Source: PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY submitted to
AGRABILITY PROJECT FOR PENNSYLVANIANS
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
TERMINATED
Funding Source
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1013744
Grant No.
2017-41590-27105
Project No.
PENW-2017-03047
Proposal No.
2017-03047
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Program Code
LQ
Project Start Date
Sep 1, 2017
Project End Date
Aug 31, 2022
Grant Year
2020
Project Director
Windon, S.
Recipient Organization
PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY
408 Old Main
UNIVERSITY PARK,PA 16802-1505
Performing Department
Agricultural Economics, Sociol
Non Technical Summary
AgrAbility Project for Pennsylvanians is a partnership between Penn State Cooperative Extension, and The United Cerebral Palsy Foundation of Central Pennsylvania. AgrAbility provides direct services to farmers and farm families with an injury or disability who wish to continue in agricultural production. AgrAbility continues to strengthen its project through volunteer efforts from students groups and organizations. Coordinated activities throughout the state include Pa Department of Agriculture, county and regional Cooperative Extension offices, agriculturally related businesses, rehabilitation and trauma hospitals, rural clinics, social service agencies, non-profit organizations, Pa Department of Labor and Industry's (PDLI) vocational rehabilitation offices, and other resources.Some of the major objectives for this project are to enhance the basic knowledge and cultural competency of occupational therapy students and practitioners, to increase the knowledge of both high school and college level students by providing relevant AgrAbility information including assistive technology and funding opportunities for assistive technology, to increase awareness of AgrAbility services for under-served populations in Pennsylvania, to increase awareness of home modifications and accessibility recreation to address the holistic needs of the producer with a disability, to partner with FSA and NRCS to increase awareness of AgrAbility within their staff and to identify programs that can provide support and assistance to AgrAbility customers, to collaborate with the PDLI's Hiram G. Andrew Center and the new traumatic brain injury center to increase awareness among staff and returning military personnel, and to collaborate with the Pittsburgh, Erie and Philadelphia Veterans Medical Centers to improve the capability of PA AgrAbility.
Animal Health Component
0%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
90301993020100%
Goals / Objectives
Project ObjectivesOBJECTIVE #1.a. Educate staff of collaborating agencies about AgrAbility for Pennsylvanians services for veterans. OBJECTIVE #1.b Educate staff of collaborating agencies about AgrAbility for Pennsylvanians services for underserved populations.OBJECTIVE #1.c Educate farm family members concerning farm/home modifications and accessible recreation to holistically address the needs of a producer with a disability and their family. OBJECTIVE #1.d. Educate health care professionals concerning rural rehabilitation and assistive technology for farm operations. OBJECTIVE #2.a Expand and strengthen relationship with the National AgrAbility Project (NAP) and state and regional AgrAbility Projects (SRAPS) to improve AgrAbility services and delivery methods. OBJECTIVE #2.b. Expand and strengthen partnership with organizations & agencies including the Veterans Medical Centers to provide services to veterans with disabilities involved in agriculture.OBJECTIVE #2.c. Expand and strengthen partnership with PA Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA) to provide information to agricultural producers involved in sustainable agriculture. OBJECTIVE #2.d. Strengthen partnerships with the Women in Agriculture Network (WAg'N), the Women in Ag Learning Network and local dairy women networking groups to increase AgrAbility services and information to women in agriculture. OBJECTIVE #2.e Expand and strengthen activities at Ag Progress Days to provide AgrAbility information and health screenings. OBJECTIVE #2.f Explore ways to involved students at the secondary and post-secondary level to be involved in AgrAbility Project deliverables. OBJECTIVE #3.a. Provide AgrAbility clients and their families with direct assistance through on-site assessments, technical information, referral services and support. OBJECTIVE #3.b. Provide direct service and assistance to agricultural producers with veteran administration eligibility who want to remain employed in agriculture. OBJECTIVE #3.c. Partner with additional organizations to expand services for AgrAbility clients. OBJECTIVE 4: AgrAbility for Pennsylvanians will raise the awareness and increase the understanding about the project as a whole to a broad-based audience across the state
Project Methods
Year 1: Meet with Vet Administration staff to explore opportunities for collaboration. Update/refresh marketing materials, audio/visual displays, and other presentation or exhibition aids to accurately reflect present and future project goals that support the marketing and outreach effort.Years 1-2: Add a tab on the AgrAbility blog for veteran resources. Work with existing partnership to provide information about farm modifications to the Anabaptist farm population.Year 1-3: Explore external support to continue the Bridging Horizons program. Years 1-4: Facilitate on-site farm assessments. Success in this area will be measured by the number of farm assessments completed, the number of individuals who obtain AT as a result of the farm assessment and the increased number of evaluations each year. Provide a minimum of two educational activities to specialized groups per year. Provide annual info specific to working with veterans to the rehabilitation counselors at OVR. Support the PORH in providing information to owners and operators that employ migrant/seasonal farm workers and Latinos. Provide educational activities concerning health and safety at the Keystone Farm Show, Ag Progress Days, and other state and county venues: Provide home modification info in at least two AgrAbility for Pa outreach materials per year.: Highlight accessible recreation or adaptive sports info in at least one AgrAbility for Pa outreach materials per year. Partnering with ATRC to participate in at least one activity or meeting per year. AgrAbility for PA staff will participate in the NAP Eval Committee. Continue collection of McGill QoL info from PA AgrAbility clients to include in the NAP reporting. AgrAbility for PA will work with NYCAMH to apply for funding through NAP to host a regional AgrAbility workshop. Pa AgrAbility staff will participate in the NAP National Training Workshop and submit session props as appropriate. Provide AgrAbility info toPA Preferred, Homegrown by Heroes, Farmer Vet Coalition and NCRS. Partner with PASA to involve AgrAbility info in their annual conference and at least one field day per year. Provide a minimum of one educational session at a Wag'N sponsored event per year. Provide annual educational session at dairy women event and network attendees. Partner withPORH and Safety tent at Ag Progress Days. Partner with PORH to coordinate and provide health screenings and info relative to ag producers.Expand the Penny War competition to benefit AgrAbility clients. Provide OT-PT evaluations for clients working with OVR. Provide AgrAbility recommendation reports to the OVR for their clients. Work with OVR and client to provide understanding and follow-up as recommendations are implemented. Success can be measured by number of reports shared with OVR, tracking the dollar value of the assistive technology provided through recommendations. Develop and implement new collection method to track client outcomes. Partner with new and beginning farmers organizations to provide AgrAbility info to veterans. As a veteran, the PI will work closely with clients who are veterans to help them in navigating the process. Partner with OVR and VA in their initiative to provide services to veterans. Work to increase the number of OTs who can provide on-farm evaluations. Collaborate on the use of other assistive technology services available throughout Pa including the PATF; PIAT; and CILs. Services promote assistive technology lending library, low interest loans, loans/grants for assistive technology and the Pa Telecom Distribution Program for telephones and communication devices. Obtain feedback from these groups on number of referrals who received services and track any funding that was provided. Collaborate with Assistive Technology Resource Centersto promote the use of reused equipment exchange program for home and farm modifications. Collaborate with agricultural organizations and agri-businesses to connect and refer clients to beneficial resources. This includes the Pa Department of Agriculture, the Farmer Vet Coalition, PSU Extension, the NRCS, and other groups that could provide support and networking opportunities, help offset general farm costs, help with business planning and increase the efficiency of the farm operation. Participate in at least one OVR FARM Coordinator meeting per year. Develop a marketing plan that highlights the key priorities of the project (raise the awareness and increase understanding about the project to a broad-based audience). Goal is to expand knowledge among general & specific audiences. Develop and implement a media relations strategy that includes the distribution of press releases, pitching client stories, creation of an op-ed program, and other tactics to reach both traditional and new media outlets and expand knowledge about the project among general and specific audiences. Enhance and expand the online presence of AgrAbility for Pa that includes but is not limited to a website, blog, social media, and other emerging web-based sites and technologies. Engage and collaborate with clients, partners, and affinity groups to accelerate or grow readership, likes, fans, followers, and so forth for AgrAbility. Print and distribute two PA AgrAbility newsletters per year to provide information about available services, resources, assistive technology, client stories, home modifications, upcoming events, NAP information, etc. Newsletter will be sent to the PA AgrAbility mailing list -- which includes past and present clients, targeted groups, and project partners. Newsletter content will be shared to the website, blog, and social media. Create and distribute a monthly AgrAbility for Pennsylvanians eNews to provide information about available services and resources, assistive technology, home mods, client stories, upcoming events, NAP information, etc. E-newsletter will be sent to the PA AgrAbility electronic mailing list -- which includes past and present clients, targeted groups, and project partners. E-newsletter content will be shared to the website, blog, and social media. Define key events and exhibit opportunities to expand and market AgrAbility to farmers, agricultural workers, and/or their families. Strengthen & enhance outreach to governmental and legislative entities with the goal of raising awareness and increasing knowledge of AgrAbility. Outreach efforts may include but not limited to attending legislative events, establishing relationships with key contacts, creating marketing materials for legislative offices, and utilizing client testimonials and stories.Year 2: Provide AgrAbility for Pa orientation for VA staff members. Develop educational material highlighting veteran services. Provide specific info for VA counselors. Partner with Women in Ag Learning Network and FReSH to develop specific materials for women producers concerning health and safety.Years 2-4: Provide a minimum of two educational trainings per year to farm owners, operators, employees, health educators, agri-businesses, or equipment dealerships that come into direct contact with farmers with a disability in their communities. Develop an assistive technology database specific to the type of ag in Pa that will be highlighted on the website or blog. Develop a minimum of one LearnNow videos per year to provides info about AgrAbility, services or AT. Integrate AgrAbility info into 2 college level classes per year. Connect with rural hospitals through presentations. Identify and assistVets with disabilities to maintain employment in their agricultural operation. Participate in a minimum of one field day activity to network with producers. After case is closed, provide follow-up activities on-site check-out, photos, suggestions for further modifications, document conclusions, and provide documentation.Years 3-4: Distribute fotonuvelo produced by NAP and California AgrAbility about arthritis to audiences for migrant and seasonal worker through PORH.

