AgrAbility News for December 2018
Maine AgrAbility Project News
Maine AgrAbility Specialist Brie Weisman, OT, exhibited project information at the 2018 Maine State Occupational Therapy Fall conference in Fairfield on November 3. This one-day conference is designed to provide education and resources to OT/COTA professionals and students. The following week on November 10, Brie put on her shepherd’s hat and gave a brief talk about the AgrAbility program at the Maine Sheep Breeder Conference in Bangor and exhibited program information throughout the event.
On November 9, Lani Carlson presented Maine AgrAbility project updates and events to the Beginning Farmer Resource Network Leadership Council. As a member of the leadership council AgrAbility meets bimonthly with ag service providers across the state to share resources and information.
Anne Devin, Maine’s veteran outreach specialist, hosted a successful Veteran Farmer Field Day at Chase Stream Farm that was sponsored by the National Center for Appropriate Technology and United Farmer Veterans of Maine. The group of 10 attendees learned about experiences transitioning to full-time farming since retiring from active duty and government service, high-tunnel production, kitchen licensing, and poultry production. AgrAbility program information was highlighted and several types of assistive technology were available for the group to demo. The winner of the day: the PAW (power assisted wheelbarrow).
AgrAbility News from Across the Nation
- The 2019 AgrAbility Virtual National Training Workshop is still scheduled for January 29-31. Topics include shoulder injuries in agriculture, accessible farm shops, a virtual AT show-and-tell, and an update from NIFA, among others. Look for registration information soon.
- National AgrAbility Project’s web page for veterans and beginning farmers has just undergone a major remodeling. It now contains more than 100 resources/links for farmer veterans, any veteran, beginning farmers, and more. www.agrability.org/resources/veterans
Toolbox Spotlight:
Just in time for roasting chestnuts on your open fire, The cast iron Kindling Cracker Firewood Splitter, which has neither moving parts nor sharp projections to cause injury, is designed to provide a safe, quick way to make kindling.