Living off the land is tough, a fact underscored by the much higher rate (3 1/2 times) of farmer suicides, compared to the general population. Researchers at the University of California-Davis wanted more specifics, so they dug into volumes of data from counties across the country, over a period of nearly two decades.
The conclusion: yes, economic conditions can contribute to farmer suicides, but so can certain weather conditions. We talk to two of the three authors on the research: Pierre Mérel and Richard Sexton are both agricultural economists. They spend some extra time laying out their findings, and how those might be used.