Jaqueline Witte, left, and Rachel Fulton, right. (Melissa Ellin, WGLT)
McLean County farmers Jaqueline Witte and Rachel Fulton recently spoke with WGLT about mental health stressors in agriculture. WGLT reports that studies have shown mental health conditions are common among agriculture professionals and their families and, "it's not a local problem or a state problem. It's a national problem -- and women are often forgotten in the conversation."
Witte, who manages an off-farm job, raises four kids, helps with the family meat company (Bloomington Meats) and assists on the farm, said, "I feel one of the best ways to manage stress is to tackle what stresses you out the most."
Fulton, who works an off-farm job in addition to working on the farm, said that women on farms play multiple roles.
"I'm everything all the time, she said. "I'm a mother while we're sitting here. I'm an employee while we're sitting here. I'm a farmer while we're sitting here. I'm Rachel. I'm one person, just be that one person, and make sure you take time for her as well."
Read the full article here.