National AgrAbility Project News

NTW Updates

• Don't forget to send your proposals for session presentations, unconferencing sessions, and posters for the 2015 National Training Workshop! Please send your proposals to Kylie Hendress, khendres@purdue.edu, by January 16.
• Make sure your clients get their NTW Travel Stipend Applications in to Kylie Hendress, khendres@purdue.edu, by January 31. Application forms are posted on the NTW website at, http://agrability.org/ntw/scholarships.html
• Remember to get your proposals in to host the 2016 National Training Workshop! March and April are popular months for conferences so the hotels seem to book up pretty early. Please send them to Kylie Hendress (khendres@purdue.edu) by January 31.

Bill Field recently returned from discussing AgrAbility at an international symposium in India. You can even watch him climb a coconut tree with AT. More

Chuck Baldwin presented an introductory session on AgrAbility and staffed an AgrAbility booth for the Professional Agricultural Workers Conference (PAWC) at Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, AL, in December. More

Click here for the schedule of upcoming Community of Interest and Standing Committee call information.

State and Regional AgrAbility Project News

California

CalAgrAbility works closely with its partner, Ability Tools, housed with the California Foundation for Independent Living Centers in Sacramento. In January they begin a three-workshop series on communication tools. Tune in to events at http://abilitytools.org/training/calendar.php

CalAg Staff conducted a site visit to a farm in Vacaville where the farmer was diagnosed with lateral epicondylitis or tennis elbow. More

To conduct more education and outreach to Central Valley farmers, CalAgrAbility staff initiated tele-meetings with Farm Bureau executive directors from the Sacramento, Yolo, Imperial, Fresno, Stanislaus, San Luis Obispo, and Monterey Counties to promote CalAgrAbility services. More

Continuing its work on chronic diseases, the CalAgrAbility team "conferenced" with the Arthritis Foundation staff. More

CalAgrAbility Staff also attended the Virtual NTW.

Annual holiday greetings were sent to consumers acknowledging their extraordinary accomplishments in 2014 and CalAg's excitement about reconnecting with them in 2015. More

We hope all AgrAbility staff across the country enjoyed a safe and wonderful Holiday Season.

CalAgrA continues to Tweet. Follow us at https://twitter.com/calagrability

Indiana

Indiana AgrAbility staffed a display at the Indiana-Illinois Farm and Outdoor Equipment Show in Indianapolis, Indiana, December 16-18 in the West Pavilion of the Indiana State Fairgrounds. More

Linda Tarr staffed a booth at the Indiana Farm Bureau State Convention trade show held at French Lick, IN.

Maine

Maine AgrAbility served as an "authentic audience" for Leavitt Area High School students during their presentations on farming with a disability. More

Maine AgrAbility is gearing up to participate in the annual Maine Agricultural Trades Show next month in Augusta. More

A newly published book, Unique Maine Farms, by a Maine writer and photographer features stories and photos from over 185 unique farms in Maine. More

Missouri

In partnership, AgrAbility staff members from the UM Extension, Lincoln University Cooperative Extension, and Brain Injury Association of Missouri were busy during the holiday season, increasing the likelihood that Missouri farmers, ranchers, farmworkers, and farm family members with disabilities will experience success in agricultural production by facilitating certain USDA NIFA priorities. More

The Brain Injury Association of Missouri hosted an inaugural Networking Coffee for professionals in the field of brain injury on December 11, 2014, in Springfield. More

AgrAbility was a topic of interest among residential facilities caring for individuals with disabilities as an employment/revenue-generating project for residents. More

Two support groups of the Brain Injury Association of Missouri were visited. More

North Carolina

NC AgrAbility would like to congratulate the 2014-2015 NCSU Ag Engineering AgrAbility senior design teams. More

Project Coordinator Michele Proctor and NCSU Ag Engineering intern Kenny Atkins attended the NC Special Populations Workgroup quarterly meeting on December 16, hosted by the NC Community Health Center Association in Raleigh, NC. More

NC AgrAbility would like thank all of its partners, support services, and especially the North Carolina farmers for another great year!

