Friends, we need to get serious for a second.
Today is the insurance cutoff for planting corn. Realistically, most farmers won’t be done planting tonight at midnight. There will still be empty fields tomorrow morning. Lots of farmers will have to make some tough choices in the coming days.
And I know that sucks. And it’s hard. You don’t know how you’re going to pay the rent/mortgage/taxes. You don’t know how you’re going to pay for the seed/fertilizer that’s not being used. You don’t know how you’re going to come out ahead this year. And you realize the consequences if you don’t.
Nothing I say in a blog post will fix it. But please know that you’re not alone. A lot of family farms are in the same mess. It wasn’t something you did. It wasn’t some personal failing that caused this. It’s just life and sometimes it kicks you when you’re down.
So talk about it with other people. Reach out to your banker, your landlords, your mortgage company, and your suppliers. Talk to other farmers. Talk to your family. Talk to your pastor. Talk to me. Talk to your dog. Talk to anyone who will listen. Just don’t feel like you have to bear this alone.
And if you feel like you might do something to harm yourself, please reach out to someone. Don’t feel bad or ashamed or whatever else. If you don’t know who to talk to, call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255. ?
