North Carolina
Crystal Cook Marshall conducted eight on-site qualitative interviews with current NC AgrAbility farmers at their farms about their needs for adaptive or other process solutions for making their operations more financially sustainable, to increase production, and/or to increase their sustainable agricultural capacity toward a researcher-farmer collaborative project around increased accessibility for DIY building of or adaptations of sustainable ag equipment.
Betty Rodriguez met with 73 more individuals from different programs across the state at the "Agricultural Partner Regional Networking" event on September 13, at the Johnston County Agricultural Center. The event was organized by the NC Farmworker Health Program, NC Cooperative Extension, and NC Agromedicine, with the main purpose of bringing together partners and organizations from the local teams to have an opportunity to network and to continue the collaborative efforts to improve farmworkers' wellbeing.
On September 21, Betty Rodriguez attended "The Role of Underserved Producers in the Bioeconomy" as an exhibitor and attendee. USDA economists met to discuss bioeconomy and its impacts on underserved farmers. This conference offered great insight from the USDA into the new development of bioeconomy and its role in future farm bills. Farmer panelists were able to share their farming experiences and identify their participation in the bioeconomy, formulate questions, and express their main needs and concerns. Betty shared her experience working with the diverse groups of underserved producers in NC. The event was attended by 40 participants.
On Sept 22, Crystal Cook Marshall presented on NC AgrAbility to 65 farmers as part of the Eastern Carolina Small Farm Fest in Williamston, NC. This year she has been working together with the Stop the Bleed (STB) program from Eastern Carolina Medical School to also promote learning the use of Stop the Bleed kits on farms and carrying them on farms on farm vehicles and in passenger vehicles. Cook Marshall also presented on the top accidents facing farmers and the need for carrying STB kits.
Submitted by Beatriz (Betty) Rodriguez