Senator Marshall in Senate Ag Committee Hearing: Farmers’ Mental Health is Near and Dear to My Heart

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. gave remarks in the Senate Agriculture Committee Hearing this week regarding the mental health of America’s farmers. Senator Marshall discussed the immense pressure America’s food producers are under in today’s market, stressing the importance of mental health awareness and community support for farmers and ranchers. 

You may click HERE or on the image above to watch Senator Marshall’s full interview.

Highlights from Senator Marshall’s remarks include: 

On mental health awareness for America’s food producers:

U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D.: “I want to talk about farmer mental health for a second, and farmer suicide. This is something near and dear to my heart for many reasons. Over the past several years, we try to go out in the communities, doing round tables, trying to connect the dots. The resources are out there to help. And I want to back up and just say to all my farmers and ranchers, the pressure is very real. The pressure is very real. The pressure of losing a fifth, sixth, seventh generation farm, to be that person that couldn’t keep the farm together in the family.”

“…I wanted to talk about solutions, and I know American Farm Bureau has been out here trying to connect these dots as well, on the resources, and appreciate the education programs you’re doing with the farmers. I’m trying to work with lenders out there. The lenders are some of the first people to see the signs and symptoms of depression, and I think we’re making progress, but it’s still tough times in ag land.

Mr. Zippy Duvall, President, American Farm Bureau Federation: “…Our organizations have worked arm in arm to try to bring awareness to this, you know, and this is a difficult subject to talk about. It really is. But we did a survey in Georgia, Florida area, and the alarming fact that we heard is that young farmers…I think that in less than 10 years, that 50% of them had considered suicide in that 10 years. 50%.”

“…And you know, I’m a crusty old farmer, and when my wife died, yeah, I bottled it all up inside, like crusty old farmers do, and they say we don’t talk about our feelings. Well, I was wrong. It’s okay to not be okay, but it’s not okay not to talk about it, and we got to get rid of the stigma that goes along with it, and the only way to do that is to talk to farmers, make farmers in the families aware, to be noticeable what’s going around, just like you’re working with the Farm Credit System, because they see them every day.”
U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D.: “…I just encourage everybody to be a good neighbor. Most of us notice when our neighbor suddenly is not going to church, or they’re not going to a ball game. And there’s some of those very subtle hints out there that we’re all aware of.”