Welcome to the Bullvine Podcast, where we bring
you practical insights to strengthen your dairy
operation. Today we're tackling something that
affects every one of us in the dairy industry,
especially as we head into the demanding spring
season. Spring brings more than just new growth
to your dairy operation. it delivers a perfect
storm of stressors that can break even the toughest
operators. As daylight extends and workloads
explode with calving season, field preparation,
and unpredictable weather, the mental toll intensifies
dramatically. The statistics are sobering. Dairy
farmers experience depression rates three times
higher than the general population, with 76 %
reporting moderate to high stress levels. But
here's the reality we need to face. This isn't
just about feeling better. Studies show that
stress -related errors and impaired management
decisions cost dairy operations thousands in
lost productivity annually. In today's episode,
we're sharing five battle -tested strategies
from fellow producers and mental health experts
that won't just help you survive spring. They'll
help you thrive when pressure peaks. These aren't
luxury suggestions. They're business necessities
that protect your most valuable farm asset. your
mental well -being so whether you're listening
in the milking parlor tractor cab or during a
rare quiet moment stay with us as we explore
these powerful techniques that are transforming
dairy operations across the country welcome to
the deep dive everyone spring it just hits different
on a dairy farm doesn't it it really does i mean
those first bits of green are great and the new
calves always good to see but Let's be real.
It often feels like you're juggling chainsaws
while riding a unicycle. That's a good way to
put it. High speed, high stakes. Exactly. You've
got calving going full throttle. Fields need
prepping after winter. And then, well, you know,
Mother Nature always has a few curveballs ready
for spring. It's just intense pressure. It is.
And, you know, while the physical work is obvious,
what we really need to unpack today is the mental
load. That significant weight that comes with
this season. It's not just being tired. physically
tired. Our sources consistently show that the
stress levels dairy producers face are, well,
notably higher than the general population. And
this isn't just feeling a bit stressed out. The
impact is huge. The data we looked at, it points
to a really sobering statistic. The rate of suicide
among farmers is just devastating, about 3 .5
times higher than average. It's tragic. Beyond
that personal cost, this level of burnout. It
hits the farm financially too hard. We're talking
potentially thousands lost every year. Errors
in judgment, lower efficiency, mistakes. Yeah,
mistakes in animal handling, record keeping,
all those critical things. When you're under
chronic stress, your brain just doesn't work
the same. Right. Your focus, your decision making,
managing complex stuff. It's all compromised.
And think about the precision needed in dairy.
Meds, breeding choices. Crucial decisions. Exactly.
Stress just undermines all that. And that University
of Guelph study you mentioned really highlights
the scale of this. 76 % of farmers reporting
moderate or high stress. That's huge. 76%. And
worse mental health overall compared to everyone
else. Right. The Guelph numbers are stark. Around
60 % of farmers in that study showed signs of
moderate or higher depression. Yeah. Compare
that to maybe 17, 18 % of the general population.
Oh, wow. And anxiety disorders. Also way up.
Maybe the most worrying part. Thoughts of suicide
were twice as common among farmers. It really
paints a picture of intense pressure and, frankly,
serious consequences. It does. And it's not static,
right? Things are changing. Think about climate
change. Yeah, that's another layer. Rising spring
temps mean a longer heat stress season. Yeah.
More financial worry, more operational stress.
And the cost of heat stress isn't small potatoes.
Our sources mention $1 .5 billion annually for
the industry just from heat stress. That figure
alone shows the massive economic stakes. So look,
this isn't just about feeling better personally,
though that's vital. It's directly tied to the
farm's bottom line. It's viability. Precisely.
So the goal for this deep dive isn't just to
say, yeah, it's tough. We know you, our listeners
in the dairy world, are facing this. We want
to give you concrete, science -backed strategies.
Things your fellow producers and experts are
actually using. Right. Not just to survive spring,
but maybe even, you know, thrive a bit, despite
the pressure. So let's get into some of these
techniques. Okay, a really good starting point.
One that's literally right outside your door
for most farmers is nature itself. Rural mental
health specialist Monica McConkie really emphasizes
the power of intentionally engaging with your
surroundings. Now, obviously, dairy farmers are
outside a lot. All the time. But the key, as
she points out, is shifting. Shifting from just
working in nature to actually mindfully taking
it in, noticing things. That's a really important
difference. Consciously shifting focus. Away
from the task list, just for a moment, to what's
actually around you. And the benefits. Neurologically,
they're quite remarkable. Our sources detail
this. Even short, intentional moments in nature
can lower cortisol. That main stress hormone.
