By Andi Anderson
Farmers across Illinois face increasing stress due to unpredictable weather, economic pressures, tariffs and labor shortages. To support their well‑being, Illinois Extension, the state’s land‑grant outreach institution, is offering a range of mental health resources for farmers and their families.
These efforts aim to make mental health care easier to access and more affordable in rural communities.
University of Illinois Associate Professor and Extension Specialist Josie Rudolphi explained that many farmers struggle with uncertainty and workload demands. “When we talk to farmers, we hear a lot about time pressures, waiting on the weather, hoping for weather, needing a certain type of weather, feeling as though they have a lot to get done in a relatively short amount of time,” she said.
She noted that these pressures are “compounded by things like the availability of labor” and global factors affecting crop planning and purchasing.
Rudolphi shared that Illinois Extension is expanding support systems. “We know that farmers also experience unique barriers to accessing mental health care. And so we've, with funding and support from USDA, we've been able to create a number of initiatives to implement across Illinois in hopes of increasing access to various mental health resources and services,” she said.
One major initiative provides three free mental health vouchers to farmers and their families. These vouchers can be requested online and come with a directory of 80 providers across 102 Illinois counties.
Rudolphi explained, “And so with that information, anybody who requests vouchers can then find a provider that's either maybe local to them or somebody who might have experiences that are similar to them. And then what we do is we then reimburse the providers such that there is no financial exchange between the client and the provider.”
Along with vouchers, Illinois Extension offers fact sheets on managing stress and mental health literacy programs. “These are programs that train extension specialists, clergy, farm bureau staff, others in the agricultural space to respond to an emerging mental health crisis,” said Rudolphi.
The goal is to give community members the confidence to support someone in distress, even if they are not mental health professionals.
Illinois Extension also participates in the North Central Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Center, a federally funded network covering 12 Midwestern states.
Rudolphi explained that the University of Illinois leads this regional effort by partnering with 19 organizations to help farmers adopt healthy coping strategies and improve mental well‑being. Those needing immediate help can text HOME to 741741 or call 1‑800‑273‑TALK.
Travis Burke, Assistant Dean and Program Leader for Agriculture and Agribusiness at Illinois Extension, added that financial stress is another major concern for farmers.
He highlighted the farmdoc FAST Tools website, which offers budgeting tools and guidance. “Farmers have a lot of stress and things that they have to do, like budgets,” he said, noting that the platform includes information on balance sheets, rent, farm lending, and succession planning.
Illinois Extension continues to support people, communities, and agriculture through educational programs, partnerships, and outreach in all 102 counties. More information is available at extension.illinois.edu.
Photo Credit: gettyimages-brzozowska
Categories: Illinois, Rural Lifestyle