National AgrAbility Project News
NTW Updates
Save the Date postcards were mailed to each SRAP for distribution to your constituents. Please let the NAP know if you need more!- Plans are well underway for the 2017 NTW Auction, a fund-raising event that contributes to our ability to provide farmer stipends to the conference. A new Basket Raffle will be added. More
- The NTW hotel website is now open for reservations.
- Conference Hotel: Holiday Inn World’s Fair Park: Click here
- Hilton Knoxville for additional accessible rooms: Click here
- Stipends: click the link for the Farmer/Rancher Stipend Application Form NOTE: All stipends are subject to guidelines sent earlier to SRAPS via email.
(NIFA) has released the 2017 Request for Applications (RFA) for the AgrAbility competitive grant program. Applications are due February 15, 2017. Webinar for interested applicants on January 24th at 2p.m. EST. More
New AgrAbility video on veterans in agriculture: The Next Mission: Breaking Down Barriers for Veterans in Agriculture is posted on the AgrAbility YouTube channel at www.nextmission.us. More
AgrAbility Webinar Series: Maximizing Employment while Supplementing with Social Security Benefits. Thursday, January 26, 11:00 a.m. ET. Find out about the benefits and restrictions of various Social Security Administration work incentives and benefit programs. More
Topics have been set for the 2017 Virtual National Training Workshop webinars, February 21-23. More
Toolbox Spotlight: Mounted to skid steer or track loaders with quick-attach plates, Inverted Log Splitters provide an alternative to the process of physically lifting and positioning the logs, operating the splitting machine, then loading or stacking the split wood.
State and Regional AgrAbility Project News
California
CalAgrAbility presented to a group of 25 migrant farmworker parents on AgrAbility services and arthritis. More
CalAgrAbility attended the 2016 Veteran Celebration at the USDA headquarters in Davis. The celebration featured veteran advocates from NRCS, The Soldiers Project, Purple Star, and the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee. More
CalAgrAbility added an "Event Locator" tab at calagrability.ucdavis.edu to help agencies and web traffic learn about outreach events around the California. More
Colorado
The Colorado AgrAbility Project (CAP) has been busy since the last e-Note posting. Their Winter Workshops are underway, so they are on the road traveling Colorado and presenting information on AgrAbility, rural mental wellness, and financial tips for farming in hard times. More
The University of Colorado Medical School, Rural Community Health Track, invited CAP to present at its Grand Rounds. About 40 medical students attended.
CAP was also invited to appear on post at Fort Carson to be on a panel for their "Veterans in Agriculture" event. As if CAP did not have plenty to do, the Farmers Union asked them to take part in their annual conference and training. More
A work-group comprising Colorado state legislators asked CAP to take part in a planning session to present monthly veterans' caucuses. More
Finally, Colorado AgrAbility was able to assist two disabled veteran clients in purchasing a much-needed tractor to compensate for their limited mobility, stamina, and grip strength. More
Georgia
Several years ago, AgrAbility in Georgia broke ground for a farm to demonstrate universal design concepts and technical solutions in farming. More
Indiana
Indiana AgrAbility staffed an exhibit at the 2016 Indiana-Illinois Farm and Outdoor Power Equipment Show in Indianapolis at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. More
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. More
Linda Tarr attended the Indiana Farm Bureau Convention in Ft. Wayne, served as a delegate, and had a booth in the trade show. Linda also worked the booth at the Indiana Illinois Farm Machinery Show in Indianapolis.
Michigan
Michigan AgrAbility had a meeting in December 2016 with its Client Panel to review and discuss 2016 activities and to gather their suggestions for sustainability. More
Michigan AgrAbility was the recipient of the talents of a very generous individual, a client at the Eisenhower Center, a rehabilitation facility for individuals having a traumatic brain injury, who made the project a combine made of wood with real moving parts. More
Michigan AgrAbility and Easter Seals are supporting Susan Kegerreis, who at age 5 was diagnosed with Charcot Marie Tooth Disease (CMT). More
Missouri
Sherry Nelson and Karen Funkenbusch have been accepted to present a three-hour breakout session about "Agriculture and Veterans" at the National Association of Social Workers, Missouri Chapter, 2017 Show-Me Annual Symposium.
MU Extension was awarded a USDA Office of Advocacy and Outreach, Outreach, and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers Program (also known as the 2501 Program) grant. More
In December 2016, Rebecca Mott, Kimberly Keller, and Karen Funkenbusch submitted a paper, "Maintaining "Business As Usual: A PhotoVoice Evaluation of the Missouri AgrAbility Project" for consideration to the Journal of Agromedicine - practice, policy & research "Impacting human health and safety in agriculture via influential change agents."
Rebecca Mott, Kimberly Keller, and Karen Funkenbusch were accepted to present their NIFA-funded programmatic poster, "How do clients perceive the Missouri AgrAbility program is impacting their lives?" at the 2016 MU Extension Summit.
