EVANSTON — A 2020 study by the CDC found the suicide rate for farmers, ranchers and agricultural managers was 43.7 deaths per 100,000 and is the sixth highest among occupational groups in the U.S. A Morning Consult Poll found that during 2021, most farmers, workers, and rural adults reported experiencing more stress and mental health challenges compared to the prior year.

Experts suggest that financial stress, limited access to mental health services and a reluctance to seek help could be associated with the elevated risk of suicide among those in agricultural work.

Other factors contributing to farming and ranching stress are the uncertainty and lack of control over outside forces — weather, climate, commodity pricing and tariffs, debt, equipment repair and upgrades, product value, extreme outdoor work conditions, fatigue and heavy workload and the stigma about seeking help, partially due to a “cowboy up” mentality.

In 2021, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) created a fund to address the problem. Recently, the Wyoming Department of Agriculture (WDA) received a grant from the USDA to provide mental health services for anyone working in agriculture.

According to Lucy Pauley, a mediation coordinator with WDA, anyone involved in the field of agriculture — farmers, ranchers, rodeo personnel and their family members — are eligible to receive six free sessions with a mental health provider of their choice.

“They can make an appointment with a mental health provider in their community or they can call my office at 307-777-8788 for a referral,” Pauley said. “There is no application process with our office. They just need to set up an appointment with a provider.”

WDA has partnered with Align, an organization in Cheyenne, who will handle the grant voucher system for the services provided through the grant. The provider will send their invoice to Align to receive reimbursement for the service.

The free mental health service is a pilot program and the grant funds end in August 2024. Pauley said if the program is successful, they hope to apply and get another grant in order to continue the mental health service.

According to Pauley, part of the grant monies has also been used to increase the WY211 database to include resource information specific to agricultural needs. WDA is also using some of the grant monies to develop an agricultural help line similar to the 988 suicide prevention line but this one will be for those seeking help for other kinds of situations involving agriculture.