A bipartisan Senate bill led by Senators Tammy Baldwin and Joni Ernst has gained traction with its proposal to provide $75 million over five years for mental health resources for farmers through the Farm and Ranch Assistance Network. This initiative is a response to the alarming statistics that show farmers are about three and a half times more likely to die by suicide than the average U.S. population, as highlighted in a National Rural Health Association study.
The program, which has regional hubs in Washington, New York, Illinois, and Tennessee, is designed to offer farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural workers access to stress assistance and mental health programs. Baldwin and Ernst, who previously collaborated on the 2018 Farm Bill, have emphasized the importance of mental health support for agricultural workers who face extreme stress, isolation, and physical demands in their daily work.
The legislation, known as the Farmers First Act of 2025, seeks to address these challenges by increasing funding for the program by $75 million over the next five years, with $15 million available annually starting in 2026 through 2030. The funds will be used to hire more behavioral health specialists, establish crisis lines, and build referral relationships with healthcare providers, health centers, and critical access hospitals.
Bipartisan efforts extend to the House, where Representatives Randy Feenstra and Angie Craig are advocating for similar measures to bolster the program’s funding. Feenstra argues that refilling the program’s financial resources will provide essential support for farmers during times of crisis, highlighting that agriculture is the economic engine of Iowa, where farmers and producers work long hours and make unseen sacrifices to feed and fuel the country and the world.