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September 2010

National AgrAbility Project News

The 2010 AgrAbility NTW is just around the corner! Click here for more information:

Mark you calendars for the next AgrAbility all-staff call on Thursday, November 18 at 3:00 p.m. EST/2:00 CST/1:00 MST/12:00 PST.

The AgrAbility webinar, "AgrAbility Outreach to Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers: Fotonovelas and Beyond." is now archived, with all past AgrAbility webinars, at www.agrability.org/Online-Training/archived/index.cfm.

The Roanoke Virginia Goodwill Industries recently hosted a workshop titled, “Challenge and Opportunity in Rural America – Helping  Goodwills Improve Services In Rural Communities”, sponsored by Goodwill Industries International, a non-profit partner with National AgrAbility. More

Eric Olson represented the National AgrAbility Project at the Amputee Coalition of America national conference August 26-29 in Irvine, California.

Amber Wolfe presented a session on the National AgrAbility Project and the Arthritis and Agriculture initiative to the attendees at the Arthritis Foundation Heartland Region Staff Conference in Chicago, IL August 3-5th. More

The Arthritis, Agriculture, and Rural Life: State of the Art Research, Practices, and Applications conference, sponsored by AgrAbility and the Arthritis Foundation, is scheduled for Indianapolis in May of 2011. More information will follow in the e-Note and through email and web communication.

The Arthritis and Agriculture Community of Interest has completed a survey and conference call regarding a Rural Arthritis Curriculum. More

Amber Wolfe will be traveling to Nebraska in September to participate in the Nebraska AgrAbility Program’s events at Husker Harvest Days and the Nebraska Rural Health Association Annual Conference.

Check here for the schedule of upcoming Community of Interest and Standing Committee call information. More

State and Regional AgrAbility Project News

California

CalAgrAbility staff participated in a number of health and ag events reaching farmers and their families in August. More

CalAgrAbility also conducted a rehabilitation workshop for ALBA, the Agriculture and Land-Based Training Association. More

CalAgrAbility staff members Martha Stiles, Emeralda Mandujano, and Crystal Martinez played a major role in the AgrAbility webinar, AgrAbility Outreach to Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers: Fotonovelas and Beyond. More

Indiana

Indiana AgrAbility/Breaking New Ground Outreach Program, along with the Purdue Agricultural Safety and Health Program, provided three displays for visitors to the Indiana State Fair this year. More

Two presentations were made showcasing the new Spanish arthritis fotonovela at migrant farmworker camps in Northern Indiana by Amber Wolfe (Arthritis Foundation) and Lupe Roland (Transition Resources) on August 11 and 12. More

Amber Wolfe hosted an educational resource booth regarding the arthritis and agriculture initiative and the Indiana AgrAbility Project at the Southeast Purdue Ag Center Field Day on August 26th in Butlerville, Indiana. More

Minnesota

On August 19, Project Director Al Rasmussen and Carol Fury, Executive Director for EquipALife, the non-profit partner in Minnesota AgrAbility Project,  gave a presentation to 120 USDA-Farm Service Agency leaders and managers.  The response was very positive on ways to work together more closely to address the needs of farmers with disabilities.

Missouri

Wanda and Russell Ramsey attended the Reynolds County Extension open house at their new Courthouse location in Centerville. Russell also talked with several of his former council members.

This summer AgrAbility staff members have been busy assisting Extension regional county offices prepare for county fair and field days, as well as training several volunteer farmers and their spouses who have been on hand to pass out AgrAbility resource materials and facilitate questions.

The College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, as a part of the Mizzou Central at the 2010 Missouri State Fair Rural Lifestyle Showcase, promoted the Missouri AgrAbility Project and AgrAbility Gardens For Every Body. More

Don Schuster demonstrated the Missouri AgrAbility chair-lift and disseminated AgrAbility information packets at the Graves-Chappel and Huntley-Whaley field days in a joint display with Jackie Allenbrand. More

Pat Snodgrass and Karen Funkenbusch co-facilitated an AgrAbility Gardens For Every Body leader training for Master Gardeners. More

Ohio

Ohio AgrAbility's website is now online at www.agrability.osu.edu. The  goal is to provide a website that is easy to navigate and can provide resources and information that will be very useful to our clients, stakeholders, and anyone involved in agriculture.

