Farm Theater: A Unique Approach to Health and Safety

Summary: Farm Dinner Theater is an award winning intervention that is changing the actions of farm families for their health and safety. Based on a four year NIOSH research project, Dr. Reed will walk the audience through the development, history, evaluation and evolution of the Farm Dinner Theater. Since the research project ended communities have used the free toolkit to guide them in hosting their own theaters.

Intended audience: Anyone working in service to farm populations or other community groups.

Objectives: At the end of this webinar participants will be able to-

Describe the history and concepts of didactic readers’ theater
Apply theater to their specific audience
Apply techniques for engaging community to support the theater

Deborah B. Reed, MSPH, PhD, RN, FAAOHN, FAAN

Professor of Extension Community Health and Safety, University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food, and Environment, Distinguished Professor Emeritus, College of Nursing

Debbie grew up on family farm in Kentucky just a few miles from the University of Kentucky. She is currently the Extension Professor of Community Health and Safety at the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, affectionately known as the Ag Nurse. For the past 29 years Dr. Reed has worked with farm families throughout the nation to promote their health and prevent the many injuries that are so common in this occupation. She has developed and tested health education programs for children and youth on farms, and is upscaling the Farm Dinner Theater, a didactic readers’ theater for the farmer populations. The program that was designated as an Edge Runner by the America Academy of Nursing and is currently funded by the Rita and Alex Hillman Foundation. Dr. Reed is recognized internationally for her work on farm health and safety and farm family stress and suicide prevention. She loves communing with nature, , horses, angus cattle, and smelling newly mown hay.