MONROE — In what will be a tragically defining legacy of our time, Suicide and Mental Depression are on the rise.

The decline of mental health is a veritable plague. According to Boston University, deaths by suicide are at their highest rate in more than 80 years, and as recently as 2020, the suicide rate was higher than the homicide rate. Meaning, more people in the US died by suicide than by homicide (CDC.gov).

Each year, nearly 50,000 Americans die by suicide. Agriculture, as a profession, is disproportionately affected. Currently, farmers are 3.5 times more likely to die by suicide than the general population, but the decline of rural mental health, particularly among farmers, is not a strictly American issue. A recent study published in the National Library of Medicine found that in the drought-stricken Tiruchirappalli district of Tamil Nadu, India, more than 97% of farmers had some form of depression, whereas 60.3% of participants indicated suicidal thoughts.

The question must be asked, why is the global decline of mental health disproportionately affecting farmers and agricultural workers?

Agriculture is a uniquely individualized pursuit. Many people who farm do so because they love it. Farming is as individual as any artistic outlet. To care for the health and well-being of animals; to grow a crop to fruition; to establish a quantified outcome for one’s own labor is true fulfillment that simply does not exist in other professions.

Generationally, farmers are encouraged to persist based on obstacles that were overcome by their forefathers. Any multi-generational farmer is aware of the drought of 1988, and where interest rates were at in the 1970s, for example. In farming, there is a strong prevailing mentality of not wanting to “let down” previous generations. It is imperative to pass the farm on to the next generation because the farm is the family’s identity.

At times, the most difficult thing for a farmer to do, is simply leave the farm. With the aspect of identity is a unique sense of personal responsibility. Anyone who farms has felt that unique feeling of dread at the onset of a task, knowing from experience what can possibly go wrong. What if something breaks down? What if the cows get out? What if the rain comes early, before we’re done? What if it doesn’t rain? Behind a weathered, knowing smile, is a heart beating through a chest. Rest, relaxation, and personal care are out of the question.

Adding to the downward spiral are the human-caused economic conditions that the farmer has no control over. The price paid for milk is the same as it was 30 years ago, yet the cost of producing a gallon of milk has only increased. The sheer, staggering upfront cost of growing a crop — for corn, upwards of $950 per acre, and soybeans $750 per acre — with no guarantee whatsoever that the crop will yield. 

Meaning, a crop farmer is responsible for hundreds of thousands of dollars of upfront input costs, knowing full well that payment will not come until harvest several months down the road, and with very little control over what that paycheck will look like or how the crop will ultimately yield.

Naturally, the economics of farming encourages expansion, but as one crop farmer remarked rather candidly, “Yeah we increased our crop production to about 6,000 acres, and all it did was increase my headaches.”

Another farmer spoke openly about depression, which led to the ultimate sale of his family’s three-generation dairy herd:

“My daily routine was to get done with morning chores, and then find a quiet spot to sit. I would do the bare minimum, and then just sit in a corner of the shop. I smoked and drank instead of eating. If a car pulled in the driveway, I stayed hidden. Yeah, I thought about it [suicide]. For me, it was like solving a problem. I knew the insurance money would cover the mortgage. No one would’ve thought it was nothing but a bad accident and at least my family would be out from under it [the farm].”

The single most important aspect of depression to recognize, is that no one is ever alone. Suicidal thoughts are part of the human condition, and talking about suicide does not encourage suicide — just the opposite. A simple conversation, just to be listened to and validated, goes a long way and could preserve life. Long-gone are the days of “pick yourself up by the bootstraps,” or “just get over it,” or, “there are people who have it so much worse than you,” conflict resolution.

Farming is unique, in that daily, farmers are forced to choose the farm over their own personal health. A looming farm mortgage payment or operating line of credit payment robs sleep from the night. In the dark, there are no distractions for the mind to wander away from the razor-thin margins that now define farming, regardless of size or scope.

Ultimately, it is far healthier to seek help before a crisis. Talking about financial angst brings the problem to light. Talking about, and having a conversation, brings any problem to the light, thereby taking away the power of the problem.

For support, there are resources available. The Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection (datcp.wi.gov) offers a Farmer Wellness Program and advocates: “If you are feeling suicidal, call 9-8-8 immediately. If you are experiencing anxiety, depression, or just need a welcoming ear to talk to, please call the 24/7 Wisconsin Farmer Wellness Helpline at (888) 901-2558.”

If agriculture is a uniquely individualized pursuit, so too does it instill a unique sense of personal pride. Farmers are among the hardest-working, proudest, and deeply committed people to their respective pursuit on the planet. Current economic conditions are leading to the deaths of the very people who get up in the morning because they love what they do.

A terrible legacy, the only thing worse is to not talk about it.