Heavy emotional burdens, struggles of American farmers 'need national attention and policy changes'

A worried farmer stares at his crop of wheat and weeds. 
(Adobe Stock photo)

America's farmers have a lot on their minds: Flooding, weeds, bugs, spiking fertilizer prices, bird flu, changes at the USDA, tractor repairs, extreme rain, high winds, crop insurance, tariffs and isolation. Those pressures can leave farmers deeply distressed and depressed to the point of considering suicide.

"This chronic stress puts farmers at a higher risk of developing health conditions including heart disease, hypertension, depression and anxiety disorders," reports Emily Payne of Food Tank. "Thankfully, nonprofit organizations, farmers’ coalitions and other organizations are working to remove the barriers preventing farmers from accessing suicide prevention assistance."

Part of helping farmers reach out for help means working to reduce stigmas that surround mental health that are often found in rural regions. "In 2021, 63% of farmers and farm workers surveyed by the American Farm Bureau Federation said that there is at least some stigma around stress and mental health in the agriculture community," Payne reports. Farmers and farm employees are afraid they will be recognized and shamed for seeking mental health care.

Third-generation Wisconsin farmer Jake Beeler explained why farmers sometimes avoid dealing with any mental health struggles. He told Payne, "I’m sure there are mental health resources, but anybody that I know that ends up going down that road, money is a huge issue. Why go spend money talking to somebody when I could be at work getting stuff done? That’s the mindset that gets bred into you as a farmer.”

Katherine Un of the National Young Farmers Coalition, told Food Tank, "It’s challenging for farmers to find the time to seek or schedule treatment while working long days, or to find health care providers who understand the unique challenges of farming. . . and the inextricable link between their work, their livelihood, and their sense of purpose in the world."

Several farming organizations provide structures so farmers can support each other. "Young Farmers Cultivemos network facilitates farmer cohorts, regular farmer-led and farmer-centered events, newsletters, resource-sharing, and training to improve farmers’ mental health and well-being," Payne reports. "Un says that resources and spaces that truly build community are key in fighting isolation and addressing mental health challenges."

Outreach and counseling that follow different therapy models also are available. "Annie’s Project provides community-based mental health solutions outside of the traditional therapy model," Payne adds. "The nonprofit partners on Cultivating Resiliency Programs, which are anonymous opportunities for farmers to get together virtually and share what’s on their minds with both their peers and licensed counselors."

Along with mental health care, Un says farmers also need health and dental insurance, and that will require national attention and policy changes. Un told Food Tank, "We need to meaningfully address the top challenges facing the new generation of farmers and ranchers: affordable land access, access to capital, climate change, health insurance, student loan debt, affordable housing. . . .Until these barriers are addressed through the Farm Bill, farmers will continue to face high levels of stress, uncertainty, financial risk and a lack of safety nets.”

Find basics on what to do and say to someone experiencing mental health stress here. Find CDC agriculture health and safety tools here.