This has been quite a year, and all the stress can take quite a toll. Trade uncertainty, poor grain prices, increased fertilizer cost, higher interest rates ... the list goes on and on. Couple that with Mother Nature and her droughts, floods and winds, it is a lot for any of us, but I do not need to tell you that.

We all know that farming and ranching is a physically demanding occupation, but the mental side of it is even more demanding. We have been taught from an early age that we never share our problems with anyone else. Figure it out on our own because no one else wants to hear about your problems. I do not say this very often, but our parents and grandparents were wrong. Keeping all that stress inside is the worst thing you can do for your mental health.

Ah yes, mental health. It is something none of us want to talk about but all of us should be talking about. That is a stigma that we all need to work on to make it go away. There is nothing shameful about working on your mental health, and that includes talking about it. We worry about our physical health all the time, or we should, but that is something for another day. Mental health is just as important and even more important in times of stress like now.

It is easy in agriculture to think that we are going through this on our own and no one else would understand. Couple that with the fact that most of us are multi-generational on our farms and do not want to be the last generation. The pressure can be crushing, and at times it seems like we are bombarded by one thing after another. It all takes a toll.

Let me be clear about this, it is OK not to be OK. It is also admirable to seek help. I promise each of you this, there are people who care about you. It is nothing to be embarrassed or ashamed of to seek professional help. If nothing else, find a friend or a neighbor and talk to them. If you cannot bring yourself to do either of those, call me, I care as do all my fellow members on the Kansas Farm Bureau Board of Directors.

Obviously, I do not know everyone reading this, but I promise you there are people who care about you and need you. No matter how bad things look or what might happen, it will get better, you just must work on getting through.

I also want to put out an appeal to everyone to take care of each other. Check in on your neighbors and friends, you never know when those few minutes will be a life saver. If you do notice something or they tell you something that sends alarms up, take action. Talk and listen, encourage them to get help and be supportive.

I know we are in tough times right now, but I also know that the tide will turn and things will get better. We need to take care of each other, farming and ranching is a tight-knit community, and we can get through this if we lean on each other.