WASHINGTON – RuU.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), a member of the Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee, and Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Rural Development and Energy of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, introduced the bipartisan Facilitating Accessible Resources for Mental Health and Encouraging Rural Solutions For Immediate Response to Stressful Times (FARMERS FIRST) Act to provide our nation’s agricultural community with critical mental health support and resources.
“The incredibly high rate of suicide within the agricultural community underscores the urgent need to act to address this crisis,” said Senator Ernst. “We must do more to ensure those who work tirelessly from sunrise to sundown to feed and fuel our world have access to the mental health resources and supports they need. With more than 88,000 farms and over 150,000 farmers in Iowa, our agricultural community is the backbone of our state, I am glad to partner with Senator Baldwin to improve the quality and timeliness of mental health care for the hardworking folks in our agricultural communities.”