In a partnership  with the OSU School of Occupational Therapy, Ohio AgrAbility is working on a project to provide arthritis screenings for farmers across the state. More

Ohio AgrAbility collaborated with the Department of Labor's Youth Build Program to make modifications and increase usability of a client's existing farm shop. More

Preparations are underway for the Farm Science Review, which will attract upwards of 140,000 visitors from all over the country and Canada, who come for three days to peruse 4,000 product lines from 600 agricultural exhibitors. More

Oklahoma

Program Manager Sandra Stevenson teamed up with National AgrAbility Project Ergonomist Rob Stuthridge to perform four farm assessments throughout Oklahoma from August 12-15, 2010.

The 89th Annual Oklahoma 4-H Roundup took place in Stillwater, OK on July 28-30, 2010. More

Program Assistant Stacy Bauter and Program Coordinator Kevin Bell represented the Oklahoma AgrAbility Project at the Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association 58th Annual Convention & Trade Show July 29-31, 2010 in Midwest City, OK. More

Program Coordinator Kevin Bell took part in the 43rd Annual Oklahoma Career and Technology Education Summer Conference on August 2, 2010 in Tulsa, OK. More

Oklahoma AgrAbility Program Manager Sandra Stevenson conducted a presentation to Canadian County Master Gardeners on August 3, 2010 about the Oklahoma AgrAbility Project. More

The Osage County Tallgrass Women in Agriculture conference took place on August 3, 2010 in Pawhuska, OK. More

The Oklahoma AgrAbility Project was well represented at the 20th Annual Southern Plains Beef Symposium in Ardmore, OK on August 14, 2010. More

Pennsylvania

AgrAbility for Pennsylvanians, in cooperation with the PA Office of Rural Health, recently provided free health screenings to nearly 800 adults and children at the 2010 Penn State Ag Progress Days (APD) held at Rock Springs on August 17-19. More

A number of PA producers also took advantage of the opportunity to earn a core pesticide credit by attending a class offered at the AgrAbility and Rural Health Tent by the PA Office of Rural Health’s Farm Worker Protection Safety Specialist.

Vermont

Vermont AgrAbility is gearing up to start peer training soon after the fall corn harvest is completed.

Rob Stuthridge will be conducting a Vermont AgrAbility Workshop Sept. 22, titled Using Ergonomics in Choosing Assistive Technology. More

Virginia

AgrAbility Virginia will be a primary presenter in a mini-workshop on arthritis, with a particular focus on arthritis and farming, on October 1. More

Wisconsin

The Easter Seals Wisconsin FARM Program has received a grant to provide funding for five AmeriCorps member positions. More

Wyoming

Mary Fick Monteith, AT Specialist for Wyoming AgrAbility, recently manned a booth at the Living & Working on the Land conference. More

Mary Fick Monteith recently provided information regarding Wyoming AgrAbility services and materials to the WYGEC Caregivers Support Group and the Foster Grandparents (School Volunteer) Program on Aug. 17th and Aug. 20th. More

Staff Changes & Honors

NAP

Liz Semmel has taken a new position in the Admissions department at Purdue;this will be her last eNote!!

Kate Cook will be assuming the eNote responsibilites so watch your inbox for info from her. She can be contacted at cookke@purdue.edu. Welcome Kate!

Oklahoma

Please welcome Paige Eckert, Oklahoma AgrAbility’s new Graduate Research Assistant. Paige is a 2010 graduate of Oklahoma State University. She is working towards her Master’s degree at Oklahoma State in Gerontology in the Human Development and Family Science Department. Feel free to reach out to Paige at paige.eckert @okstate.edu.

Pennsylvania

Kudos to AgrAbility for Pennsylvanian’s Project Coordinator Linda Fetzer. Linda recently graduated with a Masters of Science in Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology from the Pennsylvania State University. Please be sure to congratulate Linda on this terrific achievement.

Wisconsin

Goodbye to Alina Soto, student worker for the AgrAbility of Wisconsin, UW-Madison program. We wish Alina well in her work and travels in France this coming year.

Wyoming

Kelley T. Dees has assumed the position of Project Coordinator for Wyoming AgrAbility. Dees grew up on a small farm in rural Alabama. Her college education provided training in assistive technology, ADA guidelines, and other areas related to disability.

AgrAbility in the News

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Other News

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Upcoming Events

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Problems? Contact Clifford Racz, National AgrAbility Project, racz@purdue.edu