Minnesota Science
Vol. 45, No. 3
Life After Farming
by Larry Etkin
The past several years have been difficult for rural Minnesota. An uncertain economy and disastrous drought combined to force many farmers into bankruptcy; others to the very brink.
With many farmers being forced out of business, Minnesota put a nationally acclaimed Farm Credit Mediation program into effect. It helped many farmers stay afloat. But even those underwent enormous stress dealing with their crisis.
Can farm families have conceivably emerged unscathed from the process? What about families forced to leave farming? An evaluation of the "family" facet of the aftermath of Farm Credit Mediation has been published by the Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station.
"Adjustments of Farm Families to Economic Stress: A Two Year Study" reports on economic, social, psychological and physical effects of the crisis on affected Minnesota farm families. Impacts ranged from changing patterns of communication, to deterioration of physical health. But the team of University of Minnesota Family Social Science researchers also found positive effects.
Copies of the publication are available for $2 prepaid (plus 6% sales tax)
from the Distribution Center, University of Minnesota, 3 Coffey Hall, St. Paul,
MN 55108-1030. Ask for publication AD-MR-3994, Minnesota Report 220-1990.