Progress 09/01/17 to 08/31/22

Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience for this project is farmers and farm families with disabilities or long-term health issues who wish to continue in or return to an agricultural occupation. The AgrAbility Project for Pennsylvanians is funded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture-National Institute of Food Agriculture and is designed to help farmers and farm families with disabilities or long-term health issues who wish to continue in or return to production agriculture. The project is a partnership between Penn State Cooperative Extension, Pennsylvania Office of Rural Health, and Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation in collaboration with many other agriculture organizations throughout the state. We do on-site farm assessments to identify daily farm tasks or chores that are difficult because of the disability, identify modifications, equipment or assistive technology that will help a farmer complete such tasks or chores, make referrals to service providers, provide information regarding state and local resources and programs, and conduct or participate in educational program to foster farm safety and health. Changes/Problems:At this point, AgrAbility for Pennsylvanians has a great team going forward and we will make great strides and progress this next project year. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?During this project cycle, AgrAbility staff provided training and professional development opportunities for various groups including undergraduate and graduate students at multiple colleges and universities; health care professionals; vocational rehabilitation staff; Extension, Veteran-centric organizations; and community services professionals.? How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The project has disseminated information through various venues including but not limited to email, phone, mail, social media, and in-person/virtual events. AgrAbility information was added to the website and specialized areas for veterans and Spanish-speaking individuals were also added. Specialized safety sheets on various topics were uploaded to the AgrAbility website as well as posted on the Penn State Extension website. Project information was disseminated through monthly inclusion in the National AgrAbility eNotes, monthly emails to our listserv, annual meeting of our Advisory Group, and through the National AgrAbility State Fair. The project saw an increased growth in social media and engagement including Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Engagement rose with posts using photos and videos as well as posts related to the topics of the outreach events, financial resources for farmers such as PATF, networking and opportunities for Veterans, and assistive technology for farmers What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?This report is the closeout report for our 2017 - 2021 grant project. A new USDA-NIFA AgrAbility grant was received by Pennsylvania, and the team will be working on the new grant objectives and activities.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Assistance: Direct services are the primary focus for AgrAbility PA staff. Staff worked with 63 customers during this project cycle in 34 out of 67 counties. Farm assessments were completed by AgrAbility staff as well as occupational therapists working with AgrAbility which were both used to develop a comprehensive recommendation report that outlined recommended assistive technology and modifications that would enable AgrAbility customers to remain in production agriculture more safely and independently. During this project year, customers in our target populations groups include the following: 12.7% veterans (8), 6.35% women (4), 28.57% farmers over the age of 65 (43 of 61), and 3.17% new/beginning farmers (2). During this project cycle, the top five referral sources for AgrAbility PA customers were the following: 1) word of mouth (38.1%); 2) other (19.05%); 3) former/existing clients (17.46%); 4) media (7.94%): and 5) vocational rehab (7.94%). The referral category other includes a variety of sources from ag professional, rehab professionals, and NAP. Continued partnerships with funding sources like OVR, PATF, and other resources resulted in needed and appropriate assistive technology to enable customers to continue in production agriculture. During this project cycle, approximately $800,000 worth of assistive technology/modifications were provided to AgrAbility PA clients through our networking, education, and direct services. AgrAbility PA made a strong connection to the PA Veteran Farming Network, an organization of Veteran farmers in Pennsylvania, and several farmers/customers have gained support and resources from both organizations. AgrAbility materials were provided to the PA Occupational Therapy Association Conference and a scholarship was awarded to a Pennsylvania occupational therapist to attend the NTW. Staff presented AgrAbility to undergraduate OT classes at multiple colleges and universities. AgrAbility staff participated in an Extension workshop for outreach to Latino populations and visited a Latino farmer and followed up with Spanish language materials to Hispanic and Latinos at the Adams County Grower Day. Staff participated in the Amish Handicap Gathering where over 600 Amish farmers attended. Annually in August, AgrAbility hosts the Rural Health and Safety tent at Ag Progress Days which provides project info, WPS information in the PORH and provides multiple health screenings such as stroke risk assessment, vision screenings, blood pressure reading, and carotid artery screening. Education: Education objectives include increasing competency of customers, healthcare professionals, educators, and community service staff about AgrAbility and the need for accommodations for farmers with a disability. During the project cycle, AgrAbility PA had the opportunities to provide educational activities with rehabilitation staff, NRCS staff, Veteran Farmer Training programs, Penn State Extension, National AgrAbility, undergraduate education at multiple colleges and university, and high school students plus other groups. Educational activities were a blend of in-person, virtual and hybrid venues. AgrAbiltiy PA continues to adapt by using virtual meeting opportunities to expand our reach with different audiences. Distribution of educational publications was done in-person and online. Presentations for Penn State Extension and Centers for Independent Living provided an opportunity to educate staff about AgrAbility services and the referral process. To broaden our educational reach for specialized populations, specific resources were developed for Veterans including a brochure titled AgrAbiltiyPA Veterans in Agriculture and a Spanish resource page titled Recursos en Espanol was added to the AgrAbility website. AgrAbilityPA staff joined the PSU Extension Farm Stress Team to expand resources to farmers and agricultural professional about stress, mental well-being, and resources. Networking: Networking activities are the means to expanding capacity to better serve customers. Staff work closely with the Advisory Group who help to guide and brainstorm on ways to address outlined activities and grant deliverables. AgrAbility PA partnered with the National AgrAbility Project (NAP) by actively participating in the conference planning committee, marketing and media communities of practice, evaluation committee, NAP Advisory Board, and NAP webinars. During this project cycles, AgrAbility PA staff presented multiple sessions at NAP's National Training Working (NTW). Sessions included topics such as marketing strategies, farmer mental health, and utility vehicle safety and selection. Collaborations with state and regional AgrAbility Project was evident in partnering with SRAPS for NTW presentation and continued work with Missouri AgrAbility on shared resources for Anabaptist community and the Ag Safety and Health eXtension Community of Practice. AgrAbility PA built a relationship with the PA Department of Veteran Affairs which helped connect us with other veteran organizations throughout the state. Marketing: AgrAbility PA staff exhibited and presented at agricultural - and disability-related outreach events such as Penn State's Ag Progress days, PA Farm Bureau's annual conference, Keystone Farm Show, PA Farm Show, PA Sustainable Agriculture conference, and the PA Veteran Farming Network conference. Staff either served as a presenter, exhibitor, attendee, or all the above. The digital footprint of AgrAbility PA remains a critical piece of the project's marketing plan. The website agrabilitypa.org continues to be a one-stop shop for resources and information related to farming with a disability or health condition. The site offers an enhanced user experience through its accessibility tools, like UserWay, and access for individuals needing highlighted links, bigger text, deeper contrast, different language, and other options. Top pages visited include the homepage, about us, Veterans, success stories, and what is assistive technology. Trends show an increase in users accessing the website with a mobile device, but desktop users are the dominant device (58%). Social media, direct traffic, and Google searches remain the top website referrals. The project saw an increased growth in social media and engagement including Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Engagement rose with posts using photos and videos as well as posts related to the topics of the outreach events, financial resources for farmers such as PATF, networking and opportunities for Veterans, and assistive technology for farmers. AgrAbility PA staff played a leadership role in organizing the AgrAbility Virtual State Fair which is a month-long social media campaign including 19 state projects. An e-newsletter is sent regularly to 1,000+ contacts with an open rate of 21% which is in the line with industry average for non-profits. Print newsletters were sent to 3,000+ contacts statewide as well as additional printed materials were mailed to target audience and stakeholders. The project continued efforts to reach diverse audiences and stakeholders to expand the availability of AgrAbility services and support to underserved and minority populations including Veterans, women, and new/beginning farmers.

Publications

  • Type: Theses/Dissertations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2017 Citation: Vines, K.A. 2017. Engagement through cooperative extension towards understanding meaning and practice among educators in two state extension systems. Unpublished Thesis,386 pp.
  • Type: Theses/Dissertations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2017 Citation: Pease, C. F. 2017. Assessing the online content on agrability project websites. Unpublished Thesis. 87 pp.


Progress 09/01/20 to 08/31/21

Outputs
Target Audience:The AgrAbility Project for Pennsylvanians is a partnership between Penn State Extension and the UCP of Central Pennsylvania. AgrAbility's primary objective is to provide direct services to farmers and farm family members who have a disability or long-term health condition and desire to return to or remain in production agriculture. This project has a long history with the PA Department of Labor and Industry' s Office of Vocational Rehabilitation and the PA Assistive Technology Foundation who continue to provide funding resources for modifications and assistive technology for AgrAbility clients throughout the state. AgrAbility continues to strengthen its project through partnerships with veteran organizations, specialized agriculture groups (e.g., sustainable, women in ag, etc.), youth organizations, and governmental agencies. In addition to direct services for farmers, major objectives for this project include educational activities for rural rehabilitation professional and rural and agricultural organizations; networking with organizations to increase the capacity of AgrAbility goals and to benefit clients, and marketing efforts to increase the awareness of AgrAbility services to the farm population, general public and public officials. Changes/Problems:The main challenge this project year was the travel restrictions mainly by the OVR and their continued adoption of 'Order of Selection' process by OVR which limited their services to the 'most severely disabled', implemented a wait list and enacted a more stringent funding policy. The COVID-19 mitigation and travel restrictions negatively affected the scheduling and completing of on-site farm assessments. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?PA AgrAbility staff presented three sessions for the 2021 Virtual National Training Workshop on the following topics: women in agriculture conferencing session, Worksite Assessment Collaboration and stress reduction techniques for "mindful living". Staff members participated in training opportunities such as the NAP National Training Workshop, ISASH, and Michigan State University's mental health and agriculture training How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Marketing activities include growth in social media activities, website materials, and participation in the first ever 'National AgrAbility State Fair'. Dissemination of information also includes eXtension, AgrAbilityPA website, month eNotes, printed newsletters, events, and through Penn State Extension. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Now that travel restrictions and limitations related to the COVID 19 pandemic are being lifted, AgrAbility PA staff plan to return to in-person presentations and outreach events but may use a mixed mode of activities to increase awareness of AgrAbility services and recruit customers

