Pennsylvania

April began with Outreach Coordinator Kendra Martin attending a conference hosted by PA Veteran Farming Network. This annual event drew more than 100 Veterans from across the state. Several organizations shared resources and information to support veterans who are now farming. View the 2022 Conference Toolkit by clicking HERE.

Case Coordinator and Project Assistant Abbie Spackman provided a training session to the PA Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) FARM Coordinator staff; 25 coordinators from across the state. The training focused on working with AgrAbility to provide high-level services to farmers, assistive technology options, and how to select accurate, safe, and effective assistive technology. The training also included proper practices for visiting a farm, including preparations, biosecurity considerations, and what to expect during a farm assessment.

AgrAbility PA participated in the PA Farm Link board meeting hosted at Rodale Institute. Great networking opportunity with a partner organization and many agricultural support organizations from across the state - all with the focus of supporting farmers and farm families.

Project Manager Linda Fetzer co-presented the Communicating with Farmers under Stress workshop for ag service providers in the northwest part of the state. There were six workshops across the state, and they were funded by the PA Department of Agriculture's USDA-NIFA state FRSAN grant and were a partnership with the Center for Dairy Excellence in Pennsylvania.

Project Director Suzanna Windon continued her academic research, presentations, and outreach on the topics of leadership, stress, and agriculture at a dozen or more professional stateside and international conferences. Suzanna has also served as a panelist or speaker on the topic of conflict and agriculture in Ukraine. Suzanna is a native Ukrainian and is director of the Ukrainian Ag and Rural Development Program for Penn State University. See Suzanna introduced at the 54-minute mark of a video HERE.

Submitted by Kendra Martin