A new app has been developed to provide farmers with a one-stop shop for clear, reliable health information they could trust, and is set to be launched at this year's National Ploughing Championships.

The nurse behind the Fit Farmers' initiative, Laura Tully, worked with Expert Self Care Ltd to bring the Fit Farmers' app to life, a project that grew directly from listening to farmers.

After farmers told Laura about their requirements, she - in conjunction with GP Dr Knut Schroeder - developed the app, aiming to make healthy living easier and more accessible across farming communities.

Laura said: "Together we've developed a practical, easy-to-use digital tool that brings expert backed support into one accessible place, designed with and for farmers and in collaboration with farming experts and farming organisations.

"For organisations, it offers a practical tool to support health promotion and engagement efforts within rural communities," she said.

For health systems and support services, it creates a vital touchpoint for harder-to-reach groups, she added.

According to Laura, the vision behind the Fit Farmers' app is to help normalise and embed health and wellbeing support into the everyday fabric of farming life, ensuring that every farmer in Ireland has access to the tools, information and encouragement they need to live well, work safely and stay connected.

The app builds on Laura's community-based work, supporting farmers to make small sustainable changes that protect their health and wellbeing.

Founded in Roscommon, the Fit Farmers' programme has already empowered hundreds of farmers since 2019 with measurable improvements in health markers such as weight, fitness, strength, energy and mood.

"At its heart, Fit Farmers is about building fitness for life on the farm: mental fitness, physical fitness and overall wellbeing.

"Long hours, isolation, unpredictable weather, financial pressures and limited access to health services all take a toll on physical wellbeing," Laura said.

She added that the app is free to use, requires no sign-up, and works offline, making it "perfect for use in the field or in areas with poor signal".

"It features simple navigation, fast loading and a clean, user-friendly design to support even those less confident with tech.

"The app is PIF Tick certified and quality assured. All content is highly relevant, tailored to farmers' needs and fully accessible, supporting users with vision, hearing, or data limitations," the Co. Roscommon nurse said.

The Fit Farmers' app is available to download on both IOS and Android device stores across Ireland.

Supported by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Fit Farmers is currently inviting Leitrim-based farmers to register for a place on the six-week programme, which starts on Thursday, September 11.