05/13/2026
We try to keep things pretty low-key around here, but May is Mental Health Awareness month, and it’s such an important topic to discuss. Did you know that farmers are 3.5x’s more likely to commit su***de than the average person, and rank in the top 5 highest su***de rates by occupation?
As farmers and parents, it’s so important to teach the next generation how to handle mental and physical health. Emmett’s not feeling 100% today (you wouldn’t know it based on that smile!), but he still wants to come out for chores because chores is the equivalent of most people’s dinner table (a time to be together as a family). We make sure to have conversations about how we’re feeling and why we’re feeling the way we are, modify chores that need to be modified for the time being, and make sure he knows that communicating his feelings are important.
Did he still do most of his nightly chores? You bet! Did he rest inbetween? Absolutely!
This lifestyle is hard - big decisions are made constantly, prices are always fluctuating, and weather can’t be controlled. As a reminder to farmers - your farm does not define who you are as a person, and you have value outside of the farm. The world is a better place with you in it.
Know a farmer that needs help? The Agri-stress Hotline number is: 833-897-2474. 988 is the National Su***de and Crisis Hotline. Both are free and available 24/7. 💚
