National AgrAbility Project News
Save the date: AgrAbility all-staff call/web meeting on March 20 at 11:00 a.m. EDT.
AgrAbility is included in the new Farm Bill. more
Registration is open for the 2014 National Training Workshop. more
Remember to book your hotel reservations for the 2014 NTW at the Downtown Lexington Hilton before the room block closes on March 7. more
Don't forget the NTW hospitality suite and the auction to raise funds for farmer/rancher travel stipends. more
Don't forget to submit your proposals in to host the 2015 NTW. more
Order by February 21 to recieve the special offer on newly reprinted Arthritis and Agriculture booklets. more
Make sure to use agrability-staff@lists.purdue.edu and not agrability-staff-bounces@lists.purdue.edu. Your message will bounce if you use the latter.
Amber Wolfe continues her participation with the Osteoarthritis Action Alliance as the AgrAbility representative, and continues to serve on the planning committee for the Midwest Women in Agriculture conference and the AgrAbility National Training Workshop.
The NAP website now lists recent additions to the Toolbox on the left column under the main menu.
State and Regional AgrAbility Project News
California
CalAg attended the first Conferencia de Promotores, "Promotores Conference," in Woodland, CA. more
CalAg had a booth at the Farm to School Farmer Training at the UC Davis Robert Mondavi Institute for Food & Wine, and CalAg-Arthritis Foundation leaders conducted land exercises at rural venues in January.
CalAgrAbility continues to use Twitter with over 100 followers.
CalAg also publishes at least 24 bilingual PSAs per year. more
Staff participated in the webinar Improving Rural Behavioral Health Services for Veterans and the quarterly Ergonomics Roundtable.
Staff attended a collaborative meeting in Yolo County and presented on the Arthritis Foundation exercise classes. more
CalAg has new collaborators, Woodland Hearing Aid Services Inc. and the Center for Families. more
Colorado
In January, the Colorado AgrAbility Project received additional funding of $20,600 from the Spalding Community Foundation Fund, a fund established at Community First Foundation. more
Indiana
Indiana AgrAbility/Breaking New Ground staff and volunteers staffed displays at the Fort Wayne Farm Show and the Indiana Horticulture Congress. more
Linda Tarr, Indiana AgrAbility, has been working with the county Soil and Water Conservation Districts. more
Kentucky
KY AgrAbility is getting ready for the National Training Workshop. more
Dispite the weather, John Hancock, KY project director, was able to attend the two day KY Beef Cattle Conference in Lexington earlier this month. more
In early February, KY AgrAbility will have a booth at the National Farm Machinery Show in Louisville, KY. more
While working on the NTW, KY AgrAbility is also working with sponsors to plan the 11th Annual Summer Assistive Technology Workshop. more
KY AgrAbility has joined with the KY Department of Agriculture in promoting the Homegrown by Heroes effort for farmer veterans. more
Another project that was begun last year was the "Healing Garden" at Ft. Knox, KY. more
Ky AgrAbility continues to attend each of KY State University's "Third Thursday Event," held at the KSU Demonstration Farm south of Frankfort, KY. more
Maine
Maine AgrAbility staff spent three days in January at the 2014 Agricultural Trades Show in Augusta. more
Maine AgrAbility has shared two new success stories this month, one from a home gardener and the other from a dairy goat farmers with PTSD.
Minnesota
Minnesota AgrAbility Project staff Al Rasmussen and Dan Stores attended the Upper Midwest Regional Fruit and Vegetable Growers Conference held January 15-17 2014, in St. Cloud, Minnesota. more
Minnesota AgrAbility staff members continue making preparations for the 2014 Fence Line Conference being held March 16-17 2014 at the Holiday Inn and Suites, St. Cloud, Minnesota. more
Missouri
The Road Map to Military Resources, A Guide to Missouri Resources for Military Service Members and Their Families continues to be disseminated across the state. more
Karen and Willard participated in the Ext ANR/ASM third Friday Adobe Connect meeting with campus-based agricultural systems management faculty and statewide regional extension faculty. more
AgrAbility staff members Maureen Cunningham, director, Brain Injury Association of Missouri and Jon Sabala, veterans services director, Department of Mental Health attended the face-to-face MOBHA Alliance meeting. more
During the month of December 2013, AgrAbility staff were involved with several national activities. more
The Arthritis Online Toolkit includes the basic building blocks needed to create a personal approach to managing arthritis and related conditions, including osteoporosis and fibromyalgia, at home. more
North Carolina
NC AgrAbility is getting geared up for a very busy show season. more
NC AgrAbility will once again have an interactive booth at the 2014 Southern Farm Show in Raleigh, NC. more
On March 14, 2014, Dr. Mary Hildebrand with East Carolina University Occupational Therapy will be conducting training for medical professionals on the NC AgrAbility curriculum in Kannapolis, NC. more
Ohio
Ohio AgrAbility has been conducting "I'm not as young as I used to be!" farming and gardening workshops throughout the state. more
Ohio AgrAbility staff will be continuing to work with the University of Dayton on AgrAbility-related projects. more
The Ohio AgrAbility Project and Goodwill Easter Seals Miami Valley have begun the process of working together to develop resources for systems in greenhouse environments that will expand opportunities for those with disabilities.
