Taking care of Florida farmers who help take care of the U.S. food supply is the goal of a new program from the Florida Department of Agriculture.
On June 2, Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services Nikki Fried and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services launched the Department’s Farmer Stress Awareness Initiative at Wish Farms, according to a news release.
Commissioner Fried was joined for this announcement by State Attorney Andrew Warren as well as representatives with Florida 211 and the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences that are partnering with FDACS on this new initiative. At the event, FDACS premiered videos that will air in digital markets across the state as part of a holistic outreach campaign to raise awareness of mental health challenges and resources for those in the agricultural community, according to the release.
“The pressures of keeping our food supply strong when so many factors are outside of a farmer’s control, like supply chain issues, unfair foreign trade practices, invasive pests, and the weather, result in Florida’s agricultural community experiencing tremendous stress,” Fried said in the release.
“Unfortunately, these communities are too often forgotten when it comes to mental health care resources and access. That must change, and thanks to our partnership with the USDA and the great work being done by Florida organizations, we are tackling this issue head-on.”
“Our agricultural community is not immune to this crisis,” State Attorney Andrew Warren said in the release. “Farmers are under so much stress these days – the financial stress of family farming and difficulty accessing behavioral health resources. We need to make sure we are doing everything we can to support our farming communities.”
An executive with Wish Farms said the company supports mental health initiatives in the challenging farm environment.
“We are a company that’s celebrating 100 years this year,” James Peterson, vice president of sales and marketing at Wish Farms, said in the release.
“So, we are a company that is very cognizant of the pressures the agriculture industry carries with it. Factors such as labor, rising costs — input costs, transportation costs, supply costs — foreign competition, and unpredictable weather. That’s why we’re continuing to support mental health through what we do.”
By calling 211 or texting FarmFL to 898-211, Florida farmers and farmworkers have access to a multilingual 24-hour helpline, according to the release.
In 2021, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services was awarded a $500,000 grant from the USDA to carry out a new Farm Stress Awareness and Reduction Initiative. For this initiative, FDACS is partnering with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) to train public school agriculture teachers, Florida 211, 4-H and Future Farmers of America members, and others to recognize the signs of farm stress in their communities and families, the release said.
