This column by MDA Commissioner Thom Petersen was first published in the May-June 2025 issue of Soybean Business. Click here to read the digital version. 

I recognize that many farm families are feeling a great deal of anxiety right now.  Between the seasonal weather outlook, tariffs, crop prices, high interest rates, uncertainty about federal grants and federal farm programs, and scarce capital, it can feel like there’s a lot to worry about.  

We must also acknowledge how federal worker firings and funding uncertainties are affecting rural people – in the U.S. Department of Agriculture, at hospitals and daycares, on construction projects, and elsewhere. Many people who have lost their jobs are our friends and family members who may be feeling rejected, scared, angry, and even desperate.  

This is the time to support and be there for your friends, family and coworkers. Even if it feels uncomfortable and you don’t know what to say, just being with them is one of the best things you can do help.   

If they need help beyond what you can provide, I want to recommend couple of free and confidential services: 

Minnesota Farm Advocates can help in times of financial crisis or after a natural disaster. When a farmer calls and tells me he or she is considering mediation or bankruptcy, the first number I give them is always one of our 12 Farm Advocates. You can find them at www.mda.state.mn.us/farmadvocates or call 833-600-2670 and ask for the name and number of a farm advocate near you.  

Thom Petersen is serving his second term as commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.

Minnesota has two agricultural mental health counselors, Ted and Monica, who work with farmers and farm families dealing with depression, anxiety, relationship issues, problems making decisions, and other mental and emotional challenges. You can call the Minnesota Farm & Rural Helpline at 833-600-2670 and ask to be put in touch with either of them. They help hundreds of people each year and can help you or someone you’re concerned about.  

I want to end with a topic many people find scary to even think about: suicide. Farmers and rural people are at greater risk of dying this way compared to urban people. Fear, shame, isolation and uncertainty can fuel that risk. If you are worried that someone you know might be considering death by suicide, the most helpful thing you can do to keep them safe is to ask them.  

Asking openly and directly, “Are you thinking about suicide?” shows you are willing to discuss suicide in a nonjudgmental way. Listen to the reasons for their emotional pain, as well as reasons they want to continue to live. Help them focus on their reasons for living, not on the reasons you think they should stay alive.  

You can help keep them safe by connecting them to people who are skilled in suicide prevention. You can call 988 or the Minnesota Farm & Rural Helpline (833-600-2670) to talk to a crisis counselor together or ask for Mobile Crisis Response to come to where you are. You can also go to a hospital emergency room.  

The Minnesota Soybean Growers Association, including former President Bob Worth, has been a major supporter of the department’s mental health and financial assistance resources. I want to thank MSGA and Bob for the advocacy work on this issue in St. Paul and across the state. Agriculture is full of resilient, independent people, and we can help each other find hope in challenging times.