Rural Mental Health Nonprofit Introduces New Program at Commodity Classic—Morning Ag Clips
Rural Mental Health Resilience Program exemplifies organization’s mission
MAYVILLE, N.Y. — Rural mental health nonprofit Rural Minds will be at Commodity Classic to introduce the Rural Mental Health Resilience Program developed in partnership with the National Grange. This new program provides information and resources to confront the mental health crisis in rural communities and its impact on America’s farm families. The American Soybean Association is supporting the launch as a program distribution partner.
Suicide rates are 64% to 68% higher among people living in rural areas compared to people living in large urban areas, according to the latest research from the CDC. Representing only 2% of the population and tasked with feeding the other 98% with the fruits of their labor, farmers and ranchers are nearly twice as likely to die by suicide compared to other occupations.
The Rural Mental Health Resilience Program acknowledges the self-reliance and do-it-yourself mindset that are common among farmers and others living in rural areas by providing online access to free educational content that can be printed for distribution, links to mental health support services, and a toolkit for planning, promoting and leading community conversations about rural mental health.
“We are grateful to the American Soybean Association for their partnership with Rural Minds to introduce the Rural Mental Health Resilience Program,” said Jeff Winton, Rural Minds Founder and Chairman. “Attending Commodity Classic provides us with an important opportunity to provide potentially life-saving information to confront the mental health challenges in rural America and the stigma that surrounds mental illness.”