In a study of 611 farmers conducted by the Trust in Food Farm Journal Initiative (Rayburn, 2020), 62% of respondents said that COVID-19 impacted their farming operation. Among those, 96% faced reduced prices; 67% saw reduced demand, and 50% felt mental distress. Trust in Food also reported that in another study of farmers and people connected to farm ing, the response to the statement, “I have never been so stressed,” more than doubled in 2020 compared to self -reported levels in 2019. In January 2021, the National Farmers Coalition and the American Farm Bureau released the results of a survey of 2,000 adults in rural areas conducted in December 2020 (Morning Consult, 2020). The study compared results to a similar study conducted in April 2019. Sixty percent of respondents said they were concerned about financial issues; 51% about the future; 54% about losing the farm; and 50% about how the farm economy was affecting farmers’ mental health. Among the farmers and farmworkers who responded, 66% said the pandemic had affected their mental health, and 58% said they were having more mental health challenges than a year ago. Farmers and farmworkers reported that they were 10% more likely than rural adults to have felt nervous, anxious, or on edge. The percentage who said social isolation had affected their mental health increased 22% since the first survey. The younger the survey participants, the more likely they were to report that COVID-19 had affected their mental health considerably. Loneliness, often experienced by farmers along with ordinary and extraordinary stress, is linked to declining physical, mental, and emotional well- being. More specifically, loneliness “increases blood pressure and cholesterol; activates physical and psychological stress responses; contributes to cardiovascular disease — the number one cause of death in the United States; and suppresses the immune system — our protection from illness and disease” (Lobley & Wheeler, 2020). The COVID -19 pandemic contributed to social isolation because people were told to be socially distant to prevent the spread of the virus. The topic is so prevalent that in the fall of 2020, a study was launched to examine cultural and social factors affecting the lived experience of loneliness, social isolation, and mental health in farming communities (Lobley & Wheeler, 2020). Social isolation occurs when an individ ual isn’t engaged with family, friends, and others (Williams & Braun, 2019). Withdrawal from social interactions is often a characteristic of farmers and family members experiencing a pile-up of stress or dealing with crises. A study released in January 2021 found that there was a 22% increase, compared with the results of an April 2019 survey, in farmers and farm workers reporting that social isolation was affecting their mental health (Morning Consult, 2019). Positive social bonds among family and extended family members and with people in the community are associated with better health. A meta-analysis of multiple studies found that strong and deep social connections were associated with a 50% drop in the risk of early death (Holt-Lunstad et al., 2017). For some farmers, COVID-19 affected the accessibility of social support within geographic communities. Effects on Young Farmers. The National Coalition of Young Farmers conducted a study in April 2020 to identify young farmers’ top challenges during COVID -19. Seventy-five percent of participating farmers said they had seen a reduction in the number of outlets for selling their products; 53% incurred additional costs for implementing alternative sales strategies; 45% said they couldn’t complete planned projects; 45% lacked having available technical support; and 26% said they had trouble retaining employees. One or more “non - farm” effects were reported by 70% of participating young farmers. Those effects included loss of off - farm income; increased caregiving; and handling personal health effects of COVID-19 (Lemos & Ackoff, 2020).
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