December 2023
A monthly update for AgrAbility projects and friends of AgrAbility
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NTW Updates
- REGISTRATION IS OPEN! Visit www.agrability.org/ntw by 2/23/24 for earlybird rates. The schedule should be posted on the website soon.
- The hotel rate has increased to $199+taxes/fees. (The contact was for the prevailing per diem rate, and per diem rates for 2024 have increased.) Book your room by clicking Grand Hyatt Atlanta/Buckhead.
- Poster proposals can still be submitted through January with the form on the NTW website.
- Each SRAP should provide a travel stipend for a farmer before sending any requests for NAP stipends from that state. Reach out to local organizations to see if they can help stipend a farmer to come. The farmer stipend application form has been sent out to the SRAPs and is available on the NTW website.
- Exhibitor applications are also available on the NTW website, or have potential exhibitors contact Tess McKeel.
- Start thinking about auction items and raffle baskets; both are always enjoyed, and they help raise money for farmer stipends.
- If you would like to join the committee, send an email to Tess at tmckeel@goodwillfingerlakes.org.
In cooperation with and supported by the Western Regional Agricultural Stress Assistance Program (WRASAP), NAP is in the very beginning phases of planning a regional workshop in Guam for October 2024. More information will be coming out after the NTW.
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Newly archived virtual events:
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This Manual Gas Cylinder Handler (called the Tank Caddy) is designed to make lifting/loading tall, heavy tanks both easier and safer. It consists of two rigid yet pliable handles that are slipped over the cylinder. The handles can be positioned in different configurations on a tank to accomplish different lifting/handling tasks.
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Three Alaska staff members attended the Western regional workshop "Malama the Farmer, Caring for Yourself and Each Other" in October. It was a great introduction to the connections between WRASAP and AgrAbility and provided many ideas for potential Extension programming to complement AgrAbility.
One person from Alaska attended a WRASAP training in Bozeman, MT, the first week of December.
Outreach/awareness is the main focus for AgrAbility on the Last Frontier, and new and old staff members staffed a booth and gave a 30-minute presentation at the Alaska Food Festival and Conference. The conference brought together the Alaska Farm Bureau, the Alaska Food Policy Council, and Western Region Sustainable Agriculture and Education... More
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It's a been a busy fall season for California AgrAbility. This month staff participated in a farmworker retreat, "Cultivemos Salud," hosted by WRASAP, De Colores non-profit, and Yolo County. More
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Florida AgrAbility hosted a webinar focused on accessible beekeeping in partnership with the Florida State Beekeepers Association (FSBA). The content of the webinar focused largely on accessible beekeeping tools and opportunities, along with a portion on the purpose of Florida AgrAbility. More
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Georgia AgrAbility attended and supported the Southern Region FRSAN agrileadHER Conference on November 1st and 2nd. This conference brings together women in agriculture from across the nation to fellowship, learn, and be inspired. More
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"Mental Health First Aid for Military, Veterans, and their Families" was conducted at Troy University Phenix City Campus on November 8 in partnership with New Horizons Behavioral Health in Columbus, GA. Thirteen members from various organizations across the community attended in order to show continued support to service members and their families.
Georgia was represented at the Farmer Veteran Coalition (FVC) Stakeholders Conference, held in conjunction with National Direct Agricultural Marketing Summit in Arlington, VA, on November 12-14. GA veteran farmer Mike Reynolds served as the keynote speaker for this event and highlighted the impact veterans have on the farming industry.
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Staff participated in the Georgia Small Farm Conference as a speaker and an exhibitor on November 16th -17th. Staff brought their Mobile Learning Lab to showcase assistive technology to the attendees. More
Murray County Cattlemen's Association invited Dr. Glen Rains to speak to their group about the importance of farm safety and how AgrAbility can help if someone gets injured.
Georgia AgrAbility staff member Kyle Haney attended the National AgrAbility Advisory Team meeting in Indianapolis on November 29-30. He is honored to be representing the SRAPs this year on the advisory team.
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Illinois AgrAbility's three-month statewide marketing campaign will run from November through January and involves both the Illinois Farmer Today and Illinois Farm Bureau. It involves radio, newspaper, website, and social media.
Staff have begun a "Tuesday Toolbox" campaign on their Facebook page that highlights a different piece of assistive technology from National AgrAbility's The Toolbox each week. Follow Illinois AgrAbility on Facebook @IllinoisAgrAbility.
Illinois AgrAbility and Illinois Extension-Family Life have partnered to host a virtual chronic disease self-management class that will begin in January. This class is open to anyone in Illinois who suffers from a chronic disease, takes care of someone who has a chronic disease, or wants to learn about managing a chronic disease.