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? EDUCATION: Objective # 1 Due tothe COVID-19 pandemic,most educational activities and events were moved to virtual platforms. AgrAbility had 11 opportunities to provided educational training for a variety of organizations at the local, state, and national levels for farmers, ag stakeholders, and students. A video about AgrAbility PA & working with veterans premiered at the PA Farming Veteran Project (virtual) Conference in February 2021. Additional videos were developed and promoted highlighting women in agriculture and tractor visibility for AgrAbility customers. Staff presented to the FRSAN-NE group and co-presented with Penn State Extension educators the 'Communicating with Farmers under Stress' program. An additional managing stress workshop was presented virtual to 36 agricultural producers and poster presentation at an international event. NETWORKING: Objective # 2 PA AgrAbility staff continue to partner with the National AgrAbility Project (NAP) by actively participating in the conference planning committee, marketing and media community of interest, evaluation committee, NAP Advisory Board and NAP webinars. PA AgrAbility staff presented three sessions for the 2021 Virtual National Training Workshop on the following topics: women in agriculture unconferencing session, Worksite Assessment Collaboration and stress reduction techniques for "mindful living". AgrAbility PA staff led and participated in the inaugural AgrAbility Virtual State Fair. PA AgrAbility staff continues to work with the Ag Safety and Health eXtension Community of Practice to develop material for women in agriculture.PA AgrAbility built a relationship with the US Department of Veteran Affairs and provided an article for their Winter 2021 newsletter and a video about AgrAbility PA & working with veterans. ASSISTANCE: Objective # 3 Direct services for customers are the primary focus for PA AgrAbility and staff worked with38 customersthis project year including nine new customers. From the current year, the customer breakdown includes the following: veterans (13.2%), women (10.5%) and farmers over the age of 65 (21%). Continued partnership with potential funding sources like PA OVR, PA PATF, and others. During this funding cycle (2017 - 2021), PA AgrAbility has utilized the USDA-NIFA funds to leverage through our networking, education and direct services $678,000 worth of modifications or assistive technology to enable our customers to remain in production agriculture. Most of the funding for modifications was through OVR as well as low-interest loans through PATF.Assistance - Project Challenges:The main challenge this project year was the travel restrictions mainly by the OVR and their continued adoption of 'Order of Selection' process by OVR which limited their services to the 'most severely disabled', implemented a wait list and enacted a more stringent funding policy. The COVID-19 mitigation and travel restrictions negatively affected the scheduling and completing of on-site farm assessments.Positive Trends:Travel restrictions began to be lifted so AgrAbility and OVR staff were able to move forward with on-site farm assessments and work with clients to obtain necessary assistive technology and services. In addition to providing NAP with demographics and McGill Quality of Life data,PA AgrAbility implemented a survey and tracking system to examine the short and long-term impact of modifications and assistive technology on their farm.Part one of the system involves tracking the number of modifications, dollar amount of the assistive technology provided to customers and the service providers for each customer. Part two of the expanded evaluation is the PA AgrAbility Customer Impact Survey. The goal of surveying the customers for multiple years is to show short-term and long-term changes. Customers were asked to describe any impact, positively or negatively, regarding the following six topic.In February 2021, customer impact surveys were sent to 17 customers who had received assistive technology or modifications in the 2018 and 2020 calendar years. Sixteen of the 17 customers responded to the survey and indicated increase in herd size (56%), contrcats (17%),facilities (20%), worforce (8%), farm income (43%), and farm size (43%). The acquisition of assistive technology is a process that can take a considerable amount of time and the changes with OVR has significantly impacted this process. However, even with the small number of customers surveyed we are seeing some positive impacts in their farm operation which can also provide positive benefits for the local community. In addition to the quantitative data, below are qualitative responses from two farmers surveyed:"Operation has improved due to more independence and ability to take care of animals and planting/harvesting crops.";It is a lot easier packing eggs and faster, also gives more time to address the chickens needs. The egg packer is great!" ?MARKETING: Objective # 4 A refreshed website and template (agrabilitypa.org) enhanced user experience, readability, and visuality for website visitors. The accessibility tool UserWay was added to the site to increase the functionality and access for individuals needing highlighted links, bigger text, deeper contrast, different language, and/or several other options. More than 2,080 unique users visited the website with more than 5,100 page views. Visits to the Resources page topped 520+ views alone which included new content in the form of educational articles specifically for farmers with a disability: equipment access, cab cameras, dairy AT, hearing loss, and mobility aides. Desktop users account continue to account for 68% of website traffic but mobile is growing to almost 30% with tablet users at 2%. Social media, direct traffic, and Google searches remain the top referrals to the AgrAbility PA website.The project saw growth in social media reach and engagement including Facebook: 737 followers (+92), Instagram: 457 followers (+58), and Twitter: 358 followers (+25). Engagement rose with posts using photos and videos and also relating to the Virtual NTW and National Farm Safety & Health Week. AgrAbility PA had a leadership role in the success of the first-ever AgrAbility Virtual State Fair (VSF) in October 2020 which involved a month-long social media campaign including 19 state projects and NAP highlighting success stories and resources from across the country. Staff has participated and led several meetings of the Marketing & Media COI to plan for another VSF in conjunction to AgrAbility's 30thanniversary in Fall 2021. A monthly e-newsletter is sent to 1,000+ contacts with an open rate of 21% -- in line with the industry average. The average click-through rate is 15% (industry average: 8%). Print newsletters were sent to 3,000+ contacts statewide. Staff received increased feedback and contact from current and potential customers when the Spring 2021 issue was mailed.AgrAbility PA success was highlighted in the following: FFA.org:https://www.ffa.org/diversity-inclusion/challenge-course-boosts-members-empathy/ Podcast:Pennsylvania Heroes:https://anchor.fm/paheroes/episodes/AgrAbility-for-Pennsylvanians-eo2ash US Dept of Veterans Affairs quarterly newsletter,The Rural Connection:https://www.ruralhealth.va.gov/docs/news/ORH_Newsletter_Winter2021_FINAL.pdf Podcast:AgChoice Farm CreditField Notes:https://bit.ly/3cyGmYt Self-Determination Housing of Pennsylvania's Newsletter:https://mailchi.mp/f703f86c48a1/sdhp-newsletter-march-4204749 PATF Annual Impact Report:https://patf.us/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/PATF-2020-21-Impact-Report_508.pdf MahindraUSA.com: The Heirloom Farmerhttps://www.mahindrausa.com/blog/abbie-spackman-the-heirloom-farmer--36815?fbclid=IwAR2lzY4xZ6idLqa6dOXiaehi3RyW3dk6lIBVsa8m84Lkl_S6VkcFG83jusc

