Rooted

As the topic of mental health is becoming less taboo and more pervasive in our societal conversations, there are segments of our culture where mental illness has almost become an occupational hazard. In rural small towns where everyone knows your name and your business, these conversations are less prevalent. With the propensity of services and mental health resources in more populated areas, it’s hard to fathom how excruciating the isolation of being a farmer can be. Lewellyn Melnyk knows well about hours spent on her farm that separated her from the support she needed in her bout with depression and anxiety which started in her teens and was enough for her to consider suicide.

In her book, Rooted: How I Stay Small-Town Strong When Life Gets Hard and How You Can Too: A Guide to Finding Joy, Learning from Struggle, and Coming Together One Season at a Time is a blend of self-help and memoir to help readers through the tough times and show them how to live with compassion and joy while caring for themselves first. Through humor, vivacious attitude, and a soundtrack to match, this guide acknowledges and dispels the myths around rural living and shows how mental illness is rooted in the culture of these communities. Whether living on a farm or in an apartment in the city, readers will find these simple strategies achievable to improve mental and physical health. Rooted is for anyone ready to take the next step and get their hands and heart dirty.