Calls to Farm Mental-Health Hotlines Surge as Trade War, Inflation Push U.S. Farmers to the Brink

EDITOR’S NOTE — This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help in the U.S., call or text the national suicide and crisis lifeline at 988 or use the online chat at 988lifeline.org.

As U.S. farmers confront historic market pressures, rising input costs and ongoing trade uncertainty, mental-health hotlines that serve rural producers are reporting sharp increases in calls. Both the national Farm Aid hotline and Iowa Concern — a 24/7 service offering crisis support as well as legal and financial guidance — say demand and the urgency of requests have grown markedly this year.

Why Calls Are Rising

Tammy Jacobs, manager of the Iowa Concern hotline, said the service logged four to five times the number of calls this fall compared with the same months a year earlier. Farm Aid operators say callers now include many well-established farmers who normally know how to access programs but are encountering new and more complex problems that the existing safety net does not solve.

“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,” said Lori Mercer, a Farm Aid hotline operator.

A Personal Loss That Resonates

Emma Yerkey, whose family farms corn, soybeans and hay in Geneseo, Illinois, remembers her father, Tim Yerkey, for the small, meaningful moments they shared: playing baseball in the driveway, family meals, and raising a ribbon-winning calf together. But Tim also faced recurring financial stress. After a difficult period that included 2011 spring floods and repeated struggles to get care, he died by suicide in June 2011. Emma now helps lead an agricultural chapter of Gray Matters to support other producers.

“I miss my dad, and I don’t want any other family to go through that,” Yerkey said.

Tim Yerkey with his daughters Emma (baby), Claire (on top step), and Allison Yerkey (on bottom step) at their family farm. (Photo courtesy of Emma Yerkey)

Economic and Structural Pressures

Research shows farmers die by suicide at least twice as often as people in the general population, a gap experts link to a mix of factors including isolation, easy access to firearms, cultural expectations of stoicism, stigma about seeking help, concerns about farm succession, and lack of recognition.

Financial stress is a major driver of depression in rural communities. Since about 2020, producers have faced high inflation and rising input costs. Pandemic disruptions and policy shifts — including trade tensions that reduced purchases by major buyers such as China and stricter immigration enforcement that has disrupted seasonal labor — have raised operating costs while commodity prices for many producers remain below break-even.

• Corn is roughly $0.85 below break-even for many producers.
• Soybeans are roughly $2 below break-even for many producers.
• About 42% of U.S. soybeans were exported in 2024, historically with China as a major buyer; trade disruptions have left some growers struggling to find markets.

Even strong yields can still produce losses. “It’s very discouraging for farmers to think they’ve done everything right and still face a loss,” said Aaron Lehman, president of the Iowa Farmers Union.

Barriers To Getting Help

Rural communities face practical and cultural obstacles to mental-health care. Limited broadband and cell service make telehealth unreliable in many areas. Long travel distances, busy planting and harvest seasons, stigma, and pride can keep farmers from seeking help. Those factors mean outreach must meet producers where they are.

Community-Based Responses

Ag groups, extension services and mental-health professionals are using creative strategies to reach farmers: hosting in-person peer groups, training trusted community members to spot warning signs, and offering practical business support as part of the care network.

Tim Yerkey and his grandfather, Clifford Rahn, who farmed the family land starting in the 1940s. (Photo courtesy of Emma Yerkey)

Gray Matters’ monthly “Barn Talks” provide a peer-supported space for farmers to share stress, depression and anxiety without judgment. Program leaders emphasize normalizing mental-health conversations and building local community.

Experts have also trained agricultural lenders, suppliers, veterinarians and extension agents to recognize warning signs and connect producers with resources. In one study, farmers who attended meetings that included a short stress-management segment reported new coping ideas and greater commitment to addressing their stress.

Practical financial-help programs can be part of the mental-health response. Jacobs described farm financial specialists who visit operations to diagnose financial pain points and suggest changes such as diversification, collaborative storage solutions, or structural adjustments to help reduce losses.

Small Acts, Big Impact

Simple gestures of recognition can matter. “Every time I see a farmer, I say thank you — thank you for your service,” said Anna Scheyett, a retired social-work professor who has studied farmer stress and suicide.

For many outreach workers and volunteers, the goal is straightforward: save lives. “If you can save even one life, it’s worth it,” Yerkey said.

Resources

If you or someone you know needs help in the U.S.: Call or text 988 or visit 988lifeline.org for online chat. Additional resources include 1-800-FARM-AID and the Iowa Concern hotline, available 24/7 by chat, email, call or text at 800-447-1985. Help is available in Spanish. State agencies such as the Arkansas Department of Agriculture also provide guidance and local resources.

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.