Missouri

MU Extension AgrAbility and farm and ranch stress specialists Susan Jaster, farm outreach worker with Lincoln University Cooperative Extension Innovative Small Farmers Outreach Program LUCEISFOP) and Eric Work, veteran farmer with Heroes to Hives Missouri State Chapter, Missouri AgrAbility Accessible Beekeepers Program, and Show-Me Farm Safety collaborative partners spent 12 days handing out new Missouri AgrAbility / Brain Injury Association of Missouri, personal well-being, and health awareness resources; behavioral/mental health stress bags; and various agricultural safety (tractor, ROPS, grain bin, sweep auger, hearing protection, ergonomics, full-body vibration, livestock, and respiratory protection) prevention tips at the 2022 Missouri State Fair. The Missouri State Fair served as an excellent agricultural hands-on classroom that provided producers, agricultural leaders, and fairgoers opportunities to learn strategies to improve their family's physical and mental health and agricultural safety tips about how to safely work around their farm.

Missouri AgrAbility focused their social media efforts on program promotion for MU Extension, partner programs, and stake holders. New marketing materials were rolled out during the Missouri State Fair for AgrAbility client farmers and their families. In addition, Missouri AgrAbility captured soundbites, photos, and video clips of client farmers, farm families, and diverse areas of rural and urban agriculture to continually build their media database.

University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Pharmacy, a Missouri AgrAbility collaborator, provided rural wellness outreach and education at the Missouri State Fair on Aug 14th in MIZZOU Central. Missourians were reached through this networking effort and educated about farm safety and health, Pharm to Farm and Missouri AgrAbility fliers were distributed. Wellness screenings and referrals to follow-up care were provided, including diabetes risk assessment, and individuals were screened for blood pressure.

Missouri AgrAbility is featured in the Brain Injury Association of Missouri (BIA-MO) Annual Statewide Conference Registration Brochure as the Resources in Rural Missouri Track Sponsor. Marketing of Missouri AgrAbility is also featured in the Fall 2022 issue of the BIA-MO Connections newsletter. These publications will reach more than 3,000 current and potential AgrAbility Client Farmers and agricultural, vocational and rehabilitation professions who serve farmers and ranchers.

Submitted by Karen Funkenbusch

Farm Outreach Worker Angela Brattin with LUCEISFOP in collaboration with Patrick Beyers at the University of Missouri Extension hosted a high tunnel workshop on August 8-9. The high tunnel that they constructed will serve as an educational fruit site in the Southwest Missouri region. The site includes installing a blackberry trellis system, elderberry plants and high tunnel strawberry production. Among the participants at the workshop were several veterans who will be able to use the knowledge gained in their own operations.

Submitted by Mary Bollinger