This is a tough question to ask, and even tougher to consider when it involves your friends, family and neighbors. But it’s a reality many of us in agriculture face every day.
If you haven’t had the chance to watch “Legacy,” a film produced in partnership with the Colorado Farm Bureau and the Colorado Department of Agriculture, I highly encourage you to do so. Recently, Gunnison County CSU Extension and Gunnison Valley Health (GVH) had the opportunity to share this powerful film with our community.
After the screening, a panel discussion featuring Kirsten Wulfsberg, a licensed professional counselor who works with the CSU Extension Office and the Colorado AgrAbility Project; Bryon Dillon of the GVH Mobile Crisis Service; Andy Spann with the Gunnison County Stockgrowers’ Association; and Lucy Waldo with the Gunnison Valley Cattlewomen, delved deeper into the mental health challenges faced in the Gunnison Valley and the resources available to combat them.
As a producer, “Legacy” resonated deeply with me. The film addresses an issue that’s not often talked about: the mental health struggles of ranchers. A couple of years ago, I opened up about my own challenges as a producer, and truth be told, those struggles are still very real today.
My husband and I recently took our honeymoon to Puerto Rico. While we were away, it felt like everything that could go wrong at the ranch did. The cattle ran out of feed and kept breaking out of the pasture. It was immensely difficult to be thousands of miles away and unable to manage the issues. It got to the point that my dad and some incredible neighbors had to step in and move our cattle home for us. It was humbling. But it reminded me of the strength of our community. When you make the call and ask for help, friends and neighbors show up without hesitation.
Reflecting on that experience and on “Legacy,” I couldn’t help but ask myself, ‘Why is it so easy to call for help with our cattle, but so hard to ask for help when it comes to our mental health?’ Why do we find it so hard to admit that we’re overwhelmed, or that we might need to let something go? Why does reaching out for help with our mental health feel more difficult than ranching?
“Legacy” addresses this head on. Tony Hass of the Walking Y Ranch, a rancher featured in the film, touches on the pressure many of us feel to keep the family ranch going. “Why can’t you make it work?” he asks, pointing out a common mindset. “Dad made it through the Dirty Thirties.” As a third-generation rancher, that question really struck a chord with me. I often feel the weight of that expectation. There’s a constant pressure to keep everything afloat, and it can be very overwhelming.
The film also explores how many of the challenges we face — market fluctuations, weather, politics — are beyond our control. But the impact of those stressors can be profound. Marc Arnusch of Marc Arnusch Farms shares how farming often comes at the cost of family time, a trade-off many of us know all too well. “We farm in windows, and those windows open and close quickly and sometimes that comes at the sacrifice of family.”
Hass explained the situation further. As ranchers and farmers, we feel a deep-seated commitment to the land and what we are producing. As ranchers, we are committed to leaving the land in better shape than they found it.
“There is so much of a drive to be able to maintain the land at all costs,” said Chad Reznicek, a behavioral health specialist with the Colorado AgrAbility Project. “It pushes people to take tremendous risks.” Chad explains that this is also known as the agrarian imperative. This drive is admirable, but pushes us to take dangerous risks and sacrifice our well-being contributing to the crisis that we are facing today.
The panel following the film offered practical strategies for managing these pressures. Wulfsberg, who also appears in “Legacy,” suggests breaking things down into categories: what you have control over, what you have some control over and what you have no control over.
This simple framework can provide some clarity when things feel chaotic. She points out that we tend to put our energy toward things we can't control which is tiring and frustrating. This exercise can help you allocate your energy where it is helpful: focus on the things you have control over.
Our panelists also highlighted several resources available for those struggling.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, don’t hesitate to reach out. You can call 1.844.493.TALK (8255) or text TALK to 38255.
The Colorado Agricultural Addiction and Mental Health Program offers vouchers for free counseling sessions to agricultural producers. These can be accessed via their website, campforhealth.org. This organization gives you access to licensed therapists who can assist you with anything you are struggling with.
Another great resource is the Farm Aid Hotline at 1.800.327.6243. Farm Aid can help with anything from succession planning, direct marketing assistance, farm stress and much more.
The AgriStress Hotline can also be utilized by calling or texting 1.833.897.2474. When you call or text, you will be connected with an agriculture specific crisis intervention specialist who is ready to listen, provide emotional support or provide you with resources.
If you’re looking for a more casual way to connect, local producers can stop by the CSU Extension office on Fridays for free coffee sponsored by AgWell and the Rocky Mountain Farmers Union. It’s a chance to catch up with friends and neighbors and take a well-deserved break from your morning chores.
For me, one of the biggest takeaways from the film is that it is okay to reach out for help. Just like we call a mechanic for our tractor, we can ask for support with our mental health. We don’t have to do this alone. I also ask those of you reading this to take the time (45 minutes to be exact) and watch the “Legacy” film. It is a powerful and eye-opening film that sheds light on an issue too important to ignore.
If you have any questions or need help accessing any of these resources, please call our office at 970.641.1260 or swing by anytime. We are located at 275 S. Spruce St., and we are happy to help walk you through any of these resources.
(Hannah Cranor-Kersting is a third-generation Gunnison rancher.)
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