BRAINERD — For farmers and agricultural workers in Minnesota, every day is a work day, which leaves little time for taking care of one's mental health.

According to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture website, farmers experience common mental health conditions more often than the general population. According to the National Rural Health Association, the suicide rate among U.S. farmers is 3.5 times higher than the national average.

In the 1990s, Farm Business Management instructors, with support from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and funds from the Minnesota Legislature, helped launch a pioneering model of mental health care tailored to the unique realities of rural life. Ted Matthews, a long-serving agricultural mental health counselor, led the charge for over 30 years b

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