Powder River Examiner -

Dear Editor,

With Montana being #3 in the union with deaths by suicide, and the fact farmers and ranchers are 2 to 1 more likely to commit suicide than other professions, suicide is a subject that needs to be addressed. Our neighboring states of Wyoming at #1 and South Dakota at #7 in suicide rates makes this an even scarier fact.

Also, with it being calving and lambing season and agriculture in general being a highly dangerous occupation, we need to do everything we can to try to improve our odds and try to reduce suicide rates.

If you utilize Montana State Fund as your workers compensation provider, it’s important to participate in an annual safety meeting.

I wanted to let you know about an upcoming event that is being sponsored by Powder River-Carter County Farm Bureau, on March 21st at the Boyes Hall.

The new Ag Safety Director Dana Jansen will be presenting an Ag Safety training, lasting around 1 hour. She has a fresh take on the training and is very up-beat.

Jess Fuhrman from QPR institute (Question, Persuade, Refer) will then speak about how to recognize the signs and/or symptoms to be aware of for suicide prevention. His talk is about an hour long, and I for one am greatly looking forward to it.

I would like to invite you to come join us at 1:00pm. We’ll have hors d’oeuvres, and will conclude with an early dinner following speakers at approximately 3:30, allowing everyone to get back to calving and lambing.

Please consider joining us!

Darcia Patten, PRCCFB VP, Dist #5 Director