National AgrAbility Project News
AgrAbility All-Staff Call/Web Meeting on Tuesday, December 17 at 3:00 p.m. EST via 866-803-2444 with no access code needed. A preliminary agenda will be sent soon.
More than 70 individuals participated in the 2013 AgrAbility Virtual National Training Workshop. more
New AgrAbility 30-second PSA video posted to YouTube. view Files for the video are posted on the AgrAbility Extranet for staff to use and/or modify.
The AgrAbility webinar Osteoarthritis, Joint Stress, and Injury Prevention in Livestock Production is archived at http://www.agrability.org/Online-Training/archived/index.cfm.
Kylie Hendress of National AgrAbility, Linda Bokros of Kentucky AgrAbility, and Mike Lewis of Growing Warriors Project, presented "AgrAbility and the Farmer Veteran: A Panel Discussion" at the Empowering Women Veterans conference held in Louisville, Kentucky on November 15-17. more
The NAP is currently accepting proposals for session presentations, unconferencing sessions, and posters for the 2014 National Training Workshop in Lexington, Kentucky. more
NTW farmer/rancher travel stipend applications have been sent out to all of the SRAPs and previous NTW travel stipend recipients. more
Amber Wolfe attended the National Center for Farmworker Health's Midwest Stream Forum in South Padre Island, Texas from November 14-16. more
Toolbox Spotlight
There are plenty of items in the Toolbox that would make a great last minute Christmas gift for someone on your list, including these new solutions: more
State and Regional AgrAbility Project News
Arkansas
Arkansas AgrAbility participated in the Gerontological Society of America annual scientific meeting held in New Orleans November 20-24, presenting a poster and paper on the results of the Strength Training with Medicine Balls study, and providing an information booth on the AgrAbility program with educational and informational materials.
California
CalAgrAbility is working with a cattle farmer on an option to attend the UC Davis 3rd Annual Beef Improvement and Low Stress Cattle Handling Seminar in January 2014 where Temple Grandin is a featured speaker.
CalAg received a request for collaboration from Free Range Learning, a small food and farming education service in Wales, UK.
In August CalAgrAbility mentioned that staff, with a prosthetist from Merced, CA, were working to provide a farm worker with a prosthetic arm. more
CalAg is also working with the ARC in Riverside County on a request to assist beginning farmers.
CalAgrAbility conducted five "Get Moving: Arthritis Prevention and Pain Management Exercise Program" workshops at Clinica Tepati in Sacramento and at RISE INC in Winters and Esparto in English and Spanish. more
Staff participated in the SafeTALK training conducted by the Yolo County Dept of Alcohol, Drug, and Mental Health where staff learned how to acknowledge initiations and how to keep individuals safe from completing suicide. more
As part of CalAg's outreach to Spanish-speaking communities via print, radio, and video, CalAg prepares monthly public service announcements and coordinates dissemination with the University of California Bilingual Media Services Division. more
Indiana
Linda Tarr, Indiana AgrAbility, participated in the Indiana Woodland Owners conference held at Clifty Falls State Park in Madison.
Maine
Maine AgrAbility attended the Maine Farm Bureau annual meeting in Bar Harbor, Maine. more
Maine AgrAbility nonprofit partner Alpha One presented a free webinar exploring Maine's mPower! Loan Program offering low interest financing that increases the purchasing power of people with disabilities in Maine.
Maine AgrAbility will be conducting one-hour training on arthritis and agriculture at the Maine Agricultural Trade Show as part of the Beginning Farmer Resource Network class schedule.
Minnesota
Dan Stores and Carol Fury from the Minnesota AgrAbility Project participated in the annual statewide conventions for the Minnesota Farm Bureau (95th annual convention) and Minnesota Farmers Union (72nd annual convention). more
October and November were busy months for the Minnesota AgrAbility Project staff: multiple training sessions were provided at statewide conferences, sharing information on assistive technology and the AgrAbility Project, keeping AgrAbility at the forefront of the farming community for Minnesotans engaging in production agriculture.