Karen Funkenbusch was accepted to present her NIFA-funded AgrAbility programmatic poster, "Success of Missouri Farm Family Members with Disabilities through AgrAbility Program" at the 2016 MU Extension Summit. More
Missouri's collaborative partners assisted University of Missouri health science students to design the following "new" AgrAbility resource materials: More
The Brain Injury Association of Missouri (BIA-MO) increased awareness and referrals to the Missouri AgrAbility Project through its exhibit at the Coordinated School Health Conference to educate school nurses and administrators about farming and ranching as a career option for soon-to-be graduates with disabilities, including brain injury. More
North Carolina
NC AgrAbility is working on outreach with local Extension Offices in NC.
The NC AgrAbility Partnership continues to assist clients, this month assisting a client with retinitis pigmentosa. Here is a resource gathered in the research process to help our client: Learn NVDA: A Free Screen Reader for Windows
Ohio
Ohio AgrAbility (OAP) was fortunate to have a partnership grant with the Ohio Attorney General (AG), utilized to supplement funding when other sources didn't meet the full needs of the farmers. More
Pennsylvania
AgrAbility PA had a busy and productive year in 2016! It was filled with meeting new clients, farm assessments, outreach events, and more. More
The services, resources, and support provided by AgrAbility PA have helped many farmers and agricultural workers to live independently and to continue working in production agriculture. More
Project Assistant Abbie Spackman represented AgrAbility at the 2016 Pennsylvania Women's Agricultural Network's Annual Symposium: Sharing Seeds across the Rural Urban Divide. More
A member of the AgrAbility PA advisory council, Dr. Daniel Foster, received a great award! More
Tennessee
HAPPY AND PROPEROUS NEW YEAR FROM TENNESSEE AGRABILITY PROJECT!
December is usually a catch-up month for Tennessee AgrAbility (TAP) but not in 2016!
TAP was represented before three Tennessee USDA groups: NRCS/TN State Technical Advisory Committee, Civil Rights/Special Emphasis Program Managers Committee, and the East TN NRCS field offices meeting. More
You could also find TAP at the Henry Co. Livestock Association Field Day. It was a cold, windy day, but a great turn out with a hot meal made it worthwhile. TAP had an exhibit and presented, and came away with three referrals.
Tennessee Farm Bureau held their annual meeting at the Cool Springs Marriott in Franklin, TN. AgrAbility was represented with an exhibit, where literature and Soap-in-a-Hose were handed out. TAP came away with three referrals.
The third of six beginning farmer workshops is scheduled for January 25, at the Montgomery County Extension office in Clarksville. https://tiny.utk.edu/beginfarmer. Registration deadline is January 13.
NTW Update: Less than three months until NTW in Knoxville, TN and planning has well underway. Please let us know what you want to see in TN!
Texas
Battleground to Breaking Ground Entrepreneurial Training Program is now taking applicants for the first cohort. The Program is a three-part training program for military veterans and beginning farmers and ranchers. More
Texas AgrAbility went to the Central Texas Cow Calf Clinic in Cameron, Texas and promoted AgrAbility to 120 producers.
Erin Kimbrough, Texas AgrAbility program coordinator, attended the Farmer Veteran Coalition Stakeholder 
Conference in East Lansing, Michigan November 30-December 2.
Texas AgrAbility assisted client Louis Morgan assemble his hoop house in Navasota, Texas.
Vermont
Vermont continues to work without a USDA grant. Because the University of Vermont Extension Service (the Vermont land-grant university) had partnered with the Vermont Center for Independent Living (VCIL) as their nonprofit partner, Vermont continues to have an AgrAbility project. More
Wisconsin
The AgrAbility of Wisconsin Annual Summit will be held on March 15that the National Farm Medicine Center in Marshfield, WI. Staff and presenters will cover topics including UAVs and assistive technology for farmers, succession planning and steps for transitioning a farm, how to work on the farm with an injury, and injury prevention.
West Virginia
West Virginia AgrAbility grant partners met in Morgantown at the West Virginia University Safety and Health Extension office for a brainstorming session on how to better-assist West Virginia farmers. More
West Virginia AgrAbility continues to provide information and resources to farmers requesting assistance. More
AgrAbility in the News
Click here for news stories featuring AgrAbility projects.
- AgrAbility gains support
- Kentucky AgrAbility
- Assistive technology to help families farm
- Video introduces veterans to farming
- Colorado AgrAbility Workshops
Other News
Click here for other news of interest to AgrAbility staff members.
- Determined Military Vet Uses FSA to Get Back to the Farm
- USDA expands advocacy office
- Farmers concerned over labor source
- Transfer of farmland just got easier
- New program to foster organic growth
- A game-changer for crop protection
- Rural development funds aid N.M. town
- Farm Bureau sends message to Congress
- Federal waters to open for fish farming
- Grants to support local food sector
Upcoming Events
Click here for professional development events related to AgrAbility.Problems? Contact Chuck Baldwin, National AgrAbility Project, baldwi19@purdue.edu