Plea for rural mental health aid answered by House

Minnesota’s farm communities are under mounting economic pressure. The stress taking a toll on mental health has prompted farm groups to call for help.

House members answered that call Monday with a strong voice, passing a bill sponsored by Rep. Jeanne Poppe (DFL-Austin) that would provide additional mental health counseling and advocacy services for farmers, their families and agriculture businesses.

Passed 123-0, HF232 now heads to the Senate where Sen. Dan Sparks (DFL-Austin) is the sponsor.

Rep. Jeanne Poppe describes provisions of HF232 on the House Floor March 4. Her bill would provide additional money for mental health counseling support to farm families and business operators, and the Farm Advocates program. Photo by Paul Battaglia

The bill seeks $100,000 in the current fiscal year by transferring an appropriation for the Agricultural Growth, Research, and Innovation Program. The dollars would supplement funding in a 2017 law for these purposes. Last year’s vetoed omnibus budget bill would have provided an additional $217,000 this fiscal year.

Under the bill, $40,000 would be to provide additional statewide mental health counseling support to farm families and business operators through the Minnesota State Agricultural Centers of Excellence; $30,000 would be for farmer mental health marketing and training coordination; $15,000 is to increase funding for farm advocate services and farmer-lender mediators; and another $15,000 is to increase compensation for the counselor currently providing statewide mental health support to farm families and business operators.

The state’s only rural mental health counselor — Ted Matthews — can be accessed free of cost. His efforts are supported by nine farm advocates who act as a first contact for farmers and their families in need of help, for not only mental health crises, but financial and legal issues as well.

Poppe spoke of the struggle farm families have faced after several years of low commodity prices, increasing costs, and market uncertainty. With spring planning underway, she stated that some farmers were likely to find those plans “curtailed or derailed” by a diminishing economic outlook.

“This just gets us to the end of the year,” added Rep. Paul Anderson (R-Starbuck). He added that more money is being requested for the coming biennium.

Other programming through the Department of Agriculture helps farmers access financial planning, lender negotiation assistance, farm programs, legal services, and social and human services.