Challenges on the farm? Maybe your mind first moves to equipment malfunctions, weather, or crop conditions. These don’t make the list for Farm Management Outreach Specialist Stephanie Plaster. She says more and more families struggle with navigating child care and health insurance options. Plaster calls these “hidden challenges” on farms.
Plaster sites research showing:
- two out of three farmers have preexisting health conditions
- one in three farms has a family member whose health problems make farming difficult
- half of farm families worry that they would have to sell farm assets to pay those health expenses
- two out of three families struggle with the cost, availability, or quality of child care
“These are really big issues that the majority of farmers are wrestling with,” she explains.
Plaster adds that if one parent has to work off the farm to pay for health insurance and child care, it can limit the opportunities for the farm to grow.
But why is accessing health insurance and child care challenging? Plaster says farms are unique because it’s a workplace and a home.
“Farmers have to make decisions as an employer and as an individual or family, so these health insurance and child care costs can be really significant for a farm,” she explains. “Selecting and choosing those best options kind of feels a lot like putting a puzzle together. We’re balancing off farm income and benefits with the needs of the farm, which can be a big piece of that puzzle.”
UW Extension is partnering with the Agriculture and Human Development Relations Institute to help farmers figure out how child care and health insurance can be a part of the farm budget. You can find the resources by visiting: https://farms.extension.wisc.edu/
