American AgCredit releases rural mental health documentary

Santa Rosa, C.A. (May 1, 2025) – In support of May’s Mental Health Awareness Month, agriculture lender American AgCredit, a member of the Farm Credit System, has released a documentary that sheds light on the struggles faced by farmers, ranchers, and other rural community members, including Kansas Senator Roger Marshall and New Mexico Secretary of Agriculture, Jeff Witte.

The mental health statistics in rural America are sobering:

• The suicide rate has increased 46% in rural America in the last 20 years.
• U.S. farmers are 3.5 times more likely to die by suicide than the general population, according to the National Rural Health Association.
• 65% of rural counties across the U.S. don’t have a single psychiatrist.

“The rates of those struggling with depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, and other mental health challenges are much higher in rural communities,” said Jeff Witte, New Mexico Secretary of Agriculture. “Many people hesitate to discuss mental health, but it’s so important to talk about. It’s real, and talking about stress and mental health makes the topic less taboo.”

The powerful 20-minute documentary, Out of the Shadows, hopes to inspire change and help shine a light on the mental health crisis in rural America.

“The stigma surrounding mental health often prevents individuals from seeking help,” said American AgCredit CEO, Curt Hudnutt. “Our hope is that rural community members feel just as comfortable getting support for their mental health as they do for their physical health.”

For more information and to download the documentary, visit outoftheshadowsdoc.com.

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About American AgCredit

American AgCredit was chartered in 1916 as part of the nationwide Farm Credit System and is the nation’s fourth-largest Farm Credit association. American AgCredit specializes in providing financial services to agricultural and rural customers in California, Colorado, Hawaii, Kansas, Nevada, New Mexico and Oklahoma, and serves capital market customers throughout the U.S. Learn more at agloan.com.

Chris Carter, Media Relations, American AgCredit, media@agloan.com, (804) 314-4841