Why Farmer Suicide Rates Are Higher Than Ever—And What We Can Actually Do About It

Written By Hoksey Native Seeds

There's a conversation happening in rural America that we don't talk about enough. It's uncomfortable, it's painful, and for many farming families, it hits way too close to home.

Farmers die by suicide at rates 3.5 times higher than the general population. Let that sink in for a second. In 2021, male farmers and ranchers had a suicide rate of 52.1 per 100,000—compared to 32.0 per 100,000 for male working-aged adults across all occupations. Over 1,500 farmers in the Midwest alone have taken their own lives since the 1980s.

These aren't just statistics. These are neighbors. Friends. Family members. People who've worked the same land for generations, suddenly gone.

The Perfect Storm of Stress

In a recent Prairie Farm Podcast conversation with Dr. Karen Vanderhoff, a clinical psychologist who specializes in rural mental health, the discussion went deep into what's happening beneath the surface of modern life—and modern farming.

One thing that came up was this idea that many people have a "simmering awareness that what they do doesn't matter." Kent Boucher put it this way during the conversation: people feel like cogs in a machine, easily replaced, doing work that doesn't really matter to anyone. When your identity is so tied to your land, your operation, your ability to provide—and that all feels threatened—the psychological toll is massive.

Farming is a highly stressful occupation, with elevated stress from extreme weather, high input costs, variable commodity prices, high potential for accidents, financial risks, and complex policies and programs. That's not opinion—that's documented reality backed by studies from both the U.S. and Europe.

Financial Stress Isn't Just About Money

Here's what a lot of people don't understand. For the 12-month period ending June 30, 2025, there were 282 Chapter 12 farm bankruptcy filings in the U.S., with a 55.8% increase nationally. When you're facing the possibility of losing everything your family has built, the stress doesn't just affect your bank account—it affects your identity, your legacy, your sense of purpose.

Farm debt has increased by around a third since 2007, rising to levels last experienced in the 1980s, while prices for commodities like corn, soybeans, milk and meat shrunk by around half between 2012 and 2020. You're working harder, making less, and watching the bills pile up.

Dr. Vanderhoff talked about how our physical and mental health are deeply connected. She shared a story about a farmer struggling with depression whose testosterone levels were off, who wasn't eating right, wasn't sleeping enough. Once he quit drinking pop, cut out the junk food, started lifting weights—his mental health completely shifted. But here's the catch: when you're drowning in financial stress and working 80-hour weeks, taking care of yourself feels impossible.

The Isolation Factor

Physical isolation makes it hard for farmers to get assistance for their mental health problems, and farmers often own guns, providing an immediate means to act on deadly impulses. That's a tough reality, but it's one we need to face head-on.

Recent research from Penn State found that the bigger barriers aren't stigma—they're rural healthcare shortages, long wait times for appointments, travel time, and high healthcare costs. Farmers appear more willing than able to seek help. They're open to getting support, but the systems aren't there to provide it.

Almost half of farmer suicide decedents were over 65 years old, with firearms being the most widely used method regardless of age and sex. Young farmers dying by suicide were more likely to have had relationship problems, while older farmers were more likely to have had physical health problems.

What Actually Helps

During the podcast, Dr. Vanderhoff emphasized something crucial: 80% of people suffering from depression can go into total remission. People can get better. They just need to actually get the help they need.

Financial and mental health supports should be linked because for farmers, financial stress and mental health are deeply connected. Programs should be coordinated, not treated separately. That means helping farmers navigate complex paperwork, addressing rural healthcare shortages, and reducing wait times and costs.

Many farmers report viewing friends and family as trusted sources of mental health information, suggesting rural mental health programs should consider offering Mental Health First Aid trainings to community members trusted by farmers.

Here's what you can do right now if you or someone you know is struggling:

Call or text 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline—available 24/7, free and confidential.

AgriStress Helpline: 833-897-2474—staffed by professionals trained in the specific issues farmers face.

Talk to someone. Pastor, neighbor, Extension agent, counselor. Just talk to someone.

The Bigger Picture

The conversation on the podcast kept coming back to something deeper: we've disconnected from the things that give life meaning. When farming becomes purely transactional—when it's only about commodity prices and margins—we lose something essential.

That's part of what Hoksey Native Seeds is about. We're not just selling seeds. We're helping people reconnect to the land in a way that matters—building prairies that support wildlife, improving soil health, creating habitats that last for generations. When your work has visible, tangible impact on the world around you, when you can see the birds and pollinators that depend on what you've planted, it changes something.

The American Farm Bureau's Farm State of Mind campaign exists specifically to reduce stigma and provide access to resources that promote farmer and rancher mental health wellness. But awareness campaigns only work if we back them up with real support systems—financial assistance, accessible healthcare, community connection.

Farming shouldn't be a death sentence. But until we address the economic pressures, the isolation, and the healthcare gaps facing rural America, we're going to keep losing farmers who shouldn't have to die.

If you're reading this and you're struggling—call someone. Today. Right now. Your life matters more than the farm. Your kids need you more than they need the land.

And for everyone else: check on your farmer neighbors. Really check on them. Listen without trying to fix everything. Sometimes that's all someone needs to keep going another day.

Sources:

Hoksey Native Seeds
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