Publications


    Progress 09/01/19 to 08/31/20

    Outputs
    Target Audience:The AgrAbility Project for Pennsylvanians is a partnership between Penn State Extension and the UCP of Central Pennsylvania. AgrAbility's primary objective is to provide direct services to farmers and farm family members who have a disability or long-term health condition and desire to return to or remain in production agriculture. This project has a long history with the PA Department of Labor and Industry' s Office of Vocational Rehabilitation and the PA Assistive Technology Foundation who continue to provide funding resources for modifications and assistive technology for AgrAbility clients throughout the state. AgrAbility continues to strengthen its project through partnerships with veteran organizations, specialized agriculture groups (e.g., sustainable, women in ag, etc.), youth organizations, and governmental agencies. In addition to direct services for farmers, major objectives for this project include educational activities for rural rehabilitation professional and rural and agricultural organizations; networking with organizations to increase the capacity of AgrAbility goals and to benefit clients, and marketing efforts to increase the awareness of AgrAbility services to the farm population, general public and public officials. Changes/Problems:The main challenge this project year was the first year of the adoption of 'Order of Selection' process by OVR which limited their services to the 'most severely disabled', implemented a wait list and enacted a more stringent funding policies. The COVID-19 pandemic and travel restrictions negatively affected the scheduling and completing of on-site farm assessments. However, during the pandemic, AgrAbility staff completed intake for 2 new clients, referred 2 clients to Life Essentials and referred 4 clients to OVR because their wait list opened enabling new clients to apply for services. With OVR opening services, the expectation is that there will be several farm assessments scheduled once the travel restrictions are lifted. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the goals and activities of the project remain the same, but the delivery of programs, services, and activities may need to be adjusted based on university, state, and federal health recommendations. Networking connections and educational presentations made need to be delivered online rather than in-person, but we can continue to evaluation these connections and activities. Direct services will continue, and farm assessments may need to be adapted but this remain a priority goal for the project and can be measure by the connections to services and modifications implemented. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?AgrAbility PA hosted a regional workshop with the National AgrAbility Project. This workshop focused on occupational therapy which has been a strong point in our evaluation process but also an area that we would like to provide new educational opportunities for rural rehabilitation professionals.AgrAbility had 11 opportunities to provided education training for a variety of organizations including Farm Service Agency, PA Farm Bureau, rehabilitation students and specialists, and PA Association for Sustainable Agriculture.For the 2020 National Training Workshop, PA AgrAbility staff submitted four presentation and two poster proposals, and all were accepted. Abstracts focused on UTV safety and recommendations, working with women in agriculture and conducting farm assessments.Partnership with veteran-related organizations has resulted in 7 valuable presentations and exhibits including participation in the Roundtable Discussion for PA Preferred Home Grown by Heroes hosted by the PA Secretary of Agriculture and an AgrAbility client presenting at the PA Veteran Farmer Project Conference How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The results of the project team work were disseminated through presentations at the local, state, and national conferneces and professioanl meetings. Three handouts were developed namely, Cab Cameras, Hearing Loss on the Farm, and UTV Recommendations for AgrAbility Clients. PA AgrAbility website (http://agrabilitypa.org) is another channel of dissemination of the project results with traffic driven to the website from the monthly eNews, blog and social media efforts. The monthly eNews is distributed in addition to two editions of the print newsletter titled Field Notes. Additional educational materials in collaboration with University of Missouri Extension were developed related to animal handling for women in agriculture and hosted on the Women in Agriculture article page on the eXtension website (https://ag-safety.extension.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Safe-Beef-Cattle-Handling-for-Women.pdf; https://ag-safety.extension.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Safe-Dairy-Cattle-Handling-for-Women.pdf; https://ag-safety.extension.org/women-in-agriculture/ ). Additionaly educational resources were disseminated for Spanish-speaking agricultural workers and farmers who may have a disability or long-term health condition. Resources are located on the PA AgrAbility website at the following address: http://agrabilitypa.org/en-espanol. A brochure (AgrAbilityPA Veteran in Agriculture) was creared specifically for veterans in agriculture was developed to increase awareness about services for veterans. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?EDUCATION OBJECTIVES Educational goals remain the same for Year 4 as in the original proposal however the delivery method may change depending on travel and event limitations. PA AgrAbility will focus on expanding knowledge of owners, operators, and employees to better understand and address their needs on the farm operation. The use of videos and expanded resources on the website may be utilized to expand access to educational resources. PA AgrAbility plans to integrate AgrAbility into college experiences and/or classrooms. NETWORKING OBJECTIVE Most of the goals and activities remain the same for Year 4 except for the discontinuation of the Bridging Horizon/AgrAbility PA contest. However, PA AgrAbility plans to continue working with agricultural youth as they provide various activities for their local agricultural communities. ASSISTANCE OBJECTIVE Goals for providing direct services to farmers with a disability or long-term health condition remains the top priority. These services will continue to include on-site farm assessment, information and referral services, completion of recommendation reports and connections to potential funding resources for assistive technology and modifications. MARKETING OBJECTIVE Goals and activities for marketing remain the same for Year 4 as stated in the grant application. PA AgrAbility will use in-person events, social media, and online venues to provide general awareness about AgrAbility services. These awareness activities lead to referral, networking opportunities and educational events.

