September 2021
A monthly update for AgrAbility projects and friends of AgrAbility
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The next Regional Workshop will be held in Manhattan, Kansas, November 16-18, 2021. Staff are working on the agenda and tours, so more information will be coming out soon.
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2022 NTW will be in person!!!! Staff are working with WI AgrAbility and the Madison Concourse Hotel again to bring you an in-person NTW for 2022. Tentative dates are March 14-17. The first planning call was held on August 23rd at 3 pm. Meetings will continue to be held on the third Thursday of the month at 3 pm ET. Call for Proposals, Posters, and Exhibitor/Sponsor forms have been sent out. Access the Google Form version of each of these at the following links: Call for Presentations Google form, Call for Posters Google form, and Exhibitor-Sponsor Google form. For anyone preferring a printable copy of these forms, they are available on the NAP website on the NTW page.
The last 2021 NTW virtual session was on August 31st. They have all been recorded and are available on the NAP website HERE, or one can find them by going to the NAP website, then Online Training, then Archived Webinars, and then NEW! 2021 AgrAbility National Training Workshop Virtual Sessions. There was great attendance at, and evaluations of, all the sessions, so if anyone missed any sessions, check them out. |
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NAP has sent to each SRAP 100 complimentary copies of the 2021 AgrAbility Harvest newsletter plus two copies of the newly revised Conducting Agricultural Worksite Assessments. Please contact jonesp@purdue.edu if your SRAP did not receive these.
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Ed Sheldon and Chuck Baldwin presented for the National AgrAbility Project at the Florida A&M University (FAMU)/LIFE Project 1890s Workshop August 26-27. Georgia AgrAbility was also well-represented by Mason Dean and Kyle Haney who brought down two AgrAbility clients from GA to speak as a farmer panel. More
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The Walk'n'Chair Combination Walker-Wheelchair (complete with hand brakes, hinged footrests, and reversible handles, seat, and carrying basket) is designed to quickly transition from one to the other. As a rolling walker, the two large wheels are designed to allow one to navigate stably over uneven terrain (e.g., dirt trails, grass, gravel) and snow-covered areas. As a wheelchair, it can be either driven by the user or pushed by another person. |
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Alaska AgrAbility's (AKAgrAbility's) summer eNewsletter was published and distributed during the month of August. More
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In early August, AKAgrAbility participated in the first annual Kenai Peninsula 4-H Ag Expo in Soldotna, Alaska. This agricultural showcase provided vendor opportunities and a front row seat for the community to engage with 4-H exhibits, livestock showing & auction, and workshops and educational opportunities around agricultural concepts. More
Staff participated in a series of content booth slots during the Alaska State Fair in Palmer, Alaska. Upwards of 2,000 people have passed through the Alaska CES Extension and 4-H Building daily to see 4-H exhibits and participate in information gathering about CES programs such as AgrAbility.
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DeShana York has been participating in the planning committee for the first annual upcoming Farm Bureau Convention & Tradeshow in conjunction with the Western Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education (Western SARE) Conference this November 12-14, 2021. More
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California AgrAbility's Esmeralda Mandujano served as co-presenter for National AgrAbility's North Central FRSAN webinar series. Esmeralda and NAP's Kimber Nicoletti-Martinez presented the "Migrant/Seasonal Farmworkers: Stress Issues and Solutions." More
California AgrAbility staff participated in the Mexican Consulate's Ventanilla de Salud monthly meeting moderated by Program Director Oscar Velasco. More
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Staff joined the "Celebrating Veteran Total Farmer Health" webinar, the second session of "Veterans Harvest: A Virtual Conference for Veterans in Agriculture". Natalie Roy from the AgriSafe Network highlighted the various factors that contribute to total farmer health. More
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Winter Workshops are back! Following the long health and safety break for COVID, the Colorado AgrAbility Project is back on the road for their in-person Winter Workshop sessions statewide. More
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Staff hosted two webinars during the month of August with Dr. Therese Willkomm. The first webinar was entitled "Farming with Vision Loss - Voices from the Past" and was hosted on August 11th, 2021. More
Staff have been offering AgrAbility clients free marketing services for their farm. This includes logo design and marketing consultation.
