I know what you're thinking:  'And in other news, the sky is blue and water is wet'.

Truth is, there's a lot to be stressed about.

With the MAGIE going on right now, this seemed appropriate.  A group of researchers  with Montana State University and the MSU Extension recently released the results of a survey meant to gauge what farmers and ranchers in the Treasure State are most stressed out about.

The survey was funded as part of a $7.1 million dollar grant from the Western Regional Agricultural Stress Assistance Project, and Montana was one of 13 states and four territories that took part.  You can view the Montana results here or go here to see the results for the other participants.

The results shouldn't really surprise anyone.  The top three things respondents from Montana said they they got stressed about were finances, production costs, and lack of time.  Also making the top ten stressors were the workload, commodity prices, work/life balance, estate planning, ag legislation, their ability to sell their crops, and livestock.  Stress caused by the weather just missed the top ten, coming in at number eleven.

A different section shows the results of whether the survey takers thought they would take part in different education and outreach programs.  Perhaps unsurprisingly, participating in therapy or a support group didn't appeal to them, as both options had the biggest gaps between people who thought they might compared to those who said they probably wouldn't take part.

The news release from MSU also includes links to resources on stress relief and management geared toward farmers and ranchers, such as the MT Farm and Ranch Stress Resource Clearinghouse.