Mental health is not discussed enough in agriculture. The USDA’s Farm Stress and Mental Health Resources describe how farm work can take a serious toll through long hours, unstable markets, financial pressure, and the weight of family expectations.
For LGBTQ+ people in agriculture, those challenges are compounded by isolation and the lack of spaces where we can be fully ourselves. Even as conversations about rural mental health grow, data and support specific to LGBTQ+ farmer mental health remain scarce.
Access to information about the experiences of LGBTQ+ farmers is growing, thanks to recent research from the University of Illinois that helps us gain a better understanding of how connection, belonging, and visibility can make a significant difference for our community. I shared this article on LGBTQ+ farmer mental health when it was first released, but wanted to revisit it for another discussion.
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LGBTQ+ Mental Health in Rural Communities
More than 70% of LGBTQ+ farmers surveyed report symptoms of anxiety or depression. Over half are at significant risk for suicide. These rates are higher than what we see in the general population, and even higher than among farmers overall, who already experience elevated stress and suicide risk.
The factors behind those numbers will sound familiar to anyone working in agriculture: financial stress, long hours, unpredictable weather, and pressure to keep the farm running. But the study also found another layer. LGBTQ+ farmers who experience discrimination or harassment face higher levels of depression and anxiety.
Among all the forms of social support measured (family, friends, significant others), LGBTQ+ companionship most significantly improves mental-health outcomes. In other words, connection with other LGBTQ+ people, whether online, in person, or through chosen family, is the difference maker. That sense of belonging lowers stress, reduces anxiety and depression, and lessens suicide risk.
It’s easy to feel isolated as an LGBTQ+ person in a rural community. A sense of belonging can save lives.
Redefining the Family Farm
Many LGBTQ+ farmers redefine what “family” means in agriculture as they describe their relationships. Some build cooperative or communal farms with friends. Others lean on “chosen family” and queer partners for support. These relationships, though different from the traditional image of a husband-and-wife farm couple, fill the same vital role by providing connection and care.
One participant said, “What we have is essentially a queer family structure… we have a relationship, which I can only describe as familial.” Reimagining what family looks like pushes the boundaries of agriculture’s traditions, and is a reminder that the people who make up our rural communities have always been more diverse than we’re taught to see.
This isn’t the first time we’ve talked about these ideas through Pride In Agriculture. In my article on heteronormativity in agriculture, I shared how the “family farm” narrative often assumes a straight, married couple. And in our look at challenges facing LGBTQ+ people in rural communities, we discussed how fear of being out, or the lack of affirming spaces, still shapes daily life. This new research builds on those insights.
Why Data on LGBTQ+ Farmer Mental Health Matters
You can’t address what you don’t measure. LGBTQ+ farmers have been invisible in the data that shapes agricultural programs and policies. Without that information, it’s hard for universities, Extension agents, or mental-health providers to recognize and meet our needs.
This study is a rare example of what happens when researchers take that inclusion seriously. When we remove funding sources for this work, it reinforces that invisibility.
Studies like this challenge agricultural institutions to question long-held assumptions about who farmers are and what family looks like. It calls on all of us to create space for diverse kinds of relationships, networks, and support systems within the industry.
This information helps us better understand how to create resources for more inclusive outreach and healthier communities.
How Are You Including Others?
This study, and others like it, serve as a reminder that genuine, authentic human connections matter. The LGBTQ+ farmers in this study find strength in each other. They build networks where they can show up fully as themselves. That sense of belonging helps them thrive in an industry that hasn’t always seen them.
I see that same thing every time someone reaches out to say that Pride in Agriculture reminded them they aren’t alone. That visibility or a shared experience can help someone feel seen.
It’s also a reminder for all of us to look around our own communities and ask what we’re doing to make sure others can find that same sense of belonging. We never really know what battles someone else is fighting, but we can choose to create spaces where they don’t have to fight them alone.
If you need help, explore the following resources for LGBTQ+ farmers and for those struggling with mental health:
- Concern Hotline, 1-800-447-1985: extension.iastate.edu/iowaconcern
- Trans Lifeline, 877-565-8860: translifeline.org
- National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, 988: 988lifeline.org
- Crisis Text Line, 741741: crisistextline.org
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