Farm spouses talk about the stress they deal with as they wear many hats.

While farmers, mostly men, get well-deserved and needed attention when it comes to studies about mental health, farm spouses deserve some recognition, too. They are dealing with their own stressors as they are often the ones doing the heavy lifting, both physical and emotional, when it comes to keeping the farm home and family going. Anna Scheyett, lead author of a University of Georgia study and a professor in UGA's School of Social Work, spoke with many farm spouses-all women in her sample-and heard about the many roles women fill on the farm. In the audio clip below, Professor Scheyett tells WGN's Steve Alexander about the many ways farm spouses contribute: taking care of the home and children and the books, working on the farm, working off the farm, being a buffer between family drama and exhausted, grumpy farmers, and more.

Scheyett said. "If we don't support these families, we're in big trouble as a country because we won't be able to generate our food." She says the women in her study weren't looking for pity, but a little recognition would be nice. As one farm spouse told her, "It's a great life if you can stand it." You can read more about the study here.