California

California AgrAbility staff attended the Annual Back to School Fair at the Yolo County library where children from rural ag communities received haircuts while parents visited informational booths. Staff gave out information on AgrAbility services and conducted demos with ergonomic gardening tools. Staff also administered the Western Regional Agricultural Assistance Program farmworker baseline survey.

Mauricio Guerrero-Villanueva, California AgrAbility's graduate student researcher, presented at the Western Region Agricultural Stress Assistance Program (WRASAP) network quarterly meeting. Mauricio's presentation, "Community Talks: Building and Developing Mental Health Garden Outreach Events", described a series of in-person, virtual, and hybrid community talks held in California's agricultural communities. The goal of the talks was to hold spaces for community members and leaders (promotores) to gather and discuss the importance of mental health and gardening. The events were an opportunity to hear from community members about mental health concerns, the extent to which appropriate services exist, and what they would like to see at a mental health and gardening event. Mauricio's presentation highlighted the gardening events and partners coming together to support farmer and farmworker mental health.

California AgrAbility participated in the Knights Landing Health Fair along with other community partners. The fair was promoted on the Knights Landing Facebook page and over 300 fliers were printed and mailed to all Knights Landing P.O. boxes and posted at the local gas stations, mini mart, community center, post office, and resource center. During the fair, there were health exams, resource tables, and cooking and gardening demonstrations. Dignity Health provided a smoothie and espresso bar, and community members had the opportunity to enter a raffle by visiting the informational booths. The next health fair will be held in mid-October.

Submitted by Angelina Padilla