Fair to say for Joe Conrad, the more things change, the more they stay the same.

"I'm still farming seven days a week, and I'm still doing what I love to do here on the farm with my kids and grandkids," said Conrad.

We first met Conrad in March of 2022, at a time when he was going through a divorce after more than 40 years of marriage, and suffering great financial stress as the owner of Green Meadows Dairy Farm in Wyoming County — circumstances that brought him to tears.

"We're raised that men don't cry. But by golly. Here's one who does," he said back in 2022.

Since then, he has changed his look, he sold the farm to his son and daughter-in-law, who renamed it Conrad Dairy Farm.

His divorce is now final, and he's starting to enjoy more of a social life.

"I guess I'm more happy. The stress has been taken off of my shoulders. I really don't know where my life is headed at the moment, but I'm enjoying me," said Conrad.

Because of that, a lot of his tears are not just full of sorrow.

"I think now they're joyful tears. But I still will always have some tears of sorrow for the loss of our son 26 years ago. That's something, that's something that nobody should have to go through," Conrad said.

And thanks to agencies like FarmNet, he is not going through it alone, as he credits the consultants for helping keep him disciplined and on schedule.

"Just make the best choices possible, to lead you where you need to be in your life. To find that happiness," said Conrad.

FarmNet is a statewide program, funded by the Departments of Agriculture and Mental Hygiene.

"There's a lot of stress in farming. Basically, our mission is to help farmers any way we can," said Dave Chamberlain, financial consultant for NY FarmNet.

Consultants offer free and confidential financial and personal consulting, serving as a sounding board to help farmers work through their issues.

"It's a big step. It's a hard step. The financial issues, the labor issues. It affects the farmer and his relationship with his family, so having a personal consultant who is trained in mental health awareness is so important in handling these cases," said Chamberlain.

He caught up with Conrad, who says he's grateful for the ongoing support.

"I'll have some friends forever. Just someone to talk to as a friend. Give good advice, keep our hopes up," said Conrad.

Even though he works seven days a week, he considers himself retired, and no longer does chores at night.

He will continue his passion for making maple syrup inside his sugar shack behind his farm.