The Daily Yonder ‘The Happiness and Joy Has Been Sucked Out of Me’: Wisconsin Dairy Farmers Face Mental Health Crisis Many Wisconsin milk producers are overwhelmed, dogged by financial worries, a crushing workload, labor shortages and bad weather.
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Amy Fischer is seen with a photo of her son, Brian, on her family s 350-cow dairy farm, Darian Acres, in Rio, Wis., on Dec. 18, 2020. Brian died by suicide at the age of 33, on Dec. 21, 2016. The Fischers attribute his death to a combination of stress from work, a drinking problem and depression from a recent break-up. Dairy farmers and their advocates say numerous stressors are leading to a mental health crisis in their industry, including financial pressures, long hours, labor shortages and harsh weather.
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DEFEATING DEPRESSION: It’s been a tough couple of years for farmers, made even more stressful by the COVID-19 pandemic. If you’re not feeling well and think you have depression, ask for help. Watch for warning signs and get help if you need it.
Jan 25, 2021
It’s been a while since I’ve written a column. So if you’ve missed me, sorry, I’ve been away for too long.
Sometimes I need to step away to find the right things to say. Other times, in fact most times, I get inspired by what other people have to say.
Conversations with 10 current and former family dairy farmers in Wisconsin revealed that work days, which often start before the sun rises and end well after it sets, are jam packed with stressors that make coping difficult.