Monica McConkey, an ag mental health specialist for the State of Minnesota, says farmers are physically drained by a busy harvest season. Tough decisions are also being made before the end of the year. “It is a really tough time and oftentimes, in this situation, it’s when people tend to turn to coping strategies that aren’t the greatest, right? They all just want to disappear from the worries, so they might be drinking; they might be isolating; this is prime time that we need to really elevate taking care of ourselves.” McConkey is fielding more calls than normal for this time of the year. “Historically, during times like harvest, my call volume will drop, but not this year,” McConkey told RRFN. “That tells me that even though people are focused on a task, their mind is still going. They’re still worried, they’re still stressed, they’re still having those relationship difficulties.” Minnesota has three state-funded farm counselors. They can be reached through the Minnesota Department of Agriculture website. Listen to the full interview.
