AgriSafe Spotlighted Farmer Health at Ag Day

Farmers and ranchers at Central Dakota Ag Day heard from Tara Maus with AgriSafe about the health and safety challenges inherent in agriculture. “Farmers typically don’t go in until it’s a life or death situation. A lot of times, when a farmer comes in because their spouse told them to, we know it’s pretty urgent or if they come in on their own, then we know we need to call all hands on deck,” Maus said. She shared a story of an elderly farmer who, after falling and breaking his femur, crawled to his pickup, drove himself to the ER, and only afterward contacted his wife. Mental health was another key topic at the event. Maus highlighted the strain of farm life and the alarming rates of suicide among farmers. “Many farms are usually all family, and so sometimes when you’re working with your loved ones so closely, it can cause a lot of mental stress.” Maus encouraged farmers to access AgriSafe’s online directory which connects them with over 50 trained professionals for resources on mental health, chemical exposure, and other risks.