A Tuscarawas County resident and long-time Farm Bureau member received recognition from the state level.
Jerry Lahmers received the 2023 Distinguished Service Award after serving as a public policy chairman and president of the Tuscarawas County Farm Bureau, along with time on the membership committee.
Lahmers also served three terms as a state level trustee, representing Jefferson, Carroll, Carroll, and Tuscarawas counties.
Lahmers, and his wife Rita, also received the 2023 Yvonne Lesicko Perseverance Prize, known as the Y-Prize, for work addressing farmer mental health.
Their initiative, Check Your Engine, deals directly with connecting rural communities with mental health resources, says Tuscarawas Farm Bureau Member Jim Rowe.
“And it’s just talking about what we need to do to realize that an individual needs help, to be aware of mental health issues, what’s the signals, and when you see these signals, what do you do about it.”
As the 2023 Y Prize award winners, the Lahmers will be given a platform to share their work and the efforts of their county Farm Bureaus and the entire community to raise awareness and create resources for farm stress and mental health.
To contribute to the fund that awards the Y-Prize each year, visit www.ohiofarmbureau.org/donate.
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