SCHUMER, GILLIBRAND ANNOUNCE OVER $7 MILLION IN FEDERAL FUNDING TO ESTABLISH MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT NETWORK FOR AGRICULTURAL PRODUCERS

Funding Will Help Ensure Farmers and Ranchers Have Access To Affordable Mental Health and Stress Assistance Close to Home 

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, today announced $7,164,124 million in federal funding to provide New York’s agricultural producers with local and affordable mental health and stress assistance. The Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network (FRSAN) was created to connect farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural producers in order to build a network of support and improve behavioral health awareness, stress-related mental health, and healthier outcomes for workers and their families.

“In good times, New York farmers are some of the best in the world and work long hours on tight margins, but in the midst of a global pandemic, they are more isolated than ever, losing revenue streams, suffering huge financial losses and sometimes being forced to discard their products,” said Senator Charles Schumer. “Farmers face a number of unique circumstances that can negatively influence mental health, including, for some, a constant fear of losing their farm. These stressors, which can be exacerbated by stigma, have manifested in declining mental health in our rural communities. We need better mental health care and stress assistance for our hard-working farmers, and I’m proud to deliver funding that addresses this need.”

“Before the COVID-19 outbreak, New York’s farmers and ranchers were already struggling to sustain themselves in the face of financial distress and declining rural mental health. The pandemic has only increased stress on our agricultural producers who now deal with increased isolation, volatile weather and unstable milk prices, and unprecedented economic pressure,” said Senator Kirsten Gillibrand “This funding will help end the stigma around mental health and provide New York’s rural farming community access to affordable mental health and stress assistance. Now more than ever we must help one another to get by, and I will continue fighting for these vital resources our farmers need to thrive.”

This funding was awarded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) program. For more information on the Farm and Rach Stress Assistance Network (FRSAN), click here.

Grant Recipient Listed Below: 

###