09/11/2026
FARMERS — I want you to know about this. 🌱
September is Su***de Prevention & Awareness Month, and I think this is an especially important conversation to have in agriculture.
Did you know Wisconsin has a program specifically designed to help farmers and farm families with mental health and wellness?
It’s called the Farmer Wellness Program, through the Wisconsin Farm Center and Wisconsin DATCP (Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection).
I recently learned about this program myself — and I decided to take advantage of it.
I am seeing a therapist.
That’s not always an easy thing to say on social media.
I’m sure there are people who look at my life, my farm, my events and the things I share and think I have it all figured out.
The truth is… I don’t.
I have hard days. I have stress. I have things I’m working through. And I realized that asking for help doesn’t make me weak, and it doesn’t mean I can’t handle everything life and farming throws at me.
It means I’m taking care of myself.
When I learned about the Farmer Wellness Program, I decided to use it. And honestly, the process was incredibly simple.
I wasn’t handed a stack of paperwork and told to figure it all out.
I reached out, shared a little bit about what I was looking for, and was given a few therapists to choose from. I picked the one I felt would be the best fit, scheduled my appointment, and let the program coordinator know who I chose.
From there, the Farmer Wellness Program and my therapist handled the voucher process.
It really was that simple.
And how often you meet or how long you continue counseling is something you work out with your therapist.
You don’t have to be in crisis to ask for help.
You don’t have to wait until everything feels overwhelming.
You don’t have to have a “good enough” reason.
Farming means taking care of a lot of things. Our animals. Our crops. Our equipment. Our employees. Our families. Our farms.
There is always something — or someone — that needs our attention.
And somewhere along the way, we can forget to take care of ourselves.
We put our own needs last because there is always something else that feels more urgent.
We wouldn’t tell a farmer to ignore a problem with a cow until it becomes a crisis. We address it, figure out what’s going on, and take care of it.
Our mental health deserves that same attention.
We take care of our hearts. We take care of our bodies. We go to the doctor when something doesn’t feel right.
Taking care of our mental health should be no different.
There is nothing shameful about asking for help. It doesn’t make you weak, and it doesn’t mean you can’t handle farming.
It means you’re taking care of yourself.
If you’re a farmer or farm family member and you’ve ever thought about talking to someone, I want you to know this resource is there.
And if you have questions about the program or want to hear more about my personal experience, please reach out. I’m happy to talk about it.
You don’t have to be embarrassed.
You don’t have to have all the answers.
And you don’t have to figure it out alone.
And please — share this post.
Send it to another farmer.
Send it to your dad or mom.
Send it to your spouse.
Send it to the farmer who always seems like they have everything together.
Send it to someone you haven’t heard from in a while.
You never know who needs this message.
You don’t have to know who needs it.
Just put the information in front of them.
Maybe they’ll use it.
Maybe they’ll save it for later.
Maybe they’ll send it to someone else.
But maybe — just maybe — it reaches someone on the day they need it most. ❤️
Take care of the farmer. The farm needs them, and so do the people who love them. 🌱❤️
