DECATUR, Ill. — Illinois AgrAbility will host a health and safety tent at the Farm Progress Show, Aug. 29-31 in Decatur. The aim is to provide health and safety resources to farmers and the agricultural community, as well as access to free health screenings and services. Health and Safety by Illinois AgrAbility will feature 15 organizations from various disciplines, such as healthcare, public health, public safety, and agriculture. The tent will include hearing and vision screenings, blood pressure testing, blood glucose screening, and eye pressure screenings, all free to show attendees.
"We have a great group of organizations prepared to deliver health and safety information to Farm Progress Show attendees. In addition to the health screenings, we will have agricultural safety demonstrations, agricultural assistive technologies on display, information about stress management and mental health, as well as resources for parents to keep children safe on farms," says Haley Jones, Illinois AgrAbility coordinator.
“The National AgrAbility Project will have an exhibit that will provide examples of assistive technology for the farm, case studies, and resources for farmers with physical barriers to operating their farm,” says Stephen Swain, assistive technology specialist with National AgrAbility Project.
“Noise-induced hearing loss affects farmers at a higher rate than the rest of the population because they spend a lot of time around loud machinery and livestock. And it is 100% preventable by limiting time spent in very loud settings or by wearing hearing protection such as earplugs or earmuffs,” shares Marsha Cheney with Great Plains Center for Agricultural Health. “GPCAH will provide fit testing for various types of hearing protection, as well as education about areas and equipment on the farm that are loud enough to need hearing protection and how hearing loss affects everyday life.”
The Health and Safety by Illinois AgrAbility tent will be located at booth space 1225 at the Farm Progress Show. Show hours are as follows:
- Tuesday and Wednesday, Aug. 29 and 30, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Thursday, Aug. 31, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Farm Progress Show tickets are $20 at the gate and $15 in advance. Advance tickets are available for purchase online until the last day of the show. Purchase tickets and find out more at farmprogressshow.com.
To learn more about Illinois AgrAbility, visit extension.illinois.edu/agrability.
To request services, contact Illinois AgrAbility at agrability@illinois.edu or 217-244-2948.
WRITER: Haley Jones, Illinois AgrAbility Program Coordinator, University of Illinois Extension
ABOUT AGRABILITY: Illinois AgrAbility provides direct services and solutions to farmers, veterans, and farmworkers in Illinois with disabilities so they can maintain their independence and continue farming.
Illinois AgrAbility is a program within Illinois Extension and is funded by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), under sponsored project number 2022-41590-38130.
Illinois Extension leads public outreach for University of Illinois by translating research into action plans that allow Illinois families, businesses, and community leaders to solve problems, make informed decisions, and adapt to changes and opportunities. Illinois Extension is part of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences.