The Secret is Out

As Covid-19 continues to change the way of life for people around the world, many of us are left feeling stressed, anxious, scared, and unsure of what to expect. These reactions are normal, but they can also take a physical and mental toll. As communities, we have been through crises before — natural disasters, political tensions, or the loss of influential celebrities. These large-scale events can certainly impact a community. But our current crisis is so much more layered than many of us are used to, and so many of us are experiencing several stressful events all at the same time. Now, we are having to work through these stressors and deal with these emotional events without our normal coping mechanisms — each other. We have faced insurmountable challenges this year, but so have our agriculturalists. And they do so every year.

Agriculture is hard right now. The farming economy has been in a slump, and farmers are continuing to face issues as they try to sell their products. Not only is the industry financially or physically challenging, but emotionally and mentally, too. As hard as it is to talk to our families, sometimes it’s even harder to talk to professionals or friends who don’t understand the troubles we are facing. We all have secrets, and they can be a lot of different things. They can be appreciated. For example, a surprise for a loved one. Or, they can be devastating as in admission of having suffered abuse. There is such a thing as a healthy secret, but I think that most of our secrets are the opposite. They’re things we’re ashamed or scared of; thoughts we don’t want to share with the people we love for one reason or another. Maybe you’re not looking for advice; you just need to say it out loud. But voicing your fears to the people you love makes them all too real.

Throughout the past nine months serving as a Wisconsin State FFA Officer, I have seen this issue at large through members, alumni, agriculturalists of all kinds, and even myself. It breaks my heart to be unable to really connect with members. I am here to serve and now my capabilities to do so are limited. There are members who are going through the same things that I have, and I cannot sit down with them to talk, and it is not the same over Zoom. Our mental health as a nation has declined this year due to missing out on the human interaction that we instinctively need. Now more than ever, it is important to reach out to your local agriculturalists and thank them for all they do. Reach out to your neighbors, friends, and family that you have not heard from in a while. We have missed out on so many moments this year, but what good can we create from this? We need to gather close to the people around us more than ever and find our community that will support us through every twist and turn life throws our way. Be the light someone so desperately needs.

There are so many struggles we are all fighting internally. I cannot offer you professional advice, but I can offer a release. I have seen the hardships that farmers face right on my home farm. I understand your distress. Please reach out if you need someone to talk with about what you're going through. Find the people that will support you. Or if you just need to write it out, Hoard's Dairyman has a submission box to anonymously submit your struggles. If you’d like to submit a secret, visit the site. I’d like to take a minute to say that I hope this truly helps, but if you need real, professional help please find someone.

I believe in you.

Katrina