California

California AgrAbility and a coalition of agencies in Yolo County held the first "Encuentro de Promotores," an event that brought together 20 community leaders from rural Yolo County. The event was hosted and sponsored by St. John's Retirement Village. The goal of this event was to help attendees develop their communication skills in a small group setting. The conference program was well received: attendees commented that the event had helped them strengthen their commitment to serve their communities.

California AgrAbility staff attended a presentation by Amjad Ramahi, Ph. D. candidate in the ergonomics lab, on the effectiveness of treatment in ligament injuries. He discovered that NSAIDS (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) will mitigate pain; however, they may slow down the recovery process. With this, he is able to assess how to best treat lower back ligament injuries commonly found in the agricultural workers due to the constant stooping positions of agricultural labor.

California AgrAbility conducted outreach at the Durst Organics Farm Health Fair to migrant and seasonal farmworkers employed by the farm. Participants were able to receive free vital exams to check their cholesterol, blood sugar content, and other tests, to determine their health base line. Attendees were informed about AgrAbility services and how assistive tools are able to make their work easier, mitigating potential chronic illnesses. Staff also connected with the farm's foreman to discuss the need for an assistive tool for harvesting asparagus to prevent the stooping position and mitigate lower back injuries and aches.

Submitted by Sara Wat