The cost of farming

For some farmers, farming is a family tradition. One that has been passed down for generations. While farmers take pride in continuing this tradition, there is also added responsibility and sometimes pressure to live up to the way of life and carry on the legacy of previous generations.

Farming isn’t easy. It’s a high cost, high risk career with the pressure to make decisions daily that impact your livelihood. Couple that with the increasing demands to produce more and better crops with less impact on natural resources, and farmers are under stress like never before. Because of this, more attention is being paid to the mental health of farmers and supporting them. Physicians, first responders and psychologists are being encouraged to pay special attention to any warning signs of extreme stress or potential depression, especially among farmers they work with.