Exactly, that fight or flight one. Lower cortisol
can mean lower blood pressure, even better cognitive
function. It's like a natural reset button. Or
a reset button. I like that. And what's really
interesting is how quick pauses can interrupt
that stress cycle. There's this technique, the
5 -5 -5 reset. Simple, but quite powerful. Okay.
5 -5 -5. What is it? Five deep breaths first.
Just center yourself. Then identify five things
you could actually see around you. Really look.
Ground yourself. And finally, five minutes totally
disconnected. No phone. Step away from the tractor
controls. Just five minutes off. It sounds almost
too simple, but I get the idea. These little
micro breaks, they give your nervous system a
chance to just calm down. Step off the hamster
wheel. Precisely. It's a conscious choice to
pause that constant task mode that's so easy
to get stuck in on a busy farm. And that story
we found the Pennsylvania dairy farmer. He saw
a 22 % drop in his own stress levels. Yeah, self
-reported stress down 22 % and fewer handling
errors too, which is huge. And his quote really
stuck with me. I thought I couldn't afford to
take breaks. Turns out I couldn't afford not
to. That just hits home. It absolutely does.
It shows these aren't just nice -to -haves. They
have real, tangible benefits for the operation.
Investing a few minutes can mean more efficiency,
fewer costly mistakes. Yeah, when you're less
stressed, more present, you're just sharper.
Less likely to have accidents or mess up those
crucial daily jobs. Exactly. Now, another big
thing our sources kept highlighting is isolation,
the danger of it, especially during these really
busy times like spring. Jane Seabright from the
Center of Dairy Excellence mentioned how easy
it is to get totally swallowed by the workload.
You know, you miss sunsets, walks, just talking
to people properly. And it's not just a personal
loss, feeling lonely. It has wider impacts, right?
Yeah. Professionally, too. That's what the research
suggests. That sense of isolation, it can ripple
out, impact the whole farm system. That University
of Illinois study about farm stress affecting
families is really telling. It is. Finding that
around 60 % of adults and adolescents in farm
families met criteria for at least mild depression.
That's significant. 60%. Adults and kids. And
they found a correlation between the adults'
depression and the kids. It really shows it's
a systemic issue. A whole family challenge when
stress and isolation take hold. It really is
a ripple effect. If the adults are struggling,
it hits the kids and maybe vice versa too. It's
a tough cycle. So practically, how do you break
that? Especially when time is just gone. Yeah,
time is the constant pressure. Well, our sources
talk about setting up connection checkpoints.
Connection checkpoints, okay. Basically, proactively
making small windows for real, meaningful exchange.
Doesn't have to be long. Even a few minutes of
focused chat can fight that feeling of being
alone with all the pressure. Like a quick mental
check -in. And that daily debrief idea sounds
like a concrete way to do that. Kendra Nisley,
another Pennsylvania farmer, her practice of
a dedicated 10 -minute evening chat with her
husband about non -farm stuff. Yes, that's a
fantastic example. And her analogy, she called
it maintenance, like changing the oil in your
tractor. skip it, and eventually something breaks
down. That resonates. That's such a powerful
way to frame it because it makes these connection
moments essential, not optional. Part of farm
management, really. Right. It highlights that
direct link. Healthy relationships support a
healthy, productive farm. A strong home base
makes the whole business more resilient. Speaking
of family, the source has also talked about the
sometimes surprising ROI of prioritizing family
time, even when it feels like the last thing
you have time for in spring. Yes, that counterintuitive
idea. Kendra Nistley's story, again, deciding
to hire extra help, even though they were worried
about the cost initially. Right, a financial
stretch, but they do it for family time. And
what's fascinating is how that seemingly personal
decision paid off in business terms. Healthier
marriage, better well -being for them both, more
time with happier kids. All that contributes
to a more stable farm environment. Makes sense.
And the data seems to back it up, too. Farms
that intentionally carve out family time, they
report better employee retention. Which makes
sense. Happier boss, often happier team. And
fewer workplace accidents, too. Probably less
stress, better focus all around. There's even
research suggesting when owners take regular
breaks, you see fewer incidents and maybe even
better herd health. It all points the same way,
doesn't it? A supported farmer and family unit.
