September 17-23 was proclaimed Farm Safety and Health Week after the Commissioner of Agriculture, Dr. Ryan Quarles, honored Kentucky farmers on Wednesday. The announcement came during a Farmer’s Appreciation and Awards Day on the Capital Lawn in Frankfort.
Dr. Quarles said he hopes farmers pay more attention to their mental health.
“I do think there is a stigma, unfairly attached to mental health issues in rural America, and so, we want to get rid of that. That’s something that we want to make sure that people are comfortable and okay to say 'Yeah, I might need to check in with a counselor or therapist,' and we’ve got to do a better job of checking in with each other,” Quarles said.
Quarles also said he hopes people appreciate their farmers more.
“Farmers are hard-working folks, and sometimes they don’t get the credit they deserve, and so we’re glad to take a moment just to say thank you, start an inaugural class of awards, but also remind Kentuckians about where their food comes from,” Quarles said.
There are multiple factors that could affect one’s mental well-being, and Quarles said he wants to make sure all factors are considered.
“We’re also trying to identify and address other sources of mental stress, and that could include financial loss due to weather; life happens, farms can become unstable, and so we’re trying to really create a rural-focused mental health awareness campaign,” Quarles said.
State Representative Brandon Reed presented Commissioner Quarles with a Citation of Appreciation for the services he brings to farmers and their families across the Commonwealth.
The Raising Hope initiative was highlighted at the ceremony this week. It is a grant funded partnership between state agencies that aims to support the physical and mental health of Kentucky farmers. Quarles said Raising Hope has produced rural health screenings and generated survey data from farmers.