Preface

This pressbook is based on insights gathered from 26 farmers and ranchers who allowed me to visit their operations, assess their work environments, and provide recommendations informed by previous injuries, occupational stressors, concerns, and mental health considerations. These site visits included detailed discussions about their work history, enabling me to gain a deeper understanding of what matters most to them and their families. Any recommendations provided during these evaluations were solely for the farmer or rancher’s consideration and were not mandatory to implement.

In this pressbook, you will find a variety of topics in addition to practical solutions that can be added on a daily or one-time basis to improve productivity and ease concerns that farmers and ranchers face. Statistics and information gathered from the numerous site visits, as well as CS-CASH (Central States Central for Agricultural Safety and Health), can be found in the “additional resources” section of this pressbook, I encourage you to check this section out. There you may find yourself agreeing with other local farmers and ranchers regarding injuries, concerns, and overall benefits of occupational therapy.