Real Talk about Mental Health and Agriculture

Everyone Depends on the Farmer

No one understands the pressure that farmers are under unless they’ve walked a mile in their shoes. I was telling someone the other day how rural communities are completely dependent on the success of agriculture, it’s always been that way. If farmers have a good year everyone else does too, if it’s a bad year… everyone has to buckle down. 

Higher Rates of Depression & Suicide

This season the mood of the entire industry is different. When you take into consideration unpredictable weather, tariffs, market prices, inflation, input costs, labor, legislation, and equipment costs, interest rates, long hours, physical demands, social isolation, and in a lot of cases the generational pressure to preserve the family farm for the next generation. It’s no surprise that our industry suffers from much higher rates of depression & suicide than ever before.

Mental Health

To make things worse, mental health is not something we heard our parents or grandparents talking about. It’s not something new, it’s always been around. Some might argue that in todays world we tend to be more tightly wound because we are so intertwined w/ technology that everything happens at a much faster pace. This might be true. I do know that there is still a stigma that exists in the farming community when it comes to mental health but I’m seeing that become less of an issue each day as more and more of us become educated on the topic.

Real Talk…

Having depression doesn’t make you weak. I have a buddy that’s literally a cage fighter and is tougher than nails. He and I have talked openly many times about our mental health to one another and it’s a cool thing. I’ve always tried to be very transparent about myself and my struggles w/ ADHD, OCD, depression, and anxiety on my blogs and podcasts. I would much rather be real, which is hard to do w/ our lives on display via social media each day. 

If this topic has got you thinkiung, here are some additional resources…

• Rural Communities are Tackling Suicide & Depression
• Farmers in Crisis, Long Overlooked, Are Finally Getting Mental Health Support
• Farmers Facing a Mental Health Crisis
• Rural Response to Farmer Mental Health and Suicide Prevention
• Farmers & Mental Health

In closing, I want to point out that the primary reason I became a part of FBN was because of the mission and vision of the company. I don’t think anything else at the time would have pulled me into the industry and it’s definitely the reason I’m still doing what I’m doing. 

We are here to help growers navigate the industry however we can and will work tirelessly alongside you to make your operation profitable. Let me know if there’s anything we can do for you!