California

CalAgrAbility staff presented at the RISE collaborative meeting for Yolo County. Staff informed over 25 agency representatives about the mission of AgrAbility as well as the Device Lending Library for gardeners, farmers, and farmworkers to find modified tools to help do their tasks safely. Staff also demonstrated tools for farming and tools used for daily living.

CalAgrAbility staff attended a resource fair in Yuba City, an agricultural area known for its heavy production of orchard crops. They had the opportunity to speak to 50 families during the event, which brought 400 people. Staff also met with collaborators from the Employment Development Department that have been supporting CalAgrAbility over the years. The event was hosted by RVR Enterprises, which manages several radio stations in the area in which CalAgrAbility has had radio spots. Other sponsors in attendance were Wells Fargo, Migrant Education, and Ampla Health.

CalAgrAbility outreached at the Nutrition, Health and Safety Fair at Westwood Elementary to over 150 students. Students learned about farming and gardening safety. They were introduced to various assistive tools and how these tools can prevent injuries through overuse of muscles. Students, many of whom come from farming families, were very interested and attentive to all the information given to them. Students went around to each booth with their class and teachers while the booth gave a 5-10-minute presentation on their specialized topic. Teachers were given CalAgrAbility brochures to reach out to parents during parent-teacher conferences. Many parents and agency representatives attended this year, giving CalAgrAbility an opportunity to outreach further.

CalAgrAbility staff stayed active outreaching, educating, and offering workshops to commemorate National Farm Safety and Health Week 2017. Listservs received an email highlighting the creation of the National Farm Safety Week Wikipedia page. This page was contributed to Wikipedia by CalAgrAbility staff. Click here to see it.

Staff outreached to over 100 families from Lodi, a region known for wine-grape production. Many of the attendees were farmworkers and gardeners experiencing arthritis and carpel tunnel symptoms. Attendees were interested in CalAgrAbility's display tools and information on different chronic illnesses. This is a family event that brings together families for a day of fun, information, music, food, and raffles.

Submitted by Sara Wat