Bird flu taking mental toll on Ohio farmers, but resources available to help
DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — The numbers related the bird flu outbreak are staggering, with nearly 12 million birds killed on Ohio farms alone since Dec. 24. Agriculture officials say it's impacting not just the farms but the farmers themselves.
A Darke County commissioner, a farmer himself, is working to make sure people in the community who farm have the mental health resources they need.
According to Commissioner Matt Aultman, the bird flu outbreak, hot on the heels of last summer's drought, has put a lot of strain on local farmers.
'Farmers aren't known for weakness,' said Aultman. 'We try to be a strong group of people.'
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He said that he knows what it's like to go through a difficult time when much of your day gives you too much time to contemplate.
'When you spend six, seven, eight hours by yourself, you kind of overthink things,' said Aultman. 'I'm a big overthinker myself, and you kind of get in your own head with everything.'
'We Got You Back' program for farmers
Aultman said he's made it part of his mission to let fellow farmers know they are not alone.
'No matter how dark yet, there are resources and support out there to help you get to tomorrow,' he said. Brian Baldridge, director of the Ohio Department of Agriculture, said that with the bird flu outbreak in the Miami Valley, it's logical for farmers to feel additional stress.
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'We're depopulating them because of an outbreak,' said Baldridge. 'There's a lot of stress and mental aspects and financial strains that goes on through this process.'
Stressful times such as these are why the Ohio Department of Agriculture teamed with the Farm Bureau and Ohio State to launch the 'We Got Your Back' program.
The website for the program provides a list of free mental health resources designed just for farmers.
'In the ag community, we're a small, small group of people when you look at the population of actual farmers,' said Baldridge. 'Putting together those resources that are easier, accessible, is our goal and just bringing people together and again bringing more attention to this topic.'
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