OPINION: Strength Means Knowing When to Ask for Help

An Editorial by Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller

If there's one thing I've learned from a lifetime in agriculture, it's that farmers and ranchers don't quit.

When a fence goes down, we fix it. When drought burns up a pasture, we find a way forward. When markets turn against us, we tighten our belts and keep working. Agriculture teaches resilience because it has to. There is always another challenge waiting around the corner.

Texas farmers, ranchers, farmworkers, and rural families are some of the toughest people you'll ever meet. We take pride in solving problems ourselves. We don't like asking for help. We believe in hard work, personal responsibility, and getting the job done. Those values have built Texas agriculture into the backbone of our state, but sometimes the burdens we carry become heavier than any one person should bear alone.

June is Men's Mental Health Awareness Month, and it's an important reminder that even the strongest among us face struggles. In agriculture, those struggles often come from circumstances beyond our control—drought, floods, wildfires, rising costs, low commodity prices, labor shortages, family pressures, and the uncertainty that comes with making a living from the land.

Many of us were raised to keep our heads down and push through tough times. We don't want to burden others. We don't want anyone to think we're weak. The truth is, asking for help isn't weakness. It's strength.

Too often, people in agriculture suffer in silence. They tell themselves things will get better tomorrow. They convince themselves nobody would understand. They try to carry every burden on their own. I've seen firsthand how dangerous that mindset can be.

The reality is that agriculture consistently ranks among the most stressful professions in America. Long hours, financial pressures, unpredictable weather, and isolation can take a toll on anyone. No one is immune. That's why the Texas Department of Agriculture has made rural mental health a priority through the Texas AgriStress Helpline, operated through our State Office of Rural Health.

The AgriStress Helpline is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It is free, confidential, and staffed by trained professionals who understand the unique challenges facing agricultural communities. Anyone involved in agriculture—including farmers, ranchers, farmworkers, foresters, fishermen, and their family members—can call or text 833-897-2474 for support.

Since launching in Texas, the AgriStress Helpline has already assisted more than 300 Texans across 114 counties. Behind every one of those calls is a person who reached out instead of suffering alone. Behind every one of those calls is a family, a community, and a future that may have been changed because someone picked up the phone.

That matters.

If you're struggling, don't wait until you're in crisis. Talk to your spouse. Talk to a friend. Talk to your pastor, doctor, or someone you trust. And if you need someone to listen, call or text the AgriStress Helpline at 833-897-2474.

If you're facing an immediate crisis or having thoughts of suicide, call or text 988 right away. Don’t wait.

And if you're doing well, check on the people around you. Call that neighbor you haven't heard from in a while. Ask the young producer who's trying to get started how things are going. Stop by and visit the rancher who always says he's fine. Sometimes a simple conversation can make all the difference.

The strongest communities are built on neighbors helping neighbors. That's always been the Texas way. No drought lasts forever. No storm lasts forever. No setback lasts forever.

Whatever you're facing today, remember this: there are people who care about you, people who need you, and people who want to help.

Texas agriculture is stronger because of the men and women who work every day to feed, fuel, and clothe this nation. And our agricultural community is strongest when we look out for one another.

You don't have to carry every burden by yourself. Help is available. Hope is available. And this world is better with you in it.

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