University of Missouri Extension AgrAbility staff attended and showcased at the Small Farm and Limited Resource Conference in Jefferson City, Missouri. This popular conference for minority land owners drew over one hundred participants. University of Missouri Extension AgrAbility staff disseminated AgrAbility and programmatic information about all partners and resource materials, and fielded questions from minority land owners.
University of Missouri Extension AgrAbility staff also attended and showcased at the Mid-Missouri Women in Agriculture Conference in California, Missouri. Participants attended educational sessions and visited with vendors.
Taylor McMillan, Master of Occupational Therapy at the University of Missouri, Level 2 Field Work, presented an AgrAbility program to occupational and physical therapy staff at Saint Francis Medical Center. She also set up an AgrAbility resource library to be used by farmers with disabilities and rehabilitation therapists.
Lake Area master gardeners and staff from Services for Independent Living made four AgrAbility & Gardens for Every Body presentations to rural gardeners and persons with disabilities interested in learning about small acre, accessible, and green house gardening. Also, University of Missouri AgrAbility staff taught an hour and half AgrAbility & Gardens For Every Body class to fifteen Sprouts and Roots minority adults 55 and older. Lincoln University Cooperative Extension is offering the Sprouts and Roots adult gardeners classes of twelve sessions, March 22-May 31, at the Lincoln University Dickinson Research Center.
Alda Owen, volunteer farmer, and Jackie Allenbrand recorded a radio spot for Q Country 92.7, marketing AgrAbility and MERIL in NW Missouri. The radio spot will also run on another station that caters more to farmers. Radio spots will feature Alda and both Jackie and Alda together.
PHARM Dog placed a dog trained for service skills with Bruce Trammell in Caldwell County. Trammell and staff who made the placement possible were interviewed by Fox 4TV from Kansas City@ KQTV 2 in St. Joseph, Missouri. A video clip developed by the University of Missouri Extension media ran on Channel 9 news in Kansas City as well. Several newspapers also published the story, including the St. Joe News Press, Caldwell County News, Ohio News, Ohio ABC affiliate, Cameron newspaper, and upcoming regional farm magazine. Jackie Allenbrand was additionally interviewed by Mizzou Weekly and the video clip and story were published by Kent Faddis and Roger Meissen with MU Media Cooperative. Currently the video clip and news release are on the University of Missouri Extension homepage.
Submitted by Jackie Allenbrand, Willard Downs, Karen Funkenbusch, Lake of Ozark Master Gardeners, and Nadia Navarrete-Tindall