Building Farm and Farm Family Resilience in our Communities

Stressors Summary

A summary of the impacts of stressors on the farming population is provided below:

• Inhibited decision-making and adoption of agricultural and conservation practices

• Physical and mental chronic health problems among individuals and family members

• Depression, anxiety, despair, and suicide

Physical injuries

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• Opioid and alcohol misuse, addiction and, overdose

Loneliness and social isolation

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Lack of access to health care

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Postponement of preventive care

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• Concern of inability to pay for medical care costs

• Juggling on and off-farm work to obtain and pay for health insurance

Racial and gender inequities

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• Fear of losing farm as a business, a home, and a family legacy

For Extension and other professionals who want the farming population to adopt agricultural and conservation practices, an understanding of the impact of stressors could be key to programming that leads to action. If under too much chronic or acute stress, their ability to think and act could be inhibited.

H E A L TH CH A L L E NG E S

A USDA-funded study of farmers in multiple states found that 64% had a preexisting health condition, 40% said that health problems were affecting their ability to farm, and 50% indicated they would have no one to help in the event of a major illness or injury (Inwood et al., 2018). The author of a 2019 dissertation, based on the same study, concluded that the physical toll of stress reduces productivity leading to financial stress and problems among farmers (Becot, 2020). I l lness. With farming in the top ten most stressful occupations, farms and the farming population are at risk while at the same time facing access to care challenges (Garcia et al., 2017). One study found high levels of stress among farmers working 40 hours or more off farms in addition to on-farm work (Kearney et al., 2014). High levels of stress are associated with chronic physical and mental health issues. The added stressors associated with COVID-19, combined with the vulnerability of older farmers, farmers, and farmworkers of color, especially Black and Latino and especially those with preexisting conditions, puts the farming population at an additional risk for illness.