Wisconsin's Joint Finance Committee Approves Release of $200,000 for Farmers Mental Health
Thursday, September 5th, 2019 -- 8:43 AM
(AP) -The Wisconsin Legislature’s finance committee voted unanimously Wednesday to allow state agriculture officials to spend an additional $200,000 to help struggling farmers deal with depression and mental health problems.Wisconsin farmers have been wrestling with a combination of problems over the last few years, including an industry transition toward a factory farm model, falling milk prices and the President’s trade war. Nearly 700 dairy farms closed in Wisconsin last year, which was the highest number of closures since 2011. Total statewide net cash farm income in Wisconsin declined 22% between 2012 and 2017, according to data from the National Agricultural Statistics Service. Wisconsin milk prices have dropped from $26.60 per 100 pounds in September 2014 to an average of $16.76 from January 2018 through June 2019.
Meanwhile, the suicide rate for male farmers that managed their operations was 44.9 per 100,000 in 2012 and 32.2 in 2015, according to data released in November by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The suicide rate among all working-age adults, by comparison, was 17.3 per 100,000 in 2016. The Joint Finance Committee set aside $200,000 as part of the 2019-21 state budget to help farmers struggling with mental health issues, but the panel didn’t release it to the state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. Republicans who control the committee said Wednesday that they want oversight of agency spending because their constituents expect accountability and they wanted to wait to see what recommendations a suicide prevention task force Assembly Speaker Robin Vos appointed might provide.
DATCP Secretary Brad Pfaff issued a blistering news release in July accusing the committee of abandoning farmers after the panel didn’t consider releasing the money at a meeting that month. Pfaff asked the committee for the $200,000 during a hearing Wednesday. He said his department wants to use the money to offer farmers counseling vouchers, set up workshops to help farmers learn stress management, coping and grieving skills, and teach mental health care providers about challenges farmers face. According to the Legislative Fiscal Bureau, DATCP had only $1,300 left for counseling vouchers as of Aug. 21.
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