The NC Agromedicine Institute
The North Carolina Agromedicine Institute is the only comprehensive Agromedicine program in the Mid-Atlantic region and is a formal partnership of East Carolina University, North Carolina State University and North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. In addition to our university partners, the Institute relies heavily on its collaborative partnerships with the agricultural community, other universities, businesses, health care organizations, governmental agencies, and non-governmental organizations who are dedicated to identifying and addressing the health and safety risks of farmers, foresters, fishermen, their families and communities in North Carolina. Our goal is to reduce injury and illness by conducting research that leads to practical solutions and developing effective educational approaches that can be of benefit users daily. We want farming, logging and fishing worksites to be safe and healthy for all.
PROGRAMS
North Carolina Agromedicine Institute programs are focused on making the day-to-day lives of farmers, fishermen, foresters their workers and families safer and healthier. If you have a specific safety or health need or simply need advice on how to make your operation generally safer and healthier, contact us. Services are provided at no or minimal cost. And, not to worry – the Institute is strictly educational – not regulatory or advocacy. We do not report any concerns to any agency – we simply give you information to correct hazards and improve health and wellness.
If you have a specific need that the following programs do not address, let us know. We would be happy to develop a program just for you.
Look for us at an event in your county, or arrange a time for us to visit at your individual location.
ABOUT CERTIFIED SAFE FARM
Certified Safe Farm: Saving Lives, Improving Health, and Lowering Costs on North Carolina Farms
Certified Safe Farm is a comprehensive agricultural health and safety program for farmers, family members, and employees that saves lives, prevents injury, improves health, and saves costs! In North Carolina, the program involves:
- a comprehensive on-farm safety review that is not shared with any agency,
- occupational health and wellness screenings conducted by agromedicine nurses, and
- in-person education with farmers and others during safety and health visits.
In North Carolina, the program is a collaboration of NC State University, NC Cooperative Extension and the NC Agromedicine Institute.
To schedule your safety review, contact LaMar Grafft at grafftl@ecu.edu or 252-744-9542.
ABOUT FIRST ON SCENE
The First on Scene program was designed to teach individuals who are first on scene at a farm incident how to respond safely. The two distinct programs vary depending on the audience:
- Farmers and farm workers learn how to respond appropriately to a farm injury incident or medical emergency. Designed as a 3-hour class, the program can be tailored to your specific needs.
- EMS Personnel and Fire Fighters receive an introduction to the types of injuries, equipment and exposures they might encounter when responding to a farm incident. Originally designed as a 3-hour class, the program can be tailored to the unit’s specific needs.
To learn more about First on Scene, contact LaMar Grafft grafftl@ecu.edu or 252-744-9542
ABOUT FIT TO FARM©
Fit to Farm encourages individuals to put their health first by educating them on the importance of a healthy lifestyle and to improve the safety and health of North Carolina’s farmers, fishermen, loggers, their workers and their families using a community based program that includes:
- health screenings by a specially trained health professional who checks for general wellness and specific occupational health conditions;
- an
educational program for that targets occupational health and wellness information tailored to the specific operation; - assistance in the selection, fit, and use of personal protective equipment to prevent occupational illness or injuries; and
- support services to assist individuals and their families with issues such as insurance coverage, caring for aging family members and stress associated with agricultural operations.
Services are provided at your location or in other community settings on a flexible schedule so they are as accessible and convenient as possible.
Fit-to-Farm also includes education programs. Fit to Farm presentations are flexible and can be presented in as little as 10 minutes. Each lesson addresses the benefits of making healthy lifestyle changes, the consequences of not making those changes and simple strategies for making changes day-to-day while farming, fishing, or logging.
To learn more, contact Jessica Wilburn, wilburnj15@ecu.edu or 252-744-1008
ABOUT GRAIN SAFETY/GRAIN RESCUE PROGRAMS
The Grain Safety / Grain Rescue Program was developed with two main audiences:
- Farmers and farm workers,
- Fire Fighters and first responders
Programs for farmers and farm workers are primarily safety programs to inform of the hazards, and teach safe grain handling strategies. These vary from 1-4 hours, depending on the needs of the individuals present.
Programs for Fire Fighters and first responders vary from 1-12 hours and consist of safety programs to inform of the hazards, to full hands-on rescue programs.
Watch this Video to Learn More:
Whatever your needs for grain safety programs, contact Alyssa Spence at spencea20@ecu.edu or 252-744-9542
ABOUT AGRABILITY
For More Video Information: 
AgrAbility Video
The North Carolina AgrAbility Program is a federally funded project whose mission is to provide individuals farming with a disability with the education and assistance they need to live successful lives in production agriculture or agriculture-related occupations.
AgrAbility is sponsored by the U.S.D.A and consists of national, state (currently serving 24 states) and regional projects. Each of these projects involves collaborative partnerships between land grant universities and various non-profit disability service organizations.
NC AgrAbility is a collaborative partnership between North Carolina A&T State University, North Carolina Agromedicine Institute, North Carolina Assistive Technology Project and Disability Partners.
NC AgrAbility Partnership has a wide variety of services to offer thanks to the many specialties of our partners. If you or someone you know could benefit from AgrAbility services or would like to learn more about this program please email Beatriz (Betty) Rodriguez at bmrodrig@ncat.edu or 336-285-4680. You can also learn more at www.ncagrability.org or the National AgrAbility Website.