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Georgia AgrAbility staff and farmers participated in the HBCU Assistive Ag Tech & Empowerment Workshop in Tallahassee, FL, on August 26th-27th, 2021, hosted by NAP. More
Georgia AgrAbility was invited to bring the Mobile Learning Lab for the grand opening of the new extension facility in Troup County on November 6th. The AgDay will focus on promoting agriculture to the entire community. Staff are excited for the opportunity to share about AgrAbility and showcase assistive technology.
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Indiana AgrAbility participated as an exhibitor at the Indiana State Fair in the Corteva FFA Pavilion. More
Steve Swain, the project rural rehabilitation specialist, conducted a Vocational Rehabilitation Services farm accessibility assessment for a small farm owner. More
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Kansas AgrAbility AT Specialist Karin Rasmussen is a wealth of information for the farmers and ranchers in her western Kansas community. Earlier in the year, Karin assisted an AgrAbility customer and, as often happens, formed a relationship with the family. More
SKIL (Southeast Kansas Independent Living Resource Center), Kansas AgrAbility's non-profit partner, held a customer appreciation day in Parsons, Kansas. More
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Maine AgrAbility's Boots-2-Bushels continued with its monthly in-person workshops in August at Rustic Roots Farm, in Farmington, ME. Farmers Erica and Dave talked about their SARE grant, small tools needed for a mostly no-till farm, and how they run their various farm shares. The hands-on learning continues to be successful.
Maine AgrAbility's first article published in the Loggers Voice is about Maine AgrAbility's LogAbility program. LogAbility will be providing routine articles in this news outlet. More
Staff are excited to introduce Michaela Marden, a USM master's OT student completing her Level 2 Fieldwork experience with Maine AgrAbility. More
Richard Brzozowski spent three days with farmers from Kansas who were touring Maine. AgrAbility was discussed and Richard was able to help connect Kansas Farm Bureau staff members with the KSU AgrAbility team.
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This year's AGRO EXPO was a great success! The 2021 AGRO EXPO featured choppers and tillage demonstrations as well as presentations covering various aspects of the agricultural community. Exhibitors at the event provided information about nutrients, seeds, and innovative equipment to help Michigan agribusinesses.
Michigan AgrAbility is expanding their pain management assistance to Spanish-speaking farmers. More
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MU Extension specialists and Show-Me Farm Safety collaborative partners spent 12 days handing out MO AgrAbility health awareness materials, behavioral/mental health resources, and agricultural safety prevention tips at the 2021 Missouri State Fair. More
Heroes to Hives Missouri State Chapter field days were Thursday, August 19th and Saturday, August 21st, 10am & 2pm. In addition to hive inspections, beekeepers also did some honey bottling and wax rendering.
Missouri was buzzed with the arrival of their Slovenian AZ hives. AZ hive design eliminates all lifting by the beekeepers. This hive also works from the rear. More
Joni Harper, County Engagement Specialist in Agriculture and Environment, was a speaker during the August 24th National AgrAbility panel presentation on State/Regional Programs for farmer veterans. More
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University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Pharmacy, a Missouri AgrAbility collaborator, provided rural wellness outreach and education at the Missouri State Fair on Aug 14th in the MO Ag Theater. Missourians from 44 counties were reached through the effort. More
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On August 27, 2021, Mr. David Middleton- ISFOP farm outreach worker (FOW) and Missouri hemp outreach coordinator, and Mr. Nahshon Bishop- ISFOP small farm specialist and Missouri AgrAbility co-PI, traveled with the Jesup Wagon 2.0 to the Webster County Fairgrounds to speak at the annual Ozark Homesteaders conference. |
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Missouri AgrAbility marketing was part of the BIA-MO exhibit at the Redbird Rookies Health Fair hosted by St. Louis Cardinals Care. BIA-MO volunteers Kitty Newsham, PhD, and Angie Nowak, RN, shared AgrAbility information and brain injury safety activity sheets with youth and their families. More
Missouri AgrAbility is featured in the Brain Injury Association of Missouri (BIA-MO) Annual Statewide Conference Registration Brochure as the Resources in Rural Missouri track sponsor. More
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Nebraska AgrAbility staff will be participating in Niagara University's Emergency Management Disability Awareness Training program in Nebraska in November 2021. More
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AgrAbility began work with News Channel Nebraska to produce client videos to use in featuring disabilities served, stories of clients, and AT clients currently use. Filming is complete and staff will be using these clips for outreach. |
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The Nebraska AgrAbility team was at Nebraska State Fair for two days. Both days were well attended during the "Largest Classroom Days", and children were educated about sleep and AgrAbility.
