In the past couple of years, we’ve seen the issue of mental health for farmers and ranchers come into the spotlight. One of the driving forces behind that increased awareness is Marshal Sewell. He and his wife, Taylor, founded the Mind Your Melon Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to mental health advocacy and awareness for individuals in ag. They’re hardly strangers for most of us, and you may even recall we featured his efforts in Central Florida Ag News in November 2023.
Now, the American Farm Bureau has named Marshal and Taylor Sewell winners of the 2025 Excellence in Agriculture award. The award recognizes young farmers and ranchers who don’t pull the majority of their income from an agricultural operation, but who actively contribute and grow through their involvement in agriculture.
The couple received $35,000 in credit toward a new Ford truck, as well as paid registration to the Farm Bureau FUSION Conference held March 7-10 in Denver.
For anyone familiar with Marshal’s story, this well-deserved recognition likely comes as no surprise. His drive to pivot from his family’s tragedy to help others and highlight a critical need in the community has always been front and center.
Now, thanks to the couple’s work, the previously unspoken hardships of a life in agriculture are bubbling to the surface, where resources — and hope — are readily available.
