Darkest Before Dawn – Steve Breeding’s Story

Farmers and ranchers are known for their resilience, determination, and—most of the time—optimism. They plant seeds without knowing if the rain will fall or raise livestock with no guarantee of plentiful grass and do so with no crystal ball to predict market conditions once it’s time to harvest. It takes a lot to shake a farmer or rancher. The definition of their “worst day” is oftentimes the type of day that would bring anyone to their knees and maybe even keep them down.

That “worst day” came for Delaware farmer Steve Breeding on a spring afternoon last year, when more than 200 of his sheep were killed in a tragic barn fire. Already feeling stress from other aspects of his life, the loss of his animals was too much for Steve to bear.

For weeks after the accident, Steve suffered in silence. He closed himself off from his friends and family and refused offers of help from neighbors and fellow Farm Bureau members, afraid to let other people see just how much pain he was in.

His anguish eventually led to a turning point. Alone in his pickup truck, parked out by the rubble of what used to be his sheep barn, Steve gripped a pistol, contemplating ending his life. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a Farm State of Mind flier promoting mental health resources available to rural communities. Steve made a decision: he put down his pistol, reached for the flier and dialed the 988 crisis lifeline listed on the bottom of the page.

From there, Steve’s story is one of hope, perseverance, and eventually, inspiring others to open up about their own struggles with mental health. With the help of medication and the support of his community, Steve began to heal from the stress he was facing at the time of the fire.

He cleaned up the remnants of his old sheep barn, built a new one this year and he now shares the story of that fateful spring day whenever he’s given the opportunity—from small events in his home state of Delaware all the way to the national stage at the 2025 American Farm Bureau Convention as part of a workshop on farmer and rancher mental health.

Along the way, he’s met countless others who have faced difficult times and felt moved to share their story with him. He’s realized that mental health challenges aren’t just a problem for one generation of agriculture or because of one downturn in a certain market — depression, anxiety and related conditions are common in this industry, but no one has to suffer alone. Help and resources are available.

The shadow of Steve’s worst day eventually led him to the light of his current path, proof for all of us that better days often lie just around the bend.

Bailey Corwine is a communications manager at the American Farm Bureau Federation.