Your life matters more than your balance sheet. And your legacy won’t be determined by your ability to keep your multigenerational dairy or pass a profitable operation on to the next generation – but by the lives you touch. I understand you likely think you were created as a dairy farmer, but you were created as a human first.
These are essential things to remember as we face an especially demanding season. Summer does not slow the work – cows need milked every day regardless of market swings, employee no-shows, how high the thermometer reads or what kept you up until midnight.
Heat stress management, dry matter intake (DMI), reproduction, the equipment that fails on the hottest day of the year – the list does not pause. And this year, it comes with the added weight of unstable milk prices, high inputs, HPAI’s lasting ripple effects and policy that shifts faster than a farm can adapt.
All of this means you have chronic stress. A lot of it – and that is normal. It doesn’t make it easier, but know you are not alone. This leaves your brain with cortisol flowing. Consider a stressed animal – you take care of the problem, rather than letting it languish. The same is true with you and your mental wellness.
You were created as a human first. Your life matters more than your balance sheet.
First, if you have considered harming yourself or know someone in that situation, dial or text 988 for professional help. Get help. It is a sign of strength, not weakness.
What chronic stress does to you
A key part of managing stress is understanding what it does to your body. Cortisol – the primary stress hormone – can physically shrink your brain over time and affect future generations’ ability to handle stress. Science shows it impairs judgment, disrupts sleep, strains the family relationships a farm depends on and increases the risk of poor decisions when clear thinking matters most.
Earlier this year, a 21-year-old dairy farmer died by suicide. That loss is not an acceptable cost of doing business in this industry. The quiet funerals, the neighbor who hasn’t seemed right lately, the conversation at the co-op that nobody quite starts – the silence surrounding these losses is something all of us in agriculture have the power to change.
The cultural code of dairy farming runs deep: be self-reliant, keep going, figure it out. That code has built generational operations and carried families through genuinely hard seasons. It has also, at times, made it harder for good people to get help when they need it most. Asking for help is a sign of strength. It is what good operators do when a problem is beyond what they can solve alone.
Treat yourself like you’d treat a stressed animal
Getting sleep is first on the list. If you are not sleeping at least six hours a night, please talk to your doctor. It really is that important to your emotional well-being and your ability to make sound business decisions. Farming is not conducive to prioritizing sleep, but the more stress you are carrying, the more you need it.
Did you know intentionally exercising for at least 20 minutes will drop your cortisol and introduce the happy hormones that counter it? Intentional does not mean checking cattle or fixing fence. It means focusing on exercising your body with the specific goal of raising your heart rate for 20 minutes to reduce stress hormones. And if you’re like me, you’ll be wondering why for the first 15 minutes, and then you suddenly feel better.
Eating lots of color – fruits and vegetables – along with fiber and adequate protein can help your brain and body better manage stress. Protein is essential to the neural pathways in your brain. If the cows are eating better than you, that is worth changing to improve your ability to handle stress. See my last two columns about nutrition for tips: Nutrition to fuel your mind and help with stress and Your ration and stress.
Your social circles provide support in talking through stressors but also serve as a chance to step away from the farm. You cannot go this alone. Taking a break away from the operation is essential to gaining perspective, and the business can run without you for a few hours. It is more important to care for yourself than to be present for every moment of every day.
Reminder: the same producer who calls the vet for a sick cow deserves the same urgency when he or she is the one who is not well.
Putting the people of agriculture first
Those producing our food need to remember that the humans in agriculture are the first priority. We do honorable work – farmers are among the best people in the world – and we need to focus on our “why” in tough times. Your life is more important than your work. Your family needs you. You matter to your community. You will make it through these tough times. If you doubt any of those things, please talk about it as soon as possible with a friend, clergy member, therapist or professional.
I developed the Healthy Farm Families hub this spring after learning about yet another dairy farmer suicide. It’s a hub written specifically for farm families, dairy producers, ag salespeople and veterinarians navigating these pressures. It includes practical tools to help you today – alongside crisis resources, therapist finders, mental health apps and stories from producers who have navigated the hardest seasons and come back. If the person you are worried about is not you, the hub includes help with that conversation, too.
Sow hope
The first half of the year reminds us of the value of strong roots and growth. Dairy producers are among the most skilled, committed and essential people in the food system, and this season is asking a great deal of you, along with those who support your business.
Your legacy will not be determined by whether you held the operation together through one of the most difficult stretches in recent dairy history. It will be measured by the lives you touched and the example you set for the next generation watching how you handle hard times.
Treat yourself the way you treat a cow under stress: with observation, intervention and belief that recovery is possible. Let’s sow hope – not bury more farmers.
Your life matters more than your balance sheet. Please pass that on to someone who needs to be reminded.
Get help now
• Call or text 988 – Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, available 24/7
• Call (800) 691-4336 – Farm and Rural Stress Hotline, counselors who understand agricultural life
• Text NAMI to 741-741 – National Alliance on Mental Illness Crisis Text Line, free 24/7 crisis text support
