CalAgrAbility attended the 5th Annual Castle Family Health Center Summer Family Health Festival in Atwater where 500+ farm families gathered for free vision, hearing, diabetes, blood pressure, and breast exams. Some 40 agencies attended from 10 counties. Staff also participated in a booth at the Yolo County Fair. At the Annual Tomato Festival in Woodland, CA, CalAg connected with potential consumers along with other agencies such as Williams Family Sustainable Farming, North Valley Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Woodland Farmers Market, and the Master Gardeners Program. Some 200+ farmers and employees attended. The Ulezi Family Health Fair at Freeman Park in Sacramento is an annual event for CalAg as well as for the 300 people who attended. The other 15 agencies networked with staff for potential service to consumers. The Quake Festival in Winters, CA, brought together 110+ folks from the rural farming community.
CalAg has increased participation in veterans events, such as the Veteran Resource Day at Solano Community College in Fairfield, CA, where about 50 veterans attended as well as 10 agencies including CalVet, the Workforce Investment Board of Solano County, and agencies hiring. CalAg staff connected with several veterans who are farming now. CalAg also had a booth at the 2-day Yuba-Sutter Veteran Stand Down event in Marysville, CA.
CalAg community collaborations were enhanced when staff members attended the Community Action Team (CAT) Meeting of the California Rural Legal Assistance in Marysville, CA, where combining AgrAbility outreach efforts with regional agencies can provide stronger services to farmers. Staff members are also working with representatives from the CA State Library Literacy Program to promote health literacy among rehab and health professionals for rural clients. CalAg was also requested to do a "Rehabilitating Farmers: Farming and Gardening with Disabilities" workshop for the staff at the Employment Development Department in Sacramento.
Self-help and exercise workshops for arthritis continue to be a popular request from English and Spanish populations in rural towns. CalAg presented Tomando las Riendas to the Yuba City Migrant Head Start families and Taking the Reins to the Fibromyalgia Group in Fairfield. Staff also conducted Get Moving Arthritis exercise classes to clients at the Clinica Tepati, The Effort Clinic, Sacramento, CA.
Submitted by Martha Stiles