The inaugural Idaho Farm and Ranch Conference was held Oct. 24-25 in Boise and included a host of discussions and presentations centered around farm stress and financial management. Idaho State Department of Agriculture Director Celia Gould, a rancher and farmer, told participants that national studies show farmers die by suicide at a rate several times the national average. One of the keys to reducing that rate is openly discussing the issue and the factors that lead to it, Gould said.
“So here we are trying to begin important conversations about tough topics,” she said at the beginning of the conference. Gould said ag producers have typically felt a stigma around seeking help but according to American Farm Bureau Federation research, there has been a 22 percent increase over the last three years in the percentage of farmers and farm workers who would be comfortable talking to friends and family about their mental health.