Between tariffs on foreign goods and broader economic policy under the Trump administration, farmers in New York are feeling more stressed than ever.
Farming is already a backbreaking business. According to the National Rural Health Association, the suicide rate among farmers is 3.5 times higher than the general population. The rate is even higher in rural areas and among male farmers and agricultural workers.
Adam Howell, Outreach Director of New York Farm Net at Cornell University attributes this high level of anxiety in farmers to changing environmental conditions that determine the quality of their land, being isolated in their work, animals getting sick and dying, limited pay, high upfront investment, and being a small business owner.
“You can essentially think of farming as high stakes gambling with your life,” said Howell.
The tariffs on foreign goods by the Trump administration this year have only compounded the economic burden farmers experience. While farmers grow their food within the United States, many rely on equipment coming in from Europe and Asia to increase their output, as well as fertilizer from Canada that is often used in growing organic produce.
Tim Gorzynski of Gorzynski Ornery Farm in Narrowsburg spoke about how the tariffs have created an unprecedented burden on his family business.
“It’s hard to figure out how to continue producing food and keeping it affordable for people so that they can afford to buy it,” said Gorzynski. “We’re still being forced to swallow all these extra costs that we weren’t necessarily planning for.”
New farmers are especially feeling the burden of increased tariffs on crucial parts of their production chain. Sea Matias of Serra Vida Farm in Delancey relocated to the Catskills from New York City to help provide increased access to fresh produce for communities of color.
Apart from already feeling isolated in an industry where 95% of all farmers are white, Matias questioned how they could pursue their mission while remaining afloat financially.
”I feel extremely restricted as a baseline, and I feel like I only have a few avenues to financially navigate, as a very small business, but also as a beginning business and a business run by people of color,” said Matias. “Having to figure out where to get the money out of the air to be able to provide just basic materials is a real double down on stress.”
In addition, many farmers and agricultural workers rely on grants from the US Department of Agriculture to support sustainability practices and mental health initiatives, as well as Medicaid and SNAP for living assistance.
With USDA Grants to farmers being halted or cancelled, as well as the current federal government shut down, many farmers are anxious about what will happen to the programs that they rely on to live in rural areas.
Michaela Hayes-Hodge of Rise & Root Farm in Chester has witnessed first hand the cuts to grants from the USDA that specifically addressed the mental health crisis in farmers. A BIPOC and Queer Run Farm, Rise & Root prioritizes addressing the inequity in mental health access especially to farmers of marginalized identities.
While they have significant community support from the Chester Agricultural Center in Orange County, Hodge said that many farmers are questioning if their work is worth the time, effort, and isolation.
“I have multiple friends, queer farmers, trans farmers who are stopping farming, and again. Maybe that’s part of the playbook,” said Hodge. “They can’t do it anymore because they have to take care of their mental health and wellness, and it’s really, really challenging in this time, in this space.”
Image: Farm in Jeffersonville, NY (Credit: SullivanNY.gov)