At age 5, Garvin Schaffer knew he wanted to be a farmer. Despite health and market challenges, he has made that dream come true. Garvin Schaffer, known by his friends as Butch, grew up on Schaffer Farms and began farming at a young age alongside his father. “Farming was always Read more…
On a cold winter day, Garvin Schaffer found himself dangling upside down from the metal steps of a red tractor. And all he could think about was his knee. “My back was on the ground, but I was hanging by my new knee,” he said. “I was scared that I Read more…
June was a diverse month of activities! Staffer Abbie Spackman (top row, center) participated in a panel discussion during the Northeast Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NEASDA). The “Feeding the Future” Conference was hosted by the PA Dept. of Agriculture on Zoom. The session included over 70 attendees and panelists Read more…
The month of May has meant more assessments and evaluations with farmers, planning for future virtual and in-person events, and continuing outreach activities as Pennsylvania shifts from spring to summer. Looking forward to the season ahead! AgrAbility PA Project Director Suzanna Windon collaborated on an NTW virtual presentation on stress Read more…
Staff members Abbie Spackman and Linda Fetzer partnered with Penn State Extension’s Farm Stress Team to host and teach “Communicating with Farmers Under Stress” in an online workshop format. A wide range of individuals with various involvements in agriculture attended the interactive training. The duo also presented an NTW session, Read more…
AgrAbility PA staffers Linda Fetzer and Abbie Spackman provided an in-person and virtual presentation to Penn State University Agricultural and Biological Engineering students. The presentation provided an overview of the AgrAbility project but focused on assistive technology design, utility vehicle selection and safety, and utilized interactive questions and quizzes with the online program MentiMeter. AgChoice Farm Credit featured AgrAbility PA on their weekly podcast, Field Notes. Staff member Kendra Read more…
After a snowy February in Pennsylvania, the staff is looking forward to S-P-R-I-N-G! Farm assessments, virtual presentations, and outreach efforts continue as staff work to find new ways to engage and raise awareness of AgrAbility PA despite the typical in-person events that would have filled the calendars this time of year. The PA Veteran Farming Project -- connecting military Read more…
The AgrAbility PA staff kicked off 2021 at the Keystone Farm Show in York, Pa from Jan. 5-7. The display included take-away paper information; digital photos and videos of farmers and assistive technology; and QR codes for contactless access to AgrAbility PA materials online using a mobile device. AgrAbility PA is looking forward to staffing events in-person Read more…
Milder weather in the Mid-Atlantic region continued into the months of November and December – allowing AgrAbility PA to continue on with its scheduled farm assessments. AgrAbility PA participated in a number of online and virtual opportunities to network and raise awareness about the project, including the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau Annual Conference, Farmer Veteran Coalition Read more…
Abbie Spackman, project assistant for AgrAbility PA, spoke recently with Nick Yost, host of the podcast Pennsylvania Heroes. The podcast, Pennsylvania Heroes, highlights stories, benefits, and issues impacting our state's active/former military, first responders, as well as the organizations serving our communities. Listen to the podcast featuring AgrAbility PA