West Virginia’s Department of Agriculture takes care of our state’s farmers and ranchers in ways many might not consider, as an announcement from the department recently shows. Three projects received shares of $401,834 in 2021 West Virginia Farmers and Ranchers Stress Assistance Network grants — a mouthful, but worth every penny if those who receive the money are able to use it to accomplish their goals.

Coalfield Development Corporation in Lincoln and Wayne counties received $197,616 for “From the Ground Up: Connecting Farmers and Ranchers with Community Supports for Stress Reduction.” West Virginia Military Authority received $102,040 for “Patriot Guardens: Merging Mental Health and Stress Assistance with Agriculture Production.” And West Virginia University Research Corporation received $101,554 for “West Virginia Network for Rural Mental Health and Farm Stress.”

“These are federal COVID relief dollars appropriated to states to help mitigate the impact of the pandemic. Given rising energy costs, inflation and supply chain issues, many farmers are feeling increased anxiety and stress,” said Commissioner of Agriculture Kent Leonhardt. “Ensuring we continue to keep our agricultural production high is essential to the economy of our state and the security of our citizens. These projects aim to improve the mental health outcomes of our producers.”

Farmers do more for us than many realize. The responsibility they bear — not just for their own families, but for all of us — weighs heavily in the best of times. It is encouraging to know there are efforts under way to help them carry that load in these difficult times, too.