National AgrAbility Project News
Goodwill of the Finger Lakes is planning a webinar focused on the importance to the 2-1-1 national information and referral network to AgrAbility and other organizations. Find out how this resource can benefit your staff and clients. Save the date for Monday, July 22 at 2:00 p.m. EDT.
The AgrAbility webinars Gardening with Effective Arthritis Management and Lighting for Health and Safety in Agricultural Settings are now archived at agrability.org/Online-Training/archived. more
May's all-staff call/web meeting is now archived at http://agrability.org/Extranet/ resources.
Amber Wolfe hosted the first conference call for the Arthritis Foundation's rural arthritis coalition, a group of AF staff interested in promoting arthritis awareness and hosting educational events specifically in the rural service areas covered by the Arthritis Foundation. more
Amber Wolfe facilitated a presentation for the Troy, OH Soroptomist Club, May 15, for Kent McGuire, Ohio AgrAbility, to present on the National AgrAbility Project.
Toolbox Spotlight
This month's spotlight features some unique solutions that could be put to even more unique uses around the farm. Click here for inspiration: more
State and Regional AgrAbility Project News
Arkansas
LaVona Traywick attended the Arkansas Rural Development Conference to provide the opportunity to gain a working knowledge of the AgrAbility program and services available to assist Arkansas' disabled rural community. more
Toby Woodson went to the Southwest Research and Extension Horticulture Field Day. more
California
CalAgrAbility conducted four English and one Spanish "Get Moving: Arthritis Prevention & Pain Management Exercise Program" classes. more
Staff also attended the annual Arthritis Walk in Sacramento. It was the biggest walk they have had in a couple of years. more
Staff also attended the Senior Resource Fair and National Senior Fitness Day at Woodland Community Center and Senior Center. more
Staff also attended the "Gardening with Effective Arthritis Management" webinar sponsored by NAP and learned valuable resources that staff will be passing on to California consumers.
The consumers that CalAgrAbility referred to One Sight have received their glasses and are happy that they are able to see well again and can continue living their daily lives. more
CalAgrAbility continues to use twitter as a networking method, with 120 followers. Follow CalAg at twitter.com/calagrability.
Colorado
This year's Goodwill Industries International Spring Conference requested that Jackie and Jim Weimer, clients of the Colorado AgrAbility Project, attend the Washington, D.C. "Hill" visits as part of Advocacy Day. more
Georgia
Vocational Rehabilitation counselors from all over the state converged on Athens, Georgia to be farmers for a day. more
The AgrAbility in Georgia bi-annual board meeting was held in May with guest speaker Jack Coan from Mobility SVM. more
Indiana
Twenty-three members of the Indiana AgrAbility Advisory Team gathered at
Easter Seals Crossroads in Indianapolis on May 30 for their spring meeting. more
Amber Wolfe attended the Midwest Women in Agriculture Stakeholder Luncheon and Meeting, May 7 in Indianapolis, and was able to share the mission of Indiana AgrAbility as well as discuss the program and educational opportunities.
Amber Wolfe presented on the Indiana AgrAbility Project and arthritis and agriculture at the Jackson County Senior Services meeting on May 14 in Seymour, IN. more
Linda Tarr visited Eastern Greene High School. more
Linda Tarr also did presentations to the Senior Mentoring group at North Vernon, Hoosier Uplands Home Health staff, and the Martin County Health Department.
Maine
Maine AgrAbility is working to establish the second official state chapter of the Farmer Veteran Coalition in Maine. more
Lani Carlson presented an "Assistive Technology and Agriculture" presentation to high school students at the 4-H Connecting Kids to Campus event held at the University of Maine campus on April 18. more
The Maine AgrAbility program was mentioned in the Portland Press Herald blog the Root on May 2. more
Missouri
Sherry Nelson, human development specialist/county program director and AgrAbility co-coordinator Northeast Region, co-facilitated the 2013 Lewis County Health & Safety Day. more
Karen Funkenbusch was a guest lecturer for the MU Adapted Recreation class. more
On Thursday, May 23, Connie Neal, University of Missouri Extension housing specialist and AgrAbility co-coordinator Northwest Region, co-facilitated "Universal Design - Plans for Better Living." more
Willard Downs, Karen Funkenbusch, Kelly Cochran, and Jackie Allenbrand participated in the May AgrAbility all staff conference call.
