Missouri

Leaders in the Field Podcast, hosted by Dr. Mackenzie Bevins, a 2024 grad in occupational therapy who did her capstone with the Missouri AgrAbility Program, is all about helping healthcare pros get a better grip on the agricultural community. It dives into the unique healthcare needs, challenges, and situations that agricultural workers face. Check out Episode 6: "Farm Life After Injury - A Caregiver's Perspective" at Leaders in the Field Podcast at: https://extension.missouri.edu/programs/podcasts/leaders-in-the-field-podcast.

Emily Doosing, a 4-H specialist with MU Extension, is actively refining the teaching module for Rodeo Clown College. This module covers important topics such as physical and mental health, farm safety, well-being, and AgrAbility. Stay tuned for more details, which will be highlighted at the 2025 AgrAbility National AgrAbility Training Workshop.

Submitted by Karen Funkenbusch, Emily Doosing, and Willard Downs

Susan Jaster, Lincoln University Small Farm Assistance Program field specialist, and Maureen Cunningham, BIA-MO executive director, presented a session of "Missouri AgrAbility: Helping Farmers with Disabilities Succeed" as part of the Missouri Rural Health Association (MRHA) Lunch and Learn series. This live-streamed session had 33 participants. The session was recorded for sharing with MRHA Members and posted on their website.

Submitted by Maureen Cunningham

STAFF CHANGES

Please help us welcome Journey Polacek to Missouri AgrAbility for spring 2025. She is a second-year student in the occupational therapy assistant program at the University of Missouri - Columbia, set to graduate in fall 2025. She is a lifelong resident of Columbia with an interest in rural healthcare. Through her work in the OTA Practice in the Community course, she researched and updated the Missouri AgrAbility Intake Questionnaire and explored the relationship between agriculture and healthcare. In her free time, Journey enjoys spending time with friends and family, working out, and being outdoors as much as she possibly can. While working with Missouri AgrAbility, she aims to deepen her understanding of rural communities and how to connect with individuals in those settings as part of her future career.