North Carolina

NC AgrAbility Partnership participated in the National Training Workshop in Madison, WI, from March 14-17. The NTW counted on the participation of 19 North Carolinians, including NC farmer Davon Goodwin, the keynote speaker who shared his continuous healing process with the AgrAbility folks. Dr. Chantel Simpson, NC A&T professor, and Betty Rodriguez, NC AgrAbility manager, presented during the cultural humility panel about the African American and Latino communities in agriculture. Betty Rodriguez also presented a session, "Growing the Collaborative Work to Better Serve the Needs of Farmers with Disabilities." Two students presented posters: "Experiences of Farmers with a Spinal Cord Injury" by Lauren Rainone, MGH OT doctoral student, and "Expanding Networking and Outreach through Social Media" by Evan Hairston, NCA&T graduate student. NC AgrAbility staff, partners, farmers, students, and collaborators had the opportunity to learn and network at this very re-energizing event. NC AgrAbility appreciates the attendance of eight NC farmers who accepted the invitation to participate at the 2022 NTW.

Submitted by Beatriz (Betty) Rodriguez