Our mission is to serve as the informed voice for mental health in rural America, and to provide mental health information and resources. We are working to confront mental health challenges in rural communities and the stigma that surrounds mental illness.

I’m encouraged by the momentum we’re building together to address the mental health crisis in rural America. With every story shared, every partnership formed, and every community reached, Rural Minds continues to grow as a trusted voice and resource for the 46 million people who call rural America home.

As you’ll read in this newsletter, Rural Minds is off to a strong start in 2026, including the launch of a new Farmer Mental Health Resilience Program. This program is especially meaningful to me because it was shaped by what people in rural communities have shared about their daily pressures, their worries, and their hopes. My own farm family’s story continues to drive me, and I’m grateful every day for the opportunity to break down the stigma surrounding mental illness and assure people living in rural America that help is available if they are struggling with their mental health.

Rural Minds also continues to strengthen its advocacy efforts in Washington, holding several meetings in recent weeks with members of Congress, their staff, and key government and business leaders.

Thank you for your continued support for the mission of Rural Minds. Together, we are inspiring honest conversations and connecting people to life-saving mental health resources.

With gratitude,

We’re excited to introduce the new Farmer Mental Health Resilience Program this week in San Antonio, TX, at the 2026 Commodity Classic, an annual trade show and convention for farmers and agribusiness professionals. Developed with the generous support of VM Agritech, this free program provides practical mental health resources, conversation tools, and real-world support tailored to the unique pressures of farming and rural life.

In the photo: Jeff is speaking with Kenna Chic, legislative fellow to Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), following the congressional briefing.

On February 4, Rural Minds Founder and Chairman Jeff Winton was a featured speaker at a Congressional Neuroscience Caucus Briefing focused on the science behind mental health and stigma. The session explored current neuroscience research on how mental health conditions develop, how stigma impacts health outcomes, and the evidence-based approaches that can reduce both societal and self-stigma.



Jeff joined a distinguished panel of national experts, including:


• Moderator: Mark M. Rasenick, PhD, Past Chair, American Brain Coalition
• Andrea C. Beckel-Mitchener, PhD, Acting Director, National Institute of Mental Health
• Mark Hyman Rapaport, MD, Chair, Stop Stigma Together; President-elect, American Psychiatric Association
• Erica Moore, Director of Operations, The STARR Coalition.
  

The briefing was presented by the American Brain Coalition, American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, American Neurological Association, American Psychiatric Association, One Mind, Society for Neuroscience, The STARR Coalition, Bristol Myers Squibb, Neurocrine Biosciences, and Otsuka US, in cooperation with the Congressional Neuroscience Caucus.

This blog was written by Jeff Corle, one of Rural Minds' newest collaboration partners, with whom we are looking forward to working with this year.

My name is Jeff Corle. I am a viral independent music artist with over 70 million streams and views. I’m also a professional keynote concert speaker and a farmer mental health advocate. But up until the spring of 2022 I was simply a full-time, fourth-generation dairy farmer loving my life milking cows on my family farm in the Laurel Mountains of western Pennsylvania. So how did this incredible life transformation of going from cows to country music come about? Well, let me tell you...

Eating disorders affect people in every community, including rural America. During National Eating Disorders Awareness Week (February 23 – March 1), Rural Minds is raising awareness about how eating disorders can impact individuals and families in rural communities.


Learn the warning signs, why early support matters, and how to find help in the Eating Disorders Fact Sheet on the Rural Minds website.

Farming life can be rewarding – but it’s also full of challenges like long hours, unpredictable weather, financial pressures, and isolation that can take a toll on your mental health.

Join a free, virtual Mental Health First Aid training – designed for people living in rural and agricultural communities – where you’ll learn to:

• Recognize warning signs of mental health or substance use challenges.
• Listen with empathy and without judgement.
• Provide support during a mental health crisis.
• Connect with other to local or professional resources.

Sponsored by Westchester University Community Mental Health Services, in partnership with Pennsylvania State Grange and Rural Minds, the training will be delivered via Zoom with two scheduling options:

• March 9 and March 12, 5 - 8 p.m., or
• March 16 and March 19, 5 - 8 p.m.

Here are some highlights of the events that featured Rural Minds over the last few weeks to help raise awareness of rural mental health challenges and provide actionable information and resources for confronting the mental health crisis in rural America.

On January 4, Jeff participated in the 2026 State Agriculture and Rural Leaders (SARL) Legislative Agriculture Chairs Summit in New Orleans, LA – an annual gathering that unites state and provincial elected officials from across the U.S. and Canada around the shared goal of strengthening agriculture and rural communities. Pictured with Jeff are Merle Massie, Executive Director of Canadian nonprofit The Do More Agriculture Foundation, and panel moderator Washington State Representative Tom Dent.

On January 21, Jeff was the featured speaker at the January program meeting of the Zonta Club of Jamestown, NY. In the photo with Jeff is Zonta Program Committee member Ellie Nickeson. We are grateful to the Zonta Club for the opportunity to share our mission.

On February 11, Jeff was in Nashville, TN, to moderate a mental health panel discussion – “See the Signs in Yourself, Your Friends, and Your Neighbors” – at the Top Producer Summit, an event that brought together more than 650 progressive, high-performing farm professionals to focus on agriculture business growth, strategy, networking, and navigating financial challenges.

On February 18, Jeff represented Rural Minds and the 46 million people living in rural America in Washington, D.C., at the PhRMA Forum 2026, where leading experts across healthcare, technology, and policy discussed the trends shaping the future of the biopharmaceutical industry.

Click on the links below for some of Rural Minds’ latest media coverage:

• The Crop Insurance Podcast – Rural Mental Health: Breaking the Silence in Agriculture

• The Post-Journal – Local Advocacy: Lions Club Fundraiser Continues Support of Rural Minds

• The Susquehanna Independent – Rural Minds Advocates for Awareness of Suicide, Depression in Rural Communities

• Seed World – The Cost of Silence in Rural America

Be sure to visit the “Rural Minds in the News” webpage to see additional media coverage of Rural Minds that helps increase awareness about mental health challenges in rural America and the stigma surrounding mental illness.

Rural Minds depends on personal donations and corporate support to develop and distribute educational information and resources to improve mental health in rural America. Your donation to Rural Minds helps to provide content, programs, and media outreach that confront the mental health emergency in rural communities and the stigma that surrounds mental illness.

And now, giving is easier than ever – donations can be made through PayPal and Venmo. Thank you for helping to bring hope and support to rural communities.