Two years ago, in the middle of planting season, I got the call that every family dreads. My brother, one of the farmers in our family, had suffered a stroke.

The timing couldn’t have been worse. Fields needed planting. Cows needed milking twice a day. The beef herd was about to start calving—bills needed paying. Tax deadlines were looming. And suddenly, my brother couldn’t do any of it.

What happened next taught me more about stress management than any textbook ever could. My four siblings and I came together. We divided up the impossible: one handled the bills, another tackled taxes, and others figured out how to get crops in the ground. None of us could do it alone. But together? We made it work.

Here’s what struck me as both a therapist and a family member living through it: even in a crisis, even in farming where the stakes are so high, we had to make choices about what was truly essential. Some things got done perfectly. Others got done “good enough.” And some things we had to let go entirely.

That experience sits with me now when I work with farming families in my practice. Because it taught me that stress management in agriculture isn’t about being superhuman; it’s about being honest about what you’re carrying, asking for help before you break, and accepting that good enough sometimes has to be just good enough.

I grew up on a dairy farm. I know the 5 a.m. wakeups, the gamble of hoping the weather cooperates, and the knot in your stomach when milk prices drop. After years away practicing therapy, I recently moved back, just five miles from my family’s farm. Now, as both a therapist and someone embedded in this community again, I’ve seen firsthand how stress in farming isn’t seasonal; it’s constant. And it’s affecting our farmers, ranchers, and their families in profound ways.

The Unique Stress of Farming Life

In order to manage the stress that comes with farming life, we need first to understand what makes farming stress different. Farmers face an unrelenting combination of pressures that most other professions don’t experience:

Financial unpredictability — You can do everything right and still lose money because commodity prices tanked, or the weather didn’t cooperate, or input costs skyrocketed. According to the Farm Bureau, net farm income dropped nearly 23% from 2022 to 2024, with farm sector debt climbing to a record $542.5 billion.

No days off — Livestock doesn’t take holidays. Crops don’t wait for you to feel better. The work is 24/7, often with no backup.

Physical demands — Farming is one of the most dangerous occupations in North America. Per the CDC, agriculture had a fatal injury rate of 18.6 deaths per 100,000 workers in 2022, which is five times higher than the national average. The physical toll, chronic pain, injuries, and exhaustion add to mental stress.

Isolation — Rural communities are shrinking. Mental health resources are scarce. And as my farmer clients have shown me, the fear of judgment keeps people silent.

Identity wrapped up in the land — For many farmers, the farm isn’t just a job. It’s a legacy, an identity, and a way of life passed down through generations. The fear of losing it feels like losing yourself.

The truth is that farmers face suicide rates 3.5 times higher than the general population. Male farmers and ranchers have a suicide rate of 52.1 per 100,000, which is significantly higher than the 32.0 per 100,000 rate for men across all occupations. And here’s what many people don’t realize: financial stress is often the root cause. When farmers are worried about losing land that has been in their family for generations, when they can’t figure out how to pay for next season’s inputs, and when debt keeps climbing, mental health becomes a crisis.

When I work with farmers in my practice, through traditional therapy and equine therapy, I see how these stressors layer on top of each other. One bad season leads to sleepless nights. Sleepless nights lead to irritability with family. Financial stress leads to isolation because you’re too embarrassed to show up at community events. Before long, what started as normal farming stress has become something much heavier.

Strategies That Actually Work

Here’s what I’ve learned works for farmers and ranchers, both from research and from the real people sitting across from me every week:

1. Reframe What “Manageable” Means

In Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), we talk a lot about cognitive distortions, the unhelpful thought patterns that make stress worse. All-or-nothing thinking is one of the most common things I see in farmers. 

“If I can’t fix everything, there’s no point in doing anything.”

“Either I keep the farm going exactly as it’s always been, or I’ve failed.”

However, stress management in farming isn’t about achieving some perfect state of calm. It’s about making things slightly more manageable today than they were yesterday.

Actionable step: Identify one small thing you can control today. Not the weather. Not commodity prices. But something small, like organizing your workspace, making that phone call you’ve been putting off, or checking one task off your list. Small wins build momentum.

2. Set Small Boundaries

I know, I know. You can’t set traditional boundaries when you’re on call 24/7. But you can set small boundaries or tiny pockets of separation that give your brain a break.

This strategy comes from my Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT) work, where we focus on distress tolerance: how do you get through a crisis moment without making things worse?

Examples of small boundaries:

• Designate one room in your house as a “no farm talk” zone
• Set a timer for 15 minutes where you allow yourself to think about something other than work
• Create a ritual that signals “work mode” is over, even if it’s just changing your hat or taking off your boots at the door

One rancher I work with keeps a 10-minute playlist in his truck. When he finishes evening chores, he sits in the driveway and listens to the whole thing before going inside. Those 10 minutes help him transition from “ranch mode” to “home mode.”

