June 2023
A monthly update for AgrAbility projects and friends of AgrAbility
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The Veterans in Agriculture Regional Workshop was held at the Hilton Garden Inn Indianapolis Airport June 6-8, 2023. This event focused on veterans in farming and programs to support them. There were 51 attendees, including 22 veterans. More
The next Regional Workshop, "M ālama the Farmer: Caring for Yourself and Each Other", is taking place at the Grand Naniloa Hotel in Hawaii, October 17-18, 2023. This workshop is being planned in conjunction with and supported by the Western Regional Agricultural Assistance Program and the University of Hawaii and will focus on behavioral health resources, assistive technology, preventing injury, and business planning. Room reservations can be made by clicking on the hotel name above. Registration is open. More information and the registration link can be found on the NAP website under "Training and Events", or click here.
The 2024 NTW will be held in Georgia. The planning committee has started meeting to review the proposals from hotels and will determine the location soon. Anyone interested in joining the committee is requested to email Tess at tmckeel@goodwillfingerlakes.org. |
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It's heating up out there! A Portable Personal Worksite Fan provides airflow, ventilation, and cooling for workers. It runs off a rechargeable battery (or cord as back-up option) and is reportedly powerful enough to cool the air up to 40 feet. Depending on make/model and fan speed setting, run time can reportedly vary from 5 to 15 hours on a single charge. Some provide forward-only air flow, others allow 120-, 160-, even 360-degree oscillating and up to nine stopped positions.
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Multiple presentations were delivered by Florida AgrAbility staff throughout May to increase awareness of the project and engage with potential partners/clientele. Events included: Hernando County Interagency Council (5/9), Florida Rehabilitation Council (5/9), UF/IFAS Annual Extension Symposium (5/9-5/11).
The FL AgrAbility case coordinator (Lindsey Head) conducted additional key informant interviews with two other states with active AgrAbility programs. Preliminary results are being synthesized by AgrAbility staff. Additionally, the coordinator enrolled in a beekeeping course to better understand and serve this specialized audience in Florida.
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Georgia AgrAbility staff presented the Mobile Learning Lab during the Northeast Region Agriculture and Natural Resources Update Meeting for UGA Extension. A group of approximately 35 University of Georgia Extension faculty members participated... More
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The Meet at the Shed Program is continuing to offer workshops for men to come and fellowship with each other. On May 23rd, staff offered a class that taught participants how to make berry-picking baskets using primitive techniques. More
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Members of the Georgia AgrAbility team continue to be a part of the Step-Up Grady community outreach efforts to address the various stressors impacting the lives of people across rural Georgia. Several in attendance highlighted the impacts farmers have locally as well as the many complex issues they face. More
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May 6, Chuck Baldwin presented AgrAbility and staffed a booth at the Black Loam Conference held in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Approximately 20 people attended the conference. More
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Ed Sheldon, Indiana and NAP Extension outreach coordinator, represented Indiana AgrAbility at the May 20, 2023, Indiana Black Loam Conference held at the historic Madame CJ Walker Center in Indianapolis, Indiana. Ed joined other ag service agencies in a panel discussion and highlighted AgrAbility's services to underserved and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers. More
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The semiannual Indiana AgrAbility advisory team meeting was held Wednesday, May 24, from 10:30 - 2:30 at the FFA Leadership Center in Trafalgar, Indiana. Twenty-seven people attended. More
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At the end of the spring semester, Paul Jones and Ed Bell teamed-up again to present a lecture on "Understanding Disabilities" to Purdue's AGR 201 Communicating Across Cultures class. Ed never has a problem engaging students in his life story and perspective on disability and agriculture.
