National AgrAbility Project

The Farm Bill (Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018) was passed by both the Senate and House of Representatives last week with AgrAbility included. The president is expected to sign the bill this week. AgrAbility (listed in the bill as the "assistive technology program for farmers with disabilities") was authorized at $5M, which is identical to its funding authorization in the last bill; however, Congress must decide on the final appropriation of funds, which has never been as high as the authorized amount. The only change related to AgrAbility in the bill was clarification that veterans with disabilities who are not yet engaged in farming are still eligible for AgrAbility services. Complete text of the bill is available at https://www.congress .gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/2/text.

Submitted by Paul Jones

Workshop Updates

The AgrAbility National Training Workshop will take place in Lincoln, NE, March 25-28, 2019, at the Embassy Suites -Downtown Lincoln. Planning is coming along; vendor and sponsor applications are available. The applications are also available by contacting Tess or getting them off the NTW website. Tour information should be added very soon.

Washington Regional Training Workshop

Mt. Vernon, WA, served as the backdrop for a Regional Training Workshop December 5th and 6th. A group of 17 professionals from Extension, occupational therapy, assistive technology, WA Department of Health, WA Department of Veterans Affairs, WA Department of Natural Resources, Purdue, Goodwill of the Finger Lakes, and Alaska AgrAbility gathered to network and learn about AgrAbility, worksite assessment, the link between OT and farm assessments, and Skagit County Extension and the work they and their partners are doing to work toward an AgrAbility grant.

A half-day of tours preceded the event. Skagit Valley Malting was the first stop where they are creating a new malting paradigm with malting equipment that was originally designed and built by the partners. They cater to the craft brewing market. The second stop was Washington Bulb Company where this long-time family-owned farm grows and sells tulip, daffodil, and lily bulbs and fresh flowers, year-round. Staff were surprised to see the automation that can go into this type of farming and felt that much of it could be accommodated to those with a disability.

The group that gathered was very enthusiastic and passionate about working together to continue their pursuits to bring AgrAbility to Washington State.

Contact us anytime - Tess McKeel - tmckeel@goodwillfingerlakes.org - 585.447.9015 Or JoBeth Rath - jbrath@goodwillfingerlakes.org 585.402.2059

Submitted by Goodwill of the Finger Lakes

AgrAbility staff from several states attended the Farmer Veteran Coalition Stakeholders Conference in Kansas City, MO, November 14-17. The exhibit table was hosted by Kansas AgrAbility, with NAP and Missouri AgrAbility providing materials and support. Staff members from Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, North Carolina, Georgia, and Texas, participated in the conference. NAP's veteran outreach coordinator presented an overview of AgrAbility during the lunch plenary session on the first day. Highlights of the conference were: a meeting of the nine state chapters with additional chapters in the forming stages; an FVC chapter guide was distributed; presentations on many different types of farming, financial management, marketing; panel discussions with successful veteran farmers, government partners, utilizing the Homegrown by Heroes marketing label, and so much more! The conference was a great place for veteran farmers to meet, network, and learn.

Submitted by Cindy Chastain