    Impacts
    What was accomplished under these goals? As stated in the logic model of the original grant application, the overall objective of PA AgrAbility is to enhance the quality of life for farmers, farm family members and ag workers with a disability. Direct services are the primary goal of the project and the network, educational and marketing goals relate back to this goal. EDUCATION: Objective # 1 PA AgrAbility hosted a regional workshop with the National AgrAbility Project. This workshop focused on occupational therapy which has been a strong point in our evaluation process but also an area that we would like to provide new educational opportunities for rural rehabilitation professionals. AgrAbility had 11 opportunities to provided education training for a variety of organizations including Farm Service Agency, PA Farm Bureau, rehabilitation students and specialists, and PA Association for Sustainable Agriculture.To broaden our educational reach for specialized populations, specific resources were developed for veterans including a brochure titled AgrAbilityPA Veterans in Agriculture' and a Spanish resource page titled Recursos en Espanol was added to the AgrAbility website. NETWORKING: Objective # 2 PA AgrAbility staff continue to partner with the National AgrAbility Project (NAP) by actively participating in the conference planning committee, marketing and media community of interest, evaluation committee, NAP Advisory Board and NAP webinars. For the 2020 National Training Workshop, PA AgrAbility staff submitted four presentation and two poster proposals, and all were accepted. PA AgrAbility built a relationship with the PA Department of Veteran Affairs (PDVA) and a representative from that organization has joined the AgrAbility Group. Partnership with veteran-related organizations has resulted in 7 valuable presentations and exhibits including participation in the Roundtable Discussion for PA Preferred Home Grown by Heroes hosted by the PA Secretary of Agriculture and an AgrAbility client presenting at the PA Veteran Farmer Project Conference. During this project year, PA AgrAbility worked with two FFA chapters to increase their understanding about farming with a disability. ASSISTANCE: Objective # 3 Direct services for clients are the primary focus for PA AgrAbility and staff worked with 44 clients this project year. Continued partnership with potential funding sources like PA Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR), PA Assistive Technology Foundation (PATF), and other resources resulted in needed and appropriate assistive technology to enable AgrAbility clients to continue in production agriculture. During this funding cycle (2017 - 2021), PA AgrAbility has utilized the USDA-NIFA funds to leverage through our networking, education and direct services $400,000 worth of modifications or assistive technology to enable our clients to remain in production agriculture. Most of the funding for modifications was through OVR as well as low-interest loans through PATF. Initial intake process was completed with 12 farmers and 8 farm assessments were completed this project year. Clients services continue to be provided to 30 on-going clients. Assistance - Project Challenges The main challenge this project year was the first year of the adoption of 'Order of Selection' process by OVR which limited their services to the 'most severely disabled', implemented a wait list and enacted a more stringent funding policies. The COVID-19 pandemic and travel restrictions negatively affected the scheduling and completing of on-site farm assessments. Positive Trends During the pandemic, AgrAbility staff completed intake for 2 new clients, referred 2 clients to Life Essentials and referred 4 clients to OVR because their wait list opened enabling new clients to apply for services. With OVR opening services, the expectation is that there will be several farm assessments scheduled once the travel restrictions are lifted. In addition to providing NAP with demographics and McGill Quality of Life data, PA AgrAbility implemented aClient Impact Survey that will helpmonitor and examine the short and long-term impact of modifications and assistive technology on their farm. The goal of surveying the clients for multiple years is to show short-term and long-term changes. Clients were asked to describe any impact, positively or negatively, regarding the following six topics: 1. Herd size: Has the number of animals changed on your farm? 2. Contracts: Have your contracts (e.g., milk contract, etc.) changed on your farm? 3. Buildings and facilities: Have you made changes on your farm to your buildings or facilities? (Example: adding or enlarging a building) 4. Workforce: Has the number of people working on the farm changed? 5. Farm income: Has your farm income changed? 6. Farm size: Has the size (e.g., acreage) of your farm changed? The acquisition of assistive technology is a process that can take a considerable amount of time and the changes with OVR has significantly impacted this process. However, even with the small number of clients surveyed we are seeing some positive impacts in their farm operation which can also provide positive benefits for the local community. For example, an increase in herd size can impact the amount of feed purchased, increased workforce equates to someone in the community having employment, increased buildings and structures can equate to business provided to a local construction firm and materials purchased, etc. Production agriculture is extremely important to that farm family, but their success and failure also impacts the local community and tax base. MARKETING: Objective # 4 In addition to in-person events, marketing activities include growth in social media activities and website materials. During the current project year, growth in social media reach and engagement includes Facebook: 645 page followers (+159), Instagram: 399 page followers (+200), and Twitter. An example of the reach was shown in the response to a client success story which had more than 90 shares, a 100+ likes, and more than 13K impressions on Facebook. Social media is one of the top referrals to the AgrAbility PA website. Enhancing the website with tools for accessibility and underserved populations is an on-going activity with the following activities completed added contrast and font size toggle to adjust for vision accessibility; added descriptive captions to photos, images, videos; added language translator tool to assist multi-lingual ag populations in PA and created & launched Spanish resource page highlighting translated content and resources for Spanish-speaking populations. Increase of online activity on website from prior year: Sessions (+700), Users (+650) and Pageviews (+1,093), and visits by mobile device: +10%. Increased in referrals to the website include Direct Link (+42%) and Social Media (+236%). A monthly e-newsletter is sent to nearly 1,000 contacts with an email open rate of 21% and the industry average: 15-25%. The average click-through rate: 9.3% (industry average: 8%). Additional targeted outreach activities to increase awareness include the following: shared and posted content related to COVID-19 that offered support to farmers with disabilities during stay-at-home orders, supply chain challenges, market access, and financial support systems and connected with PA Senator Casey's agricultural legislative aide to share information and discuss ways to raise awareness for Pennsylvania's farmers with disabilities. In addition to presentations, in-person awareness activities included events such as the Keystone Farm Show, Ag Progress Days, Mid-Atlantic Fruit and Vegetable Convention, PA Farm Bureau Annual Conference and Disability Awareness Day at the PA State Capitol Building.