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As part of Maine AgrAbility's continued outreach to loggers, staff participated in the Northeastern Forest Products Equipment Exposition 2023 in Bangor. Information about AgrAbility was provided and discussions occurred with 89 people during the two-day expo. Two loggers signed up to become clients. |
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AgrAbility's OTD student conducted outreach at the National Seaweed Symposium which is a convening of key industry, regulatory, academic, and professional leaders in and contributors to, the US seaweed sector. More
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Staff and OTD students provided instruction during five sessions to 130 loggers in Ft. Kent at the Canadian border, focusing on back health through posture, and identifying key areas on the body for loggers to pay attention to in order to reduce musculoskeletal disorders. More
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Boots-2-Bushels hosted two in-person on farm visits focusing on tractor safety, harvest, and wash 'n pack. |
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During the month of May, staff members from Missouri AgrAbility, the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network, rural & urban agriculture stakeholders, and behavioral/mental partners promoted a successful Mental Health Awareness Month statewide campaign. More
4-H conducted one new Save Your Brain Volunteer training and four new Save Your Brain Teen Ambassador trainings. The University of Missouri Extension (MUE) created the Save Your Brain curriculum ( https://extension.missouri.edu/publications/lg820) in a joint effort with the BIA-MO and the Missouri AgrAbility Project (MAP)... More
Save Your Brain Ambassadors championed a fund-raising campaign and received a grant from FCS Financial to make a local, youth building accessible to rural individuals with disabilities. The project has currently raised over $1,000; construction of a ramp and installation of assistive devices is underway. More
Missouri AgrAbility initiated a new fee-for-service for contracts with the Missouri Division of Vocational Rehabilitation and Rehabilitation Services for the Blind to facilitate customized onsite farmstead assessment with reports.
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Missouri AgrAbility and its stakeholders continue to make strong connections and provide accessible beekeeping programs for rural and urban farmers with disabilities.
Mary Bolling from the Lincoln University Innovative Small Farmers' Outreach Program had a table at the Washington County in Bloom event near Potosi, Missouri on May 13th and shared information on Missouri AgrAbility and the programs available to small farmers in the east central region of Missouri.
Missouri AgrAbility was featured as a program partner for the Brain Injury Association of Missouri (BIA-MO) Survivor and Family Seminar in Southwest Missouri on May 13. More than 75 individuals learned about Missouri AgrAbility and its services for farmers with disabilities, including brain injury.
Maureen Cunningham, BIA-MO executive director, also highlighted the Missouri AgrAbility partnership during a discussion about resources with the DHSS Adult Brain Injury Program service coordinators on May 2.
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Nebraska AgrAbility is hiring a rural rehabilitation specialist. For more information and to apply, visit https://bit.ly/providing-hope. Please help us spread the word. |
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Using the hashtag #OTLovesFarmers, a UNM OT Student, Marcyanna Rinaldi, has created several video shorts geared at common injuries that food producers may experience: More
NMAP is continuing to collaborate with the New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum for an exhibit in 2024.
New Mexico AgrAbility's TAP program partner (NMTAP) is busy planning a statewide conference that will train NM assistive technology professionals on technology to support activities, including the activities of food producers.
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Ohio AgrAbility (OAP) staff joined OSU Ag Safety and Health at a Farm Bureau safety day event. Staff share resources on AgrAbility and farm stress/mental health and networked with other exhibitors. More
OAP staff presented "Gardening as we age - Ideas for adapting" to Master Gardeners in Greene County, and consulted with county staff on ideas to increase accessibility in public gardens.
Ohio farmers are busy with spring planting, and OAP staff are busy assisting farmers with technical assistance, farm visits, assessments, and equipment deliveries.
OAP staff are looking forward to a busy summer of outreach, education and helping Ohio farmers continue to farm safely and productively.
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This month, the team will continue to work on planning a workshop with some participants from the National AgrAbility Project and the LIFE Project. More
The AgrAbility team will continue working with Able SC in its commitment to the state in offering the AgrAbility program. More
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TN AgrAbility's non-profit partner, The STAR Center in Jackson, TN, recently celebrated 35 years of serving individuals with disabilities. A celebration honoring the founders, Chuck and Margaret Doumitt, was held at Union University on May 11. Our Story - STAR Center
TN AgrAbility, represented by Eileen Legault along with Susan Turner, outreach specialist for the Progressive Ag Foundation, made a presentation to 17 Extension agents at the annual meeting of the Tennessee Association of Extension 4-H Workers (TAE4-HW) in Knoxville. More
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Therapeutic horticulture is a practice that embraces the healing power of nature to promote physical and emotional well-being. It involves using plants, gardens, and cultivating a sense of connection with nature to help people improve their health, well-being, and quality of life. More
UT Gardens Education and Horticultural Therapy Program Administrator Derrick Stowell and therapeutic horticulture interns Emma Deeds and Jessi Rennie recently published a new document through UTIA on the therapeutic benefits of gardening. Follow the link for access to this free, informative publication HERE.
May was Mental Health Awareness Month and TN AgrAbility promoted the American Farm Bureau Initiative, " Farm State of Mind", with five Facebook posts in May. This initiative focuses on finding resources for any farmer or rancher who is dealing with the demanding and stressful situations of farm life.