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On November 7, the Indiana AgrAbility Advisory Team met for their semi-annual meeting at Purdue University to review program activities and provide valuable input and guidance for the Indiana AgrAbility team moving forward. The Advisory Team, in addition to staff, consists of 33 representatives from agriculture, government, the disability community, and education, along with AgrAbility clients from throughout the state. More
Paul Jones presented a lecture on disability in agriculture on November 28 to Purdue's AGR 201: Communication Across Cultures.
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Brie Weisman completed the RESNA AT Fundamentals Course along with five other AgrAbility staff members. |
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On November 16, Brett Haynes from EksoBionics https://eksobionics.com/eksoworks/ joined Ned Stoller in the field at the Clarksville Experiment Station and the Stuart Dairy Farm to test out shoulder supports for various farm tasks.
Ned Stoller attended the National AgrAbility Advisory Team meeting in Indianapolis November 29-30.
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MU Extension (MUE) and Lincoln University Cooperative Extension (LUCE) Innovative Small Farmers' Outreach Program (ISFOP) staff collaborated with a production company to produce a video on "How drones increase accessibility and save time and money for farmers with disabilities." Missouri AgrAbility will disseminate the video January 2024.
Staff wrote an article on diabetes and distributed it to newspapers, magazines, and radio stations throughout Missouri and neighboring states. A second article was written about one of Missouri's AgrAbility Heroes to Hives beekeepers describing his operation and abilities to scale up to become more profitable. More
Mackenzie Beving, Madison Fowler, Allison Starke, and Will DiStefano, all doctoral occupational therapy students with the MU Department of Occupational Therapy, developed "A Resource Guide for Healthcare Practitioners Working with the Agricultural Community" from the University of Missouri College of Health Sciences. More
Daniela Rodriguez, also a doctoral occupational therapy student, who graduates December 2023 with the rehabilitation and participation science program in occupational therapy from Washington University in St. Louis, developed several diverse AgrAbility resources for client customers and their families. More
Missouri AgrAbility focused social media efforts around the promotion of National Farm Safety and Health Week and prevention of suicide. Educational materials, dissemination of information, and program presentations also geared toward meeting the diverse needs of Missouri farmers through inclusion, equity, and equality. More
NIFA director Dr. Manjit K. Misra toured Lincoln University's Carver Farm on October 4th. Dr. Clement Akotsen-Mensah presented information on the Innovative Small Farmers' Outreach Program, and Mary Bolling presented on AgrAbility and the Jessup Wagon 2.0.
LU ISFOP staff member Mary Bolling presented information on the 988 Suicide and Crisis Line to nine female farmers at a SARE farmer/rancher grant writing workshop on October 17th.
LU's Mary Bolling joined MU's Karen Funkenbusch in assisting at the annual Missouri Brain Injury Association conference held in Chesterfield, MO, October 19-21st, and shared AgrAbility information with both professionals and survivors of brain injury.
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Karen Funkenbusch and Mary Bolling hosted a training about the Missouri AgrAbility program for new ISFOP staff members on October 23rd at George Washington Carver Farm - Lincoln University. |
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October 23rd, the LUCE ISFOP team presented to 252 African American farmers from four different regions in Missouri at a train-the-trainer event. Dr. Clement Akotsen-Mensah presented on integrated pest management... More
LUCE ISFOP outreach worker Margo Jakobi shared information about Missouri AgrAbility with local farmers and university staffers at Finca Fest, an event held at the Finca research farm celebrating native edible plants.
Missouri AgrAbility was featured at the Missouri Rural Health Association (MRHA) Conference with an exhibit in partnership with the Brain Injury Association of Missouri (BIA-MO). More
An additional 500 Missouri teachers learned about Missouri AgrAbility at the BIA-MO/Missouri AgrAbility exhibit during the Missouri State Teachers Association (MSTA) Annual Conference held in Columbia on November 16 and 17. More
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Emily Jacobson, Nebraska AgrAbility program manager, attended the 15th Annual Ag-Ceptional Women's Conference held in northeast Nebraska during November. Over 300 farm and ranch women were in attendance. More
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Nebraska AgrAbility team members Emily Jacobson, Heather Leuenberger, and John Davis have been visiting with clients to ensure their equipment is in good working order. The clients are grateful for their equipment and the opportunity to overcome their limitations.
Nebraska AgrAbility has been finalizing handouts focused on assistive technology tools and equipment. These resources will be shared at upcoming events and educational programs. Thanks to Heather and Emily who have worked diligently to complete this project.
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New Mexico AgrAbility Project (NMAP) welcomed a reorganized advisory council and had a very productive meeting discussing ongoing and planned activities and receiving a host of excellent suggestions and ideas from a very engaged council.
