AgrAbility News for March 2022
Maine News
The 2022 Boots-2-Bushels class hosted their first in-person farm field day at Morning Dew Farm Seedling and Supply in Damariscotta, Maine. The 30 attendees learned all the tips and tricks that Farmer Brady could teach about starting and growing seedlings. Coast of Maine also provided an organic seedling starter mix to all participants. A bring-your-own lunch included time to go over farming stretches, garden seating demos, and lots of networking and learning from each other.
Corey Young is a Master’s level OT student from the University of New England who has just finished up her Level 2 Fieldwork experience with us. She has worked closely with our OT’s to learn and develop her skills.
- Bi-monthly AT bulletins to share with B2B students,
- Hand Health presentation (7-minute webinar)
- Fishing with a Spinal Cord Injury: Commerical Fisheries News April 2022 (article)
- Wearable Assistive Technology for Agricultural Workers (webinar)
The Maine AgrAbility group had a great time at the NTW, and did us proud representing our state efforts. Three staff members and one farmer attended in-person, and 3 additional staffers joined remotely, to present or participate in 7 workshops and panel discussions throughout the week. We are super excited that our Project Director, Richard Brzozowski was awarded Purdue’s Breaking New Ground Achievement Award at the 2022 NTW, recognized for his major contributions to the lives of farm families that have been impacted by disabilities. Richard works tirelessly to make a difference for Maine farmers, fishermen, and forest workers.
We held our quarterly Maine AgrAbility Advisory Council meeting in March via zoom. We are excited to have the support of an incredibly diverse and supportive group of volunteers to help guide our program. To learn more about our advisory council check out the advisory council webpage.
Be sure to check out our most recent news and blog posts:
National AgrAbility Project
The NTW was a great success! It was wonderful to be in person again. Just under 200 people attended the NTW in Madison, WI. There were many great sessions, discussions, meals, and much networking that took place. Over $11,000 was raised through the silent and live auctions and the basket raffles. Six couples and individuals volunteered on the spot to be videoed for future “What AgrAbility Means to Me” clips on the NAP website.
Registration is open for the regional workshop in Columbus, OH, which will take place at the Hilton Garden Inn Columbus Easton on June 28th – 30th. It will focus on urban agriculture, working with vocational rehabilitation, prescription medication safety, assistive technology in agriculture, farming with a developmental disability, business planning, and work/life balance. On June 28th and 29th, there will be speakers from the National AgrAbility Project, Ohio AgrAbility, Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities, The Ohio State University Extension, H.A.R.D. Acre Farm, LifeLyfts, Farm Service Agency, and others. There will also be a day of agricultural tours on Thursday, June 30th. More information and the link to the registration.
Toolbox Spotlight
Designed to sow medium-size seeds (e.g., corn, beans, peas, sunflower) rapidly from a standing position, the Spring-Loaded Stand-Up Jab Planter works by simply jabbing it into the soil. Two models are available: a seeder only and a seeder/feeder. While both drop a selected number of seeds (1 or 2) at a selected depth (from 1.5 to 3 inches), the seeder/feeder model also deposits granular fertilizer (from 1/10 to 3 teaspoonfuls) into the soil 3 inches to the side. The device is best used for planting many long rows of the same crop at one time (not for small gardens).