Growing up on a dairy farm in upstate New York, where the nearest town had a population of about 500 people, I have firsthand perspective on living in rural America. Rural communities are typically small and friendly — and the people are fiercely independent, yet quick to come together and help their neighbors in need. Over the years, however, I was aware that there was something going on in my small farming community that people kept hidden — a taboo topic. As I eventually discovered that there were people in my community who had a relative or a friend living with an untreated mental illness, such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. Yet, their struggles were met with silence because in this community — like in much of rural America — there was little information and few, if any, resources available.

In America’s close-knit rural communities, residents are quick to rally when an illness or accident affects their farming neighbors, helping them through the rough patches. But all illnesses are not created equal, and the silent specter of mental illness often brings no recognition and no extra hands to help.

This situation is one that many organizations, health advocates, and individuals in agriculture are working hard to change. For Jeff Winton, a New York dairy farmer, his passion to address mental health in rural America led him to found Rural Minds in October 2021. The nonprofit aims to serve as the informed voice for mental health in these areas and provide mental health resources.