NMAP presented virtually to the VA regional office staff including their rehab counselors across New Mexico to inform them about opportunities for current and transitioning veterans through AgrAbility, and NMAP is looking forward to a productive collaboration.
NMAP presented information on gardening ergonomics to the New Mexico Conference on Aging on November 13 in hopes of promoting healthy activity and farm assessments in the state.
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Three University of New Mexico (UNM) OT students participated in a fieldwork experience at Mandy's Farm (NMAP's non-profit partner) to begin cataloguing the dexterity, balance, strength, and visual perception skills of the farm apprentices served there.
Seven teams of UNM OT students completed ergonomic research posters to improve rehab professional knowledge of the needs of food producers. Subjects included beekeeping, pecan/pistachio farming, red/green chili farming, ranching, dairy production, poultry farming, and irrigation management.
The NMAP partners on UNM Faculty, Mary Thelander Hill and Trish Siegel, have been accepted for a poster presentation at the 2024 AgrAbility NTW in Atlanta. They are so excited!
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November 3, Betty Rodriguez trained NC AgrAbility colleagues on an "Overview of the Demographic Report and Farm Assessment Tool." More
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November 11 - 13, NC AgrAbility participated as an exhibitor at the 38th Sustainable Agriculture Conference hosted by the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association in Durham, NC. The conference is the largest and longest sustainable agriculture meeting in the Southeast... More
November 17, NC AgrAbility participated as an exhibitor at the 2023 Northeast NC Niche Ag Conference in Currituck County, NC. This conference, designed for adults in the farming community, consists of six hands-on short courses on topics important to farmers in eastern North Carolina.
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Ohio AgrAbility is grateful for the support of student groups, farmers, and stakeholders. Their contributions to the Ohio AgrAbility Development Fund allow staff to support farmer travel to the NTW and to host peer-to-peer meetings throughout the state. More
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OAP is also so grateful for their amazing team - they could not do the great work they do without the 1000% effort put in by every member of the team and the enthusiasm and expertise everyone brings to their jobs. |
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On November 6 & 7, Marci Walborn conducted training about AgrAbility for OT students at Scranton College, Scranton, PA. On November 8, Marci conducted a training for OT students at Central Penn College in Summerdale, PA. |
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On November 9, Abbie Spackman provided hands-on assistive technology demonstrations for occupational therapy students during the Penn State DuBois AT Awareness Day. Information was also provided to the students about the unique challenges farmers face and the wide range of assistive technology options. More
Linda Fetzer and Abbie Spackman spent a day delivering educational bags to families and businesses of the Plain Community in the Big Valley area. This is part of AgrAbility's on-going outreach to the Plain Community. More
AgrAbility PA staff participated in a work group, comprised of Penn State Extension staff, focused on outreach to the Plain Community. The goal of the group is to work together across the state and across Extension programs to increase outreach to the Plain Community, especially in regard to safety, injury prevention, and low-tech assistive technology options.
Abbie Spackman represented AgrAbility during the PA Farm Link Board meeting. During the meeting, Abbie provided information to the board members about AgrAbility programing, outreach to the Plain Community, and ways to collaborate with PA Farm Link. More
Suzanna Windon conducted an online session, "Managing Stress on the Farm," at the professional development session of the Association for International Agricultural Extension Education on November 15.
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A Veterans Day salute and thank you to all who serve and have served our country! Thank you, Mr. Stapleton, a proud U.S. Army Vietnam veteran and farmer. He faces mobility challenges after several knee and back surgeries and degenerative nerve damage but still takes initiative and farms each day. A nd thanks to Celina Menard for the great LifeLyft photo. More
Thank you to GA Farm Again for another educational and inspiring AgrileadHER conference. TN AgrAbility participated and appreciated all the work GA and partners did to recruit wonderful speakers. More
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Two hundred fifty Fayette County, TN, 5th graders participated in the annual Fayette County Farm Fest sponsored by Fayette County UT TSU Extension and Farm Bureau. TN AgrAbility presented information on helmet safety and let the students have hands on experience... More
TN AgrAbility partners with the Southern Ag Exchange Network ( SAgE TN), the Southern region effort of the USDA Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network (FRSAN), which addresses heightened stress and elevated suicide rates in rural farming communities. The inaugural issue of Sowing SAgE, the monthly newsletter, introduces SAgE and our director, Tesha Humphrey... More
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Hours of training and thousands of dollars for equipment paid off recently when Lawrence County rescue personnel saved the life of a farmer trapped in a grain bin.
