Farmer Angel Network speaker

To the editor,

Farmer Angel Network of Western Wisconsin, Western Wisconsin Health, Ellsworth FFA, and Ellsworth FFA Alumni hosted a lunch and mental health speaker Jeff from the Farmer Angel Network. A crowd of farmers, parents, family and community members concerned about farmers and mental health attended. Under the leadership of FFA Advisor Katie Christenson, Ellsworth FFA member Genevieve Cady welcomed everyone to the presentation with a reminder that “It was a tragic event that brought us together.” The daughter of Brian Webster, Jennifer Webster said “We are on a grief journey and no two grief journeys are the same. Brian never wanted to be the center of attention. We are here today to bring attention to mental health.”

Jeff Ditzenberger of TUGS (Talking Understanding Growing and Support), a Desert Storm veteran who grew up on a dairy farm and worked in the agriculture industry in many forms, left the farm due to emotional and physical abuse from his father. He joined the Navy.

While at war, he started drinking to numb the pain, including drinking mouthwash. He was 21, defending his country and alcohol was his friend. He also dealt with struggles adjusting to civilian life. When he refused to change the records at a creamery and the DNR came to investigate environmental contamination at that creamery, he told the truth and he was fired from his job. It reminded him about trauma as a youth such as “Stop crying or I’ll give you something to cry about.”  Words are powerful and people forget that. Calling people worthless, wishing you were never born and other words can be damaging in so many ways. 

After countless trauma, he planned his suicide for six weeks. During that time he planned a surprise birthday party for his mother. He wrote his suicide note with the plans to start an abandoned house on fire. Although he started the house on fire, he escaped and called 911. The next day, a sergeant at the sheriff’s office called him and asked if he was OK. It was the first time a male figure asked if he was OK. There was substantial evidence that he started the fire and he was given the choice of jail or a mental health institution. He chose the institution. Mental health has a great deal of stigma because people can be judgmental. Mental wellness is going to make things better. 

Farmers are subject to harassment and stigma is a problem. He mentioned his second wife attacking him with pots and pans. Data from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) has shown that 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men have been victims of domestic violence and there is a stigma about male victims of domestic violence. However, he was blessed to have two amazing daughters from that marriage. Instead of judging people, we have to help each other out. We tend to help each other out after a tragedy but why not before the tragedy? Tragedies affect everyone, including people who are not directly involved.   

He married his third wife after helping her when she lost her first husband to suicide. She, like many others who lose loved ones to suicide, had rumors spread; rumors hurt people. She went through hell after the suicide of her husband. The were no indication or a suicide note. Talking about suicide and mental health is hard but not talking leads to funerals. We have an opportunity to make things better. 

Jeff has PTSD, Bipolar 1 and 2 and Anxiety. The ag community needs to look out for each other better.  People don't know how to talk to people anymore.

Veterinarians have a large suicide rate. I know this because I showed a video for an ag ed teacher at one of the schools I sub for. Veterinarians are fighting like crazy to save animals’ lives and to comfort the owners.

While people think farmers are receiving tons of government money, only 8% goes to production ag. Most of the Farm Bill goes to SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) which is a good thing.  But we don't have enough mental health help from the federal government. DATCP (Dept of Ag Trade and Consumer Protection) has counseling vouchers. Currently, he is working with US Sen. Tammy Baldwin to get mental health programs for farmers and rural America. We also need to stop “toxic positivity” because it is bad. Too often we say someone has it worse off when we really should say “How can I help? Can you share your feelings with me?”

He also said we need to stop bullying; because of cellphones the bullying doesn't stop. It goes online where it is there forever. Jeff admitted his daughter was a bully and he came to school to stop it. Too often, it is the bullies that are enabled by their parents and staff of the schools. Social media can reach a great deal of people in a positive way but can lead to so much hatred too. He is seeing hatred on Facebook and other social media platforms. What we need to do instead is help each other out, especially in the ag community. Jeff asked everyone to keep an eye on farms and houses. If weeds are growing up, stop by and volunteer to help. Volunteering to help might save a farmer’s life. It's OK not to be OK and it's OK to be different. 

If we want to make things better, we need to quit plucking people out of the river and see where and why they are falling in. We can never be too busy to help people out. He closed his speech by using a $20 bill.  He folded it, stepped on it and asked if people would still pick up the $20 bill. Everyone said yes. The reason? It is still worth $20 because it never lost its value. People need to know that you have value. Be kind to everyone and most importantly, be kind to yourself.

More information Farmer Angel Network https://www.farmerangelnetwork.com

Dept of Ag Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) through the Wi Farm Center

http://datcp.wi.us/Pages/AgDevelopment/FarmCenterOverview.aspx

I raise by two kids on the family farm started by my great grandparents in El Paso township. My goals are to get people to have dialogue with one another and bridge the gap between urban/suburban and rural America.

John Shafer

Shafer Century Farm

Town of Gilman