Nebraska AgrAbility had a presence at the Cuming County Fair in West Point, Nebraska. Some past clients stopped by and visited, and it is always nice to catch up.
In May 2021, the SILO movie was made available virtually to families and youth participants of the Fillmore County Extension Youth Ag Safety Day. A community-wide viewing is being planned in Geneva late September. More
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August 25, 2021, NC AgrAbility hosted the Peer Support Networking Event for farmers in the program. Ten people joined and shared what they do and their experiences in farming with a disability. All of them were happy with the meeting and would like to have more sessions like this.
NC AgrAbility has actively coordinated services with partners and collaborators, received training from the NTW, AgriSafe, Summer Self-Care, and other programs, and shared educational opportunities with partners and farmers.
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Ohio AgrAbility staff spent much of the summer on outreach to farmers and gardeners, presenting "Ergonomic Gardening", and "Ohio AgrAbility - Assistive Technology to Keep You Productive" workshops. More
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Workshop resources and videos from past workshops are available here.
OAP rural rehabilitation coordinators continue their farm visits, Voc Rehab assessments, and technical assistance to farmers across Ohio.
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Ohio AgrAbility is proud to announce that the Caregiver Support Network is hosting a free webinar October 8, 2 pm EDT: "Let's talk about Caregivers and Mental Health". OSU Extension Behavioral Health Field Specialist Bridget Britton will present about improving mental health in rural and other limited-access areas, More
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August brought the return of Ag Progress Days to Penn State University's research fields. The three-day event is Pennsylvania's largest outdoor agricultural exposition with over 400 exhibitors from the United States and Canada. It was great to see Life Essentials at the event. More
AgrAbility PA staff is looking forward to fall, the change of season ahead, and the ability to continue serving farmers and agriculture workers for disability or long-term health condition in Pennsylvania!
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TN AgrAbility with University of TN Institute of Agriculture celebrated TN Farm Bureau's happy 100th birthday! 100 years ago, a group of farmers gathered with the hopes of creating an organization to better the lives of farmers and rural people in Tennessee. More
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There was another session of TN New Farmer Academy this month, starting with farm tours with the TN State University East TN New Farmer Academy where farmers learned additional information about niche crops, agritourism, Community Supported Ag (CSA), organic production, and AgrAbility services. More
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It was a fun day under the shade tree where 20 New Farmer Academy participants gathered at the McVay Cattle Farm in Millington, TN. Participants learned about his operation (even got to feed some of the cattle); beekeeping; poultry production via ZOOM; cattle and small ruminant production, and TN AgrAbility services. |
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Another successful grain bin safety/rescue awareness training was held in the Upper Cumberland TN counties on the beautiful Catesa Farms in Upper Cumberland TN. Fifty-four farmers and rescue personnel went through 4 hours of classroom work and 4 hours of hands-on grain bin rescue training. More
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Meet Emily Webb, a TN AgrAbility farmer. She and her family operate a beef cattle farm raising straw and hay and riding horses. She has had three back and two knee surgeries. She is like the Energizer Bunny; she keeps on going. More
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The Texas AgrAbility course "Working with Farmers & Ranchers with Disabilities: An AgrAbility Resource for Occupational Therapy Practitioners" is now available online and offers CEU credits. More
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Staff provided an educational webinar on Vocational Rehabilitation services in collaboration with Disability Rights Texas. More
Texas AgrAbility provided an educational webinar for migrant & seasonal farmworkers. The webinar in Spanish highlighted services provided by Texas AgrAbility to support migrant & seasonal farmworkers and agencies that support them.
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A webinar titled "Independent Living in Rural Communities" will be hosted on September 14, 2021, in collaboration with the Brazos Valley Center for Independent Living. The webinar will cover services provided by the CILs and support for individuals with disabilities in the community. Register here. |
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A webinar for migrant & seasonal farmworkers "Assistive Technology for Farm Workers & their Employers" will be hosted on September 21, 2021. The webinar will cover types of assistive technology for farmworkers. Register here. |
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Texas AgrAbility partnered with Rachel Mims from ARTillery Avenue Farm to highlight farmer & rancher mental health. Rachel Mims, farmer, veteran, and mental health therapist, shared helpful tips and resources for mental health awareness for farmers and ranchers. Readers can check out all the tips on the Texas AgrAbility Instagram highlights. |
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AgrAbility of Utah set up a display table and was able to visit with many of the participants at the Utah Wool Growers Association annual convention in Brigham City, UT, on Aug. 2. Utah has approximately 300,000 sheep, which ranks fifth nationally.