Lawrence County first responders put their training to the test when a farmer became trapped in a grain bin on November 29 in the town of Ethridge. (Above taken from Elizabeth Davis for UTIA news release) More
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Texas AgrAbility collaborated with West Texas A&M University engineering students to design and build a lift for an AgrAbility client. The client is an amputee with a cattle and hay operation. More
Erin Kimbrough and Makenzie Thomas attended the Beginning Farmer Rancher Development Program directors' meeting. Staff networked with other projects in Texas serving beginning farmer ranchers to discuss increasing services to beginning farmers and ranchers with disabilities.
Texas AgrAbility will be collaborating with BattleGround to Breaking Ground on a mini grant to develop and deliver tractor and equipment safety education to beginning farmers. This training will serve as safety training for the new equipment-share program.
The Texas AgrAbility peer group met for its quarterly meeting. The featured speaker was an AgrAbility client who has started a produce and nursery operation in the past five years. More
Makenzie Thomas met with an Extension agent in Polk County to develop programming for older farmers and ranchers with disabilities.
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AgrAbility of Utah staff was excited to set up a booth and present at the Utah Association of Conservation Districts Annual Convention in St. George, UT, on November 7-8. Utah has 38 conservation districts, and their goal is to protect soil, water, and other natural resources within the state. The event was attended by over 120 people.
On November 27, AgrAbility staff presented to members of the Cache Interagency Council in Logan, UT.
AgrAbility of Utah staff set up a booth at the Utah Cattleman's Association Winter Convention in Salt Lake City on November 30. Cattle are Utah's number one agriculture commodity, accounting for over one-third of the state's total agriculture production.
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AgrAbility Virginia was highlighted in a special lecture by Dr. Kim Niewolny at Virginia Tech University. Her presentation discussed accessibility, safety, and wellness with students in the VT College of Agriculture and Life Sciences as part of their "Diversity and Identity in Agriculture" course. |
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Additionally, the team got to meet with participants at the 2023 Virginia Farm Bureau Annual Convention in Virginia Beach.
Staff members are actively working with 34 client cases, including a horse farmer with Parkinson's with whom staff is looking into securing tractor modifications in collaboration with DARS.
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The Washington AgrAbility team has been running all over the state attending conferences and sharing AgrAbility with Washington residents in November!
Deb Eidsness and Alyssa Wade, Washington AgrAbility co-coordinators, attended and tabled at the Washington Cattlemen's Convention in Wenatchee, WA. The conference was a huge hit with the many AT items displayed. The conference resulted in many new potential AgrAbility clients.
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Debbie Fredricks, Washington AgrAbility co-coordinator, attended the Washington Farm Bureau Annual Meeting in Pasco, WA. Debbie had many great conversations about AgrAbility and met an early AgrAbility client who had a grain auger accident resulting in him having L3/L4 paraplegia, and AgrAbility was a huge help in his recovery process.
This month Emily Whittier, Washington AgrAbility co-coordinator, continued a partnership with local personal protective equipment distributions for farmers and had the opportunity to give materials and an informal presentation about AgrAbility to a crew of farmers in southern Washington. More
Alyssa Wade and Emily Whittier presented at WSU's "Cultivating Success Whole Farm Planning" class. The presentation discussed the AgrAbility program and how the new or seasoned farmers in attendance could use the program. More
Alyssa Wade attended the Tri-State Grain Growers Conference in Coeur D'Alene, ID. Alyssa tabled for AgrAbility and farm stress. Many of the farmers there picked up information about farm stress resources as well as AgrAbility.
Don McMoran, Washington AgrAbility program director, presented on AgrAbility at the Washington State Association of Counties meeting.
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We are pleased for our level II occupational therapy student, Morgan Beckwith, to continue her doctorate-level journey after her fourteen-week field work placement with us. Morgan is an excellent representative of Johnson and Wales University, and she specifically requested a placement with Maine AgrAbility. She grew up working with horses and continues to care for animals at shelters. Morgan's biggest learning experience was learning about aquaculture. She started a "tool box" of assistive technology for fishermen, "The Tackle Box," that will be located on the Maine AgrAbility website.
We are excited to welcome Bella Russo to the Maine AgrAbility team as our new coordinator starting in January. She has been working with the Maine Cooperative Extension program as its community education assistant. She brings new connections and energy to our program.
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Lincoln University Innovative Small Farmers' Outreach Program welcomed two new staff members in October. Maurice Theriot and Penny Wilson will both work with small farmers in the southeast region of Missouri.
LU ISFOP staff member and Missouri AgrAbility Co-PI Mary Bolling got married on September 5th and is changing her name to Mary Keeter.
Heather O'Mara joined the Brain Injury Association of Missouri staff as office administrator on November 6. Heather will assist with Missouri AgrAbility activities "Brain Injury Fact of the Day," speakers bureau, technical assistance, and 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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