Missouri
Karen Funkenbusch and Susan Jaster were invited to present at the 6th Annual Pearls of Production conference November 2-3 in Columbia, Missouri. Sixty-four women and high school livestock producers, including women producers with disabilities, attended the conference. Female producers toured Stanton Brothers poultry operation on Friday. On Saturday, the women participated in all-day, hands-on training sessions held at the University of Missouri Research South Farm. Using the Jesup Wagon concept, Karen and Susan facilitated three training sessions about shop, small equipment, and ergonomic Her Tools for women. Participants also learned about Missouri AgrAbility and ways in which to select the right tools to use for the job. All participants received Missouri AgrAbility resources and a pair of anti-vibration and anti-fatigue ergonomic work gloves for women. Beef training provided participants with an introduction to reproduction (anatomy, tract scoring, and semen evaluation) and an advanced session on nutrition (interpreting hay test results, supplemental feeds, and fetal programming). Biosecurity training included easy to implement biosecurity tips, poultry/swine housing and biosecurity, and battling influenza.
Karen Funkenbusch, Shon Bishop, and Debi Kelly attended National Field School 2018 National Incubator Farm Training Initiative (NIFTI) in Boulder, Colorado, November 5 - 8, 2018. The 7th annual NIFTI National Field School supports professional development and network building for Incubator Farm Project staff from across the country. The Field School provided interactive workshops, facilitated resource review sessions, and regional networking and goal-setting opportunities. Farm tours and site visits of incubator farm projects and farmer training programs and initiatives in the Boulder/Denver area were incorporated into the Field School experience.
Webster Davis, Missouri AgrAbility ambassador and veteran farmer represented Missouri AgrAbility at the 28th Annual 2018 National Black Farmers Conference, November 2 - 3, in Shreveport, Louisiana. The conference highlighted a credit worthiness session "Financial Readiness for Farmers." A special session was held to provide an update on the Black farmers settlement, women/Hispanic farmers settlement, and Native American farmers settlement.
Karen Funkenbusch, David Middleton from Lincoln University, and Webster Davis - veteran farmer and MO AgrAbility ambassador, also attended the 2018 Farmer Veteran Coalition Stakeholders Conference November 14 -16 in Kansas City, Missouri. Missouri, Kansas, and National AgrAbility projects jointly shared booth space. Together, the AgrAbility projects discussed and disseminated AgrAbility resource materials to veteran farmers and stakeholders.
Karen Funkenbusch from Missouri AgrAbility at the University of Missouri Extension, along with Alyssa Grese and Maureen Cunningham of the Brain Injury Association of Missouri, presented to beginning farmers, among whom were five recently-returned-from-war veterans (both male and female), at the Missouri Beginning Farmers and Ranchers kick-off meeting held November 26. Karen and Alyssa shared information about how beginning farmers could receive technical one-on-one assistance from Missouri's Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Program, Missouri AgrAbility program, and Brain Injury Association of Missouri, while Maureen talked about BIA-MO services provided to beginning farmers who are survivors of brain injury.
Submitted by Karen Funkenbusch
Lincoln University's Innovative Small Farmers Outreach Program (ISFOP), in collaboration with the University of Missouri, has been busy throughout the month of November! Using the Jesup Wagon outreach method, Mr. David Middleton and Susan Jaster brought modern agricultural tools and research-based information into rural Missouri to educate farmers about the following topics:
- What is AgrAbility and how can it help you?
- Ergonomic hand tools every small farmer should own to prevent injury
- Personal protective equipment (PPE) you should own before you spray pesticides on the farm
Submitted by Nashon Bishop