Colorado Farmers and Ranchers Find Mental Health Support in Community
In partnership with: Colorado Department of Agriculture
Colorado’s agricultural producers face a variety of stressors each day, many of which involve factors beyond their control. Dealing with unpredictable weather, market prices, tariffs and machine breakdowns all while planning for the future, farmers frequently carry these burdens without the support available in other industries.
Recognizing these unique stressors, several organizations throughout Colorado have developed resources to support the farmers and ranchers who are the backbone of their communities.
“Agriculture has so many variables that people have to manage,” says Chad Reznicek, behavioral health specialist with Colorado State University Extension and the Colorado AgrAbility Project (CAP). “It is an incredibly high-stress occupation.”
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Compounded with the emotional strains of succession planning, physical isolation and family dynamics, these stressors can exact a toll that often goes unaddressed due to continual job demands as well as the stigma around reaching out for help.
A recent documentary titled Legacy, directed by Steve Vanderheide and funded by the Colorado Department of Agriculture, Colorado Trust and Colorado Farm Bureau, highlights the individual stories of agricultural producers across the state. The 45-minute film provides an in-depth look at the mental health challenges affecting Colorado’s rural communities, raises awareness about mental health challenges and encourages those needing help to utilize available resources.
Jacob Walter – who grew up on a ranch in Thatcher, less than an hour’s drive from the New Mexico border – shared his own story in the documentary, which has been featured in film festivals and community screenings across the state. Since losing his father to suicide in 2016, Walter has become an advocate for rural mental health and de-stigmatizing the act of reaching out for help.
“When you’re struggling with your mental health, it’s actually a huge sign of strength to be able to seek out that help and to be able to help somebody else,” Walter says.
Mental Maintenance
In recent years, efforts by several organizations, including Colorado Agricultural Addiction & Mental Health Program (CAAMHP) and CAP, have helped increase awareness of mental health risks associated with agriculture jobs, along with providing resources to address those risks.
“It reminds people that there is a resource that’s available just for them, specific for them, with people who want to focus in on helping our producers,” says Kirsten Wulfsberg, a licensed professional counselor who has worked with CAAMHP for three years.
Programs like CAP and CAAMHP, developed by Colorado Farm Bureau, seek to provide education about mental health, including community training programs, stress management resources and therapy vouchers, helping producers and their families to take care of themselves while continuing to be stewards of the land.
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“Taking care of your mental well-being is as important as any other maintenance on your operation, and we are just really trying to normalize that,” Reznicek says.
Communities around Colorado have started grassroots campaigns to support the mental health of their farmers and ranchers.
The Coffee Break Project, run by the grassroots Ag Advisory Committee and with locations in southeast Colorado and the San Luis Valley, hosts presentations around the state using the COMET (Changing Our Mental and Emotional Trajectory) model. The project trains community members to check in on one another and provide support during difficult times.
“Reaching out for help or reaching out to support someone else who may need help are tremendous signs of courage and strength and deserve as much awareness as any of the other heroic acts that farmers and ranchers are engaging in on a daily basis,” Reznicek says.
Mental Health Resources
If you or someone you know needs mental health support, please consider some of the listed resources offering a range of assistance, trainings and support for our farmers, ranchers and rural communities.
Colorado Mental Health Line: Call or text 988 as well as visit 988colorado.com.
Colorado Agricultural Addiction and Mental Health Program: Visit campforhealth.org/vouchers for resources.
Coffee Break Project: To learn more about resources and also help in your community, visit thecoffeebreakproject.org.
Colorado AgrAbility Project: Check out agrability.colostate.edu for resources.
AgriStress Helpline: Call or text 833-897-2474. (Phone call interpretation in 160 languages, text services in English, Spanish or Vietnamese.)
Colorado Department of Agriculture Resources: Visit ag.colorado.gov/mentalhealth for rural mental health resources.
Brothers Helping Brothers: Find support in the Gunnison Valley area at gunnibhb.com.