    Publications

    • Type: Books Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Funkenbusch, K & Fetzer, L (August, 2019) Save Beef Cattle Handling for Women. Retrieved from https://ag-safety.extension.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Safe-Beef-Cattle-Handling-for-Women.pdf
    • Type: Books Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Funkenbusch, K & Fetzer, L (August, 2019) Save Dairy Cattle Handling for Women. Retrieved from https://ag-safety.extension.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Safe-Beef-Cattle-Handling-for-Women.pdf


    Progress 09/01/18 to 08/31/19

    Outputs
    Target Audience:The target audience for this project are farmers and farm families with disabilities or long-term health issues who wish to continue in or return to an agricultural occupation. The AgrAbility Project for Pennsylvanians is funded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture-National Institute of Food and Agriculture and is designed to help farmers and farm families with disabilities or long-term health issues who wish to continue in or return to production agriculture. The project is a partnership between Penn State Cooperative Extension, Pennsylvania Office of Rural Health, United Cerebral Palsy of Central Pa, and the Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation in collaboration with many other agriculture organizations through the state. We do on-site farm assessments to identify daily farm tasks or chores that difficult because of the disability, identify modifications, equipment or assistive technology that will help a farmer complete such tasks or chores, make referrals to service providers, provide information regarding state and local resources and program, and conduct or participate in education programs to foster farm safety and health. This past year, we made a concerted effort to include with military veterans, anabaptists, and Hispanic people. Changes/Problems:The AgrAbility project has enjoyed a very productive year and accomplished its ojectives with pride. However, during our an Advisory Committee meeting, the OVR representative indicated that the expanded mission activities has used more State funds than anticipated. This means that there will be less funds to support individuals seeking assistance. This include AgrAbility clients seeking help in purchaing assistive technology. Consequently, AgrAbility may not be funded and will have to seek purchasing help from other sources. Connie Baggett, project director, plan toretire from Penn State University on December 31, 2019. Consequently, Dr. Suzanna Windon and Linda Fetzer have agreed to be Co-PIs.Suzanna worked with the Ohio State University AgrAbility project and is well versed with AgrAbility. Linda currently serves as our project manager and is just a great and capable individual. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The project was involved in a tremendous number of activities related to training professional development. An enumeration of these activities is listed below. 1-Presented educational training on veteran/farmer resources, farm evaluations, and ways AgrAbility can partner with Rodale Institute; 2-Met with VA social worker who will be provide AgrAbility info to a VA VR person. Also suggested working with the intake people at the county level; 3-Exhibited at Latino Health Summit in York, PA with support from PIAT. Handed out fotonuvelo produced by NAP/California AgrAbility about arthritis and additional materials translated by Spanish speaking graduate student; 4- Provided an educational session at the North East Regional NRCS Staff meeting in Union County. The session focused on interacting with farmers who have a disability, person first language and more. Over 60 people were in attendance; 5- Provided an education session at the Southeast Regional NRCS Staff meeting in Lebanon County. The session focused on interacting with farmers who have a disability, person first language, services for veterans and more. Over 50 people attended; 6-Develop a video on DIY: Modify Your Workspace with detailed sheet with links & resources. The video highlighted on social media, print news, e-news, etc; 7-Video about PATF completed at Keystone Farm Show; 8-Exhibited at Latino Health Summit (York, PA) in partnership and financial support from PIAT; 9- Presented AgrAbility PA info, services, resources, etc. to the in-person state-wide ATRC meeting; 10- - Presentation to Central Penn OTA students regarding AT and AgrAbility; 11-Presentation to 8 people at the Critical Access Hospital quarterly meeting; 12-Presented at 2019 NTW - 3 sessions with co-presenters;13-Provided AgrAbility info to VA - Centre Co. Home Bases Primary Care Social Worker; 14-Provided information to Lebanon VA Medical Center; 15-Provided information to volunteer working with Wounded Warriors Project; 16-Provided an educational session at the 2018 PA WAgN Symposium on pain management; 17-Provided resources on beginning farmer/rancher and AgrAbility to someone who is interested in farming in PA or TX; 18- Provided information to PATF regarding an individual who applied for a loan for a piece of equipment. This individual is not an AgrAbility client, however we were able to provide information that enabled PATF to grant the loan to this hobby farmer; and 19-Provided a stress and pain management session at the Northeastern PA Farm Bureau regional winter meeting. AgrAbility services were promoted during the session and brochures and contact information was handed out to participants. 15 Farm Bureau members attended the session with great interactions. Wyoming County Extension also participated in this session. This activity expanded AgrAbility awareness to a diverse audience in a county where we currently have few clients. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The project has maintained an open conversation with all of our partners, collaborators, and audiences and have noted a marked utilization of the information and materials provided by this project. For example, a forestry harvesting group invited project personnel to make a special presentation at their meeting early in May 2019. It looks like we are continuing to be effective. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?In our initial proposal, we identified objectives and activities to be accomplished. We will follow those approved items and we will expand our efforts to be more efficient.

