07/07/26: Vern Thompson, Candidate for North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner, will host a round table to address mental health in agriculture. Tuesday, July 7, 6:00 pm at the Living Waters Lutheran Church, 4451 40th Ave S, Fargo.

North Dakota is experiencing a crisis: farmer suicides. According to the CDC, farmers are three times more likely to die by suicide than the general population. There were at least seven farmer suicides in North Dakota between January 1 and June 1, 2026. This round table will bring farmers, legislators, agriculture organizations, healthcare professionals, and faith and community leaders together to figure out a solution.

(Joel Heitkamp is a talk show host on the Mighty 790 KFGO in Fargo-Moorhead. His award-winning program, “News & Views,” can be heard weekdays from 8 – 11 a.m. Follow Joel on X/Twitter @JoelKFGO.)