Celebrating June Dairy Month may involve visiting a farm and downing an extra glass of milk with your meal, or it could also be a time to check in with the farmers who help provide it. Dairy Month and Men’s Mental Health Month intersect during June, which is a fitting coincidence. According to the American Farm Bureau, multiple studies show that farmer suicide rates are two to five times higher than the national average. That is partly because farmers often work in isolation while dealing with many stress factors like trade disruptions, extreme weather events, fluctuating markets, labor shortages, and more. UW Extension Regional Dairy Educator Aerica Bjurstrom is proud of the resources they have been able to develop and acquire for farmers struggling with their mental health, but she says it takes a community to get them the help they need.

Bjurstrom adds that the Extension’s “Resilient Farms and Families: Responding to Stress” website features great resources for farmers struggling with their mental health and supplements their periodic webinars on the topic.