Oklahoma Farm Reports’ Maci Carter spoke with Bailey Corwine of the American Farm Bureau Federation, who began by discussing mental health in farm communities and immediately identified what she believes is the biggest misconception. She states that “the biggest misconception is that reaching out is a sign of weakness,” noting that farmers often rely on toughness and self-reliance. Many believe “if I just work a little harder, then I’ll be able to fight my way out of this on my own,” but Corwine stresses that “reaching out for help is a sign of strength, not a sign of weakness.”
When asked about communicating on such a sensitive topic, Corwine explains the organization’s strategy of adapting based on member feedback. She says, “if we get a reaction that’s like, hey, this isn’t really how I want to hear about this, then we’re going to go a different direction.” The American Farm Bureau Federation pairs this trial-and-error approach with guidance from mental health and medical professionals to ensure their outreach remains both supportive and effective.
Corwine outlines the primary stressors affecting farmers today. While unpredictable weather and natural disasters are longstanding challenges, she emphasizes that the “challenging farm economy” is currently the biggest source of strain. Labor shortages make the situation worse, preventing producers from taking needed breaks. As she explains, “sometimes the best thing that you can do when you’re dealing with mental health is take a break, but it’s really hard when you can’t find someone to come in and feed your cattle or milk the cows.”
The conversation transitions to the Farm State of Mind campaign, which the Farm Bureau launched in 2017. Initially focused on the opioid epidemic, it broadened to address wider mental health struggles in rural America. Corwine says the campaign aims to show farmers that “it’s okay to reach out for help. It’s okay to not be okay.” The initiative now includes a national directory of mental-health resources, training programs, testimonials, and tools to help start difficult conversations.
Looking ahead, she highlights the upcoming annual convention in Anaheim—“Tim Tebow is going to be our keynote speaker”—as well as Farm Bureau’s continued work on the farm bill and efforts to secure economic assistance for farmers and ranchers.