TN AgrAbility promoted through Facebook posts concerning the USDA Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships workshop series weekly in May. This series convenes farmers and ranchers, technical assistance providers, local leaders, and federal, state and university partners to discuss mental health challenges, More
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TN AgrAbility participated in the Haywood County Progressive Ag Safety Day with 150 elementary students. The disability awareness station consisted of a wheelchair obstacle course, reading with Dyslexia activity, and speech impairment and mental challenges. More
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The Upper Cumberland Extension Team hosted the 3rd annual "Women in Ag Summit" in Carthage, TN. The goal of this event is to celebrate the impact that female producers are having in Tennessee agriculture and assist them in honing skills for future success. More
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AgrAbility of Utah was excited to present at the Sustainable Grazing Institute at Bear River City, Utah on May 25. The Sustainable Grazing Institute was sponsored by Utah State University Extension and the Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education. The theme was Merging the Art and Science of Management Intensive Grazing. |
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The Washington AgrAbility team has spent the last month preparing for summer outreach and educational opportunities via crop tours, farmer field days, and fairs, in addition to an uptick in on-site assessments.
Emily Whittier, Washington AgrAbility co-coordinator, tabled at the Goldendale Home and Garden Show in Goldendale, WA on May 5-6. The AT displayed was a huge hit and brought a lot of traffic to the table. More
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Debbie Fredricks and Alyssa Wade, Washington AgrAbility co-coordinators attended the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians Conference in Worley, Idaho on May 8-11. They tabled at the event with several pieces of AT displayed, distributed AgrAbility pamphlets and booklets, and held many great conversations... More
Debbie Fredricks also met with the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs and the Area Agency on Aging and Disabilities of SW Washington to inform them about the AgrAbility and farm stress programs.
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The Washington team had several on-site assessments this spring and is looking forward to many more this summer.
Don McMoran, Washington AgrAbility program manager has spent the last month focusing his attention on getting his employees moved from timeslip to Civil Service and getting new grant funding in place.
It's been hot in Washington! A recent study by Oregon State University found that hot temperatures correlated to higher rates of traumatic injuries. Injuries increased starting at 75-degree heat and increased even more at 90 degrees and above. More
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T he World Disability Report published by WHO in 2011 states that the prevalence of severe and moderate disability is higher in Africa than in many other regions of the world, especially in younger (<60 years) population groups. It is assumed that the causes are related to infectious diseases and accident injuries associated mostly with roads and farms. More
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On the 5th and the 6th of June, the inaugural AgrAbility for Africa event was held. This annual training workshop aims to improve stakeholder coordination at country and continental levels; strengthen evaluations of the effectiveness of disability-specific interventions; establish joint strategies to improve the activities of daily living for people with disabilities across Africa. More
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Please welcome Jenna Korff, who is currently a senior at the University of Missouri majoring in health sciences with an emphasis in rehabilitation science and minoring in human development and family science. Jenna grew up on a fourth-generation farm in northcentral Missouri, where her family is involved with row crops, mainly corn and soybeans. While she has respect and passion for agriculture, she hopes to obtain a degree in occupational therapy and return to practice in her rural community. Jenna is excited and grateful for her experience with AgrAbility, where she will gain a deeper understanding of the importance of mental health in a unique population and learn how to best care for her clients in the future.
On May 31st, Lincoln University Innovative Small Farmers' Outreach Program says goodbye to farm outreach worker Angela Brattin. For the past two years, Angela has served small-scale farmers in the southwest region of Missouri and traveled throughout the state with the Jessup Wagon.
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AgrAbility of Wisconsin is pleased to welcome Julianne Renner as its new communications intern for the summer 2023 season. Renner is currently a graduate student at University of Wisconsin-Madison in the Life Sciences Communication Department. Before starting school at UW-Madison, Renner was a park ranger with the National Park Service at several different national park units for over four years.
"I am very excited to begin this position with AgrAbility of Wisconsin," says Renner. "I hope to help spread the message about this fantastic program and learn more about the agricultural community in Wisconsin."
This internship is in partnership with the University of Wisconsin's Agricultural Research Stations (ARS). Renner will be representing AgrAbility and UW ARS at ARS events and field days. She will also be working to spread awareness for these events and programs through media outreach, printed campaigns, social media and in-person promotions.
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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.
---------Youth Stressors and Mental Wellness
---------Episode 21 • 1st June 2023 • AgriSafe Talking Total Farmer Health
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