Weathering More Than Storms: A New Study Centers the Mental Health of Black Farmers in Appalachia

By Black By God: The West Virginian

Farming in Appalachia has never been just about the weather.

For Black farmers across the region, agricultural work often carries layered pressures — from land access and financial instability to isolation, discrimination, and the emotional weight of sustaining farms and family land in rural spaces that have not always supported them. Yet conversations about farmer mental health rarely center Black experiences, particularly in Appalachia.

A new doctoral research study aims to change that.

Aliyah Smith, a doctoral candidate at the East Tennessee State University College of Public Health, is leading a study titled Weathering More Than Storms: Understanding the Mental Health Disparities of Black Farmers in the Appalachian Region. The research is part of Smith’s doctoral dissertation and seeks to better understand how mental health, stress, and well-being show up in the lives of Black farmers across the region.

The purpose of the study is to center lived experience. By listening directly to Black farmers, Smith hopes to generate research that can inform future programs, policies, and initiatives designed to better support Black farmers — not only in Appalachia, but nationwide.

Mental health challenges in agriculture are often discussed in general terms, without acknowledging how race, history, and geography shape those experiences. For Black farmers, stress can be compounded by land insecurity, financial barriers, weather extremes, and the long-standing impacts of exclusion from agricultural systems and resources. This study recognizes that mental health is not separate from land, labor, or policy — it is deeply connected to them.

Participation in the study involves completing a brief demographic survey and taking part in a one-on-one interview lasting no more than one hour. Interviews will be conducted via Zoom and can take place by video or phone, depending on participant preference. With permission, interviews will be audio recorded to ensure accuracy.

Participation is voluntary, and individuals may decline to answer any questions or withdraw from the study at any time without penalty. All responses will be kept confidential, and identifying information will be removed from any reports or publications that result from the research.

Smith currently serves as Manager of Research Operations and Faculty Development in the Department of Pediatrics at ETSU’s James H. Quillen College of Medicine, bringing both academic training and practical research experience to the project.

For Black farmers who are often spoken about but rarely heard in research spaces, this study offers an opportunity to help shape how mental health support is understood and addressed moving forward.

Black By God: The West Virginian encourages Black farmers across Appalachia, including West Virginia, to consider participating.

How to Participate
Black farmers interested in participating or learning more about the study can contact Aliyah Smith at smithat2@etsu.edu.

Because caring for the land also means caring for the people who work it.