Mental Health
When market pressures mount, “toughing it out” can feel like the only option—but it might be your biggest risk.
When the daily demands of an operation become overwhelming, long-term strategy is often the first thing to go. But what if hard times are actually the best time to grow?
Farmers need to be prepared to pay substantially more for their coverage in 2026, unless Congress acts now to address the impending price surge.
A growing crisis is silently unfolding in agriculture. Farmers are 3.5 times more likely to die by suicide than the general population. With mounting financial stress, that number could be on the rise this year.
With 259 farm bankruptcies filed between April 2024 and March 2025, it’s clear the financial stress on farms is only growing more severe this year. But there’s been another troubling trend happening in the midst of the downturn.
Find out how one leader in Congress is advocating a grounded approach to the Make American Healthy Again agenda.
Burnout shows up when people are over extended, misaligned and are trying to carry all the things all the time without any support, even while doing work they love.
Suicide and mental health concerns continue to increase on farms and ranches. Watch for signs, be proactive and provide support to those struggling in your community.
Since being confirmed on Feb. 13, Secretary Rollins has been in the Washington D.C., USDA office for a few hours. Most of her time has been spent visiting farmers, ranchers and ag businesses in Kentucky, Kansas and at Top Producer Summit.
Floodwaters breached levees in parts of Iowa on Tuesday, with more flooding anticipated for Wednesday. The damage to row-crop and livestock operations is likely significant, according to state officials.
A national subject matter expert in managing mental health issues discusses how to recognize the symptoms and how to effectively manage mental health struggles in rural America.
You need to do what you need to do to make your life better. Is it really that simple?
Mental health support services are hard to find in rural areas. Did you know 90 million people live in designated Mental Health Professional Shortage Areas? To further complicate matters, stress among farmers is growing.
It’s important the friends, family, and business professionals close to farmers are prepared and able to effectively communicate in a mental health crisis.
From improved telehealth services to reimagined small-town hospitals, the National Rural Health Association is working to help folks in farm country tap into more and better medical care options.
September is National Suicide Prevention Month. According to the CDC, between 2000 and 2020 suicide rates climbed 46% in rural areas. By comparison, the rate in metro areas climbed 27.3%.
There may never be a more important time to focus on the relationships with your employees.
It doesn’t matter if it’s spring, summer, winter or fall, weather is always on producers’ minds. While slower seasons can offer relief, winter can drain emotional batteries. Here are two steps to help find relief.
A little bit better is a little bit better, said Ted Matthews, director of Minnesota Rural Mental Health. Matthews dispels myths about mental health, counseling and anxiety on the farm.
By prioritizing mental health, the Nebraska Extension program aims to support the sustainability of U.S. farming operations, laying the foundation for a resilient ag industry for generations to come.
Tanner Krause, CEO of Iowa-based Kum & Go convenience stores, works to provide a ‘safe space’ for employees to talk about emotional challenges, many of which have been brought on or exacerbated by the Covid pandemic.
Farming is stressful—this year proves challenging for even experienced farmers. However, it’s important for you, friends and family to remember that stress on the farm should be just that—stress on the farm.
Calls to the Wisconsin Farm Center, which helps distressed farmers, were up last year, including a 33 percent increase in November and December compared to the same two months the previous year.
When it comes to mental health information, a new study shows farmers want to receive information face-to-face from their innermost circle.