Jackie Allenbrand helped plan and implement the Universal Design Workshop held at MERIL on May 23 for contractors and the general public. more
North Carolina
NC AgrAbility hosted its second Peer Farmer Lunch in Greenville, NC. more
Six master of occupational therapy students at East Carolina University's College of Allied Health Sciences presented their final projects earlier in May. more
NC Farm Bureau produced a short documentary video about an NC AgrAbility client project featuring the installation of a NC State University Agricultural Engineering Senior Design solution. more
In addition to these designs, NCSU BAE students have created several new assistive technology devices; these designs with documentation will be available soon on the NC AgrAbility website.
Nebraska
Rod Peterson and Sharry Nielsen met by video conference with Vocational Rehabilitation staff across the state to give an overview of Nebraska and National AgrAbility and discuss the processes followed in collaborating with VR. more
"Women Caring for the Land," a workshop sponsored by FAN, was the site for a brief overview and Q&A session of the Nebraska project. more
Alexa Benson, an OT student from Rockhurst University in Kansas City, spent a week-long fieldwork experience with the Nebraska AgrAbility team. more
The recently-funded Temporary AT Program began a pilot period this month as Del Ficke delivered a chair lift to Clayton Hergott, an AgrAbility client in southeast Nebraska. more
Tennessee
Tennessee AgrAbility staff completed an eight-week Walk with Ease Arthritis Class. This class was opened to the public at the Northwest Gibson County YMCA. Out of the twelve participants, two were spouses of agriculture producers who experience arthritis.
West Virginia
At a planning meeting on May 9 with personnel from Future Generations, WV AgrAbility staff scheduled Assistive Technology and AgrAbility training events for upcoming months.
At Farm Safety Day Camps in West Virginia, WV AgrAbility staff provided training sessions for small groups of school children on topics of disability awareness and assistive technology equipment used during farmwork. more
On May 24, WV AgrAbility staff met with representatives of the Randolph County Department of Rehabilitation Services to present information concerning Vocational Rehabilitation and assistive technology.
At the Disability Action Center (Marion County in WV)'s "Lunch & Learn" day, WV AgrAbility staff instructed 15 adults with Intellectual/Developmental Disability on methods of planting and caring for tomato plants.
In June, WV AgrAbility will attend ISASH and RESNA events, conduct farm assessments and visitations, and visit local Department of Rehabilitation Services offices. more
Wyoming
Wyoming AgrAbility staff conducted a presentation on health in agriculture and distributed materials on May 22 at the 2013 Vendor Venue event hosted by Wyoming Assistive Technology Resources (WATR), which was held in Laramie at the Hilton Garden Inn.
Staff Changes
West Virginia
Amanda Fulk, a graduate student at West Virginia University, was recently hired for the position of graduate research assistant at West Virginia University Safety and Health Extension. Amanda will assist with WV AgrAbility activities and events.
AgrAbility in the News
Click here for news stories featuring AgrAbility projects.
- Webinar to Help Arthritis Sufferers Keep their Gardens Growing
- Back on the Farm Again
- NC AgrAbility
- Help in the Heartland
- AgrAbility Project Helps with Gardening Tips
- Georgia AgrAbility Helping Farmers Get Back to Work
- Equipment Lifts Yield Access, Independence to NC Farmers
- Farmlife: Farming With Chronic Pain: Tips that Can Help
- Voice of the People
- AgrAbility Hosts Farming Summit in Marshfield
- Wisconsin FFA Meeting as Membership Hits 29-Year High
Other News
Click here for other news of interest to AgrAbility staff members.
- Robo-Wheelchair Climbs Stairs
- Farming Helps Bring Peace to Veteran
- Food Safety Savvy for Small-Scale Farmers
- Vertical 'Pinkhouses:' The Future Of Urban Farming?
Upcoming Events
Click here for professional development events related to AgrAbility.
Problems? Contact Clifford Racz, National AgrAbility Project, racz@purdue.edu