asking for help part of the job?

Resilience is one of agriculture’s most celebrated traits. It shows up in the way farmers and seed professionals absorb risk, adapt to shifting markets and keep showing up when the workday stretches long past daylight. It is embedded in family operations passed down through generations and in companies that survive downturns by staying disciplined and determined.

The Ross Grange in Falconer is inviting the public to a meeting on Monday to talk about a "silent epidemic" facing the nation. One the speakers will be Jeff Winton, a Chautauqua County native who founded the national organization Rural Minds. Winton says the epidemic is the suffering caused by mental illness, suicide ideation and substance use disorder in rural areas. Winton, who lost a nephew to suicide early in the 2000s, says the "independent" people who live in rural areas are often reluctant to acknowledge and talk about mental illness, even though it is prevalent.