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September 2020

Michigan

Meet Dwight Carpenter! Dwight is the owner of Carpenter's Greenhouse and Produce. He was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2000 and decided to change over from bedding plants to hydroponic tomatoes. He was sleeping one night and woke up with an idea to save his back and shoulders from aching due to lifting and lowering the tomato plants. It worked but was a bit inefficient. At a farm show several years ago, Dwight met Ned Stoller from Michigan AgrAbility who, working with Michigan Rehabilitation Services, installed six Lower and Lean machines in his greenhouse. Easterseals Michigan helped out with a gas-powered sweeper when Dwight shared the shoulder strain encountered while sweeping. Dwight shared his experience about his disability, the transition to a different crop and, with Ned, his experience with Michigan AgrAbility. Check out Dwight and Ned's video here!


Multi-racial group carrying paper bags and displaying different vegetables in garden rows next to raised bed gardensDetroit urban farmers are now in the know! Travis Peters at Greenboots Veterans Diverse racial group sitting on chairs some in sun and others under a tent next to some raised bed gardensCommunity Gardens hosted Michigan AgrAbility staff, who demonstrated assistive technology for growing vegetables. Salutes to the community leadership of Myra Gracey of the Citizens Radio Patrol in Detroit. Check out the Michigan AgrAbility Facebook page for a video and some pictures of this event.


In the June 2020 e-note, Michigan AgrAbility highlighted Ned Stoller's contributions to the instructables website that hosts a platform for individuals who like to make things (like Ned does!) and encourages community members to explore the site and share projects so others may benefit from them (Ned certainly fits this!). The projects on the website also include written instructions, photos, and videos needed for making the project. New to Ned's instructables page (here) is the BiCrawler. The BiCrawler assists individuals who cannot crawl or use their legs to work along the ground in fields, gardens and flower beds. People in developing countries can sit on the platform to access latrines. It is made by welding bicycle wheels to a rebar frame with wood platform. Ned Stoller's instructables page contains the video about the BiCrawler and directions for assembly of this inexpensive assistive technology. You can also view the video on Michigan AgrAbility's YouTube channel.


Picture of left-hand side of a semi truck with Oak Lea Farms Inc painted on the drivers door looking from the front of the truck toward the backGreen John Deere tractor from the left side showing Warren Eicher harvester stepsMichigan AgrAbility staff continue their educational outreach efforts by continuing to post assistive technology ideas to make farming jobs easier for their Facebook visitors. Examples include the Livestock Mineral Tub Sling, the Blaux Personal Fan, the WeWALK Smart Cane, and Warren Eicher's (a Michigan AgrAbility client) installation of steps on his harvest equipment to make entering and exiting the equipment easier, safer, and less painful, while helping to reduce his overall fatigue.


In "normal" years, Michigan AgrAbility has a booth at Agro Expo at AgroLiquid in St. Johns. The live event has been postponed until 2021, but a virtual library of exhibitors' services was developed to highlight available agricultural resources. Michigan AgrAbility is highlighted under the Goods and Services tab. Take a look!


Female runner in blue top and orange shorts running along road facing the cameraHighlighted in the August e-note was the Run Free Michigan fundraising event by Maj. Maggie Seymour. If you would like to learn more, the Michigan Farm News has a great article about her upcoming Sept. 5-17 fundraising run for the Michigan Chapter of the Farmer Veteran Coalition. She will be joined by retired Master Sgt. Jordan Weeks, a South Carolina-based fellow Marine.

Submitted by Deb Chester