Report From Heartland: Farm Crisis Getting Worse

As 1985 has drawn to a close I am compelled to write your readers about a problem that, like 1985, is not drawing to a close. The farm crisis is here and as each day passes it gets worse.

It has struck rural America like a devastating disease that has no cure. It has taken America’s heartland and turned it into a suicide death trap for many. The month of December, with the hustle and bustle of the holidays brings to many happiness, but for those of us fighting to survive it brings yet another day of fear, a day in which we ask ourselves will our tUrn be next?

It also brings sadness as our newspapers report the suicide-murders in Iowa, the suicide death of a 44-year-old farmer in Minnesota, the suicide of a banker who, like the farmers, “could not take it anymore” and the self-inflicted gun shot that killed yet another farmer.

For those families it means the ending of suffering for the victims, his guilt because his farm is going down, his feelings that he has let his family down; yet for the families the struggle continues, now the spouse and children must face the world alone, it doesn’t change the financial position of the farm it merely puts the responsibilities on someone else.

For those of us who live in America’s heartland the viewing of the world is different. We see the joy it brings the farmer as the fields are prepared for planting and that ever so small kernel of corn becomes a 10-foot stalk. It’s the wonders of God before our eyes, as we watch life grow--the new animals being born, the crops growing around us and seeing the value of the sun shining or the rain falling down.

We as farmers must help to educate the world around us. We must help you to know what all of this means. In America today, one out of every five jobs is directly related to agriculture. When agriculture dies so die many jobs in our towns. It is predicted that by 1990, with agriculture staying the same, farmers leaving the farm at a rate of one every two minutes, the small towns, churches, and schools of this country will not continue on. Instead more will move to larger cities and when this happens we will leave behind a ghost town and create yet another problem--higher unemployment and longer welfare lines. We as a country don’t need either one of these.

Since February of 1985 I have devoted many hours of effort to the farm crisis, it started merely trying to organize the farmers to attend our state farm rally, in Pierre, but after that was over the need continued so now nearly a year later my phone is constantly busy with farmers needing help.

We have organized groups who offer stress-counseling and peer-listening training in hopes that the suicides will stop. We have meetings every month and I travel as much as I can to help other groups get started, but still there is so much to do.

As you sit down to your evening meal tonight think of the family farmer and our labors here on the farm that have provided you with the cheapest food in the world. The family farm is a very important asset to our country. The corporations will not be concerned about you, and food will no longer be 13% of our income but rather will be 30% or 40%.

The farmers ask no more than cost-plus, a reasonable profit for our labors, a wage for our work.

In order for us to promote a strong healthy agriculture we must promote American products. We must educate the public to purchase products grown in America. Let’s put agriculture back where our forefathers would want it--keeping America strong and healthy, promote American agriculture, ask for products grown in our country, it’s important to all of us.

BEV STROM

Madison, S.D.