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February 2026
A monthly update for AgrAbility projects and friends of AgrAbility
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NTW Updates
- Early-bird registration pricing ended February 16th, and regular registration has now increased from $400 to $450. Go to the registration tab on the NTW website for more detailed information.
- Do you know of someone that might like to be an exhibitor or a sponsor? Send them this link for NTW website and tell them to click on Exhibitor or Sponsor tab, or send their contact information to Tess- tmckeel@goodwillfingerlakes.org.
- Register to have a SRAP display table. You can add that to your registration on the registration website, and if you have already registered and want a SRAP display table, email Tess.
- Put together a SRAP raffle basket and/or collect auctions items. Both activities help us to bring farmer clients to the NTW. You can ship items ahead of time to Samantha Wolfe at 448 Court Place, Beulah, MI 49617. More
- Start thinking about the snack to bring to share in the hospitality suite.
If you have any questions about the NTW, contact Tess at tmckeel@goodwillfingerlakes.org.
The U.S. House Agriculture Committee passed a draft "Farm Bill" that includes AgrAbility and adds the clause "provide education and support to youth and young adults with disabilities interested in farming and farm-related occupations." The bill's fate in the Senate is uncertain. See SEC. 7209. ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM FOR FARMERS WITH DISABILITIES on page 445 here.
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National AgrAbility released a full-length version of the video "Surviving, Adapting, and Thriving: the Bell Family in Agriculture," featuring long-time AgrAbility client, consultant, and friend, Ed Bell. He and his wife, Debbie, plan to participate in the 2026 NTW. Feel free to share the video with your audiences.
Newly archived virtual events:
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An Under-the-Dash Creeper is designed for accessing hard-to-reach areas beneath a vehicle's dashboard (or steering wheel) while providing a relatively comfortable work position over extended periods. It consists of a cushioned lay-on board (about 40 inches long, 15-20 inches wide), at one end of which is a height-adjustable, two-legged steel frame fitted with lock-brake or removable caster wheels.
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The Colorado AgrAbility Project, alongside its Goodwill partner program, FarmAble, and its behavioral health specialists, are hosting five winter workshops across the state of Colorado. These events aim to provide education and resources for farmers and ranchers with physical or behavioral health challenges, while welcoming everyone in the ag community. More
In other behavioral health-related news, the inaugural Colorado Agriculture Behavioral Health Summit brought together more than 60 participants from over 30 organizations to address the unique behavioral health challenges faced by Colorado's agricultural communities. More
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Georgia AgrAbility staff exhibited at the Georgia Young Farmer's Annual Convention at Jekyll Island on January 23rd. Along with promoting AgrAbility, staff also promoted the new FarmAgain project focusing on UTV road safety. More
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Indiana AgrAbility, Easterseals Crossroads, and LifeLyfts personnel staffed the AgrAbility booth at the 37th Fort Wayne Farm Show January 13-15. This is Indiana's largest indoor agricultural expo with more than 1,000 exhibitors and an expected attendance of around 20,000. More
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Maine AgrAbility program staff worked the Maine Agricultural Trades Show in Augusta, ME, January 16-19. Staff conducted grip strength testing for attendees, as well as opportunities to test hand-eye coordination and balance. Over 300 attendees visited the booth and spoke with staff. More
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ME FishAbility participated in the biannual NACE/MAS conference in Portland, ME. This conference brings together aquaculturalists all over New England for education, resources, and support for the industry. Staff members Toni Small and Bella Russo hosted a movement session with the goal of sharing how to do large structural movements safely. More
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Michigan AgrAbility staff attended the Michigan Shepherds Weekend (state meeting of the MI Sheep Producers Association). An AgrAbility client joined staff to co-present and shared her story of how she had worked with Ned Stoller and Michigan Rehabilitation Services over the last year to make it possible to continue raising sheep and cattle after a farm incident that had led to an amputation of her right leg below the knee. More
Staff also attended Michigan Agri-Business Association conference trade show in Lansing, where they had great visibility and conversations with industry leaders.
