Indiana AgrAbility staffed an exhibit at the 2016 Indiana-Illinois Farm and Outdoor Power Equipment Show in Indianapolis at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. The exhibit was staffed by Indiana staff and consultants and presented AgrAbility services and publications including Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services brochures and Farm Service Agency publications. In addition, beginning/veteran farmer resources were presented. Included in the exhibit was a Life Essentials lift on a John Deere utility tractor with a loader and backhoe.
The Purdue University central Extension district presented a beginning farmer workshop with an emphasis on taking care of your body and the coming "Good Farming Practices" regulations. Indiana AgrAbility, as a partner in the Indiana Beginning Farmer Development Project grant, staffed an exhibit with an emphasis on assistive technology for small farms and gardens plus ergonomic issues related to easier and safer work on small farms. An extra handle attached to a scuffle hoe drew a lot of attention and provided a lead-in to The Toolbox Assistive Technology Database.
Submitted by Steve Swain