North Carolina

NC AgrAbility participated at the 32nd Annual Sustainable Agriculture Conference on November 3-5, 2017, in Durham, NC. The NC AgrAbility educational booth exhibited ergonomic tools and modified equipment that make farming and gardening more accessible for people with disabilities. The event was an opportunity not only to educate the attendees but to enlarge network capacity with stakeholders and expand the outreach activities across the state. The event was able to reach approximately 854 attendees, with about a quarter of them identifying themselves as "new or beginning farmers."

NC AgrAbility presented a program at Lenoir Rhyne University Hickory Campus on November 13, 2017. The lecture was presented at the McCrorie Center to the occupational therapist students; 31 students at the Hickory campus attended and another 32 students attended remotely from the Columbia campus. Project Manager Beatriz Rodriguez presented the information, and NC Assistive Technology Consultant Shelby Kennerly demonstrated some ergonomic tools used in farming and gardening.

NC AgrAbility participated at the Cooperative Extension Latino Advisory Council Meeting, November 29, 2017, in Raleigh. This was the last meeting of the CELAC group which is now transitioning to a "New Audiences Advisory Board". This board has responsibilities to bring new initiatives for engaging with new and immigrant audiences, building a network of support, and advising toward strategic planning, development, and implementation.

Submitted by Beatriz (Betty) Rodriguez