Ohio AgrAbility staff recently followed up with an Ohio AgrAbility member who received services from Ohio's Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities/BVR--the outcomes from the services were excellent, with the member using the assistive technology to its fullest capacity. more
Utah
AgrAbility staff members presented at the annual convention of the Utah Farmers Union and Utah Pork Producers on January 10. more
Anne Brown-Reither and Darlene Carlisle have been presenting to all Utah Farm Service Agency regions. more
Wisconsin
The AgrAbility of Wisconsin Project exhibited at the La Crosse Farm Show in La Crosse, Wisconsin January 15-16. The exhibit included an AgrAbility tabletop display and resource materials.
West Virginia
The Farm Bureau Agriculture and Forestry Day at the West Virginia State Legislature will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesday, March 5, 2014. more
The West Virginia Department of Agriculture (WVDA) and the West Virginia Soil Conservation Agency (WVSCA) hosted "Agriculture and Soil Conservation Day" at the West Virginia Legislature on Wednesday, January 21. more
Farmers learned from agriculture, business, and production experts during the Farm Opportunities Day Conference's two unique training sessions on Friday, Jan. 24, and Saturday, Jan. 25, in Glenville, West Virginia. more
AgrAbility staff continues to maintain contact with West Virginia farmers. more
WV farmers with disabilities have recently been provided with various solutions by WV AgrAbility Assistive Technology specialists. more
AgrAbility staff will work with West Virginia State University on funding for a potting shed and the implementation of raised beds in a high tunnel in Fayette County.
AgrAbility UK
AgrAbility UK, already functioning in England, is establishing its services in Ireland. Based in County Cork, it will share the aims of the AgrAbility projects in the USA and further extend the availability of technical assistance without cost to disabled farmers, equestrians, and rural workers.
It will be managed by Dr. Robert Stuthridge, formerly project ergonomist with the NAP.
Staff Changes
Missouri
Welcome Lindsey Gregory who is serving as an intern this semester with the MO AgrAbility Project. Lindsey is a junior health sciences major and a minor in agricultural systems management at the University of Missouri-Columbia. She grew up on a farm in Excelsior Springs, Missouri and also works full time for Boone Hospital Center Ambulance Service as an EMT-B. After graduating from the University of Missouri, she would like to go to graduate school for a physician's assistant program.
Ohio
Ohio AgrAbility would like to welcome new staff members, Andy Bauer and Andrea Gorzitze:
Andy Bauer is the new education coordinator. Andy comes to us with a farm background and 29 years experience in the commercial grain industry. Andy's responsibilities will include developing educational resources, conducting presentations to farmers and agricultural groups, and providing on-site farm assessment and educational training.
Andrea Gorzitze will be taking on the responsibilities of marketing coordinator. Andrea's experience includes outreach, marketing, and working with grant funded programs. Andrea will be developing media materials, website content, display materials, and coordinating webinars and workshops for Ohio AgrAbility.
Wisconsin
AgrAbility of Wisconsin said farewell to Hannah Gerbitz as she recently graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in December 2013. Hannah served as the AgrAbility program assistant for over a year in all facets of the program and was a vital part of expanding our social networking. Hannah is now a sales and marketing associate at DuPont Pioneer here in Wisconsin and we wish her all the best.
AgrAbility of Wisconsin welcomes Lisa Schram as the new AgrAbility program assistant. Lisa is currently a junior majoring in agricultural business management.
AgrAbility in the News
Click here for news stories featuring AgrAbility projects.
- AgrAbility National Training Workshop Set in Lexington
- Nebraska AgrAbility Giving Support to Farmers/Ranchers Facing Disabilities
- Technology Helps Farmers Deal With Health Risks
- Farmer Continues Farming With Help of Colorado AgrAbility
- Disabled Outdoorsman a Model for Successful Conservation Planning
- In Spite of Nerve Damage, Farmer Keeps on Farming
- Gift of Mobility: West Sider Helps Develop 'KidWalk'
Other News
Click here for other news of interest to AgrAbility staff members.
- Senate Passes Long-Stalled Farm Bill, With Clear Winners and Losers
- The Ultimate UTV Evaluation
- How Food Hubs Are Helping New Farmers Break Into Local Food
- Connecting With a Peer Support Group in Your Community
- Developing the Farm's Brand Is Important to Your Business
- Photographer Captures the Daily Life of the Female Farmer
- Vertical Farms Sprouting All Over the World
- Introducing Liftware
- Deaf Seahawks Fullback Derrick Coleman Handed out Free Hearing Aids Before Super Bowl
- Fierce Woman in a Wheelchair Stars in New Diesel Ad
Upcoming Events
Click here for professional development events related to AgrAbility.Problems? Contact Clifford Racz, National AgrAbility Project, racz@purdue.edu