Nebraska

Nebraska AgrAbility would like to thank three capstone students for their hard work this semester in learning the program's needs and creating projects for us. They used a lot of time outside of AgrAbility to educate themselves and find the research necessary for their projects to excel. Congratulations to Ethan, Hannah, and Jesse! Wishing them all the best in the future.

Nebraska AgrAbility Program Manager Emily Jacobson presented at Youth Safety Days in Albion, Nebraska. The educational focus was teaching ATV/UTV safety to third grade youth. Youth learned about proper riding gear, what size of ATV they should be riding for their age range, "1 seat - 1 rider," how to ride on a slope, how quickly a roll over can occur on a slope, and what happens to the brain when a rollover occurs and a helmet is not in place! It was a fun day, and the students all seemed to have learned a bunch while having fun!

The 2024 OT/PT training was held this month, and it was another success! OTs and PTs, OTAs, PTAs and students joined the team from across Nebraska to learn best practices in rehab for their farmers and ranchers. A farm site visit was a hit and at the top of treatment ideas for farmers and ranchers.

Staff Changes and Recognition

Kara Brichacek has been with the Nebraska AgrAbility team for several weeks now and has also served on the council this past year! She serves as a rural rehab specialist and communication specialist for AgrAbility under our non-profit partner, Easterseals Nebraska. Kara works to provide effective rural client services as well as promote resources through social media and client stories. Her goal is to spread the great word of Nebraska AgrAbility to ensure rural residents of all abilities will never feel alone or discouraged. Kara grew up on and is still very involved with her family's farm in northeast Nebraska. They produce cow/calf pairs, feeder cattle, corn, soybeans, and alfalfa. She holds a bachelor's degree in communication studies. Kara is passionate about creating relationships with clients to ensure an uplifting experience and provide the support needed to ensure the clients will continue working towards their dreams in the agriculture industry.

Teresa Duffek is a new employee with the Nebraska AgrAbility team as of mid-April 2024. Teresa is a rural rehabilitation specialist for AgrAbility. She will be working to ensure partnerships across Nebraska are available to clients to benefit from. Teresa is passionate about ranching and farming with a goal of providing Nebraska ranchers and farmers the services needed to modify their ranching/farming practices so ranchers can keep ranching and farmers can keep farming and continue the lifestyle they live and love. Teresa grew up on a ranch in central Nebraska and has continued to be heavily involved in ranching and rodeo her entire life. She continues to compete in the Extreme Cowboy Racing Association. Teresa transitioned from a ranching environment to a farming operation nine years ago when she met her husband who farms in eastern Nebraska, raising corn and soybeans. Teresa operates the combine, tractor, and grain trailer and anything else to help on the farm. She is a strong advocate of safety around the farm. She also holds a master's degree in nursing from the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

Submitted by Soni Cochran