North Carolina

NC AgrAbility staff and students participated at the NCA&T State University Faculty and Staff Institute on August 10-12, 2022. This annual training event allows the Extension specialist to share new findings and information with peers at the state and county offices. NC AgrAbility trained Extension agents on the Ambassador Training Session 1 of the Intermediate level. Twenty-seven agents attended the presentation and received a kit of ergonomic tools to support their educational efforts in keeping the rural communities safe. They received a checklist to help in determining the need to refer a farmer to the program.

On August 14, 2022, Betty Rodriguez and Mary Dunn manned a table at the Farmworker Health Fair in Kenansville, NC. This eastern North Carolina event was the first in its class and is to be established as an annual event to provide networking opportunities to farmworkers with the many resources available to them in the region. It was organized by the Farmworker Health Educators at NCSU. It was attended by 200 farmworkers who had the chance to learn about the services provided by NC AgrAbility and how to refer themselves to the program.

NC AgrAbility participated as an exhibitor at the "Collaborating with Veterans from All Branches" on August 17, 2022.A group of veterans, Native Americans, women in agriculture,and other minority groups came together to attend the event, to present their experiences and to share resources to help each other to succeed in farming. The event was attended by 150 participants who had the opportunity to network and learn how NC AgrAbility can assist farmers with disabilities.

On August 19, 2022, Mary Dunn, OT doctoral student, presented the capstone project she worked on during the Summer. She developed an "Ergonomic and Assistive Technology Program" for Farmworkers. Eleven Cooperative Extension colleagues attended the presentation and commended the great contribution she made to the program.

Submitted by Beatriz (Betty) Rodriguez