HARRISBURG – The Senate and House Agriculture and Rural Affairs committees gathered at the PA Farm Show today to hear testimony from agriculture industry leaders about the mental health crisis facing many Pennsylvania farmers.
Committee chairs Sen. Elder Vogel, Jr. (R-47) and Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski (D-121) led discussions with testifiers that covered a wide range of topics including rural health care challenges, further professional development for experts tasked with assisting farmers in need, impacts of farming as an occupation and more.
“I commend all the testifiers who came before our committees today to share the wide-spread challenges that are still affecting our farmers and their families and causing lasting mental and financial impacts,” said Vogel. “I have said it before and I will say it again — our farmers are the backbone of our nation, and we would not be able to live without their continued contributions. We need to do what we can to provide care and sustainability for our farming communities.”
“Pennsylvania’s farmers are the backbone of our commonwealth, and their mental health must be treated with the same urgency as their physical safety and economic stability,” Pashinski said. “Supporting farmer mental health is not optional — it is a top priority, and we are committed to ensuring that those who feed our families have access to the resources and support they need to thrive.”
Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding began the discussion by touching on the core challenges for farmers, particularly for youth and older adults as determined by the Center for Rural Health, which include transportation barriers; health insurance limitations; stigma and lack of mental health acceptance; extended travel and conflicting work schedules; family engagement and influence of family dynamics; and telehealth-related challenges.
Redding concluded his testimony with a reminder, “Supporting farmer mental health is not separate from supporting agriculture — it is foundational to it, and essential to the future we are working to grow together.
Jeff Corle, a former fourth-generation dairy farmer and an advocate for farmer mental health, shared his personal account of his battle with depression and anxiety following having to make the difficult decision to shutdown his family farm in Somerset County due to economic hardships.
Corle also touched on how farmers, specifically men, struggle with the stigma surrounding mental health, stating, “…farmers, especially men — guys that look like me, don’t really have any language for how to even ask for help when they are hurting and feeling stress and anxiety…we see ourselves as the strong ones for our families and we don’t want to show or admit perceived weakness.”
The hearing also included expert testimony from other agricultural, mental health-focused leaders including Florence Becot, Ph.D., rural sociologist and Nationwide Insurance early career professor in agricultural safety and health; Ginger Fenton, Ph.D., educator for the Penn State Extension; and Lisa Wherry, Pennsylvania Farm Bureau member and representative for the American Farm Bureau Federation Farm State of Mind Campaign.
Becot sought the General Assembly’s support in addressing mental health challenges by fixing issues like health care provider shortages and providing funding for operation and marketing of an ag-focused crisis hotline. She also called for increased support for farm operations and household needs to address the underlying causes of mental health challenges.
She went on to state, “Above all, Pennsylvania needs a well-funded, long-term and stable approach to farm mental health…a durable strategy requires predictable funding, reliable infrastructure and a strong cross-agency coordination to ensure support is available to farmers in all market conditions in tandem with addressing underlying root causes.”
If you are a farmer, or know a farmer, in crisis, you can contact the AgriStress Helpline, a free and confidential crisis and support line available 24/7 for farmers and their families in Pennsylvania. It can be reached by calling 833-897-AGRI (2474) or texting PA to 741-741.
Additionally, calling or texting 988 will put those in crisis in touch with the National Suicide Hotline.
CONTACTS: Lily Ott (Vogel)
Destiny Zeiders (Pashinski)