Some opinions from my husband (a grain farmer) and myself. I think the economy is a legit reason. The prices of equipment, seed, fertilizer etc is going up, all while the markets are controlled by those in Wall St. It’s to the point where you either go big or go home. Of course, then if you go big, it takes up all of your time. We see a lot of land leaving families because there weren’t any kids interesting in taking over. The number of young new farmers are really declining, which is why we see some farmers getting bigger and bigger. I know my husband is a believer in keeping land in the family, even if it means just renting it out to a local farmer. My husband also mentioned farmers are too proud to seek out help if they are having trouble. (So regardless if they increase suicide prevention, it doesn’t work if the person isn’t willing to seek it!)
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