SPARTA, Michigan — As we dive deeper into the resurgence of the coronavirus pandemic, there’s a good chance more farmers could start going delinquent on government loans. That presents a problem for all of us.
Michigan is the second most agriculturally diverse state in the country. That means, even if it’s grown here, it’s likely not all staying here.
As restaurants close or limit capacity across the south and west, farmers are in for a long road ahead.
Farm bankruptcies shot up last year, amid trade negotiations. During the turmoil, farmers took out a lot more in federal loans.
Now, a year later, loan delinquencies are up. Just for new farmers, they’re up $8 million, and it could get worse the longer the pandemic lasts.
Local farmer Jeff VanderWerff said it takes a mental toll, too.
“There's a lot of focus right now in the agricultural world about Mental Health and Counseling,” VanderWerff said. “It's just the way agriculture has changed. We do so much digitally now, we do so much remotely, we don't have as much interaction with each other as we used to. And so there's really been a lot of focus for farmers just to kind of check in on each other.”
The recent stretch of hot and dry weather was also another source of stress for farmers. But VanderWerff says the soaking rains on Thursday and Friday provided some much needed relief.
Michigan State University Extension offers a farm stress management program. It supports farmers dealing with financial and personal loss, and connects them with resources to help. To learn more about the free online course, and begin the training, head to the MSU Extension website.
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