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Finally, Extension Educator Samantha Wolfe traveled to Taiwan through the MSU International Programs Global Scholars program, where she visited an assistive technology center in Taipei and then joined a university field trip to visit farms along the west coast and southwest of Taiwan, organized by Dr. Bruce Yang of National Chung Hsing University in Taichung. More
| | This month, several Missouri AgrAbility articles were published in the media: a sign up for the new Heroes to Hives in Missouri class, five ways to decline stress, signs of stress that farmers need to be aware of, mental health resources available for farmers, and the implementation of the "stop the bleed" law in Missouri, which will benefit rural communities. More | |
Kirk Funkenbusch, a volunteer consultant with Missouri AgrAbility, showcased an exhibit at the 58th Missouri Cattle Industry Convention & Trade Show, which took place from January 21-23, at the Margaritaville Lake Resort in Osage Beach, Missouri. More
Karen Funkenbusch, the PI/director of Missouri AgrAbility, continues to hold monthly meetings with the Missouri Division of Vocational Rehabilitation to review client cases, provide updates, and refine Missouri's fee-for-service contract for onsite farm and ranch assessments.
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Extension agent Susan Jaster helped a former Missouri AgrAbility client find resources and support from Kansas AgrAbility, as well as technology for her low vision. Susan also set up an exhibit at the Dairy Expo in Springfield, MO. More
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Five Extension agents showcased an AgrAbility exhibit at the Great Plains Growers Conference in St. Joseph, MO, on January 8-9. More than 438 participants learned about the services offered by Missouri AgrAbility and received resources on health, personal and farm safety, physical health, mental well-being, and preventing secondary injuries provided by the National and Missouri AgrAbility programs.
Extension agents Lesa Queen and JJ Spurlin set up an exhibit at the Joplin Empire Market during the National Seed Swap event. They shared information about Missouri AgrAbility, collected sign-ups for future workshops, and engaged in general conversations with attendees about their interests and needs. More than 778 people participated in this event.
Missouri AgrAbility was recognized as a program partner for the Brain Injury Association of Missouri (BIA-MO) Concussions: Facts, Fallacies, and New Frontiers seminars. The outreach emails, social media posts, and website information enabled more than 1,000 youth sports and school personnel to be aware of Missouri AgrAbility as a resource for Missouri farmers, ranchers, rural youth, and their families.
The partnership of Missouri AgrAbility and BIA-MO expanded utilization of the Get Schooled on Concussions for Missouri resources for rural Missouri schools to support any concussed student in return-to-learn. This expansion includes Ranken Jordan Pediatric Bridge Hospital sharing the Teacher Acute Concussion Tool (TACT) with rural schools of current patients of the hospital. More
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January was a month of strategic planning for the Nebraska AgrAbility team. Staff have been coordinating maternity leave coverage, organizing support for current and incoming clients, preparing for upcoming booths and events, and moving forward with ongoing grant work. More
At the start of January, Program Manager Emily Jacobson and Michelle Arens, a capstone occupational therapy student working with Nebraska AgrAbility, began working with two new clients. One client qualified for services through Nebraska Vocational Rehabilitation (VR), while the other did not due to financial eligibility requirements. More
Emily has also been preparing presentations for an upcoming nurse practitioner conference and collaborating with Kyle Haney on materials for the National Training Workshop (NTW). Although she will not attend the NTW in person, she is contributing her expertise on cattle-handling equipment to support the session and assist in sharing practical knowledge across the AgrAbility network.
Soni Cochran, Nebraska Extension, has been working with Ed Sheldon, Purdue University, on a presentation for the NTW. Also presenting during this session are Alexandria Ward and Caitlin Arnold Stephano with Farm Aid, Natalie Roy with AgriSafe, and Angela Sorg with the Purdue Extension Farm Stress Team. More
Michelle Arens, a capstone occupational therapy student working with Nebraska AgrAbility, is conducting a client survey to assess the impact of AgrAbility's assistive technology (AT) recommendations using the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM). More
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In early January, NM AgrAbility presented at New Mexico State University's Cooperative Extension in-service for the first time ever! Not only did staff present one full-sized presentation to agents from 33 counties, but they were also courageous enough to try a five-minute IGNITE presentation with 20 slides that auto-advanced after 15 seconds. More
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Also in January, partners over at the New Mexico Technology Assistance Program hosted a free assistive technology giveaway for folks in NM with disabilities. During the 1/2-day event, staff were able to give community members 124 pieces of assistive technology that were still usable, just slightly older. More
And finally, partner University of New Mexico Occupational Therapy Graduate Program's two population health capstone students began reviewing AgrAbility, population health, and occupational therapy resources so they may be of benefit when they start working with NM AgrAbility apprentices at Mandy's Farm in mid-February.
