The Farm Family Wellness Alliance was launched in 2020 as a pilot program providing mental health services to farm families in Iowa. In 2023, Farm Foundation led the national expansion of the program to create a peer-to-peer, farmer-to-farmer support community that could reach farm families across the U.S. CoBank joined the effort, along with several of its customers and partners, including the Farm Credit Council, CHS, Land O’Lakes, Iowa Farm Bureau, American Farm Bureau Federation, National Farmer’s Union and the Native American Agriculture Fund.
A lack of local mental health resources in rural communities, combined with a perceived need for self-sufficiency, can leave farm families feeling isolated during difficult times. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, the suicide rate of farmers is three and a half times that of the general population. But the Farm Family Wellness Alliance is hoping to change that.In 2024, with service providers Togetherall and Personal Assistance Services, the alliance launched a multi-layered program designed to support mental health and wellness.
Togetherall is an online community providing safe peer-to-peer support. The free, anonymous service is available 24/7 and allows participants to express themselves freely and openly. Licensed and registered mental health clinicians, called Wall Guides, monitor the community to ensure the safety and anonymity of all members. While Togetherall serves a variety of communities, a dedicated sub-group for ag-specific issues ensures that farm families are able to connect with those who share their experiences and feelings and understand the unique stresses of farm life.
Program participants seeking additional support are connected to Personal Assistance Services, a critical partner in the alliance since its founding. PAS has been “taking care of the people who take care of the people” since the early 1980s and provides one-on-one coaching and counseling to help manage issues that include anxiety, depression, stress and substance use. PAS also offers services such as nutrition and health coaching, financial consultation, retirement coaching, legal consultation, organization and productivity coaches, parenting and childcare consultations, and elder care management.
“The broad coalition of organizations in the Farm Family Wellness Alliance demonstrates how critical the issue of farmer and farm family mental health and well-being is,” says Farm Foundation President and CEO Shari Rogge-Fidler. “It is heartening to see how we are all pulling together to improve access to help and services that can be so hard to come by in our rural communities. We have been pleased that the programs seem to be reaching people who are not otherwise using mental health and wellness services. We think Togetherall’s ease of access and anonymity are really helping to drive that success.”
“A career in agriculture can be incredibly rewarding, but there is no doubt that it is also demanding,” said Tom Halverson, CEO of CoBank. “Ag producers deal with the stress of fluctuating commodity prices, trade disruptions and extreme weather events. For family farmers, that stress is magnified when your ‘business’ is also your home. The pressure increases further when that business and home have been a way of life for generations.”
“American farmers are strong and independent,” continued Halverson. “But everyone needs resources and support. CoBank is proud to join the many partners that are working to make these resources readily available to farm families across the country: cultivating health, well-being and resilience.”