Performing Department
IANRE
Non Technical Summary
The Alaska AgrAbility project is a collaboration of Alaska's 1862 land grant, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Cooperative Extension Service (UAF CES) and a statewide non-profit partner, Assistive Technology of Alaska (ATLA) to thus plan, coordinate and deliver direct services described in the work plan. This program is designed with the intent to provide access of agricultural opportunities for people with self declared disabilities in Alaska. The University of Alaska, Fairbanks (UAF) Alaska AgrAbility Project will continue direct on-site assistance, education, and resource development for current aging farmers, women farmers, as well as beginning farmers with agricultural operations in multiple sub-industries (farming, ranching, commercial fishing, and forestry) with a focus on underserved populations such as disabled veterans/ families.Alaska AgrAbility may rely on the research-based educational programs of UAF CES and refers customers to the appropriate specialists for assistance with everything from soil or pesticide recommendations, farm energy/water solutions, to farm business plans and budgets. Agency collaborators will continue to be the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Alaska Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, US Department of Veterans Affairs Vocational Rehabilitation & Education, Assistive Technology of Alaska, Alaska Division of Agriculture, Alaska Marine Safety Education Association, Alaska Farm Bureau, Alaska Botanical Garden, Farmer Veteran Coalition, Aging and Disability Resource Centers, as well as Alaska Centers for Independent Living toward providing the state with education, networking and marketing efforts. In close partnership with our Co-Director ATLA, UAF CES will collaborate to provide assistive technology and will work to provide opportunities to consumers statewide by pursuing opportunities in a diverse set of agricultural sectors such as farming, ranching, fishing, and forestry enterprises.Alaska AgrAbility collaborates with a variety of partner organizations around the state directly and seek to provide non-duplicative, wrap-around services for identified clients to help them meet their goals, such as: Increased mobility, operational efficiency with assistive technology, small business development, food stability, therapeutic activity, aging in place awareness, etc... This may also include assisting clients with information to access grant opportunities such as microenterprise, State of Federal, Mental Health Trust, or traumatic brain injury grants. Alaska AgrAbility will utilize faculty and contractors to provide technical assistance, group classes, demonstrations, and acquire input from stakeholders in local communities they serve.The Alaska AgrAbility team will provide direct assistance by way of on-site assessments of operations, consultation, referral, resource awareness, educational opportunities, and networking for clients to engage with peers. ATLA, as non-profit partner and subrecipient to the project, will provide assistive technology design recommendations, assist with acquiring funding for Alaska AgrAbility clients, and providing outreach to client groups. With UAF CES statewide providing outreach in 12 communities across Alaska, the Alaska AgrAbility will coordinate information and referrals for clients, as well as local resources in communities where relationships already exist through key non-profit agencies that already have relationships with client referrals. Alaska AgrAbility will provide training for numerous agricultural and health professionals, the public, and conduct disability awareness and safety and health education programs at numerous agricultural events.The need for services continues to grow as the farming population ages and as the number of small farms continue to increase dramatically (2012-2017) by individuals and families transitioning from other occupations. This has been prevalent due to COVID-19, retirement, disability and other situations. The Alaska AgrAbility project fills a very unique niche while several Alaskan agencies and non-profits facilitate disability support and there is no such entity focused on agricultural careers. This places the Alaska AgrAbility project in a unique strategic position to bring awareness to industry needs and also educate many sectors from the public to partnering agencies on the availability of resources to keep agricultural workers on the job. We look forward to the challenge in the next four years!
Animal Health Component
100%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
0%
Applied
100%
Developmental
0%
Goals / Objectives
Overall, the goals of AgrAbility will help clients toincreasemobility, operational efficiency with assistive technology, grow insmall business development, create better food stability, improve therapeutic activity, and heightenmental health awareness, This will lead to generatingtwenty new AKAgrA client referrals annually and perform assessments to then open the door toward accesing our other services.As well, one goal is to better understand disabilities and appropriate treatment/rehabilitation options, refer people with disabilities to the AKAgrA project, and assist AKAgrA customers in developing plans of action. This will thus be done through the goal of coordinatingwith local therapyprograms to deliver ag disability awareness training. Another goal is to facilitate ten participants in completing the New Farmer Academy at each of two workshop locations, encourage participants to increase knowledge of agricultural production and business topics, assist participants completing written business plans and budgets, and thus directly assist participants. This goal can then lead towardassisting beginning farmers to create their own business, marketing, safety and health plans for profitability/viability of their agricultural operations.To do this we will need to locate the Alaskan underserved audiences, assess those wanting services and network with other service providers. This goal will eventually to continued research into financial assistance for farmers in need of technology and modifications statewide to then determine processes for fundraising opportunities with non-profit partners onthis project.In a macro sense, we will learn more about health and government providers to farms that are in Alaska. And, we have a goal to utilize hybrid education models to deliver information content. This will mean sharingmodification and adaptive solutions to other professionals as well as farming residents.We will want to assist veterans transitioning from the military into farming, fishing, lumbering or ranching to receive new knowledge, access agricultural education and utilize needed assistive technologies This includes working with veterans and their support networks toassist in developing peer networks- a notable underserved yet identified audience.
Project Methods
To provide education, programs and services to farmers with disabilities, as well as continue supportive relationships through training and outreach efforts, twoAlaska AgrAbility hired outreach contractors maycontinue hands-on activities at exhibits, make connections at conference booths and fairs, while promoting our online resources (while working closely with the NAP). Thisincludes putting on professional development webinars,local or regional workshops advertised via social media as well as traditional media outlays (such as airtime, newspaper articles/adds and posters).In addition, through a client assistance contractor we maycontinue to set up and complete assessments utilizing OT, PT, AT and Agrictulture Engineering professionals.Follow up will be done for ongoing client care via periodic check ins and resulting referrals as conditions change over time. Outreach, therapistsand client assistantsbill solely for hourly services renderedin lieu of position payroll employee(s). These contractors covering the above areascheck in andmanaged by the Project Director, mayinclude their feedback with hour long bi-weekly progress team meetings between PD andCo-PDs. Methods to tease out results/outcomes will be logging of information into a common database, working with other AgrAbility projects through the NAP to see what Quality of Life changes come forth, and disaggregating state data/trends (as well as looking at those against national trends).Thus through agreed outreach, client assistance, and assessments from therapists a team methodology will prevail to get the word out, assess and offer continual supports to disabled Alaskans per handicaps encountered. This is not only amongst current UAF faculty, staff, contractors, and partnership organizations but also teamwork amongst other national AgrAbility programs.