As life on the farm gets even harder, Oregon considers joining the drive for mental health help

For years, Jim Hamsher has worked on ranches, roping steers and feeding cattle in Grant County. The list of those he has lost to suicide is long and painful: “I’ve lost my nephew, my uncle, my father-in-law, my brother-in-law’s stepdaughter, my other brother-in-law’s stepson,” he said recently. “My neighbor. My neighbor behind him. I’ve lost my classmates. I’ve lost under-classmates that were a year older. Way too many.”

Farming is hard work. The chores never end, and something as simple as bad weather can mean financial disaster.

Studies by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention find farmers are two to three times more likely to die by suicide than the general public.

In an effort to help, Oregon legislators are considering Senate Bill 955, which would provide state money to support a suicide helpline for people who work the land.

Hamsher, a Grant County commissioner, said many ranchers simply aren’t taught to seek help for mental health challenges. In his experience, they tend to internalize problems and keep to themselves.

“They are brought up to be real tough and self-reliant,” he said. “A lot of times the weight of the whole family farm lies on their shoulders.”