The Delaware Department of Agriculture and the Delaware Farm Bureau partnered to distribute stickers promoting the suicide crisis hotline at 988 to farmers in the First State.
The stickers are part of the organizations’ initiative to destigmatize mental health issues in the agriculture community.
Farmers’ suicide rates nationwide can be three times higher than the national average, according to a 2020 report by the CDC.
The Delaware Farm Bureau’s membership and outreach coordinator Jaiden Cain said farmers’ jobs are often grueling, unending and dependent on uncontrollable factors like weather, natural disasters and fluctuating markets.
“There are plenty of resources out there for them,” Cain said. “They're not alone. So the stickers, we're hoping if they just stick them in their tractors or their shops or wherever that they can see them. It's just a quick reminder that they can call and they can ask for help.”
The initiative is inspired by a county farm bureau in Florida that partnered with a tractor dealership and put 988 stickers in all tractors before selling them.
A 2024 study on best practices found farmers respond best to brief, clear reminders that they are not alone. It also found that initiatives like this one should frame conversations as part of general health and highlight connections farmers already have or can easily access.
Cain said those involved with the initiative want to support farmers by telling them it’s okay to not be okay and to reach out for help when they need it.
“Farmers are working 24/7, seven days a week,” Cain said. “It never really stops… Farmers really struggle on separating their work from their home lives and family lives, and a lot of those factors can lead to mental health issues.”
Both partner organizations hope to expand the initiative by partnering with tractor dealerships and other farmer hotspots to further distribute their stickers.
