Are Illinois Farm Women at Their Breaking Point? Report Says Yes

If you happen to be an Illinois farm woman, this is likely something you already know, but a new report claims that women in agriculture are at their breaking point for a variety of reasons.

I saw this concerning article just shared by Study Finds. It's based on research by a team at the University of Georgia called "A Great Life, if You Can Stand It". They spoke with six focus groups with 29 women married to farmers between the age of 25 and 72 and what they learned was alarming.

Here are some of the general takeaways:

• Farm women have to multi-task many different responsibilities simultaneously
• Many have to work jobs off the farm in addition to on the farm work
• Some have to manage finances by themselves while their spouses work the land
• Farm moms sometimes have to take 100% of the burden for kid activities themselves
• Most farm wives feel very isolated

This is a vast problem especially in Illinois where the Department of Agriculture says there are over 75,000 farm families.

The question is how do you make life better for these farm women who are already stretched to their limits? The answer hopefully comes soon as America's food supply depends on them and the families they care for.