Surviving the Downturn: Responding to financial stress

Sept. 14, 2026

By Mary Hightower
University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture

Fast Facts

  • Fields: Farmers don’t have to face economic downturn alone
  • Reducing isolation and helping others can help farmers under stress

(651 words)

DOWNLOAD related art of Fields

See earlier story: Surviving the Downturn: Ag economists team up to show how we got here, and what the future holds

LITTLE ROCK — Farmers enduring the stress of financial hardships often bear other weight: guilt, hopelessness, unending fatigue and pain.

Erica Barnes Fields, associate director and financial manager for the Southern Risk Management Education Center, is also a licensed social worker. She has seen the burdens faced by farmers.

As author of “Recognizing and Responding to Signs of Financial Stress: Practical Tools for Farmers, Families, and Communities,” part of the 2026 publication, “Surviving the Farm Economy Downturn,” she wants the farming community to know that financial stress is not, and should not, be the end.

Occupational stress

Research has shown farming to be among the occupations with the highest suicide rates.

Woman with dark hair
Erica Fields has seen the suffering farm stress causes. (UADA image)/td>

“Agriculture is widely recognized as one of the most stressful occupations in the United States due to financial risk, environmental uncertainty and the close connection between farm business and family life,” Fields said.                                                                                                 
In addition to the production season stressors of increasing input costs, chronically low commodity prices and rising interest expenses, farmers also face pressures due to agriculture’s seasonal patterns, Fields said.

Even in the off-season — winter — the pressure doesn’t ease. When not in the field, farmers are evaluating the previous season’s financial performance, marketing stored commodities, managing debt and meeting capital obligations.

“As field work slows, social interaction often decreases,” she said. “This combination of financial reflection and seasonal isolation can increase fatigue, irritability, and difficulty concentrating.”

See the signs

Financial stress rarely appears suddenly, and the signs can be verbal, emotional, behavioral and physical, Fields said.

Farmers and their families need to be aware of cues indicating that stress is mounting. These might include phrases like “God’s not listening to me,” or “I let everyone down,” or “I can’t afford to feed my cows.”

These statements can sometimes escalate to indicate the potential for self-harm, such as “They’d be better off without me,” or “I’m a burden.”

“These warning signs should never be ignored,” Fields said. “Take them seriously.”

Behavior warnings can include becoming withdrawn; giving away or selling equipment, tools, land or livestock without a plan; being uncharacteristically irritable, tearful or angry; increased alcohol or substance use; and neglecting everyday responsibilities.

Physical and emotional signs can include loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities, panic or dread when discussing finances, feeling fatigued or having a continual loss of energy and experiencing unexplained aches, headaches or ongoing physical tension.

“If someone is in immediate danger, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room or call the National Suicide and Crisis Line, 988,” she said.

Guilt

Fields said that “many farmers carry a deep sense of responsibility when seasons are difficult. When financial outcomes become tied to personal identity, setbacks can feel like personal failure rather than business realities.”

Such guilt can be corrosive.

“Guilt does not solve the problem — it simply adds weight,” she said.

“Releasing that weight allows farmers to acknowledge what happened, learn from the experience, and move forward with clarity,” Fields said.

Tactics to help release guilt include:

  • Acknowledging what happened by stating facts without self-blame.
  • Finding the lesson. Ask what you would do differently next time.
  • Pray it out, breathe it out or write it out.

Fields’ article contains other tactics for farmers and families to build resilience and prevent stress from becoming overwhelming.

Resources

The report from the Southern Risk Management Education Center and the Agricultural and Food Policy Center, features the work of 37 experts from the two centers, plus Auburn University, Mississippi State University, Texas A&M AgriLife, University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture, University of Florida, University of Georgia, University of Kentucky, University of Maryland, and the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture.

The document is divided in six primary sections: Setting the Stage, Crop Market Outlooks, Livestock, Ag Lending/Credit/Crop Insurance, Strategies, and Resiliency. Each section contains from two to eight highly detailed articles.

Here are additional resources to consider for managing stress:

The publication was made possible by support from the Southern Extension Risk Management Education Center, under project award Nos. 2021-70027-34722 and 2025-70027-45397, from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit uada.edu. To learn more about ag and food research in Arkansas, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station at aaes.uada.edu. 

About the Division of Agriculture 

The University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land-grant education system. 

The Division of Agriculture is one of 22 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on three campuses. 

Pursuant to 7 CFR § 15.3, the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs and services (including employment) without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, sexual preference, pregnancy or any other legally protected status, and is an equal opportunity institution. 

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Media Contact: 
Nick Kordsmeier 
nkordsme@uada.edu