New statewide initiative to help Kentucky farmers with access to health care

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Farmers make up only 1% of Americans, but it's still a big industry in Kentucky.

Last year, farmers generated more than $8 billion for the state's economy. Now, a new statewide initiative is looking to help those farmers in return.

"Raising Hope" focuses on the health of farmers. State Agriculture Commissioner Jonathon Shell recently announced the program is expanding into the Farmer Care Initiative, which is a partnership with Appalachian Regional Healthcare.

The goal is to meet farmers where they are, using extension offices and even mobile units. It's also not just about physical health, but mental health as well.

"If you're raising a couple hundred head of cattle, and you've got crops in the ground, you're under a time crunch, you're under the whims of Mother Nature, you're under the whims of market pressures," Shell told LEX18 News. "That's why Raising Hope was built, because farmers, as an industry, has the highest suicide rates of anyone in the country."

The program provides free preventative care, like testing blood sugar levels and blood pressure, as well as vision and hearing tests.

To learn more about the program, click here.

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