Lake Benton, Minnesota farmer Bob Worth was a ‘young gun’ when he began farming 50 years ago. That changed during the 1980s when the farm crisis took its toll. As a result, Worth went in to a severe case of depression. “It was so bad I didn’t even care if I got out of bed. Even if harvest was there, I didn’t care; it (the crop) could stay there.” Bob’s wife convinced him to go see a doctor. “I’m glad she did. The doctor put me on some medicine and diagnosed me with severe depression.” As a past president of the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association, Bob has been vocal about his experience with depression. There are some similarities between the 1980s and the tough farm economy of today. “Six or seven year ago, we were flying as high as agriculture has ever flew. We were making good money and never though it could end. Well, guess what, it does end and that’s a lot of the shock.” Worth leaves farmers with this piece of advice. “Communication is so important, especially during times of stress.” Hear more in the latest TransFARMation podcast episode.
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