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Ohio AgrAbility staff co-presented on inclusive livestock shows at the Ohio Fair Managers Association Conference. The disability services coordinator joined colleagues from Sandusky, Clinton, and Warren counties, and a 4-H member from Jefferson County to present on "Building Partnerships to Create an Accessible Livestock Show: You Belong Here!" More
| | As winter storms and freezing temperatures challenge farms across Tennessee and the Nation, TN AgrAbility staff are thinking of all the farmers and the strength it takes to keep going in uncertain conditions. | | |
The above-mentioned is a reminder of why conversations like "Harvest: Weathering the Storm - Proactive Planning for Farm Resilience" matter so deeply. Shelli Rampold, TN AgrAbility PI, spoke at the 2026 Pick TN Conference on preparing for the unexpected - sharing practical ways to identify risks, create a disaster plan, and access resources that support recovery when challenges arise. More
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The annual Pick TN Conference kicked off 2026 with a strong celebration of Tennessee agriculture. The event featured engaging education sessions, packed networking opportunities, and showcased the strength and diversity of the agricultural community. More
Finis Stribling, TN AgrAbility PI for Tennessee State University, moderated "New Farmer Academy/Ag Boot Camp Success Stories" and introduced plans for the ARCD/Field School. Both beginning farmer programs will return in spring of 2026.
The FVC-TN annual meeting was held in conjunction with the Pick Tennessee Conference, bringing together farmers, veterans, community partners, and valuable agricultural resources from across the state. The gathering highlighted both the strength of the veteran farming community and the power of collaboration in advancing its mission. More
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TN AgrAbility and its partners: UT Extension-Fayette County Extension, The STAR Center, TN Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, and Tennessee Technology Access Program provided assistive technology equipment to a Fayette County agritourism farm family to ensure they remain productive for years to come. Even though the couple reside and have their agritourism business together, they perform separate, simultaneous tasks in different areas of the property. More
The STAR Center, TN AgrAbility's non-profit disability partner, hosted the "Beyond Peer Vision Group" as a place to connect with others who understand the journey of low vision or blindness. Jason Barber, TN AgrAbility farmer, enjoys being part of a community that shares and cares. More
TN AgrAbility supported the 2026 TN Farm Family Health and Wellness Webinars that promoted farm health and wellness tips, plus being eligible for 50% cost share for the TAEP Master Certifications that started again in January. Sessions are recorded and people can still register: https://fcs.tennessee.edu/mffhw/
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AgriLife Extension hosted a Share Fair event for new ag agents across Texas. This gave AgrAbility and other Extension programs the opportunity to introduce what they can offer their residents in the 254 counties in Texas.
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In January, AgrAbility and BattleGround to Breaking Ground conducted an Introduction to Production Agriculture Boot Camp. This is designed to help participants with limited agriculture experience understand farm safety and food safety, business planning and business management,... More
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AgrAbility of Utah staff was excited to participate and have a vendor table at three different beef field day events across the state. These one-day events are sponsored by Utah State University Extension and include several classes on various topics. They occurred in Price, UT, on January 9, Richfield, UT, on January 16 and Logan, UT, on January 21.
AgrAbility of Utah staff met with staff from the Utah State Office of Rehabilitation on January 29 to address any barriers and learn more about each other's organization.
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In January, AgrAbility Virginia continued supporting 47 active farmer clients, collaborating with Easterseals PORT Health, DARS, and Virginia Cooperative Extension to secure funding and technical assistance tailored to each client's needs.
The program coordinator remained engaged in statewide initiatives, including the Graze300 Hay Equipment Barrier Working Group and the VA-AHEAD mental health virtual workshop, contributing to efforts that address agricultural barriers and improve farmer well-being.
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The team also conducted outreach at several events, including the Virginia Association for Biological Farming Conference in Roanoke, the Disability Expo in Richmond, and the Virginia Forage and Grassland Conference held across multiple locations, including Weyers Cave.
Additionally, AgrAbility Virginia continued its collaboration with Mary Baldwin University physical and occupational therapy students and is exploring new partnership opportunities with the Virginia Occupational Therapy Association (VOTA).
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Another election cycle in the East-Africa states has resulted in missed reviews, surgeries, and rehabilitation sessions, leading to increased negative medical and rehabilitation outcomes due to disruptions in public transport, restricted or blocked roads, internet blackouts, and freezes on banking and digital financial services. More
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One of our rural rehabilitation specialists, Ashley, welcomed a baby boy, named Kyler Royce Buchanan, back in November 2025!
| AgrAbility of Utah is excited to announce the hiring of Jacie Fasselin as a resource facilitator. Jacie is from Elmo, UT, and has experience working with NRCS, being an agriculture educator, and running her own beef operation. She has a bachelor's degree in agriculture education and business and an MS degree in natural resources. Welcome aboard Jacie! | | |
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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