Hotline Calls Surge as Farmers Confront Trade Disruptions, Inflation and Rising Mental-Health Crisis

Hotline Calls Surge as Farmers Face Historic Economic and Mental-Health Pressures

Calls to mental-health support lines for agricultural producers have spiked as farmers confront persistent market pressures, rising costs and labor disruptions. Both the national Farm Aid hotline and the Iowa Concern hotline — a 24/7 service for rural residents — report sharp increases in call volume and urgency from people in crisis.

Hotlines Report Dramatic Uptick

Tammy Jacobs, manager of the Iowa Concern hotline, said the service handled four to five times as many calls this fall as it did during the same months last year. Farm Aid operators say it’s not only more calls but different callers: experienced, long-established producers who know how to navigate assistance programs are increasingly dialing for help because they are encountering new, complex problems.

“We’re seeing more established farmers calling in — people who know how to play the game and how to access programs. They’re calling more often now, because even with all that institutional knowledge, they’re still running into issues for the first time that are more complex and difficult to solve,”

— Lori Mercer, Farm Aid hotline operator

Why The Need Is Urgent

Public-health data show that farmers die by suicide at least twice as often as people in the general population, making the rising demand for support an urgent public-health concern. Family members and community organizers say losses are recent and personal: at least three farming families in one community lost loved ones to suicide this year, according to Emma Yerkey, a member of the Ag Chapter of Gray Matters.

A Personal Story

Yerkey’s family farms corn, soybeans and hay in Geneseo, Illinois, on land held since the Civil War. She recalls warm memories — playing baseball with her father Tim, family meals, and raising a ribbon-winning calf together — alongside the stresses her father faced. He sometimes took off-farm work to make ends meet and struggled after spring floods in 2011. After seeking help locally and at an emergency room that had no beds, he died by suicide in June 2011.

Economic and Structural Drivers

Experts point to multiple stressors that increase risk among farming communities: isolation, ready access to firearms, cultural expectations of toughness, limited rural mental-health care, stigma around seeking help, succession worries and financial strain. Economic pressures have intensified in recent years — high inflation since 2020, rising input costs, pandemic disruptions, trade tensions (including tariffs), tighter immigration enforcement affecting labor availability, and cuts to some domestic market programs.

Commodity prices for many producers remain below break-even levels: corn is roughly $0.85 below break-even and soybeans about $2 below production cost. Although many states expect a record corn crop this year, higher yields are not translating into profits, leaving farmers discouraged despite strong yields.

International markets add more uncertainty. In 2024 the United States exported about 42% of its soybeans, historically with a large share going to China. Reduced purchases during trade tensions left producers scrambling for buyers; a new U.S.-China agreement could help, but its practical impact remains uncertain. At the same time, some USDA programs that connected farmers to domestic buyers have been reduced.

Community Responses and Outreach

Community groups and mental-health professionals are developing tailored efforts to reach producers. Gray Matters’ Ag Chapter organizes monthly "Barn Talks" where farmers can share stresses, receive peer support and normalize conversations about mental health. Leaders emphasize creating safe, nonjudgmental spaces where people can say, “I am hurting” and ask for help.

Sara Kohlbeck, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin, stresses bringing services to rural communities rather than expecting farmers to seek them out. Telehealth can be limited by poor cell and internet service; long drives to counselors are often impractical during planting or harvest.

Training Trusted Contacts And Practical Help

An effective outreach strategy is training people farmers already trust — ag lenders, suppliers, large-animal veterinarians, extension agents and spouses — to spot warning signs and connect producers with resources. Anna Scheyett has trained lenders to recognize suicide risk and encouraged extension agents to dedicate a brief segment at production meetings to discuss stress and resources. Research shows that just 10 minutes spent on stress-management during meetings can give farmers new coping ideas and a stronger commitment to act.

Practical financial and logistical assistance is also part of the response. The Iowa Concern hotline can refer producers to farm financial-associate programs that perform on-farm financial evaluations to identify pressure points and suggest operational adjustments, diversification strategies or shared storage solutions with neighboring farmers. For those facing grain storage constraints, informal partnerships may be an alternative to traditional co-ops.

Small Actions, Big Impact

Small gestures of appreciation help counter the sense that farm labor is invisible. Scheyett encourages people to thank farmers directly — “thank you for your service” — to acknowledge their contribution to food security and community well-being.

Organizers hope that a mix of peer support groups, trained local contacts, accessible financial counseling and outreach will reduce stigma, increase help-seeking and save lives.

Help And Resources

If you or someone you know is struggling, please reach out: the 988 Lifeline and 1-800-FARM-AID are available for immediate support. The Iowa Concern hotline is available 24/7 via chat, email, call or text at 800-447-1985. Services are available in Spanish.

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This story was produced by the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk, an independent reporting network based at the University of Missouri in partnership with Report for America, with major funding from the Walton Family Foundation.