Marshall Farmer Creates Online Support for Farmers

Ruth Lanoue, Marshall, Minnesota, is turning her MARL leadership experience into a new project to support farmers’ mental health. Lanoue, who runs a diverse farming operation with her husband, says her MARL experience inspired her to combine her agricultural background with her work in the medical field. “It’s really sad that we have these high suicide rates in the farming community,” Lanoue said. “I came up with the idea of forming a farmer-to-farmer community, all online, where we can talk about the emotions, the real life, the joys, and the discomforts of living in agriculture.” Lanoue is hosting Zoom meetings open to any farmer with internet access, creating a space to share challenges, break isolation, and connect over the unique experiences of farm life. “If we can come together and share those feelings, it can feel less like it’s something too big. We can do this together.” To find out more about the program, click here.