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 Michigan’s farmer mental health counseling program and what that means for struggling farmers who relied on those services.

Shining a light on the resilience, optimism, and quiet struggles of America’s farming communities, Doug and Ron share why supporting farmers means understanding both the economic and emotional realities they face every day.

You can read more articles from Ron French on BridgeMI.com

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