Opioid Crisis Takes Center Stage At AFBF Convention

A panel discussion at the 99^th American Farm Bureau Federation Annual Convention focused on the opioid epidemic; which statistics show is impacting three out of four farmers.  Much of the discussion focused on a collaboration between the American Farm Bureau Federation and National Farmers Union called Farm Town Strong.  The campaign uses the Farm Town Strong website to raise awareness of opioid addiction.  AFBF President Zippy Duvall said the campaign should serve as a conversation starter in rural America.

“The thing that we need to understand and what’s so important about Farm Town Strong is that if we can get people to open up and if we can get people to talk about it, and get the awareness of it, then we can get them some help.”

Duvall added if each of the 2,700 Farm Bureau county offices nationwide come together and provide much-needed resources, it will not only help address the epidemic, it will save lives.

“What if each one of them empowered themselves as being the loving neighbors that we would if someone just got hurt by a cow and we had done their work for them.  Look what a difference we could make in their life.  And if we saved just one farmer’s family from being destroyed by this it’s well worth the effort they are putting into it.”

To learn more about the Farm Town Strong effort, or if you need resources for someone you know impacted by opoids, Click Here.

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