The American Farm Bureau Federation and National Farmers Union — the nation's two largest general farm organizations — launched a campaign to raise awareness about the effect of the opioid epidemic on rural communities.
The campaign — dubbed Farm Town Strong — also aims to provide resources to rural communities to help residents find treatment, dispose of drugs and participate in prevention services.
"It's going to take everyone working together to combat this crisis to make a difference," said Zippy Duvall, AFBF president. "That's why Farm Bureau and National Farmers Union are teaming up to show unity on this issue and encourage farm families to help their neighbors. If you or a family member has been affected by opioid addiction, it's important to talk about it so that others will know they are not fighting this alone."
The campaign comes after a recent survey commissioned by AFBF and NFU found 74 percent of farmers and farm workers said they, a family member or friend have been directly affected by the opioid crisis.
"Opioid addiction — along with all of its consequences — is a silent, but very real, crisis for our farming communities," said Roger Johnson, NFU President. "The lack of services, treatment and support exacerbates the issue in rural areas, and the negative stigma associated with addiction makes it hard for farmers to discuss the problem …Through the Farm Town Strong campaign, we're tackling this crisis head-on by encouraging more dialogue, more information sharing and more farmer-to-farmer engagement."
To learn more about the campaign, click here.
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