Federal farm bills, are, by nature, monsters. They contain federal attitudes toward farming and food in thousands of avenues, from crop insurance to food stamps.
What you might NOT expect in a farm bill is a discussion of suicide. But there's a call for attention to mental health care in our rural areas; by some counts, farmers commit suicide at several times the rate of the general population.
Michael Rosmann is a clinical psychologist and a farmer, providing his services through AgriWellness, Inc. and Ag Behavioral Health. He talks to us about the issues farmers face, and how mental health professionals and the farm bill can address them.
ADDED June 28, 2018: Centers for Disease Control retract a statement about farmers having the highest suicide rate, with explanation of methodology.
