Today, the second in my series of columns about mental health issues appears in the Minnesota Star Tribune.
I began this series after contemplating the loss of a family member to suicide many years ago. My goals: build hope for recovery from mental illness while sharing valuable resources and elevating worthy public policy ideas.
This column touches on all of those goals.
Farm suicides are a common cause of death, though it’s hard to pin down exactly how frequent they are. Farming is stressful and isolation is typical.
One farmer told me his story of profound depression and recovery. His solution is bone simple: talk, talk, talk. Talk to someone when you don’t feel right.
At the height of the farm crisis in 1984, Minnesota began the Farm Advocates program, the first and only of its kind in the United States. Right now, any farmer can access legal advice, social workers and mental health counselors for free. This program has enjoyed bipartisan support and saves lives every year.
Read “Mental illness threatens the harvest in rural Minnesota, but hope grows,” in the Sunday, May 11, 2025 edition of the Minnesota Star Tribune.
Aaron J. Brown is a columnist and member of the editorial board for the Minnesota Star Tribune. His new book about Hibbing Mayor Victor Power and his momentous fight against the world’s largest corporation will be out soon.
