DATCP now offering online support groups for Wisconsin farmers

The sessions will be led by farmers who have experienced stress and anxiety while operating their own farms.

LAND IF IT WEREN'TFOR THE TENS OFTHOUSANDS OFFARMERS IN THESTATE.

BUT BEING AFARMER THROUGH AGLOBAL PANDEMICHAS ONLY ADDED TOTHE CHALLENGESFACING THEINDUSTRY.IN TODAY'SREBOUND REPORT --N-B-C 26'S JENNABREE TELLS USABOUT A NEWRESOURCE TO HELPMANAGE THEPRESSURE...FROM WORKING LONGHOURS, TO FINANCIALUNCERTAINTY -BEING A FARMER ISMORE STRESSFULTHAN MANY PEOPLEKNOW.THANKS TO A NEW D AT C P PROGRAM,IT'S NOW EASIER FORFARMERS TO NOWGET THE HELP THEYNEED."It's a lot of work, it's not aneasy life.

You got to becommitted to it, you got toget up every day, get outof bed and go to work allday.

It's not an easylifestyle by any means."PHIL ULLMER SAYSTHERE ARE ALWAYSCHALLENGES FORFARMERS,EVERY YEAR ANDEVERY DAY..."You think you're going tomake some money doingthis and then all of asudden the market turnsand you're on the wrongside of it."FARMERS SAY A MAINSUPPORT SYSTEM..

ISEACH OTHER.THAT'S NOW HARDERTO FIND."Before Covid you wouldsee people out and aboutor for events but nowpeople Kinda are justdoing their thing and that'sall they do you know youdon't meet other peoplelike he used to right now."D-A-T-C-P HAS A NEWRESOURCE TO TRYAND HELP.THE AGENCYANNOUNCED ONLINEFARMER SUPPORTGROUPS.AGRICULTUREDIRECTOR JAYNEKRULL SAYSSESSIONS WILL BELED BY FARMERSWHO THEMSELVESEXPERIENCEDSTRESS AND ANXIETY."there's a stigma aroundmental health.

Farmersare incredibly stoic.

Theyhave a lot of pride in whatthey do, and it's hard forthem to think about mentalhealth as something theyneed to keep up with."SHE SAYS D-A-T-C-PORIGINALLY WANTEDTO CREATE IN-PERSON SUPPORTGROUPS,BUT HAVING TO DOTHEM ONLINEINSTEAD MIGHTACTUALLY BEBETTER..."We may get moreattendees participating.There is the option ofbeing quite anonymous onZoom, you don't have toshow your face, you canjust give your first name,so we actually think andhope it will get a goodparticipation rate."ULLMER SAYS HE'SNOT SURE YET IF HEWILL TAKEADVANTAGE OF THESUPPORT GROUPS,BUT HE'S GLAD TOKNOW THERESOURCE IS OUTTHERE, IF HE NEEDSIT..."It's nice that they'rethinking of us and theywant to support us andhelp us, but I mean reallywish it wouldn't have tobe, you know.

You wishthat things would be wellenough that we couldmake money and behappy and go on with ourlives and be successful."THERE WILL BE THREESESSIONS EVERYMONTH --STARTING INFEBRUARY --WITH A MAXIMUM OF20 FARMERS PERSESSION...IF YOU WOULD LIKETO SIGN UP ONLINEOR SHARE WITH AFARMER YOU KNOW -YOU CAN FIND A LINKON OUR WEB SITE --N-B-C 26 DOT COM...IN PULASKI JENNABREE N-B-C 26...STILL TOCOME...CALLS FORCHANGES TO BIG