Grace Hattabaugh: Pandemic hitting financial and mental health of farming community

Since March of 2020, COVID-19 has impacted every person on the globe. It has made a difference in the life of every individual, all in unique ways. There is a specific group of people that the Coronavirus has affected that is not discussed enough. This group of people is America’s farmers.

Without farmers, the country would not be able to run properly. Farmers provide food, animal feed, clothing, animals, and so many other things to the general public. However, due to the pandemic, they were hindered in doing their jobs in many cases. The financial struggle of America's agricultural workers also led to mental health struggles.

According to Aleesa Dickerson, a local farmer and Hauser agriculture teacher, “In order to get through, you had to keep pushing. You had to think about the future in a positive way.”

According to the USDA, most farmers rely on off-farm income to support themselves as well as their acreage. This off-farm income comes in the form of second jobs, transfer income, dividends and interest, and sometimes a second income from their spouse. If a farmer loses his or her off-farm job (potentially the main source of income), they may not be able to pay for things that they need around the farm. Some farm expenditures include feed, farm hands wages, and pesticides.

In the last year and a half, many farmers have experienced losing a secondary income in addition to the annual task of keeping up profits from their farm products. Since the pandemic impacted everyone, families all across America struggled with maintaining their regular income. Many parents lost their jobs, struggled to pay their bills on time, and scrounged to feed their families. Because of this, many families were not able to buy as many agricultural products. With so many families buying less and less, farmers received less and less.

This also led to a decline in farmers' mental health. Struggling with their income and farmland leads to stress and depression. Many farmers are in jeopardy of losing the land that has been in their family for several generations. This stress can lead to physical symptoms such as insomnia, loss of appetite, and general irritability.

The University of Iowa conducted a study that found that the percentage of farmers that show these indicators of stress and depression-related symptoms has jumped from 6% to 35%. This is an almost five fold jump that concerns a large number of mental health advocates and professionals. Many professionals suggest that people should reach out to any farmers that they know personally, because reaching out can make a difference.

Farmers are part of the backbone of America, and without them, society as we know it would be lost. So, if you personally know a farmer, reach out to them. Support them and encourage them.