It’s hard to believe we’re already almost halfway through the month of May! Time flies faster than a Randy Johnson fastball during planting season, and this year has been no exception. 

But let’s pause for a moment and talk about something that doesn’t get covered enough in agriculture throughout the year — mental health. 

May is Mental Health Awareness month, and I’ve seen several social media posts shining light on it from all corners of the industry. 

Here’s one from Parallel Ag, a 16-store AGCO dealer with locations in Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas. 

Farming isn’t just a job. It’s early mornings, late nights, weather you can’t control, markets you can’t predict, and the kind of pressure that doesn’t end at 5. The work is isolating in a way most people don’t see. You are often alone in a cab, alone in the shop, alone with the work.

The hard truth: Farmers are 3.5 times more likely to commit suicide. That’s not a statistic to scroll past. That is our neighbors, our family, and the people feeding the rest of us.

So, this month (and every month), check in. Check on the neighbor who's been quieter than normal. Check in on the farmer who's been running on fumes since planting started. Check in with yourself.

Asking for help isn't a weakness. It's maintenance. You wouldn't run equipment into the ground without service. Don't do it to yourself either.

You are not alone out there.

Graham Gleed, a Precision Farming Dealer contributing writer and principal advisor at abcg, shared similar thoughts on LinkedIn about the mental health crisis in agriculture.

The pressure inside this industry is real and it runs at every level. The dealer principal carrying floor plan debt in a down market. The OEM regional manager holding targets that do not move when volumes do. The product specialist flying 150 days a year wondering what they are missing at home. The service manager short-staffed, overcommitted and expected to absorb the gap quietly.

None of these people are encouraged to say they are struggling. Most of the cultures they work inside actively discourage it.

I know this from experience. When I told a manager I was under more pressure than I could manage and asked for guidance, the response was: "only tires feel pressure." I have never forgotten it. I have also never met anyone who has spent a significant time inside this industry who did not have their own version of that story.

I have lost someone from this industry to it.

The ag equipment market is three years into a downturn. Margins are thin. Head counts are down. The workload has not reduced proportionally. For many, that additional weight also includes the uncertainty of whether their role will exist in six months, and what that may mean.

The people who remain are being asked to do more with less and to do it without complaint. That is not a sustainable position.

Mental health is not only a farmer issue. It is an industry issue. And the first step is being willing to say that.

If you are struggling, please talk to someone. You are not alone and it is not weakness.

Mental health isn’t easy to talk about, so we appreciate Graham, the folks at Parallel Ag and others for stepping up and bringing awareness to the topic.

If you or someone you know is struggling, the Farm Aid hotline (1-800-FARM-AID) and 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) are there 24/7.