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December 2011

National AgrAbility Project News

PowerPoint presentations and other handouts from the 2011 NTW are now available at http://workshop.agrability.org/2011/.

The next AgrAbility All-Staff call is slated for January. Look for more details via the listserv.

The U.S. House and Senate reconciled the 2012 Agriculture Budget, which included funding for AgrAbility, listed as "Farm Safety" on the linked document. more

The short version of the AgrAbility: It's About Hope video is scheduled for replication on DVD, and SRAPs may place orders by December 22. more

A template for SRAP brochures, based on the NAP brochure, is now available. more

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

Toolbox Spotlight
This month, the NAP begins an e-Note feature that highlights new additions to the online Toolbox Assistive Technology Database. See what's new in The Toolbox. more

State and Regional AgrAbility Project News

California

CalAgrAbility staff, including their Arthritis Foundation partner, had a great time at the National Training Workshop. more

Taking The Reins: Working and Living with Arthritis for Rural Families (TTR) workshops continue to be a popular community training. more

Last month CalAg Pacific Region partner Arthritis Foundation (AF) sponsored a leader training event in Land Exercises for Arthritis in the Sacramento area. more

The CalAg director was invited to a meeting with the director of the California Farm Service Agency (FSA) to discuss in detail collaborations for the coming year. more

The Small Farms Conference (CFC) committees have the program nailed down for 2012. more

Colorado

The Colorado AgrAbility Project (CAP) was invited to host a booth at the Colorado Association of Conservation Districts Annual Meeting in Loveland, Colorado. more

CAP shared an information booth with WY AgrAbility at the Rocky Mountain Farmers Union Annual Conference in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

Indiana

Steve Swain attended Leading Transformation, Changing the Landscape of Higher Education, aimed at working with military veterans. more

Swain also attended another event concerning working with military veterans, the Battlemind to Home II Symposium sponsored by the Roudebush Veterans Affairs Medical Center, the Department of Labor, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Military Family Research Institute at Purdue University. more

Indiana AgrAbility was represented at the Indiana Governor’s Council for People with Disabilities annual conference by Paul Jones and Linda Tarr.

The new Indiana AgrAbility Advisory Team met at Purdue University for their inaugural session of the Project's new USDA grant. more

Carol Fury of the Minnesota AgrAbility Project with Minnesota Farmers Union President Doug Peterson at the 70th annual Minnesota Farmers Union Convention.Minnesota

Al Rasmussen and Carol Fury from the Minnesota AgrAbility Project participated in the annual statewide conventions for the Minnesota Farm Bureau (93rd annual convention) and Minnesota Farmers Union (70th annual convention). more

The Minnesota AgrAbility Project greeted members, engaging them in discussions regarding services available to disabled farmers and their families. more

The Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture visited with AgrAbility staff expressing a high level of support for continuation of the AgrAbility program.

November was a busy month for the program with the National Training Workshop and the two statewide conventions keeping AgrAbility on the forefront of the farming community for Minnesotans engaging in production agriculture.

Missouri

Jackie Allenbrand reported many AgrAbility activities for the Northwest Region. more

Chris Davis, biological engineering graduate assistant with the MAP, provided an AgrAbility and adapted rural recreation lecture to one hundred and twenty junior and senior level students. more

The National AgrAbility Project was showcased at the 2011 National Small Farm Trade Show & Conference in Columbia, Missouri. more

Four Missouri AgrAbility staff members, one health educator from the CDC Arthritis Project, and ten Missouri farmers and ranchers with disabilities attended the National Training Workshop in Indianapolis, Indiana. more

Missouri AgrAbility and Missouri Health Professions Consortium held a partnership meeting with representatives from the University of Missouri, School of Health Professions; East Central College, Union, MO; Moberly Area Community College, Columbia, MO; North Central Missouri College, Trenton, MO; State Fair Community College, Sedalia, MO; and Three Rivers Community College, Poplar Bluff, MO. more

Forty five physical therapy assistant association members from Linn State Technical College, Jefferson City, Missouri were provided a three hour interactive hands-on AgrAbility demonstration by volunteer farmers and ranchers with spinal cord injuries and their caregivers. more

Nebraska

Kelly Gewecke, work incentive specialist with Easter Seals Nebraska, presented a session at the National Training Workshop focusing on Social Security work incentives, including SSI, SSDI, and PASS. more

Nebraska AgrAbility will work with several organizations on a grant received by the Nebraska Center for Rural Affairs to reach veterans interested in returning to or beginning in farming/ranching. more

Over 50 participants visited the AgrAbility booth at the Fillmore Area Health Fair in early November. Participants ranged in age from high school students through adults. more

Nebraska AgrAbility was in the news with a spot on the Noon News at KHGI-TV in central Nebraska. more

Oklahoma

Staff members conducted an educational program on AgrAbility at the Noble Foundation for their agriculture employees.

Oklahoma AgrAbility had a visible presence at the National Training Workshop in Indianapolis as several staff conducted two training sessions: "Linking Community Partners to Improve Services for Agricultural Families" and "Managing an Effective Partnership with Vocational Rehabilitation through a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) Process," co-taught with OK Department of Rehabilitation Services partners. more

The OK AgrAbility display shared the program's training and collaboration with Extension educators to promote the Project on the local level and the Arthritis Foundation partners as attending educators became certified instructors in the Arthritis Exercise program. more

Seven county Extension educators hosted a booth at the Oklahoma Farm Bureau Convention and Trade Show in Oklahoma City. more

Chelsea Gay from Jericho Settlers Farm kayaks their only surviving livestock to dry land.Vermont

Tropical Storm Irene cut a vicious swathe through central and southern Vermont, severely damaging 500 milesof road and 200 bridges. more

West Virginia

WV AgrAbility took part in the second annual Farm & Food Conference on November 5th in Huntington. more

Over the course of the past year, AgrAbility staff has worked to create a new section for the Caring for the Caregiver guide. more

Wyoming

Colorado AgrAbility and Wyoming AgrAbility shared a booth and information on program services at the recent Rocky Mountain Farm Union Meeting held in Cheyenne, Wyoming on November 18.

Wyoming AgrAbility staff members were present at the Low Vision Fair in Casper, Wyoming on November 1.

Staff Changes

Award Winners

Congratulations to Linda Jaco, Oklahoma AgrAbility Co-Director, and Bob Fetsch, Colorado AgrAbility Project Director, for  being recipients of the Breaking New Ground Achievement Award at the National Training Workshop. Both were recognized for their many years of leadership and service to AgrAbility.

Colorado

Goodwill Industries of Denver has hired Lorrie Boyer to work part time as a community relations coordinator for AgrAbility. She'll cover northeast Colorado, focusing on improving local awareness of CAP services and increasing the number of referrals from that region of the state.

Missouri

On November 1, Russell Ramsey signed a consulting agreement to facilitate AgrAbility onsite farm assessments in the Southeast region of the state. Congratulations, Russell.

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

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