Missouri
During the month of November, AgrAbility staff (Extension and nonprofit) participated in several national committee teleconferences: Program Evaluation Committee, Networking Committee, and Back Impairment Working Group.
Willard Downs facilitated the Extension ANR/ASM third Friday Adobe Connect meeting with campus-based agricultural systems management faculty and statewide regional extension faculty.
AgrAbility staff members Maureen Cunningham, Jon Sabala, and Karen Funkenbusch participated in the monthly MOBHA Alliance teleconference. more
The "Road map to military resources, A guide to Missouri resources for military service members and their families" has been released. more
Maureen Cunningham, director, Brain Injury Association of Missouri, reported that sports-related concussions are frequently in the news these days. more
In January of 2014, the Missouri School of Law will launch a free Veterans Clinic to help veterans, including AgrAbility clients, seeking disability benefits in appellate court. more
North Carolina
NC AgrAbility hosted the eastern Fall AgrAbility Farmer Lunch on October 4 in Greenville, NC. more
NC AgrAbility team member Dr. Mary Hildebrand and five occupational therapy master's degree students presented an educational session at the NC Occupational Therapy Association 2013 fall conference "Advancing Occupational Therapy" in Raleigh, NC. more
NC AgrAbility was invited by the NC State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences to join them in a booth called "Agriculture of Today" at the 2013 North Carolina State Fair in Raleigh, NC. The Fair ran from October 16- 27. more
NC AgrAbility published several articles this month as well as releasing CD and printed copies of disability-specific toolbox packages. more
Nebraska
Easter Seals Nebraska Project Director Angie Howell staffed a booth at the Fillmore County Health Fair, which had 286 registered attendees. more
The Midwest Rural Agricultural Safety and Health Conference was held in Ames, IA, November 19-20. more
The Temporary AT program continues to help clients with needs for equipment on a short-term basis. more
Ohio
In an effort to reduce injuries and help aging farmers remain productive in agriculture, Ohio AgrAbility will be conducting an "I'm not as young as I used to be!" farming and gardening workshop throughout the state. more
Ohio AgrAbility tried a new approach for hosting the fall OAP advisory board meeting by conducting the meeting through an interactive webinar. more
Ohio's Peer to Peer network met in Troy, Ohio on November 15 to experience the use of a trailer-mounted personnel lift in order to compare it to a lift mounted directly to a piece of equipment.
Utah
AgrAbility of Utah participated in the annual Utah Farm Bureau Convention and Trade Expo in Layton, UT November 21-22.
West Virginia
The 2013 West Virginia University Extension annual meeting united old friends and welcomed new faces to WVU Extension Service. more
The statewide annual Farm Bureau meeting was held in Flatwoods, West Virginia on November 8-10, 2013. more
The WV AgrAbility partnership meeting was held in the Morgantown Safety and Health Extension office on November 12, 2013. more
Staff Changes
Vermont
It is with great pleasure that the Vermont AgrAbility team welcomes Geoff Whitchurch to the Vermont AgrAbility Project. Geoff will be joining us to provide leadership for AgrAbility outreach efforts as our AgrAbility Educational Coordinator. Geoff will be located in the Morrisville office, beginning December 2. Geoff joins Gail Lapierre, Bill Snow, Tom Younkman (VCIL), Amy Walker, and George Cook. The whole crew looks forward to working with our newest team member.
AgrAbility in the News
Click here for news stories featuring AgrAbility projects.
- What's Possible
- Can You Childproof the Farm?
- Ohio AgrAbility to Host Statewide Aging Farmers Workshops
- Come to the Fair!
Other News
Click here for other news of interest to AgrAbility staff members.
- Make Your Purchases Count for the Brain Injury Association of Missouri
- PHARM Dog Update
Upcoming Events
Click here for professional development events related to AgrAbility.
Problems? Contact Clifford Racz, National AgrAbility Project, racz@purdue.edu