    Impacts
    What was accomplished under these goals? OBJ 1a:Attended the103rd PA Farm Show; networked with several military/agricultural organizations; shared information, resources; PDA, PA DMVA, FVC, PA Farmer Vet Project, Rodale Institute, Skirted Soldier, OVR as well as the PA Nat Guard locations. We added a US Navy veteran to our project advisory committee.OBJ 1b:Connected at the Latino Health Summit with the PA Immigrant and Refugee Women's Network, Family Health Council of Central PA, Ability Prosthetics, Keystone Agricultural Worker Program, Penn State Clinical and Translational Science Institute, and York Farm Fresh. Provided information on AgrAbility to give out as needed. Provided an educational session at the North East Regional NRCS Staff meeting in Union County. The session focused on interacting with farmers who have a disability, person first language and more. Over 60 people were in attendance.OBJ 1c:Modify Your Workspace with detailed sheet with links & resources. Video about PATF completed at Keystone Farm Show highlighted on social media, print news, e-news. Present AgrAbility PA info, services, resources, etc. to the in-person state-wide ATRC meeting. Database - searchable - start with AgrAbility PA recommended AT items.OBJ 1d:Central Penn OTA program reached out to UCP Central PA about completing our AT and AgrAbility presentation again in the fall for students. Presentation to Central Penn OTA, Messiah College, students regarding AT and AgrAbility. Spoke to 13 OT/PT/SLP's at WellSpan Surgery and Rehabilitation Hospital as well as Lewisburg Evangelical Hospital about AgrAbility and left brochures.OBJ 2a:Updated McGill information and submitted for inclusion. Presented at 2019 NTW - 3 sessions and (PATF) presented 1 session. Participated in the Virtual National Training Workshop. Participated in Marketing/Media COI conference call with NAP/SRAPs.OBJ 2b:Attend one-day training event hosted by PA CARES sponsored by state agencies (Lancaster) specifically aimed at organizations and services aimed at working with and supporting veterans in employment. Added VA Clinics and Veteran Centers to veteran contact list and Provided AgrAbility info to VA - Centre Co. Home Bases Primary Care Social Worker.OBJ 2c:Attended one day of the PASA conference to network, connect with exhibitors and gather information for exhibiting at the conference in 2020 and renewed membership with PASA to increase networking and event participation throughout the year.OBJ 2d:Provided an educational session at the 2018 PA WAgN Symposium on pain management and injury prevention in agriculture, networked with 10 Women Rooted in Ag attendees during an event on Oct. 10. Attendees came from Huntingdon and Mifflin Counties and hand protection handout/factsheet was developed.OBJ 2e:Planned and conducted an ag safety and health tent at Ag Progress Days attended by more than 45,000 people.OBJ 2f:Provided information about AgrAbility PA and contest listed in PAAE listserv and podcast. Presented on AgrAbility PA and highlighted the contest during a presentation to 100+ ag educators and advisors during the state FFA legislative conference. Promoted AgrAbility PA contest for PA FFA Chapters on social media, printed newsletter Field Notes and presented an ag safety award to the best chapter at the PA FFA convention in June 2018.OBJ 3a:Provided 13 farm assessment for PA farmers, made recommendations to OVR, and conducted follow-up assessments after assistive technology was provided. These included dairy, sheep and grain farmers with one being a military veteran. Impact surveys were mailed and received.OBJ 3b:Provided resources on beginning farmer/rancher and AgrAbility to someone who is interested in farming in PA or TX and referred a veteran client to the Farmer Veteran Coalition and PA Veteran Farming Project.OBJ 3c:Met with CILCP staff, discussed AgrAbility, gave them brochures to disseminate. Provided information to PATF regarding a hobby farmer who applied for a loan for a piece of assistive technology. Referred a veteran client to PSU extension for business planning assistance and to the NRCS, PDA and Farm Credit. Interacted with Extension offices throughout the state and provide AgrAbility information.OBJ 4:Promoted the AgrAbility project with students enrolled in AEE undergraduate and graduate classes at PSU. Provided a stress and pain management session at the Northeastern PA Farm Bureau regional winter meeting. AgrAbility services were promoted during the session and brochures and contact information was handed out to participants. 15 Farm Bureau members attended the session with great interactions.Updated mailing list with current extension office personnel and PA Grange contact information.

    Publications

    • Type: Theses/Dissertations Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Agole, D. (2018). Participation in capacity-building programs and the implications for the well-being of young farmers with and without disabilities in Uganda. https://etda.libraries.psu.edu/catalog?f%5Bprogram_name_ssi%5D%5B%5D=Agricultural+and+Extension+Education; https://agsci.psu.edu/unesco/initiatives
    • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Agole, D., Baggett, C. D., & Makoni, S. M. (2018). Implication of education for participation in agricultural capacity building programs and well-being of young farmers with and without disabilities in Uganda. A publication in the proceedings of the 16th Annual Hawaii International Conference on Education.January 1st  6th.
    • Type: Journal Articles Status: Under Review Year Published: 2018 Citation: Baggett, C. D., Agole, D., Yoder, E. P., & Mangheni, N. M. (2018) Determinants of performance in smallholder farmer groups in Uganda. Under review by Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education.
    • Type: Journal Articles Status: Under Review Year Published: 2018 Citation: Agole, D., Baggett, C. D., & Ewing, E. A Review of theories related to inclusive-capacity building of people with disabilities. A paper submitted for publication in Gateways Journal of Community Engagement and Research.
    • Type: Websites Status: Accepted Year Published: 2018 Citation: Agole, D., Baggett, C. D., & Brennan, M. A. (2018). Hidden voices of farmers with disabilities in Uganda. A Video documentary to disseminate and raise awareness of people with disabilities through Penn State Graduate Students Exhibition, Pattee and Paterno Libraries, Pennsylvania State University, UNESCO website among others
    • Type: Other Status: Accepted Year Published: 2018 Citation: Agole, D., Baggett, C. D., & Brennan, M. A. (2018). Hidden voices of farmers with disabilities in Uganda. A Video documentary to disseminate and raise awareness of people with disabilities through Penn State Graduate Students Exhibition, Pattee and Paterno Libraries, Pennsylvania State University, UNESCO website among others.
    • Type: Other Status: Accepted Year Published: 2017 Citation: Agole, D. (2017). Participation in capacity building programs and the implications for the well-being of young farmers with disabilities. A Symposium presentation at the Pan-African Professional Alliance Symposium, Pennsylvania State University, University Park. April 7, 2018.


