Fertilizer Prices Adding to Farmer Stress: A Discussion with Bridge Michigan's Ron French
About this episode
Doug Stephan discusses the financial and mental health challenges facing farmers with journalist Ron French.
Host and American Family Farmer, Doug Stephan ( www.eastleighfarm.com ) welcomes Michigan journalist Ron French of Bridge Michigan about two deeply important stories impacting farm families across the Midwest and beyond. First, Doug and Ron discuss the growing financial crisis facing farmers as skyrocketing diesel fuel and fertilizer prices squeeze already-thin margins. Drawing from Ron’s reporting, they examine how global conflict and supply chain disruptions are driving up production costs while crop prices remain flat, leaving many farmers “losing money on every acre.” The conversation highlights the difficult choices growers are making this planting season, the emotional and financial toll on farm families, and fears that another wave of family farms could disappear under mounting economic pressure. Doug and Ron also explore Ron’s powerful reporting on the mental health crisis in agriculture, including the alarming rate of suicide among farmers in Michigan. They discuss the stress of weather uncertainty, debt, declining profits, and the overwhelming pressure many feel to preserve multi-generational family farms. The episode also examines the recent loss of state funding for…
More episodes of American Family Farmer
- From Medical Sales to Lavender Fields: The Brittingham Farm Story
- Combating Bird Flu and Ticks: New Strategies for Farmers
- From Butterflies to Cows: Helen Raleigh's Regenerative Farming Journey
- The Hidden Struggles of Small Farmers: Land, Economics, and Health
- How Import Policies and Invasive Species Impact Farmers
- Cheers To the Animals
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the American Family Farmer podcast page.