[Wonder Warthog]

"Loans were called in. Interest rates doubled overnight. Farmers were forced to liquidate their operations and evicted from their land. There were fights at grain elevators, shootings in local banks."

The answer is right here in the excerpt, although I don't believe the part about "shootings at local banks". Farming is dangerous, stressful, and difficult to support a family from (note...I was raised on a family farm..I had no interest in farming, but my brother had intended to make agriculture his career...but he finally made the decision to get out and sell out for just the reasons noted).

[nwrep]

No, - those are reasons these things happened in the 1980s. I want to know about today’s causes. Some people have already posted the reasons above, thanks.

[radiohead]

I remember when this stuff happened, and I didn’t live anywhere near farm country.

See: https://archiveattic.wordpress.com/2008/12/09/fatal-bank-and-farm-shootings/

Also: http://eightiesclub.tripod.com/id395.htm