Guest Editorial – Rooted in Care: How Shelby County Cares Is Tending to the Stress Behind the Soil
By: Jolie Foreman, Shelby County Cares
In the rolling hills of northeastern Missouri, fields of corn and soybeans stretch to the horizon, tended by generations of hardworking families. Life in this rural community is defined by resilience, self-reliance, and tradition. But beneath the surface lies a quiet, deeply personal crisis that too often goes unspoken: the growing mental health challenges facing farm families.
Shelby County Cares, a local nonprofit founded by community advocates and farmers' spouses, is leading the way in breaking the silence. Their mission: to bring mental health education, suicide prevention, and accessible support services to the people who feed and fuel our nation.
“We’re dedicated to making mental health resources available,” Shelby County Cares Director Jolie Foreman explained. “We focus on community-driven solutions that recognize the unique challenges of the agricultural lifestyle.” Foreman and Shelby County Cares' mental health provider, Lilly White, are married to Shelby County farmers, live on century farms, and understand firsthand the pressures facing those who work the land.
“There’s so much outside a farmer’s control,” Foreman said. “Weather, markets, rising costs, all of it creates a high level of stress. Farmers don’t always have insurance and rarely take time for themselves. Often, those stressors pile up and become overwhelming.”
Shelby County, with a population of just under 6,000, is home to more than 575 farms, 150 recognized as Missouri Century Farms, family-owned and operated farms for over 100 years. Yet this tight-knit, hardworking community has seen a troubling rise in suicide. From 2011 to 2021, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services recorded 15 suicides and 34 hospitalizations for suicidal ideation in Shelby County. From 2022 to 2024 alone, six residents have died by suicide, many of them involving firearms. Adults ages 35–64, a demographic that includes many farmers, remain the most at risk.
Shelby County Cares is working to reverse that trend through outreach, training, therapy services, and suicide prevention efforts. One of the organization’s key initiatives is promoting safe firearm storage in homes where firearms are used for hunting or protecting livestock. Research shows that putting time and space between a person in crisis and a firearm greatly reduces the risk of suicide.
“There’s still a reluctance to talk about stress and emotions in farming culture,” White, a clinical therapist, said. “People tend to keep things bottled up, and that isolation can be dangerous. We want to create safe places to have hard conversations.”
The organization also hosts training, events, and public awareness campaigns, especially during Mental Health Awareness Month in May. They work closely with schools, churches, and local businesses, including recent collaborations with Mia’s Coffee House and Shelby County Mercantile, which donate a portion of sales to support local mental health programs.
Shelby County Cares helps connect families with vital statewide resources, including:
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline – Call or text 988 for 24/7 free, confidential support for anyone in crisis.
- MU Extension’s Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Program – Offers free telehealth counseling for Missouri farmers, ranchers, and their families. Request services at muext.us/PSCFarmRanch.
“Our goal is to reduce the negative perspectives around mental health in rural communities,” White said. “We want to make sure people know they aren’t alone - and that help is accessible and available.”
From supporting farm families in crisis to creating safe spaces for conversation, Shelby County Cares is sowing the seeds of healing and hope in Missouri’s agricultural heartland, one relationship, one resource, and one life at a time.
