AgrAbility News for September 2021
Maine AgrAbility News
Maine AgrAbility’s Boots-2-Bushels (B2B) finished the growing season with its last on-farm tour. B2B participants and Maine AgrAbilty staff visited Grace Pond Farm in Thomaston, Maine on September 15th for an in-depth tour of their organic poultry, livestock, and dairy farm. The field day focused on the history and lessons learned by Grace Pond Farm, and how they are adapting procedures, techniques, and infrastructure to adapt to their own abilities as they age and leaving a legacy to transition to their family.
Our most recent newsletter features the work of Occupational Therapists (OTs) and Mainers working in production agriculture. Maine AgrAbility is able to provide on-site visits by staff who are occupational therapists (OTs) to discuss specific situations and make general recommendations of adaptive equipment or techniques. OTs are professional health care providers trained in analyzing work tasks and work patterns and can suggest modifications to work tasks, tools, and equipment to suit the specific needs of individual workers. Our work with farmers, fishermen, and forest workers is featured on the Network Connections page of our website. We are excited to share that our Level 2 OT fieldwork student, Michaela Marden is featured in our latest article ‘FishAbility: Fishermen and Occupational Therapists’ for Commercial Fisheries News.
On September 21, 2021, Lani Carlson was part of a panel talking to Master Gardener (MG) students about landscape design and access. Lani shared AgrAbility resources with about 56 MG students covering universal design, access issues, and ergonomics.
AT in action along the coast of Maine -In late September, after representing AgrAbility at the Farm Aid Concert in Hartford, CT, WSU Extension Educator, Don McMoran came to Maine for a visit with our PD Richard Brzozowski. They unexpectedly met a 68-year-old fisherman using some interesting technology. He uses a drone with a camera to spot pogies (Menhaden) which he sells to lobstermen as baitfish. Pogies swim close to the surface. By spotting them from a distance, the fisherman is able to save time and energy in making a netted catch.
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Toolox Spotlight
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With these cast iron Skid Steer Loader Bucket Steps, one is able to access the machine’s operator station without having to climb over the bucket. The 6- by 12-inch steps are affixed (via welding or bolting) to the outside back of the bucket – one about halfway up, the other a couple inches down from the top. They consist of metal slats welded to a frame, the tops of which are serrated to help prevent one’s shoe/boot from slipping.
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