Tennessee

The month ended with the Hurricane Helene destruction that tore through the Southeast. Upper northeast TN had many areas experiencing devastating losses of life and property as a result and subsequent flooding. Several areas had no running water, downed trees, sick animals, and cropland destroyed. TN AgrAbility is calling their farmers to do wellness checks for individuals with disabilities, aging or other illnesses. Sudden displacement can mean the loss of assistive technology and durable medical equipment vital for independence and safety. TN Technology Access Program (TTAP), one of TN AgrAbility partners, coordinates help to meet these needs daily under usual circumstances at no cost. TTAP collects any type of durable medical equipment/supplies with a team across the state.

Don't Learn Safety by Accident "Preventable Incident" was the theme for the third week in September which is annually recognized as National Farm Safety and Health Week (NFSHW). Harvest time can be one of the busiest and most dangerous seasons of the year in agriculture. This national promotion has been proclaimed by each sitting U.S. President since Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1944. TN AgrAbility promoted NFSHW to farmers, farm families and farm organizations to register for the AgriSafe Network educational webinars. We all know we need to practice safety and health on the farm every day, sometimes we just need a reminder.

September was National Service Dog Month! The STAR Center, TN AgrAbility's nonprofit partner, recognized the crucial roles service dogs play in providing independence and support to individuals with disabilities. Highly trained dogs assist with tasks such as guiding the visually impaired, alerting to medical conditions, and offering therapeutic support.

TN AgrAbility attended the day long "Boots to the Business Reboot for Veteran Beginning Farmers and Ranchers" webinar hosted by the Veterans Business Outreach Center of New England, in partnership with the Small Business Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).This full-day workshop aided those interested in exploring agriculture-based business ownership by leading participants through the key steps for evaluating business concepts and providing the foundational knowledge required to develop a business plan. The foundational knowledge gained will help TN AgrAbility assist veterans with disabilities who transition into farming.

Occupational therapists (OTs)/assistive technology (AT) specialists from TN AgrAbility's nonprofit disability partner, STAR Center, are essential to justify needed AT on farm assessments for TN AgrAbility's farmers. They are instrumental in assisting the Extension team and TN AgrAbility with assistive technology equipment/tools/device recommendations for their farmers needs assessment to obtain state funding from the TN Department of Rehabilitation Services/Vocational Rehabilitation.

Other News

The annual Tennessee Valley Fair Down on the Farm was held in Knoxville teaching over 700 children about rural AT, farm safety and health, plus lots of farm fun and animals. Thank you to John Deere and AgPro for providing the equipment and Knox County Farm Bureau Women's Group for lunch!

Submitted by Tennessee AgrAbility Project