Ohio

Ohio AgrAbility staff recently met with Dr. Carmen P. DiGiovine, PhD ATP/SMS RET, director of The OSU Assistive Technology Center, to take a tour of the facility and discuss opportunities to work together to serve Ohio AgrAbility clients. More

The Ohio AgrAbility Project's commitment to peer-to-peer relationships was in full swing on December 16 as two OAP members, as well as their wives, met to discuss the challenges of farming from a wheelchair when the diagnosis is quadriplegia. More

Wisconsin

Wisconsin staff attended the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Annual meeting December 5-7. The meeting was an opportunity for networking with other ag professionals from around Wisconsin.

Hannah Gerbitz, attended the Dodgeville Kiwanis meeting to present to the group about AgrAbility services on December 15th. The information was well-received and generated interest in future Kiwanis presentations as well as presentations to other related organizations.

AgrAbility of Wisconsin Outreach Specialist, Hannah Gerbitz, participated in the Virtual National Training Workshop December 2-4.

West Virginia

West Virginia AgrAbility personnel are currently networking with state and national organization representatives to address accessibility issues for individuals with visual impairments participating in upcoming FFA competitions. More

 

Staff Changes

Colorado

Colorado is pleased to announce that James (Jim) Craig has joined the project and will be working with Candy Leathers as a rural rehabilitation specialist. Jim is a veteran of the Marine Corps and has many connections in Colorado and Wyoming with the VA and other veteran service organizations that will hopefully assist the project in its outreach to this population. His knowledge of agriculture comes from living and working in farming communities in the West, and his previous employment and academic training in advocacy and networking will be valuable to Colorado's participants. We are very excited to have Jim join AgrAbility and look forward to his new ideas and connections.

North Carolina

NC AgrAbility would like to thank Dr. Mary Hildebrand and congratulate her on her new appointment with the MGH Institute of Health Professions in Boston, MA. Dr. Hildebrand has provided leadership and guidance for the project and occupational therapy students since 2011. She has represented NC AgrAbility at the local, state, national, and global levels, raising awareness of project services, needs of aging farmers, and competency needs of providers related to farming with disabilities or chronic conditions. Dr. Hildebrand will be working with NC AgrAbility to coordinate continuation of student projects and other continuing research. We wish Dr. Hildebrand the best of luck in her new role.

Wisconsin

Wisconsin FARM Team technical assistant Judith Guttman will be retiring in January. Judith edits and formats reports for the FARM Program. She lived for many years in Washington DC, where she taught high school English in the public schools and conducted team-building and long-term planning consultations for the Episcopal Diocese of Washington. She has a BA from Earlham College, an MA in English literature from Brandeis University, and an MA in educational technology from the Catholic University of America. We thank her for her many years of service for the FARM team in Wisconsin!

AgrAbility in the News

Click here for news stories featuring AgrAbility projects.

• Nebraska AgrAbility project provides solutions
• NC AgrAbility Partnership
• Maine AgrAbility Earns Grant to Assist Farmers with Disabilities
• As family farms fall, program lifts older, disabled farmers, ranchers
• Missouri AgrAbility Project funded for four more years
• AgrAbility helps keep farmers down on the farm
• AgrAbility: From obstacle to achievement
• Missouri Veterans Learn (and teach) about Farming
• CSU professors help disabled farmers and ranchers
• Helping hand, Missouri AgrAbility funded for four more years
• Help and friendship for farmers in need

Other News

Click here for other news of interest to AgrAbility staff members.

• US Prof's Efforts to Empower Disabled Farmers Bear Fruit in 'Field'
• Wheelchair-accessible boat gives anglers freedom to fish
• Speaker: Be conscious of choices on the farm

Upcoming Events

Click here for professional development events related to AgrAbility.

Problems? Contact Clifford Racz, National AgrAbility Project, racz@purdue.edu