Help Is Out There

Help Is Out There

There are crisis hotlines for nearly everything and everyone these days, and farmers and ranchers are no exception. Not generally recognized as a highly stressful career, but stressful none the less, farming and ranching comes with its own unique set of stress variables; weather, commodity pricing, government regulations and animal rights activists to name just a few. Add to those the fact that most farmers lead a fairly solitary existence in the work place, spending nearly all their work day alone in the field and the problem is compounded. Crisis hotlines for farmers were first launched in the 1980's when farm foreclosures were abundant. Now a new generation of farmers are suffering through the fear of a potential or actual loss of a farm that has been in the family for generations; the feelings of having failed their ancestors, their present family and their descendants can be overwhelming. Farming is a stressful business but the majority of farmers often find it difficult to admit they may have a problem, and that they need outside help in dealing with it. But help is out there and it is only a phone call away.
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