That's the foundation for a more efficient, safer
operation. Absolutely. So hiring help might not
work for everyone financially, but there are
other ways, right? Definitely. Strategic ways.
Deliberately scheduling time, even just one meal
together daily or one protected family activity
a week, it can make a big difference. Or exploring
task sharing with neighbors, automating some
routine jobs, using time -saving tech, all ways
to free up bits of time. It circles back to that
main point. Prioritizing family isn't just nice,
it's smart business. Kendra Nisley's quote again.
Our employees are what's making it possible for
us to continue farming and continue to prioritize
family and then business. It's all connected.
It really is integrated. And let's not forget
that wider economic picture we mentioned. The
Bullvine reported that $1 .5 billion annual cost
from heat stress. Huge number. And that includes
lower milk yield up to 10 pounds a day less,
potentially. Generational impacts to offspring
giving 4 .9 to 5 .1 pounds less milk daily. Peak
milk down maybe 8 .6 pounds in affected cows.
Now think. A stressed farmer. Exactly. A stressed,
overworked farmer is less likely to consistently
put those heat abatement strategies in place.
effectively. Ventilation, shade, water monitoring.
So they might actually worsen those financial
losses from heat stress because they're too burnt
out to manage it properly. Precisely. Their mental
state directly, materially, impacts the farm's
bottom line in that context, too. That's a critical
link. Wow. Okay, shifting gears a bit, another
powerful strategy for resilience, finding purpose
in the daily grind. Yes, consciously connecting
with why you do what you do. Amy B., another
Pennsylvania farmer, shared how she finds deep
family connection through their farm work together.
That kind of perspective shift, it changes how
you experience the challenges, doesn't it? Absolutely.
Instead of just seeing endless chores, you connect
those tasks to deeper values. Maybe it's the
family legacy. Maybe it's caring for the land.
Maybe it's feeding people. Right. And occupational
psychology research supports this. Finding meaning
in work boosts your ability to handle stress,
makes the load feel, well, maybe not lighter,
but more worthwhile. But there's a concerning
side here, too. Research from Australia found
about 55 % of dairy farmers there were dissatisfied.
Over half. Wow. Why? Main reasons were rising
costs, labor shortages, that constant work -life
balance struggle, and that dissatisfaction. It
directly correlated with declining mental health.
That really drives home why actively reconnecting
with your purpose is so important. It does. So
how do you do that practically, day to day? Well,
the idea of farm storyboards like they use on
some Australian farms sounds interesting. Yeah,
a visual reminder. Farm history, achievements,
family connection to the land, the animals. Something
you see every day. Like an anchor to remind you
what it's all about, especially on the tough
days. Exactly. When you hit setbacks, you can
step back, look at that board, see the bigger
picture, the progress, the legacy you're building.
It reframes things. Like Amy B. put it, it's
hard work. Some days, unbelievably hard. But
being thankful for the strength to get up and
keep nurturing everything, animals, crops, relationships,
that's powerful. It really is. And speaking of
finding strength, our next strategy is about
celebrating the small stuff. The small wins.
Yes. Leveraging the power of small victories.
Monica McConkie again reminding us that spring
itself is about new life, growth. We need to
notice those positives as they happen. Because
it's easy not to, right? There's something called
completion bias. Exactly. Our brains tend to
focus on what's finished. But in dairy farming,
the work is never truly finished. It's cyclical.
So if you only focus on done, you always feel
behind. Never quite getting there. Which can
be... Really draining. But here's the cool part.
Scientifically, recognizing small progress, those
little wins, it triggers dopamine release in
your brain. Ah, the feel -good chemical. Right.
Pleasure, motivation, reward. It gives you a
little neurochemical boost. Yeah. Energy, encouragement,
especially when you're feeling worn out. So how
do you capture that? A simple wins log is a really
practical way. It doesn't have to be fancy. Just
jot down a few small achievements at the end
of the day. Forces you to actually look for the
progress. Precisely. Things you might otherwise
just brush past in the hustle. And those wins
can be everyday farm things, right? Like a smooth
calving, fixing equipment that was bugging you.
