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NFU: COVID-19 has worsened existing challenges in rural areas

National Farmers Union President Rob Larew says the coronavirus pandemic has worsened existing challenges in rural communities.

“Access to care is a real struggle in many rural areas and rural Americans in general only have one-half the access to hospitals that their counterparts, residents in suburban and urban areas have and only one-tenth of access to specialists,” he says.

He tells Brownfield farmer mental health is also top of mind during this challenging time.

“Making sure that we are continuing to check on our neighbors and making sure we are looking for signs and trying to connect folks to help because the pressures are immense and growing and we need to make sure we get through this together,” he says.

NFU advocates on behalf of nearly 200,000 farm families and their communities.