It’s no surprise that weather-related anxiety is common among farmers. When your livelihood is directly tied to conditions beyond your control, it’s natural to feel stress, frustration or even fear. But there are ways to cope – mentally, emotionally and practically – so that the unknowns of the season don’t take a toll on your well-being.

How you respond to stress defines you. It shapes your leadership, relationships and ultimately, your business’ success. The way you handle pressure doesn’t just affect your decisions – it affects everyone around you. Your employees, partners and family feel the ripple effects of your reactions, for better or worse.

It’s typical for newly weaned or sale barn-acquired calves to experience multiple stressors simultaneously when brought onto the farm. This might be the first time those animals are introduced to new feeds. In addition to the new diet, there is a new home along with new penmates and a social hierarchy. These changes then can compound on top of the stress of removing the calf from their dam.

Most folks may recall that in September 2024, the southeastern U.S. was hit by Hurricane Helene, a Category 4 storm that made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend area with 140-mph winds. It crossed Florida and came up through Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and eastern Tennessee, causing numerous fatalities and billions of dollars in damage. We are still hearing about the recovery efforts across much of the region, particularly areas of North Carolina devastated by flooding.

We’ve made it through another breeding season, and the constant hot temperatures are in full swing. The “dog days of summer” not only take a toll on your mood, but also become a consistent stressor to the cow herd.

After more than 15 years of practicing in a large-animal clinic, a veterinarian pinpoints three herd health issues on which producers can take action to add pounds to their calves and efficiency to their operations.

Wildfires have become more frequent and severe across the U.S. and globally. Since the 1980s, the area burned by wildfires has increased, peaking in spring and summer. The primary driver is climate change, which extends fire seasons, raises temperatures and intensifies droughts. These conditions, along with wind, humidity and temperature shifts, contribute to unpredictable and fast-spreading fires.

Jackie Sanford, Heather Lifsey and Becky Heim found that balancing these roles with their responsibilities on the farm and careers required creativity, resilience and a willingness to lean on others. Their journeys reveal not only the struggles of caregiving but also the profound strength it takes to navigate this path.

Every cattle operation deals with environmental stress in some form or another multiple times throughout the year. Heat, cold, mud, snow and ice – even extremes such as hurricanes, tornadoes or wildfires – can have profound and ongoing effects on a cattle operation.

A California study has found that one wolf can cause up to $162,000 in losses due to increased stress, reduced growth and reduced pregnancies.