Missouri

To address the needs of Missouri AgrAbility's customers, staff continued to build service capacity across Missouri through education and networking. This month, Missouri AgrAbility and its collaborative partners facilitated the following:

• Provided three farmstead assessments to client farmers who are engaged in farming or want to become involved in a farming-related occupation, including veteran and socially disadvantaged farmers.
• Used targeted marketing strategies to direct the public to initiatives in AgrAbility-related education, networking, and assistance.
• Facilitated two educational programs to adult participants, with AgrAbility resources disseminated to MU Extension specialists, collaborators, and public and private agriculture stakeholders within the context of production agriculture and farm safety and health. Topic areas presented by Missouri AgrAbility included the safe selection and placement of assistive technologies; SMART technologies, adapted devices, climate-smart agriculture with the selection, adoption, and placement of innovative technologies; how to use ergonomic principles to teach participants how to work smarter and not harder; and how to avoid secondary injuries for farmers with disabilities.
• Presented at four FFA and 4-H field days hosted by MU Research, Extension and Education Centers. Rural and urban high schoolers learned about hearing protection, mask protection, grain bin safety, PTO safety, accessible beekeeping, and about 988, stress, anxiety, and depression.

Veteran Urban Farm members got hands-on experience in soil health though AgrAbility. Lincoln University Cooperative Extension Innovative Small Farm Outreach Program's (ISFOP) Jim Shepard and Susan Jaster introduced the Veteran Urban Farm (VUF) team (AgrAbility clients) of the Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture to soil health with hands-on learning. Through MO AgrAbility, Jaster and Shepard presented the life and habits of three breeds of earthworms, discussed regenerative soil health practices for market fruit and vegetable producers, and tested soil samples using a MicroBioMeter test kit to show the ratio of fungus to bacteria. The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Services (NRCS) demonstrated the Rainfall Simulator system to show how water infiltration changes with soil conditions such as over-tillage, over-grazing, and overuse of chemicals. Luke Skinner of NRCS discussed soil health and answered many questions from the group. VUF members are military veterans who have been participating all year in a workshop series provided by MO AgrAbility.

Missouri AgrAbility focused its social media efforts on program promotion and National Farm Safety & Health Week. Additionally, they have been planning and preparing content for the Missouri feature during the AgrAbility Virtual State Fair in October. Please make sure to like and follow Missouri AgrAbility, @MOAgrAbility, on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Submitted by Karen Funkenbusch, Susan Jaster, Elizabeth Picking, and Tevin Uthlaut

Veterans and caregivers learned about Missouri AgrAbility during a presentation by Maureen Cunningham, executive director with the Brain Injury Association of Missouri (BIA-MO), and Missouri AgrAbility partner. This presentation was during the St. Louis VA Caregivers Network Virtual Resource Fair on September 15. This Missouri AgrAbility marketing continued with the link to the Missouri AgrAbility website included in the St. Louis VA Caregivers Network October 2022 e-newsletter.

Missouri AgrAbility is featured in the BIA-MO Annual Statewide Conference registration brochure as the rural track sponsor. This brochure is available in print and electronic formats to reach thousands of professionals in healthcare, rehabilitation, agriculture, vocational, veterans services, safety, and other fields that serve AgrAbility clients.

Missouri AgrAbility is featured in outreach material for the upcoming BIA-MO Survivor and Family Seminar. This marketing highlights Missouri AgrAbility as a program partner. Outreach material for this seminar was distributed in print and electronic formats during September 2022 to raise awareness and market Missouri AgrAbility directly to hundreds of AgrAbility clients.

Additional Missouri AgrAbility marketing activities by BIA-MO included in-person presentations by Maureen Cunningham at the SafeKids Missouri Coalition fall 2022 meeting. Another educational session was presented to community members as part of the St. Louis Public Library Buder Branch Community Education Series on September 23.

Submitted by Maureen Cunningham