Helping farmers Bloom in Ag with tools for their books and support for their burdens.
Helping farmers Bloom in Ag with tools for their books and support for their burdens.
MAFG Newspaper- December 2025 - Issue 50
Erica Barnes Fields is the Associate Director of a regional agricultural education program that awards grants and delivers training to empower farmers and ranchers to manage the risks of producing food for the world’s table. A published author, FARM Champion, Licensed Social Worker, and Certified Financial Social Worker, she brings trusted insight and national-level impact to the producers she serves.
With more than a decade of experience working alongside farmers and ranchers, Erica has seen how financial pressures can build quietly before becoming a crisis. She brings urgency, empathy, and deep expertise to the conversation about the critical link between farm financial stress and mental health.
“I was in a quiet storm, carrying more financial responsibility than I realized without calling it stress. The strategies Erica shared helped me slow down, pause before responding, and set clearer boundaries. The storm didn’t disappear, but it got quieter, and I’m making decisions with more intention now.”
— Multi-generational row-crop farmer
“After my father passed without a will, I took on the debt to keep our family land from being sold. What I needed wasn’t someone to tell me what to do, it was financial boundaries with my family. Erica helped me put boundaries around family requests and connect with a Farm Champion through AgFTAP so we could start working toward a real succession plan. That changed how the future feels.”
— Family farmer
“I didn’t think I was stressed, I was just carrying a lot. Doing the 4-7-8 breathing before responding, listening to my body, and writing things down instead of holding them in helped me respond better under pressure. I’m still farming, still responsible, but I’m not carrying it the same way.”
— Row-crop producer, Southern U.S.
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