We investigated the influence of negative family events, classified as family-member-based events and property-based events, on Chinese farmers' entrepreneurship. In addition, borrowing insights from conservation of resources theory, we tested the moderating role of socioeconomic status in the relationships between these two types of negative family events and farmers' entrepreneurial behavior. We used data collected from 2,513 farmer households in Jiangsu Province, China, to show family-member-based negative events had a significant negative association with farmers' entrepreneurship, whereas property-based negative events had a significant positive association with farmers' entrepreneurship. Moreover, socioeconomic status weakened the negative impact of family-member-based negative events on farmers' entrepreneurship and enhanced the positive impact of property-based negative events on farmers' entrepreneurship. Our research contributes to the literature on farmers' entrepreneurship by incorporating the role of negative family events. Farmer entrepreneurs should take into consideration the influence of different family-based events.