3. Talk to Someone Who Gets It

This skill is where the stigma piece becomes critical. I’ve had a farmer say he would be afraid his truck would be seen by my office. He’s not alone. The fear of judgment and of being seen as weak, a failure, or someone who can’t handle it leaves many farmers suffering in silence.

But here’s what I’ve observed: farmers will talk when they feel safe. And they feel most safe with people who understand their world.

Where to start:

• Peer support groups for farmers (many are now virtual, which helps with privacy)
• Farm-focused crisis lines, like the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline (call or text 988), or the AgriStress Helpline (call or text 833-897-2474), which provides 24/7 support specifically for farmers
• Therapists who specialize in rural or agricultural populations
• Trusted community members such as clergy, veterinarians, or co-op employees, who understand the unique pressures

I’ve also found that equine therapy can be particularly powerful for farmers. There’s something about working with horses and their non-judgmental presence, their responsiveness to our emotional states, that allows farmers to lower their guard in ways they can’t in traditional talk therapy.

4. Plan for Predictable Stress Points

Some stress in farming is unpredictable. But a lot of it isn’t. You know planting season is going to be grueling. You know calving season means sleepless nights. You know financial stress peaks at certain times of year.

This is where solution-focused therapy shines. Instead of waiting for a crisis to hit, what if you planned ahead?

Try this:

• Before a high-stress season, identify what you’ll do when stress peaks (who you’ll call, what coping skills you’ll use, what you’ll let slide)
• Schedule something to look forward to after the hard push is over
• Set up support systems in advance, arrange for a neighbor to check in, pre-write a message to your therapist, stock your freezer with easy meals

One farming couple I work with has a “stress season survival kit” they pull out every spring: frozen casseroles, a list of friends who’ve agreed to check in weekly, and permission slips they’ve written to themselves about what’s okay to let go during planting.

Address the Financial Stress Directly

I can teach you every coping skill in the book, but if you’re lying awake at night wondering how you’ll make payroll, those skills will only take you so far.

Financial stress is often the root cause of farming-related mental health struggles, and it needs direct attention. Research consistently shows that economic pressures are among the top stressors affecting farmer mental health.

Resources to explore:

• Farm financial counselling services (many provinces and states offer free or low-cost options)
• Farm Service Agency (FSA) programs
• Talking with a financial advisor who specializes in agricultural operations
• Exploring diversification or alternative revenue streams

I’m not a financial advisor, but I am a therapist who sees the mental health impact of financial stress every single day. Getting help with the numbers isn’t just good business; it’s good mental health care.

Here’s what I wish every farm family knew:

Watch for warning signs. Changes in sleep, appetite, mood, or withdrawal from activities that used to bring joy can all signal that stress has become more serious. Common warning signs include talking about feeling like a failure, social withdrawal, uncharacteristic anger, neglecting farm duties, or expressing hopelessness.

You can’t fix it alone. The instinct is to try harder, to be more supportive, to take on more yourself. But one person can’t counteract systemic stress. Encourage professional help and consider getting support for yourself, too.

Small gestures matter. Sometimes the most helpful thing isn’t solving the problem, it’s just acknowledging how hard it is. “I see how much you’re carrying right now” can be incredibly powerful.

Moving Forward: You Don’t Have to Carry This Alone

When I moved back near my family’s farm, I expected to feel nostalgic. What I didn’t expect was to feel the weight of both how much has changed and how much hasn’t.

The work is still grueling. The financial pressures are still intense. But the silence around mental health? That’s something we can change.

Here’s what I want every farmer and rancher reading this to know: Asking for help isn’t a weakness. Managing your mental health isn’t a luxury; it’s as essential as maintaining your equipment or caring for your livestock. You can’t pour from an empty cup, and you can’t run a farm if you’re running on empty yourself.

The strategies I’ve shared here aren’t magic fixes. They won’t eliminate the stress of farming. Nothing will. But they can help you carry the load a little differently, and sometimes that’s enough to make it through to the next season.  You don’t have to balance this load alone.

Written by: Colleen Stegenga, MSW, LCSW-PIP, QMHP, Equine Therapy USA Executive Director for NFMHA, Owner/Therapist of Embracing Change Counseling Services, LLC

You can find Colleen here:

Website: https://embracingchangecs.com/
Instagram: #embracingchangecounselingcs
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556067449616

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If you or someone you know is struggling, please reach out. The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available 24/7 by calling or texting 988. The AgriStress Helpline provides specialized support for farmers at 833-897-2474. You can also explore resources at the National Farm Mental Health Alliance (NFMHA) website.