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February 2019

Indiana

Indiana AgrAbility provided an exhibit at the 2019 Illiana Vegetable Growers Symposium at Teibel's Restaurant in Schererville, Indiana. The exhibit included an AgrAbility popup, Indiana AgrAbility brochures, state and regional AgrAbility project contacts, arthritis publications, and contact information for Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services. During the morning break, each exhibitor had the opportunity to go before the attendees and talk about their programs and services. Steve Swain emphasized the arthritis publications and services available.


Steve Swain, Indiana AgrAbility rural rehabilitation specialist, conducted an in-service training for the therapists at the Rehabilitation Hospital of Indiana. RHI is a project collaborator of Indiana AgrAbility and a source of referrals of the more catastrophic injuries incurred by Indiana farmers. The training included the services, publications available, and examples of rural assistive technology for the farm.


Indiana AgrAbility staffed an exhibit at the 2019 Fort Wayne Farm Show at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Staff and volunteers staffed the display for the three-day show. The exhibit included a John Deere tractor with a Life Essentials lift, an Action Track power wheelchair, an AgrAbility popup display, AgrAbility brochures and publications. Indiana AgrAbility would like to thank Ned Stoller, Michigan AgrAbility staff member, for helping staff the display on the first day of the show.

Submitted by Steve Swain


Amish buggies in snow at N IN Grazing ConferenceChuck Baldwin, Breaking New Ground (BNG)/Indiana AgrAbility project coordinator, and Steve Etheridge, retired VR counselor and BNG and National AgrAbility Project advisor, attended the Northern Indiana Grazing Conference in Shipshewana, Indiana, February 1-2. Amish hats at N IN Grazing ConferenceThe event offered an atmosphere of hospitality and welcome for attendees and vendors alike. Light breakfast and a full lunch were served as part of the activities. The majority of attendees (between 800-1,000 were expected to attend) at the conference were Amish families. Breaking New Ground, the Indiana AgrAbility Project, was able to engage and provide information to many of those IN AgrAbility booth at N IN Grazing Conferenceattending. The farm-safety-themed coloring book, Weeds in Our Garden was the most popular item distributed to families. Other popular information items were the AgrAbility brochure, Arthritis and Gardening, Arthritis and Agriculture, and 25 Years - 25 Stories. Good contacts were made along with valuable networking that took place between AgrAbility personnel and other vendors/exhibitors.

Submitted by Chuck Baldwin