July 2019: AgrAbility PA Project Highlights

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AgrAbility PA provided hands-on AT demos and information during a Twilight meeting hosted by Penn State Extension at Keystone Dairy, a family owned/operated diary farm in Cambria County. Over 100 attendees participated in a farm tour, extension education opportunities, and enjoyed locally made ice cream from Vale Wood Farms. Attendees enjoyed trying out Gripeeze gloves and testing their grip strength at the AgrAbility PA booth.

AgrAbility PA Project Assistant Abbie Spackman provided an “agriCULTURE 101”training session for the staff at the Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation (PATF). The session provided an overview of agriculture in Pennsylvania, agricultural demographics, cultural factors in farming communities and common assistive technology found in agricultural settings. This was also an opportunity for staff, who do not have agricultural backgrounds, to ask questions. Questions ranged from “What is a combine?” to “What do we need to know when looking a farmer’s tax records and business plans?" These questions and the interactions were greatly appreciated. PATF partners with AgrAbility PA to provide low-interest loans to agricultural individuals with disabilities or long-term health conditions. This training session provided the staff with information that will help them provide better services to the agricultural community.