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'Be kind to yourself,' and other advice from a longtime rural therapist

Ted Matthews, one of only two rural mental health counselors in Minnesota, plans to retire from his role supporting the agricultural community at the end of June 2025.
Matthews’ retirement follows decades of counseling rural residents amid rising land prices that strain small farms and hinder new farmers from succeeding.
He has provided free mental health support for about 40 years, focusing on rural stress linked to farming challenges and collaborating with Farm Business Management instructors since the 1990s.
Matthews noted that farmers rarely seek psychological help and mentioned that for millennia, those determined to farm and committed to the effort had the opportunity to succeed.
Matthews’ retirement could affect rural mental health services, and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture is encouraging those who have interacted with him to share their memories and appreciation as he prepares to step down.

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