The month of September brought the start of fall, National Farm Safety and Health Week, and lots of planning for upcoming events and activities that are resuming in Pennsylvania in the months ahead. AgrAbility PA is prepping for its upcoming Advisory Board Meeting in mid-October as partners, stakeholders, and colleagues Read more…
August brought the return of Ag Progress Days to Penn State University’s research fields. The three-day event is Pennsylvania’s largest outdoor agricultural exposition with over 400 exhibitors from the United States and Canada. It was great to see Life Essentials take at the event. The weather kept staff on Read more…
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…
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…
AgrAbility PA staff has resumed fully on-site farm assessments for new farmers (with added health and safety precautions due to COVID-19). Staff have been following up with clients who have recently received assistive technology. One farmer purchased a pre-owned, side-entry skid steer with a low-interest loan through the state’s alternative financing Read more…
AgrAbility PA prepared new ways to interact with those whom would have attend Penn State’s Ag Progress Days (APD) in person as the event rolled out virtually in mid-August. The annual event typical draws upwards of 50,000 visitors over the three-day event. AgrAbility PA offered an on-demand video highlighting AgrAbility and featured examples of farmers Read more…