National AgrAbility Project News
AgrAbility All-Staff Call - Thursday, February 21 at 3:00 p.m. EST = 2:00 CST = 1:00 MST = 12:00 PST. 866-803-2444 with no access code needed.
Plans for the 2013 National Training Workshop are well underway. The event will be held April 8-11 at the DoubleTree Bloomington-Minneapolis South in Minneapolis, Minnesota. more
The NAP is currently accepting proposals for session presentations for the 2013 National Training Workshop. more
NTW farmer/rancher scholarship applications have been sent out to all of the SRAPs and will also be posted on the NTW conference website: workshop.agrability.org/2013. more
The 2008 Farm Bill has been extended to the end of August 2013, thereby keeping AgrAbility authorized at its current funding level until that date.
Toolbox Spotlight
This month, new solutions in The Toolbox use simple principles of physics and engineering to make farm tasks easier and less stressful on the body. Also check out new categories such as Equipment Safety, Body Temperature Management, Skid-Steer Loaders. more
State and Regional AgrAbility Project News
California
CalAgrAbility was honored by the Greater Sacramento Pacific Region Arthritis Foundation at their Annual annual Partner Appreciation Dinner for conducting arthritis outreach to the Latino farming community as well as to other rural residents. more
CalAg staff were asked to do a presentation at the Northern 
Regional Assistive Technology Annual In-Person Conference. more
Staff completed the last 2012 Spanish language land exercise class in the Keep Moving Arthritis Prevention and Pain Management series at Clinica Tepati in Sacramento. more
Indiana
The Indiana AgrAbility Project/Breaking New Ground staffed a display at the Indiana-Illinois Farm Equipment Show in Indianapolis, Indiana. more
Linda Tarr helped with AgrAbility booths at the Indiana Governors Council for People with Disabilities annual conference, Indiana Farm Bureau State Convention, and Indiana-Illinois Farm Show.
Maine
Maine AgrAbility has posted two new articles on their website, "The Link Between Arthritis and Agriculture" and "10 Tips to Stay Safe Farming in the Winter." See extension.umaine.edu/agrability.
Minnesota
Minnesota AgrAbility staff attended and hosted a booth at the Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation's (MFBF) 94th Annual Conference and awards banquet at the Double Tree Hotel in Bloomington, Minnesota. more
Minnesota AgrAbility staff also attended and hosted a booth at the Minnesota Farmers Union annual meeting. more
Missouri
Jackie Allenbrand, AgrAbility outreach specialist, MERIL reported many AgrAbility activities. more
MU Extension AgrAbility on-campus and regional coordinators facilitated AgrAbility USDA-NIFA education, network, assistance, and marketing activities. more
AgrAbility staff members with MU Extension, University of Missouri Hospital and Clinics, School of Health Professions, and two statewide Missouri nonprofit disability organizations attended all of the sessions associated with the first virtual National Training Workshop. more
Willard Downs and Karen Funkenbusch continue to use Adobe Connect 9 and InterCall Conferencing to deliver (live or on demand) monthly AgrAbility, Farm Safety and Health, and Gardens for Every Body online and meetings and staff trainings for campus-based agricultural systems management and statewide regional extension faculty members.
The University of Missouri Extension has partnered with the Department of Agricultural Sciences at Northwest Missouri State University and Rehab Services for the Blind to provide a senior level animal science and horticulture student an internship with the Missouri AgrAbility Project. more
North Carolina
2012 has been a fruitful and productive year for NC AgrAbility. more
NCSU Ag Engineering students gave presentations in early December on their research and design ideas for agricultural assistive technology. more
Michele Proctor, project coordinator for NC AgrAbility, gave a one-hour continuing education session at the GREAT Conference for Assistive Technology at the Raleigh Convention Center December 6. more
The NC AgrAbility Partnership and the NC Agromedicine Institute were honored on December 12 at Rose Hill Plantation as a 2012 Ag Carolina Financial Grant Recipient. more
January 30-31, NC AgrAbility will have a booth with agricultural assistive technology demonstrations at the 2013 Southern Farm Show at the NC State Fairgrounds in Raleigh NC.
NC AgrAbility would like to thank the farmers who produce the food and clothes that make our seasons year round bountiful.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma Farm Bureau Women's Winter Conference was held December 1, 2012. AgrAbility provided three breakout sessions that focused on available services, assistive technology/accommodations, and potential AT funding options to 85 participants.
Vermont
VT AgrAbility will again be staffing an educational exhibit at the 2013 Vermont Farm Show during the last week of January. This event is an excellent outreach opportunity attended by 40-50,000 visitors each year.
Farmer Osha is recuperating from a major stroke. 
He uses the Ranger to keep in contact with Vermont Technical College students that are using his farm as an "incubator farm." Vermont Vocational Rehab partially funded this project.
The Vermont AgrAbility Team wishes everyone a healthy, safe, productive year.
Wyoming
Wyoming AgrAbility staff had an exhibit at the 2012 WY Natural Resources Rendezvous, held December 10-13 in Casper. The exhibit included information on hearing loss, arthritis, and agriculture.
Wyoming AgrAbility has produced a fourth bulletin in the Solutions for Living Series titled, Solutions for Living: Tools for the Enabled Garden.
Wyoming AgrAbility has produced a 2013 calendar with quotes and artwork incorporating themes of Wyoming agriculture, disability issues, resilience, and strength. Stacy Gupton, an artist and stroke survivor, combined her passions for painting and agriculture to produce the artwork for this beautiful calendar.
Staff Changes
West Virginia
Please welcome a new staff member to West Virginia AgrAbility: Carmen Lea Fullmer, AT Specialist; cfullmer@hsc.wvu.edu.
AgrAbility in the News
Click here for news stories featuring AgrAbility projects.
- Cold Weather Injuries, Illness Can Be Reduced
- Dairy Producer Receives Hope with Help of Colorado AgrAbility
- Workshops Empower Farmers, Ranchers to Take Better Care of Families
- Snapshot: Hearing Tests
- Community Garden to be Joint Project
- Arthritis Affects One In Every Three Farmers
Other News
Click here for other news of interest to AgrAbility staff members.
- MatchingDonors Provides Organ Donation Link
- Indianapolis Motor Speedway Agrees to Meet US Disability Requirements at 104-year Old Track
Upcoming Events
Click here for professional development events related to AgrAbility.
Problems? Contact Clifford Racz, National AgrAbility Project, racz@purdue.edu