“The farm has an insatiable appetite”: A food justice approach to understanding beginning farmer stress

Beginning farmers are critical in shaping resilient food systems amid a worsening climate crisis. Reports indicate a prevalence of stress and adverse mental health outcomes among U.S. farmers, yet there are gaps in the literature concerning the well-being of beginning farmers, a heterogeneous group with a growing number of women and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, or People of Color) producers. The agricultural industry has a legacy of systemic oppression and exploitation of marginal commu­nities. Thus, it is important to understand the unique needs of an emerging, more diverse generation of farmers, especially as discrimination is associated with stress and poor mental health outcomes. In this community-engaged, mixed methods research project, we utilize a food justice framework to understand systemic stressors and coping strategies among Midwestern beginning farmers. Beginning farmers in the Midwest were recruited using pur­posive sampling to participate in quantitative surveys and in-depth interviews. The survey (n=62) included measures of farm stress, mental health supports, and farm charac­teristics; the Patient Health Questionnaire-4; and socio­demographic information. Interviews (n=20) were conducted to establish a deeper under­standing of stress and mental health experiences. Survey data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Inter­views were analyzed using thematic analysis. Top stressors included having too much to do and too little time, COVID-19, not enough person-power on the farm, climate change, and social justice. Of survey respondents, 58% reported mild to severe symptom burden of anxiety or depression. Five qualita­tive themes emerged, including the stress of capitalism, discrimination and inequitable access to resources, aids and gaps in social support, rugged individ­ualism, and heterogeneous perspectives on social justice and climate change. Four transfor­mative food justice practices aimed at rectifying structural inequalities inform our implications. Our results emphasize the urgency of systemic change and structural support for beginning farmers.