AgrAbility eNote banner
November 2010

National AgrAbility Project News

Please join the NAP for the AgrAbility all-staff call on Thursday, November 18 at 3:00pm EST/2:00pm CST/1:00pm MST/12:00pm PST. Featured agenda items are a legislative update from Seth Turner of Goodwill Industries International and comments from John Davis of the USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA) on outreach to under-served farmers and ranchers. The call-in number number is 800-213-8794 with Meet Me number 66523.

Registration is open for the AgrAbility In-Service Workshop in Corvallis, Oregon on February 24-25, 2011. more

Mark your calendars for the 2011 AgrAbility National Training Workshop (NTW) in Indianapolis on November 7-10 as we celebrate AgrAbility's 20th anniversary. The Hilton Indianapolis Hotel and Suites was recently chosen as the conference hotel.

Steve Swain, ATP, the AT Specialist for the NAP and Rural Rehabilitation Specialist for the Indiana Agrability Project, presented two workshops at the Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA) conference in Schaumburg, Illinois. more

The national arthritis and agriculture conference planning committee continues working on the Arthritis, Agriculture, and Rural Life: State of the Art Research, Practices, and Applications conference, which will be held at the Purdue University Beck Center in West Lafayette, IN from May 11-13. more

New Exhibit Poster Available! The Arthritis and Agriculture educational poster display is a 30”x40” laminated poster (PDF), great for use at health fairs, county and state agricultural and 4-H fairs, farm shows, and more. more

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

State and Regional AgrAbility Project News

Wyoming

Wyoming AgrAbility briefly presented the program’s services to the support staff of the WY Cooperative Extension Service on September 29.

On September 28-30, WY AgrAbility "wo-manned" a booth at the WY Public Health Association Conference.

Wyoming AgrAbility also had a booth October 20-22 at the MEGA Conference in Laramie, WY.

West Virginia

West Virginia AgrAbility presented at the West Virginia Occupational Therapy Association (WVOTA) Conference, held October 2nd at Mountain State University. more

West Virginia AgrAbility hosted this year’s National AgrAbility Training Week (NATW) at the Charleston Marriott Town Center in October. This year’s conference had approximately 190 participants. more

Vermont

There are now 16 Barn Builders in the Vermont peer support program.

George Cook, Bill Snow, Gail Lapierre and Tom Younkman attended the NAP conference in West Virginia, with Gail serving as one of the hosts for the workshop. Alex Jump worked from Vermont with Emily Morehouse to present a workshop on social media.

Tom Younkman worked with Rob Stuthridge to present an unconferencing session on peer support at the NTW.

Vermont AgrAbility has officially launched its "AgrAbility Without Borders” project.

Oklahoma

The Oklahoma AgrAbility Project hosted a conference titled “Rehabilitating Oklahoma Farmers and Ranchers” from October 8-9, 2010. more

Take a look at the Oklahoma AgrAbility Project Fall 2010 Newsletter. more

Nebraska

Occupational and physical therapists from western Nebraska recently took part in a day-long seminar, Rehabilitating Farmers and Ranchers with Disabilities. more

Missouri

Jackie Allenbrand, MERIL, continues to discuss how the P.H.A.R.M. Dog project started and where it is heading along with services provided by the AgrAbility program throughout the Northeast region.

Trisa Nickoley, Karen Funkenbusch, Willard Downs, and Susan Tharp, University of Missouri Extension, developed a Rural Lifestyle Farmer Disability Survey in collaboration with the AgrAbility Program and Country Living Association. more

Brandon Doosing, Russell Ramsey, Lee Howerton, Kevin Brown, and Don Funkenbusch are “volunteering” their disability expertise by participating in MU student class projects (Journalism, Nursing, and Occupational Therapy). more

Don Schuster and Willard Downs, University of Missouri Extension, met with Debi Kelly, coordinator of the Missouri SARE program, to learn more about the “North Central Region - Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (NCR-SARE) Farmer Rancher Grants”. more

Don Schuster, University of Missouri Extension, updated several AgrAbility assistive technology and equipment displays. more

Karen Funkenbusch, Willard Downs, Don Schuster, Trisa Nickoley, Sandy Zaring, and Kristi Perry, University of Missouri Extension, are developing AgrAbility products to be distributed throughout Missouri. more

Don Schuster, University of Missouri Extension, conducted a show-and-tell demonstration of ergonomic hand tools applicable to farmers and ranchers with disabilities and talked about and distributed resource materials to fifty participants during the Access II Independent Living Center “Open House and 4th Annual DisAbility Awareness Day” in Gallatin, Missouri.

Karen Funkenbusch, University of Missouri Extension, is coordinating AgrAbility training for the medical community (OT, PT, Speech, Respiratory, Social Worker, Nurse, and Physician) in Northeast Missouri.

Indiana

WLFI TV featured Breaking New Ground/Indiana AgrAbility, in its Heroes Among Us segment. more

California

Three staff members represented CalAgrAbility at this year’s NTW, including one of the project’s outstanding Arthritis Foundation representatives. more

Staff conducted an in-service workshop for the California Foundation for Independent Living Centers and the California AT Network, who requested it after attending the Sept. 2 webinar on diversity. more

Attending the San Jose 18th Annual Adult Health Services Faire with the Arthritis Foundation yielded interested consumers from the East Bay region. more

Staff Changes & Honors

Missouri

Please welcome Darrell Wooten to the Missouri AgrAbility Project. Darrell was hired by Services for Independent Living (SIL), one of our independent living centers assisting with the AgrAbility Program. As the SIL Adaptive Technology Manager, Darrell will assist AgrAbility with making referrals, distributing information, and conducting show-and-tell demonstrations of assistive technologies and adapted devices for individuals with disabilities.

AgrAbility in the News

Click here for news stories featuring AgrAbility projects

Other News

Click here for other news of interest to AgrAbility staff members

Upcoming Events

Click here for professional development events related to AgrAbility


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