Rebuilding Connection and Care for Wisconsin’s Farm Families

Situation

In Wisconsin, as in much of rural America, farming is both a livelihood and a way of life—shaped by family legacy, economic risk, isolation, and a strong culture of self‑reliance. Even before the COVID‑19 pandemic, statewide data showed higher rates of suicide and self‑harm among farmers, particularly men in rural communities.

These pressures are layered and persistent. Long hours, thin margins, uncertainty around markets and weather, and complex family and succession dynamics all contribute to chronic stress. At the same time, many informal community spaces that once supported connection—card games, coffee shops, feed mills, church gatherings—have quietly disappeared. Agricultural modernization reduced everyday interaction, and the pandemic served as a final disruption to already‑fragile rural social infrastructure.

Accessing mental health care presents additional barriers. Confidentiality concerns in small communities, shortages of providers familiar with agricultural life, and long travel distances limit options. Together, these conditions created an urgent need for a mental‑health response that was accessible, trusted, and grounded in farm‑family realities.

Response

In response, the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) launched the Farmer Wellness Program, beginning with state funding in the 2019–21 biennium following recommendations from the Governor’s Suicide Prevention Task Force. From the outset, the program was shaped by farmer input and built through strong partnerships, including close collaboration with UW–Madison Extension.

Early focus groups with farmers and their families identified key stressors—most notably time pressure—and helped guide program design. The program formalized counseling vouchers for farmers and farm family members and invested in a statewide network of licensed mental health providers familiar with agricultural systems.

Rather than relying on referral lists alone, the program evolved into a highly relational model. Staff work directly with farmers to understand their circumstances and personally match them with appropriate providers, prioritizing fit, confidentiality, and timely access. Telehealth became a critical tool, allowing farmers to connect with trusted providers outside their immediate community while reducing travel time and privacy concerns. Today, approximately half of counseling sessions occur via telehealth and half in person.

The program also developed facilitated online peer‑support groups led by trained farmers and licensed clinicians. Groups function as open forums or topic‑based discussions addressing issues such as communication, family dynamics, and ambiguous loss. Scheduling aligns with the agricultural calendar, with increased offerings during the non‑growing season when participation is more feasible.

Connection to Broadband

The Farmer Wellness Program illustrates how broadband can expand access to behavioral health services in rural communities.

Key connectivity elements include:

• Telehealth counseling appointments
• Access to providers outside a participant’s immediate community
• Virtual peer-support groups
• Reduced travel time and scheduling barriers
• Additional privacy for participants concerned about confidentiality in small communities

Importantly, technology was not the primary innovation. The program’s success is rooted in relationship-building, personalized support, and services designed around the realities of agricultural life. Broadband helped make those trusted connections possible across distance and time constraints.

Outcomes and Lessons Learned

The Farmer Wellness Program has grown steadily, now issuing hundreds of counseling vouchers annually and supporting multiple online peer groups across Wisconsin. Demand consistently exceeds available funding, signaling both trust in the program and the depth of ongoing need.

Several lessons from this work resonate beyond agriculture and mental health:

• Relationships matter. Personalized, responsive engagement builds trust and lowers barriers to seeking help.
• Flexibility enables access. Services designed around real schedules, seasons, and constraints are more likely to be used.
• Technology works best as a bridge. Telehealth expands access, but human connection remains central.
• Social infrastructure matters. The loss of informal gathering spaces is a community development issue, affecting well‑being, resilience, and connection.

Together, these lessons highlight how mental health, connectivity, and community vitality are deeply interconnected—and how trusted, locally informed approaches can strengthen all three.

Why This Matters for Communities

Mental health affects workforce participation, family stability, agricultural productivity, and overall community well-being.

This example demonstrates that improving access to care involves reducing barriers, rebuilding connections, and creating services that fit people’s schedules, cultures, and daily realities.

For rural communities, the case highlights how broadband-enabled services can support:

• Workforce well-being
• Behavioral health access
• Social connection
• Healthcare access across long distances
• Community resilience

The case also reminds communities that social infrastructure – the networks, relationships, and trusted institutions that connect people – is just as important as physical infrastructure.

Questions for Discussion

1. What informal gathering spaces or routines have disappeared in your community, and what has replaced them—if anything?
2. How does confidentiality shape access to services in small or rural communities?
3. Where does telehealth meaningfully reduce barriers, and where does it still require strong human support?
4. What roles can Extension, local governments, or agricultural organizations play in rebuilding social connection—not just delivering services?
5. Are there other sectors in your community where a highly relational, flexible model like this could improve outcomes?

Related Resources

• Healthcare in the Digital Age Workshop
• Wisconsin Farm Center
• Wisconsin Farmer Wellness Program
• Rural Health Transformation Program
• Additional Broadband & Healthcare Case Studies

Source & Transparency Note

This case study was developed from an interview conducted by Jessica Beckendorf and Nate Winkler (University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of Extension) with Karen Endres, Wisconsin Farm Center, Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (2026). Drafting was supported by artificial intelligence tools and refined through human review and editing.