Women in Agriculture (WAgN)

I hate to sound like your mother but...I'm concerned about your skin. It's the largest organ in the human body and your skin would appreciate a little care and kindness. Especially during these long working days in the sun.

Wear a waterproof/sweatproof sunblock and remember to reapply it throughout the day. Don't forget the back of your neck and your ears (especially right after a haircut when skin is newly exposed). And, you know this already, but just a reminder...just because it's a hazy day does not mean that the damaging UV rays aren't finding you.

Wear a broad-brimmed hat while you are in the field. Select something that will shade both your face and the back of your neck.

Wear light-weight clothing with long sleeves and pants keeping as much skin as possible covered. When selecting clothing however be sure to avoid anything too loose that could get caught in equipment.

Invest in a good pair of sunglasses. Your eyes can be damaged by the sun too!

Plan activities that will keep you out of the direct sunlight during the peak of the day 11- 1.

Whenever possible have your equipment fitted with a sunshade.

Talk with all employees about the importance of protection from UV rays. Skin damage is cumulative so a little sun damage now can result in problems down the road.

Need some more incentive? Check out this slide show that clearly shows different types of sun-related skin damage check out a WebMD slideshowSun-damaged Skin

Here's a good read on the essentials of social marketing. It really is all about the customer...hey, hasn't it always been all about the customer? So maybe nothing much has changed. Check out the Social Marketing Playbook http://www.scribd.com/doc/16256776/360i-Social-Marketing-Playbook

360i Social Marketing Playbook

One of our favorite resources has always been ATTRA (Center for Appropriate Technology) and now they have started offering webinars. The next one will be

Sheep and Goats: What they can do for you
July 29, 2009
1:00pm (Eastern); 12:00pm (Central); 11:00am (Mountain); 10:00am (Pacific)

Register at www.attra.ncat.org/webinars2009/sheepandgoat.

Your hosts, Linda Coffey and Margo Hale, will discuss:
Multiple benefits of sheep and goats
Selecting breeding stock
Evaluating animal health
Marketing meat, milk, and wool products including organic

Register now and mark your calendar!

While you're waiting for the rain to clear take a couple minutes to watch this film by Art Bell at dreamlikepictures. You can find it by scrolling down the menu on the right hand side of the page until you get to Short- Farmer or you can also get there by scrolling through the pics at the bottom until you get to the image of the carrots.

The film features Vermont women farmers. I don't know why I missed hearing about it or perhaps I did know about it and then forgot (my aging brain!) but at any rate it's worth viewing.