Bob Piscura, co-founder of Seed Peace, told the Ag Behavioral Health Working Group that his organization is pursuing a simple, low‑barrier model to connect farmers with medical and behavioral health care. "We
ve got some professionals who have agreed to discount their services," Piscura said, describing a program that partners discounted clinicians with farmers who lack affordable access.

The effort pairs clinicians trained in "agriculture‑informed therapy" with a direct primary care (DPC) approach, Piscura said. DPC, explained Dr. Emily Zirba, a primary care physician working with the project, charges a monthly subscription fee and gives patients more direct access to their clinician. "They pay a monthly subscription that's affordable, somewhere around a 100 to a $150 a month, and they have complete access to me as their primary care physician," Zirba said.

Why it matters: presenters and members told the group that trust and simplicity matter for reaching farmers and ranchers. Piscura described multiple barriers: complex intake processes, cost concerns and a lack of providers who understand agricultural lives. He said the Seed Peace intake will be an online Google Form and that eligibility will be straightforward: those receiving government benefits (SNAP, Medicaid, housing assistance) or with an adjusted gross income at or below $75,000 may qualify.

Seed Peace aims to cover or greatly reduce out‑of‑pocket costs by negotiating discounts with participating clinicians, Piscura said. He described early work with the National Farmer Mental Health Alliance and a training program for therapists in the Roaring Fork Valley to become familiar with farming culture and stressors; "if they can get help with somebody who knows what they're doing and knows how to talk with our agricultural community, it can work," Piscura said.

The presentation included a personal appeal: Piscura recounted losing his son, Casey, to suicide and said that limited access and stigma made getting help difficult. "Casey took his life on February 2," Piscura said, noting the urgency the group felt to expand trusted care options.

What was decided and next steps: the working group asked follow‑up questions during the meeting about referral pathways and eligibility verification. Piscura said Seed Peace will distribute flyers and worksheets and that the organizers will follow up with the group by email to share more operational details. No formal vote or funding decision was taken during this session. The organizers said they welcome working‑group assistance to amplify the program across Colorado.

The working group will receive Seed Peace's materials and email contact information in a follow‑up message from the meeting organizers; that outreach will include the project
s application link and a copy of the handouts shared during the meeting.