(NAFB) – USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture Wednesday announced $25 million for 50 grants supporting Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network State Department of Agriculture projects.

Long before the pandemic caused an increase in stress around the world, stress-related mental health was already a rising concern across farm communities coast to coast. USDA-NIFA introduced a competitive grants program, the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network, reauthorized by the 2018 Farm Bill, which supports projects that provide stress assistance for people in agriculture.

Funded projects must initiate, expand, or sustain programs that provide professional agricultural behavioral health counseling and referral for other forms of assistance as necessary. As part of the grants, the Colorado Farmer and Rancher Mental Health Support Program will expand to assist agricultural workers, farmers, and ranchers in managing stress. And the Georgia Farmer Healthy Mindset program will take a multifaceted approach to address stress and mental health outreach and awareness.