KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - Dozens gathered in Kansas City’s Hale Arena to shine a spotlight on horsemanship as well as mental health in rural America.

Jeff Winton, the founder of Rural Minds, has spent a lifetime around horses. But moreover, he has spent a lifetime around heartache.

In 2012, Jeff’s 28-year-old nephew, Brooks, died of suicide in rural America.

“When that happened it became very apparent that no one wanted to talk about it because there’s an embarrassment factor,” Jeff said. “We even had the pastor tell us that some of the people in our small town of 500 farming people, that we should make up an excuse for his death - we should have said he died in a farming accident or something.”

Forty-eight hours in September 2012 contained one of a farming family’s happiest days and one of its most tragic.

Brooks Winton’s older brother, Toby, had just gotten married, and the extended family had gathered to celebrate.

Two days later, Brooks, 28, took his own life, leaving behind a wife and 3-year-old twins.

“He gave me a big hug as I was leaving the wedding reception and said, ‘Uncle Jeff, I just want you to know I so appreciate everything you’ve done for my family and me,’” said New York dairy farmer Jeff Winton.

“I didn’t think anything of it because he was a very grateful, very appreciative young man that always went out of his way to thank people for things,” Winton said. “But little did I know he was saying goodbye to me.”

Rural Minds founder and chairman Jeffrey Winton of Mayville in Chautauqua County is building connections for mental health services across rural America. Winton was the keynote speaker Wednesday at Trauma Symposium 2024 presented by the Cattaraugus County Trauma Informed Coalition in the Dresser-Rand Auditorium at the John J. Murphy Professional Building. The seeds for Rural Minds were planted on Sept. 3, 2012, with the death of his nephew, Winton said.  A Chautauqua County native, Winton’s life changed along with the rest of his family 12 years ago when his 28-year-old nephew Brooks, the father of three-year-old twins, took his own life.

Chautauqua Sunrise with Doc Hamels

Jeff Winton of Rural Minds Discusses Mental Health Awareness Month

Rural Minds partnered with the nonprofit Horses for Mental Health in the making of a video to help increase awareness and improve access to programs that incorporate horses for mental health in rural America. As a horse owner and avid equestrian, Rural Minds Founder and Chairman Jeff Winton was delighted to take part in this project.

Often times, rural communities are overlooked when it comes to addressing mental health. Whether it is proximity to care or a different mindset when it comes to mental health—mental illness affects every type of community. Our Facebook live will discuss topics addressing mental illness and the stigma around talking about it in rural communities. Matt Smith of PreventionFocus will be moderating a panel discussion including: • Connie Desmarais, Niagara County Community Collaborations Coordinator • Jeff Winton, Founder & Chairman, Rural Minds

Addressing Mental Health Care Issues in Rural America – Brownfield AgNews. From a weakening AG economy to financial instability, the stress factors that impact rural America are unique. Julie Lux with Rural Minds says the first step to addressing mental health in rural America is changing the mindset about mental illness.

Meghan Grebner Interviews Rural Minds' Vice President of Communications, Julie Lux – NCBA Cattlemen to Cattlemen. In recent years, many organizations have started to focus more on mental health – and mental health resources – for people living in rural America. Julie Lux discusses how Rural Minds is helping to improve mental health resources in rural areas.

Cyber bullying has grown into a crisis which adds immensely to the rate of suicide deaths. The fact that a beloved Bills player was victimized shows how far this has gone, way past politics! A front-page article in the Monday paper addressed how this has brought attention to how bad this problem is. Rural Minds is a national organization based here and founded by Mayville resident, Jeff Winton, who was compelled to speak on how “unconscionable and reprehensible” the Bass threats are. Coincidently, the local League of Women Voters had just hosted an online program in which Winton presented the problem of suicide that occurs in rural areas and how Rural Minds offers help.

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.”

Rural Minds provides free information and services and launched the Rural Mental Health Resilience Program

MAYVILLE, N.Y. — National rural mental health nonprofit Rural Minds was selected as the 2023 STARR Coalition Advocacy Organization of the Year and received the prestigious STARR Award.

“This recognition is bestowed upon the advocacy organization that has demonstrated exceptional dedication to advocating on behalf of those living with mental illnesses, their efforts to fight the stigma of mental illness and support of the STARR Coalition’s collective efforts to expand mental health clinical research,” said STARR Coalition Director of Operations Erica Moore.

Jeff Winton, Rural Minds Founder and Chairman, discusses the mental health emergency impacting rural America.

The period after the holidays can be difficult for many people. Jeff Winton discusses how to give some extra support to friends and loved ones during this time.

Having grown up on his family’s dairy operation on the banks of Lake Erie in Chautauqua County, NY, Jeff Winton ’80 is acutely familiar with the plight of the American farmer. The isolation. The unpredictability of climate. The misconception that farm life is carefree and relaxing, when in reality it’s demanding and often backbreaking work. And, especially, the ingrained belief that farmers should be able to solve their own problems—even when it comes to internal struggles, which they seldom admit out loud.

In this STtalks episode, we discuss the topic of mental health in rural communities with Jeff Winton, CEO & Founder of Rural Minds. This non-profit organization works to provide the right resources needed in rural communities to assist those who are seeking help. With the Holiday Season upon us and while we are in the midst of our winter season, it was important to us to visit on the topic of mental health.

Growing up on my family’s multigenerational dairy farm in Chautauqua County, I knew local residents struggling with mental illness in silence, but it did not hit home until my 28-year-old nephew, Brooks, died by suicide, leaving behind 3-year-old twins. My late mother, Elaine Winton, and I made a commitment to talk openly about this tragedy, which led to me founding Rural Minds, a national nonprofit organization. The mission is to serve as the informed voice for mental health in rural America, and to provide mental health information and resources.

As the ag community continues working to address mental health struggles in farm country, a new online resource center is providing actionable information for rural residents. Founder of Rural Minds, Jeff Winton spoke with RFD-TV’s own Suzanne Alexander on the Rural Mental Health Resilience Program, what it has to offer, and the unique challenges that producers and rural Americans face.

The unpredictability that comes with farming is one factor that can influence the well-being of producers. Crop success is contingent on timing and moisture, and the prices farmers receive for their products are dependent on demand and other external factors.

“It’s an occupation where there is so much out of an individual’s control,” Rudolphi told Agri-Pulse.

Addressing mental health in rural communities comes with its share of challenges, according to Chuck Strand, executive director of the nonprofit Rural Minds. Shortages of mental health professionals can force rural citizens to travel long distances seeking care, and telehealth may not be an option for those who lack internet access. The stigma associated with seeking mental health care can be another barrier, Strand said.

The National Grange will hold its annual conference from November 14-18, 2023.  The annual convention serves to set national legislative policies for the organization and is also a major networking and social event for members from across the country. This year, partnerships will be elevating the National Grange’s work on behalf of all Americans. While most events during the week are for members-only, one event open to the public is presented in partnership with Rural Minds, a nonprofit focused on destigmatizing conversations about mental health in rural America, and NY FarmNet.