‘You can have a great crop — and in 20 minutes, nothing’: Farm stress crisis deepens in Washington

Alma Torres Jones started her journey in agriculture traveling state to state with her parents, who were migrant workers. Eventually, her parents started their own farm in the Okanagan Valley, growing apples, pears, and cherries. But now, Jones says the work that once felt rewarding has become exhausting, squeezed by high labor costs, unpredictable weather, and shrinking profits. To find solutions to combat stress, the Washington State Department of Agriculture released a report that outlines recommendations for addressing farmer stress.

“Being a farmer is very stressful. You can have a great crop and in 20 minutes you can have absolutely nothing,” Jones said, recalling a 2022 hailstorm that wiped out her apples.

Many growers in Washington state are combating mental health in a tight mar