On Aug. 4th and 11th, AgrAbility staff attended and explained AgrAbility at Field Days in Garland, and Wellsville, UT. The two events were held to educate farmers and ranchers in the surrounding areas, and topics included irrigation techniques, hemp production, and cover crops, and was sponsored by Utah State University Extension.
Michael Porter from AgrAbility of Utah enjoyed attending the NTW Regional Training Workshop in Billings, MT, on Aug. 9-11 and reported to staff the many things he learned about mental health and suicide prevention.
AgrAbility of Utah staff met online with administrative staff from the Utah Office of Rehabilitation on August 18 to discuss concerns and answer questions about each other's organization.
On Aug. 31, AgrAbility staff attended and set up a display table at the Central Utah Grazing Expo in Nephi, UT. This is the second year the Central Utah Grazing Utah has been held.
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AgrAbility Virginia is currently working with 22 farmer clients at various levels of engagement and need, including a beginning blueberry farming family in Hanover County whose son has autism.
AgrAbility Virginia staff are working with Virginia Tech intern Zoey Van Peppen to generate a PSA introduction video targeting youth to increase awareness of AgrAbility Virginia.
The AgrAbility Virginia advisory group will be meeting via Zoom on Tuesday, October 26th.
AgrAbility Virginia Field Coordinator Tony Edwards and Outreach Specialist Liza Dobson will be attending the Eastern Regional Farmer Veteran Coalition Conference in Knoxville, TN, in November.
The Virginia State University Mobile Educational Unit is being finalized and delivered to campus at the end of August. The unit will be debuting at the Virginia State Fair, though access will be limited due to COVID restrictions.
Virginia Tech engineers working with AgrAbility Virginia are finalizing a robotic glove assistive technology and are hoping for small-scale testing with farmers in the fall.
AgrAbility Virginia staff helped author three recently published resources:
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Washington State AgrAbility Program (WSAP) has made successful communication with, and collaborated with, WA Department of Vocational Services. A targeted flyer was developed for DVR counselors and distributed through the regional managers explaining AgrAbility and how AgrAbility can help.
Members of the WSAP team and stakeholders attended the Western Region AgrAbility Conference in Billings, Montana, August 9-11, 2021. Networking, collaborating, and education happened for those who attended.
Due to COVID numbers on the rise, the WSAP stakeholder meeting August 31st became a virtual meeting with 14 in attendance. More
WSAP exhibited at two fairs and distributed printed materials, 300 first aid kits, and 60 masks. Through these events, potential clients and lending library checkouts emerged.
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With the return of mask mandates and the rising COVID numbers, WSAP has been distributing silicone mask inserts at events. Placed beneath the mask, these inserts are designed to keep masks from touching the face and can make it feel easier to breath. More
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AgrAbility of Wisconsin staff had quite the end to the summer with their partners' Easterseals Wisconsin FARM program golf outing fundraiser. The weather was perfect for a day on the links.
Staff is now gearing up for fall and with that comes their first big tradeshow in a year-and-a-half. AgrAbility of Wisconsin will be sharing a booth with the National AgrAbility Project at World Dairy Expo September 28- October 2. If any reader is around Madison, WI, make sure to stop by and say hello.
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Lake Victoria, a freshwater lake that supports the livelihood of over 40 million people in the region, and the Nile River fishing industries in East Africa are experiencing hard times as a result of climate change, illegal fishing practices, marine plastic waste, and eco-system degradation from industrial and farm waste pollution. More
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Experiences of AgrAbility for Africa staff have taught them that there is great need to enhance farm productivity for their clients, and to identify and promote alternative employment opportunities for farmers, ranchers, and farm workers faced with disabilities. Through collaborations, the AgrAbility for Africa staff endeavors to achieve that. More
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The Colorado AgrAbility Project is pleased to announce that they have a new employee. Made available through FRSAN and WRASAP grants, Chad Reznicek, a behavioral health specialist, has joined the staff to assist Colorado farmers and ranchers with behavioral health issues in seeking resources appropriate to their needs. More
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Click titles below for news stories featuring AgrAbility projects.
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Click titles below for other news of interest to AgrAbility staff members.
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