Maine

Maine AgrAbility Project Coordinator Lani Carlson attended the 42nd Annual Maine Fishermen's Forum. This three-day event is the largest of its kind in New England - one dedicated to offering fishermen, clammers, lobstermen, aquaculturalists, and other related seafood industry participants, an opportunity to meet on neutral ground, with over 30 seminars related to the fishing industry. During the forum, Lani was able to meet and plan future working relationships with the Maine Lobstermen's Association, the NEC (Northeast Center for Occupational Health and Safety in Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing), and UMass Amherst around their current work on preventing pain and injury in lobstering.

Ellen Gibson, Maine AgrAbility specialist with Goodwill Industries of Northern New England, demonstrated some assistive technology for gardeners in a presentation at the March 9 meeting of the Boothbay Region Garden Club. Gibson focused on the two major problems encountered by people who do extensive gardening: lower back problems brought on and exacerbated by bending and stooping, and the eventual arthritis that can set in after years of repetitive motion in the garden. Click here to read an article on the meeting.

On March 19, Maine AgrAbility gave a presentation about AgrAbility and the University of Maine Cooperative Extension at the Farmer Veteran Coalition of Maine workshop for veterans interested in farming in Maine. This event drew about 20 new and beginning farmer veterans interested in learning more about farming as a business, and the resources available.

Submitted by Lani Carlson