A farm may seem like a peaceful place, but if you live or work on one, you know that isn’t always the case. Plows, combines, tractors, and even some farm animals can create a noisy environment that puts a person’s hearing at risk, says a statement from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Disorders (NIDCD), Washington, announcing its new link with 4-H.

The NIDCD’s Noisy Planet campaign is partnering with 4-H, the highly successful outreach program of the United States Department of Agriculture’s Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, aiming to help spread the Noisy Planet message to parents and tweens who live on a farm. Educational materials with an agricultural theme are being developed for distribution throughout the 4-H program’s extensive network of professional staff and volunteers, including 4-H youth members, parents, extension agents, and others.

To kick off the collaboration, the Noisy Planet campaign is introducing new materials for rural communities this week at the 2009 National Association of Extension 4-H Agents Conference in Rochester, NY.

To learn about other partners, go to the Noisy Planet Community and Partners Web page.

[Source:NIDCD]