It’s not easy being a farmer.
Between weather, fluctuating prices for produced goods that sometimes leave farms at a loss, and uncertainty in trade – it’s difficult to manage.
Patrick O’Hara, a licensed clinical social worker has spent the latter part of his career serving as a case manager for the New York Center of Agricultural Medicine and Health, told The Ithaca Journal that it all adds up to a heavy burden for them.
“On a good day, farming is stressful, but good days are just a distant memory in farming,” he told The Journal. “They’re at the mercy of the weather, the crops, the price of milk.”
Right now a big issue is the production cost of milk, compared to what its value is on the market. “Every day they’re working 16 hours a day, and they’re losing money,” O’Hara added.
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