HELENA — Megan Torgerson has lived in a lot of places—Portland, Ore., Asheville, N.C., Seattle—but the Treasure State and her tiny hometown of Dagmar hold a special place in her heart. Torgerson’s podcast, Reframing Rural, illustrates the realities and complexities of rural life.
“There’s a lot of beauty in eastern Montana that I didn’t see before, and that I think you can’t see from your car window,” Torgerson said.
(Watch to hear more from Megan Torgerson)
This world of farms, ranches and small towns is not something mainstream media and pop culture do a good job of representing. It’s something Torgerson saw and wanted to address.
“I was seeing portrayals of rural people on the news that were really representing them as a monolith,” she said.
Torgerson started Reframing Rural as a graduate school project while she was a master’s student at Seattle University. Her goal was to show a more full and accurate portrayal of rural people and life because inaccurate representation and lack of understanding can have negative consequences.
“When I’ve asked people what’s the biggest threat to their family farm or ranch, I’ve gotten the answer multiple times that it’s the lack of awareness that consumers have about agriculture and this misconception that farmers and ranchers are harming the environment,” Torgerson said.
Through interviews, Torgerson delves into the realities and complexities of rural life—from keeping their operations sustainable and animals healthy, to farm and ranch succession.
Above all, the stories Torgerson tells are human stories.
“I’m speaking to people about their families and their communities, and things that really, deep down in their core, matter to them,” Torgerson said. “When you look at different geographies, everybody has the same hopes, they want what’s best for their families and their communities.”
It seems to resonate with many people—Reframing Rural has listeners all across Montana, in pretty much every state and even overseas.
The podcast is now going into its fourth season, and Torgerson is already planning season five.
“I am really proud that it’s continuing on and I have intentions to continue it further into the future,” Torgerson said.
Continue the podcast and tell stories about people and a rural way of life that impacts so many others.
“Montana farmers and ranchers are feeding the world, so they deserve to tell their stories to other folks in Montana and to a larger audience.”
