By Rebecca Farrow
Rural Connections
Contributor
As we are all celebrating Thanksgiving, let’s give some thought to the challenges of the farms and ranches that helped provide the resources we often take for granted.
Even if you didn’t pick up any items for your Thanksgiving table from the local farmer’s market, a farmer worked to produce the raw ingredients we turn into memorable events.
Harvest season often means long hours for farm families as they take in the last of the summer harvest, transition to winter crops, and work to preserve food and fodder sources before the upcoming winter. This is a time marked by both abundance and anxiety as farmers and ranchers assess what did well and what changes they need to make for the upcoming year.
Nearly 90 percent of farms in Georgia are considered small farms by the USDA and roughly two-thirds of these operate at a high-risk level in terms of operating margin. Farming and ranching are stressful occupations, filled with increased levels of anxiety and depression compared to many industries.
In fact, farmer suicide rates are two to five times higher than the national average according to the American Farm Bureau Federation. Extreme weather events, pathogens and disease, financial uncertainty, fluctuating markets, labor shortages, family and generational pressures, and trade disruptions are just some of the factors that contribute to extreme stress.
On a local level we’ve seen recent challenges, like Beargrass in north part of the county closing for a few weekends in September due to weather just as they were launching a new corn maze, hayride, and pumpkin patch in Talking Rock. Disruptions like these are hard on any new business, but especially those that are seasonal.
Then October brought devastating news to a poultry farm in Gordon County, when they tested positive for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI). Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper said, “This poses a serious threat to the thousands of Georgians whose livelihoods depend on poultry production. Our team is working around the clock to contain the spread and protect our flocks.”
The Georgia Department of Agriculture’s Emergency Management and State Agricultural Response Teams (SART) immediately responded and all commercial poultry operations within a 6.2 mile radius were placed under quarantine and surveillance testing through early November.
While producers focus on local biosecurity to prevent spread through contaminated environments like feed, equipment, clothing, and boots, it can be very difficult to remove all risk as migratory wild birds are a major factor of HPAI spread. Is it any wonder Georgia now hosts a Farm Stress Summit? In fact, Chattahoochee Tech hosted the 2024 summit right here in Jasper.
Animal husbandry can be stressful even when it isn’t what you count on for your full time living.
Paul’s Haven Ranch is a hobby farm specializing in breeding grass and organically fed Katahdin sheep for the local lamb market in Pickens County. Earlier this year, one of the owners received a leukemia diagnosis that led to the hard decision to downsize the flock as they split their time between Jasper and Atlanta for the ongoing treatment. Friends, family, and neighbors have all stepped in to help with animal care.
Paul’s Haven Ranch has shared that “without our awesome community we would not be able to keep the farm while we go through this. We are incredibly grateful. Hopefully, in a few months, when we return, we will be able to continue raising sheep and enjoying the farm life.”
While they have an off-farm job to maintain insurance, not all in agriculture have that option. According to the Georgia Foundation for Agriculture Survey by Mercer University, 60 percent of farmers lack access to basic medical care and more than half are without insurance. It should come as no surprise that these farmers had significantly higher perceived stress.
Ag Commissioner Harper has said, “As farmers, self-reliance and the do-it-yourself mentality are ingrained in our DNA, and on any given day, a Georgia farmer may face challenges on the farm that require them to act as an engineer, a veterinarian, a biologist, a soil scientist, or any number of other specialties to overcome that obstacle. That ingenuity and resourcefulness play a vital role in the success of Georgia’s farm families and our state’s #1 industry, but it is also vitally important to realize that we cannot fix every problem on our own – especially when it comes to mental health. With dozens of external factors that impact our industry, making a successful crop year in and year out is already challenging enough, and if you’re struggling with your mental health, it becomes even more difficult to run your operation and provide for your family.”
For agricultural families, harvest season is a time of gratitude, but also of resolve and re commitment to a life that is not always easy.
My challenge to you as we wrap up the year: consider supporting a Pickens County farm, ranch, or agribusiness to help keep our local food system resilient and build a stronger community. You might just be one of the reasons a farmer is thankful this holiday season.
