Missouri

The following activities are a snapshot of those that addressed the specialized needs of AgrAbility customers in Missouri during the month of February. Missouri AgrAbility continued to build service capacity across the state and at the local levels through education and networking. To accommodate disability in farming for individuals who engaged in farming and farm-related occupations, staff provided direct onsite farmstead assistance to eight customers. Direct assistance addressed AgrAbility customers' needs that were inadequately addressed by Missouri's health, farm, and government service providers. Lastly, Missouri AgrAbility used targeted marketing activities to direct the public to initiatives in AgrAbility-related education, networking, and assistance.

The University of Missouri Extension, Missouri AgrAbility, Missouri Botanical Gardens, and GDS Associated, Inc., Engineering and Consultants from Wisconsin, offered three grant-funded Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Farm Bill water quality and energy efficiency workshops. Workshops were specific to beginning farmers, veteran farmers,socially disadvantaged farmers, and farmers with disabilities. To address the specialized needs of the intended audiences, workshops were offered in Ste. Genevieve on February 4, Sedalia on February 5, and Springfield-Greene County on February 6. Information about the NRCS Farm Bill Water Quality & Energy Efficiency Workshops are found on the University of Missouri Extension calendar.

The Tri County Dairy Day was offered February 7 to Mennonite producers at the Show Me Auctions in Versailles, Missouri. Attendees learned about ventilation, dairy financial survey & price outlook, FARM 4.0 - approved methods to manage your non-ambulatory cow, and baby calf health/management. Missouri AgrAbility and Beginning Farmers and Ranchers resources were handed out and discussed.

"Raising awareness one screening at a time" was the theme of this year's Western Farm Show's Health & Safety Roundup. The Health & Safety Roundup, February 21-23 at the American Royal in Kansas City, MO, offered an array of health screenings that were free or had a nominal fee. Interactive health and safety exhibits were offered by Missouri AgrAbility. Participants could also tap into health, safety, and wellness resources from University of Missouri Extension, Lincoln University Cooperative Extension, and Brain Injury Association of Missouri(Missouri AgrAbility collaborative partners) as well as Missouri Farm Bureau, Missouri Vocational Rehabilitation, Missouri Department of Mental Health, Missouri Veterans Commission, and Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, all of which are stakeholders. Susan Butterfield, Missouri AgrAbility ambassador, and her companion Bruce, David Middleton and Susan Jaster from LUCE ISFOP, Adriene Aubuchon, ag promotion student paraprofessional, Heather Clinch, master's student, and Karen Funkenbusch, all from the University of Missouri Extension, were on hand throughout the weekend to answer AgrAbility health, safety, and wellness questions.

Submitted by: Karen Funkenbusch

Missouri AgrAbility focused their social media efforts on developing health, safety, and wellness posts for American Heart Month, sleep health, electrical safety, National Grain Bin Safety Week, and their attendance at the Western Farm Show, which was used to raise AgrAbility awareness and provide handy resources to farmers and followers. Make sure to check out Missouri AgrAbility on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram at @MOAgrAbility.

Submitted by: Tevin Uthlaut

University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Pharmacy (UMKC SOP), a Missouri AgrAbility collaborator, provided health screenings and education at the Western Farm Show on February 22nd in Kansas City at the American Royal Complex. Twenty-three students and five pharmacists from Kansas City and Columbia campuses facilitated outreach education and wellness screenings for attendees. Pharm to Farm, American Pharmacist Association- Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP), and the UMKC SOP student chapter of the College of Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacists (CPNP) collaborated at the event to provide multiple education booths and health screenings. Pharm to Farm distributed Missouri AgrAbility flyers, Pharm to Farm brochures, medication wallet cards, and education that included materials regarding healthy sleep habits, fall prevention, hearing protection, and stroke prevention to 17 farmers. CPNP provided 10 mental health screenings for depression and anxiety, connecting clients with resources and referrals as appropriate. Wellness screenings for blood sugar and blood pressure were performed for 110 attendees at a value over $6,300. Through the various education booths, 185 farm families were equipped with information about preventive health and immunizations, youth OTC medication safety, smoking cessation, women's health, and Generation Rx safe medication disposal.

Submitted by: Kelly Cochran

Lincoln University's Cooperative Extension (LUCE) Innovative Small Farmers Outreach Program (ISFOP) in collaboration with the University of Missouri Extension Missouri AgrAbility Project was busy throughout the month of February. Using the Jesup Wagon outreach method, Mr. David Middleton, Mr. Nahshon Bishop, Mrs. Susan Jaster, Mr. Jim Pierce, and Mrs. Karen Funkenbusch brought modern agricultural tools and research-based information into both rural and urban Missouri to educate farmers across the state at five different venues:

• Ag Expo at Black River Coliseum - February 1: Poplar Bluff, MO.
• Farm to Fork Summit - Feb. 11: Osceola, MO.
• Winter Vegetable Conference - Feb. 17-18: St. Louis, MO.
• Western Farm Show - Feb. 21-23: Kansas City, MO.
• High Tunnel 101 Workshop- Feb. 29: Springfield, MO.

...and speaking to more than 2,500 participants about the following topics:

• What is AgrAbility and how can it help you?
• Ergonomic hand tools every small farmer should own to prevent injury
• Use of drones on Missouri farms for farmers with disabilities
• Personal protective equipment (PPE) you should own before you spray pesticides on farm

Submitted by: Nahshon Bishop