Missouri

Brenda Schreck, Missouri AgrAbility outreach coordinator for the Northeast Region at MU Extension, assisted an AgrAbility client with the delivery and setup of his equipment from the MO Division of Vocational Rehabilitation. In May, the client received ergonomic seat cushions, steps, and handrail for his John Deere 4020 tractor, cattle guards, and a JCB skid loader. In June, the client received a 3-ton bulk bin with auger system and a cake feeder. The client is overjoyed with the assistive technology devices he has received with assistance from Missouri AgrAbility and MO Division of Vocational Rehabilitation. The MO AgrAbility client is eager to put them all to use so he can work independently on his farm again.

Missouri AgrAbility focused its social media efforts on National Men's Health Month, NTW promotion, and heat stress/illness. Additionally, Missouri AgrAbility continued to capture soundbites, photos, and videos of Missouri farmers with disabilities to build their media database. Make sure to like and follow Missouri AgrAbility (@MOAgrAbility) on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and the Missouri AgrAbility collaborative partners on Facebook: Missouri Beginning Farmers & Ranchers Program, Heroes to Hives of Missouri, and Show-Me Strong Farm Families. To learn about Heroes to Hives Missouri State Chapter, click here.

Thursday, June 17 and Saturday, June 19, twenty-seven veteran beekeepers and their families participated in a "Weathering the Storm in Agriculture: How to Cultivate a Productive Mindset" workshop presented by John Fuller, a veteran and field specialist in human development, and Karen Funkenbusch, director, Missouri AgrAbility Project. John and Karen provided Missouri mental health tools, resources, and information for veteran farmers with disabilities and their families to help them through difficult situations and stress as they approach July harvest.

On Thursday, June 17, as part of their summer 2021 STEM learning experience, interns Elisabeth Gooch, agriculture education, Maggie Hillmann, nutrition and exercise, and Ashtyn Howard, biology - all students with the Integrated STEM Internship Program at the University of Missouri - participated in the Heroes to Hives Missouri State Chapter hands-on regular hive inspections, adding supers, marking queens, and varroa mite testing training session. The STEM interns also participated in the "Weathering the Storm in Agriculture: How to Cultivate a Productive Mindset" workshop with veteran farmers with disabilities and their families. The MU Integrated STEM Internship Program (ISIP) is a nine-week paid internship that includes hands-on experience in a University of Missouri research setting and work with county-based Extension faculty members. Additional information can be obtained by clicking here.

Submitted by: Brenda Schreck, Tevin Uthlaut, and Karen Funkenbusch

Missouri AgrAbility was featured at the four Brain Injury Association of Missouri One-Day Regional Outdoor Camps held in St. Louis, Springfield, Kansas City, and Columbia between June 22 and 27. AgrAbility marketing activities included "Planting Marigolds" in a planter with the Missouri AgrAbility logo and signage visible to the 150 camp participants.

Professionals who serve AgrAbility clients in eastern Missouri were updated about the Heroes to Hives program during the Networking Coffee for Professionals in St. Louis on June 1. Maureen Cunningham with BIA-MO shared that many of the Missouri veterans in the Heroes to Hives program may have a brain injury. The 10 professionals in attendance discussed how beekeeping is an excellent opportunity for persons with brain injury.

Submitted by: Maureen Cunningham