Definitely. Getting a good milk component test
back, solving a tricky problem, even just getting
the field prep done on schedule. They might seem
small, but acknowledging them adds up, improves
your mood, your sense of accomplishment. And
it's more than just feeling good. It actively
counteracts stress hormones. Boots your energy
at a neurological level. It's functional. Okay,
functional stress relief. I like that. But we
know what many listeners are thinking right now.
Where do I find the time? Exactly. This sounds
great, but my schedule is already overflowing.
It's a totally valid point. The demands, especially
in spring, are just relentless. They are. And
that's the objection we have to tackle head on.
Because while the workload feels like it leaves
no room, our sources are really clear. Protecting
your mental capacity isn't optional. It's not
a luxury for when things slow down. It's non
-negotiable because the cost of not doing it
is too high. Impaired judgment, accidents, lower
efficiency, that comes from chronic unmanaged
stress. And those costs far outweigh the time
needed for these strategies. Think back to those
Gulf study findings on suicidal thoughts. A quarter
of Sarmers having those thoughts reported life
wasn't worth living or they'd considered ending
it in the past year. That's incredibly stark.
It underscores the urgency. You can't just push
through indefinitely. No. The bottom line is
clear. You really can't afford not to manage
stress, the potential fallout financial, personal
from bad decisions, accidents, burnout. It's
just too significant compared to the time investment
in these proactive steps. So making it practical,
how does someone start without feeling like it's
just another thing on the to -do list? Well,
the sources suggest a kind of 30 -day stress
management blueprint. The key idea is... Start
small. Don't try everything at once. Pick one
thing. One strategy based on your biggest challenge
right now makes sense. Right. So if isolation
is the main issue, commit to one 10 -minute meaningful
conversation each day. Just one. Okay. And if
it's mental exhaustion? Try three of those five
-minute outdoor resets during your workday. Schedule
them in if you have to. What about feeling disconnected
from family? Establish one protected family activity
per week. Maybe it's Sunday dinner, maybe it's
game night. Make it non -negotiable. Losing perspective,
feeling like the work doesn't matter. Create
that visible reminder. A farm storyboard, photos,
whatever works for you. Something to reconnect
you to your purpose. And if you just feel totally
overwhelmed, like you're drowning... Start that
wins log. Just logging a few small achievements
each day. It helps shift focus. Those are really
concrete starting points. And there are more
resources out there too, right? Absolutely. The
Center for Dairy Excellence has a lot of great
stuff. Hotlines, articles, materials, specifically
for dairy producers. Their website is a good
place to look. Yeah. www .centerfordairexcellence
.org slash stress. Good resource to know. So
look, spring on the farm. It's always going to
be demanding. That's the reality. It is. But
these strategies, they offer a way to change
how you experience that demanding season. Not
just gritting your teeth, but actually coping
better. Maybe even thriving. And remember. prioritizing
your own well -being. It isn't separate from
the farm. It's a vital investment in the farm's
future, its stability, its success. The research
really supports that. Producers who manage stress
proactively, they tend to see better herd health,
they make sharper breeding decisions. They're
just better equipped overall. to handle the inevitable
challenges this industry throws at us. And we
wanted to leave you all with a thought that really
resonated with us. It came from a veteran dairy
producer. He said, you can't pour from an empty
cup. Taking care of yourself isn't selfish. It's
the smartest business decision you'll make this
spring. That says it all, really. It really does.
So please make your well -being a priority. It's
not just good for you. It's good for your farm,
your family, and your future. As we wrap up today's
discussion on managing spring stress, Remember
this. Protecting your mental health isn't self
-care. It's a survival strategy for your dairy
operation. You've heard the five techniques that
can make all the difference. The five -minute
nature reset to reduce cortisol, scheduled conversations
to break isolation, prioritizing family time
as a business investment, connecting to your
deeper purpose, and celebrating small wins to
fuel your motivation. You don't need to implement
all five strategies at once. Start with just
one approach that addresses your most immediate
challenge. Even small changes can yield significant
results for both your well -being and your bottom
line. For more resources on dairy farmer mental
health, including downloadable tools and additional
articles, visit us at www .thebullvine .com.
We've also linked to the Center for Dairy Excellence's
stress management resources in our show notes.
Thank you for making time for this important
conversation. If you found value in today's episode,
please share it with a fellow producer who might
benefit. Remember, in dairy farming, we're stronger
together. Until next time, take care of your
herd, your land, and yourself because mental
health equals farm health.