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March 2012

National AgrAbility Project

Please save the date for the upcoming workshop, "AgrAbility: Creating Opportunities for Veterans and Other Agriculture Workers with Disabilities." In conjunction with the National AgrAbility Team and the Farmer Veteran Coalition, Goodwill is offering the workshop May 15-17, 2012 in Rochester, New York.

This workshop will feature information about the tools and resources available to support veterans, particularly those with disabilities, as they pursue careers in agriculture. There will be a special farmer panel of veterans with disabilities who will discuss their transition from active duty to rural agriculture living. There will be workshops focused on conducting on-farm assessments during a tour of a local dairy farm with an opportunity to discuss creating assessments that can be valuable tools for Veterans Administration vocational rehabilitation counselors. The Farmer Veteran Coalition will present a workshop on their organization's national engagement with veterans with disabilities pursing farming.

There will be a keynote presentation by Seth Turner, Goodwill Industries International Director of Public Policy, discussing the recent GII white paper, "From Deployment to Employment: Goodwill's Call to Action on Supporting Military Service Members, Veterans, and Their Families." Other event highlights will be a tour of Goodwill of the Finger Lakes (Rochester, New York) Specialized Vision Center featuring a 211 Call Center providing national veterans crisis services as well as a state of the art vision rehabilitation assistive technology center.

Registration for this workshop will be available in mid-March.

Submitted by Eric Olson


A new arthritis resource, The ABCs of Arthritis is a 30"x40" laminated poster that explains the basics of the types of arthritis, symptoms, management techniques, etc. It will make a great addition to displays! A PDF of the poster, along with a material order form, are attached. LIMITED TIME ONLY PRICING: The poster is currently priced at $55 plus shipping, which will increase at the end of April. Contact Amber Wolfe at awolfe@arthritis.org with questions.


Amber Wolfe will be participating in the 2012 Women in Agriculture Educators National Conference in Memphis, Tennessee, March 28-29. Amber will be presenting a session on the National AgrAbility Project and the Arthritis Foundation and will also be setting up a display table of information.


Dates have been set for two state "Arthritis and Agriculture" workshops. Amber Wolfe will be hosting a free community-based educational workshop on arthritis and agriculture in Montgomery, Alabama on April 5 (flyer attached). This workshop is being hosted by the Arthritis Foundation Southeast Region and ALFA Insurance. Amber will also be working with the Nebraska AgrAbility project to speak at two full-day workshops in North Platte, Nebraska (April 11) and Grand Island, Nebraska (April 12). These workshops will include information on all types of arthritis, exercise programs, AgrAbility, and more. Contact Sharry Neilsen at snielsen@unlnotes.unl.edu for more information on the Nebraska workshops.

Submitted by Amber Wolfe


The National AgrAbility Project and Indiana AgrAbility staffed a display at the 2012 National Farm Machinery Show in Louisville, Kentucky, February 15-18. The display included NAP resources, Arthritis and Agriculture brochures, and a grain bin safety/rescue display, and Linda Tarr and Carl Jenkins were among those who greeted the record crowds reported for the show.


The Marketing Committee will have their next call on Tuesday, March 20 at 1:00 pm EDT. Vicki Janisch will give an update on how Wisconsin has been marketing its project, followed by a discussion on social media with a focus on Facebook and Twitter. Feel free to join the call at 866-803-2444.

Submitted by Kylie Hendress