AgrAbility PA staff member Abbie Spackman and AgrAbility PA’s Occupational Therapist Dwight Heller provided a two-hour training session to PA’s Office of Vocational Rehabilitation. The training session was broadcast through video conferencing to all the state offices. Abbie provided information on AgrAbility, making referrals, farm assistive technology, and AgrAbility farm assessments. Dwight provided information about on-farm occupational therapy evaluations, injury prevention, and recommending the correct AT for each client. The training was well received and well attended.   

• 

• 

AgrAbility PA staff member Abbie Spackman provided a “Farm Safety and Family Wellness” training to members of the District 12 PA Farm Bureau during their regional conference. Over 20 farmers attended the session. Topics included injury prevention; arthritis and back health resources; and information, pain management tips, self-care ideas, and hands-on assistive technology demonstrations. 

---

Looking to host a training, educational, or informational event on AgrAbility PA's services and support for farmers? Contact us to discuss!

---

AgrAbility PA staff members Abbie Spackman and Kendra Martin presented in two sessions during PASA's Annual Sustainable Agriculture Conference, February 5-8, in Lancaster.

Abbie provided AgrAbility information and an overview of holistically managing farm stress as part of a panel discussion, “Therapeutic Farming.” The panel also included Robyn Mello with Edenspore Design, Red Wiggler Community Farm and Taylor Kinniburgh shared information about cooperative farming and the Farm Alliance of Baltimore. The session was largely discussion based with participants sharing their experience with therapeutic farming and stress management on and off the farm. Over 75 people attended the session.

Kendra shared information as part of a panel discussion alongside organizations and agencies offering service and support to Veterans in Agriculture in Pennsylvania. Thanks to Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture's PA Preferred/Homegrown by Heroes, PA Veteran Farming Project, Saint Joseph's University, Rodale Institute, National Center for Appropriate Technology - NCAT/Armed to Farm, Farmer Veteran Coalition (FVC), and Kitchen Table Consultants for their collaboration on the panel! Save the Date! PASA 2021 Conference is Feb. 3-6, 2021, in Lancaster.