    Progress 09/01/17 to 08/31/18

    Outputs
    Target Audience:AgrAbility Project for Pennsylvanians is a partnership between Penn State Cooperative Extension, and The United Cerebral Palsy Foundation of Central Pennsylvania. AgrAbility provides direct services to farmers and farm families with an injury or disability who wish to continue in agricultural production. AgrAbility continues to strengthen its project through volunteer efforts from students groups and organizations. Coordinated activities throughout the state include Pa Department of Agriculture, county and regional Cooperative Extension offices, agriculturally related businesses, rehabilitation and trauma hospitals, rural clinics, social service agencies, non-profit organizations, Pa Department of Labor and Industry's (PDLI) vocational rehabilitation offices, and other resources. Some of the major objectives for this project are to enhance the basic knowledge and cultural competency of occupational therapy students and practitioners, to increase the knowledge of both high school and college level students by providing relevant AgrAbility information including assistive technology and funding opportunities for assistive technology, to increase awareness of AgrAbility services for under-served populations in Pennsylvania, to increase awareness of home modifications and accessibility recreation to address the holistic needs of the producer with a disability, to partner with FSA and NRCS to increase awareness of AgrAbility within their staff and to identify programs that can provide support and assistance to AgrAbility customers, to collaborate with the PDLI's Hiram G. Andrew Center and the new traumatic brain injury center to increase awareness among staff and returning military personnel, and to collaborate with the Pittsburgh, Erie and Philadelphia Veterans Medical Centers to improve the capability of PA AgrAbility. Changes/Problems:As mentioned above, we will place more emphasis on working with farmers who are experiencing stress and seek out those who may be opiod dependent. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Brochures and newsletters were mailed to the COTA conference at Lehigh Carbon Community College, contact person Cindy Rifenburg and a scholarship was awarded to an occupational therapist to attend the National Training Workshop. AgrAbility project assistant attended the 2017 AOTA conference. A LearnNow work session with Dr. Angie Hissong for May 2017 but it had to be cancelled. However, informational packets were sent to Keystone Orthopedic Physical Therapy and requested that AOTA add us on their social media page. AgrAbility information was also shared with OT & PT students at Penn State DuBois and , provided a training workshop to North Carolina AgrAbility staff. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The project has disseminated information (email, phone, mail, social media, etc.), added articles and information to website, added new and potential clients to the mailing list, contributed content to AgrAbility PA social media outlets, coordinated an Instagram "take over' with Paws and PATF and affection service dog organization, and created marketing campaign around National AgrAbility Day (Sept 19) that included enhanced promotion in social media, e-newsletter, legislative outreach, and with other affiliate organizations. We exhibited at Farm Fest in Center Hall, increased activity on Instagram, on FaceBook, Twitter, and Pinterest. We re-designed AgrAbility PA printed newsletter "Field Notes Spring 2016" and mailed to more than 1,800 contacts which featured a client story, arthritis information, assistive technology, upcoming events, and contact/social media information. We re-designed AgrAbility PA brochure. We participated in the Agricultural Health and Safety twitter chat #RuralHealthChat hosted by the Rural Health Information PSU HUB and posted AgrAbility Daily tips on Facebook and Twitter and uploaded article about Bridging Horizon to AgrAbility website. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?This project will continue to work on the objectives. We will contribute more efforts into working with farmers under stress as well as working with militaryveteran.

    Impacts
    What was accomplished under these goals? OBJ 1.a Brochures and newsletters were mailed to the COTA conference at Lehigh Carbon Community College, and scholarship was awarded to an OT to attend the NTW. AgrAbility project assistant attended the 2017 AOTA conference. A Learn Now work session for May 2017. Informational packets were sent to Keystone Orthopedic PT and requested that AOTA add us on their social media page. AgrAbility info was also shared with OT-PT students at PSU DuBois.OBJ 1.b. Project personnel attended the 3 Corp meeting in San Antonio and outlined project with A Yoder to use wearable technology to ergonomically test prototypes of manure forks as a small test groups in PA and NE. Lesson plan to replicate the methodology, short videos, and articles were produced. Personnel shared work plan, timeline, project scope and other details on a concept for PA's Bridging Horizons program for FFA students at the AgrAbility PA Advisory Meeting in State College, Pa. New focus may be on women and ergonomics and safety. Campus organization advisors were contacted via email about a fundraiser; distributed info on PAAE listserv; and drafted article about ergonomic tools. Plus, personnel launched Bridging Horizons PA Contest for FFA members; mailed 500 contest postcards - Ag educators and FFA advisors/school chapters about Bridging Horizons; posted to websites, blog, and social media; presented at PAAE summer conference; produced 1,000 printed postcards with contest info; involved DTS with clients for the Penny War. We an email to the ag teacher listserv about AgrAbility and National AgrAbility Day; shared info about the Bridging Horizons PA Contest. OBJ 1.c. Personnel attended outreach to Latino groups and learned about distributing the fotonuvelos to Spanish speaking farm workers. Materials were shared with PSU Ag Spanish class for education and outreach and met with Elsa Sanchez, Assistant professor, to discuss how AgrAbility can assist them in their outreach to the Spanish and Latino groups. We participated in an Extension workshop for outreach to Latino populations and visited a Latino farmer and followed up with Spanish language materials to Hispanic and Latinos at the Adams County Grower Day. Likewise, a farm assessment for an Amish family was completed and distributed posters and information to Belleville Amish area and participated in the Amish Handicap Gathering where over 600 Amish farmers attended. In August, we provided AgrAbility info, vision screenings; stoke assessments, blood pressure testing, dental health and WPS information in the PORH and Safety tent at APD; and several Amish and Mennonites farm families participated. OBJ 1.d. Efforts on this objective were good but we hope to have enhanced activities for the next project year. Some foundation work was accomplished through conference calls with PDLI-OVR FARM coordinators. However, e-newsletters were distributed monthly as "Field Notes" to 700+ database contacts each time. The PSU Extension staff received our materials and positive feedback was experienced.OBJ 1.e Discussed home mod ideas with a client, the client's family and OVR at a farm assessment and Featured home modification article in monthly e-newsletter "Field Notes", participated in a PA ABLE webinar to be able to better provide information about this resource to individuals with disabilities.OBJ 2.a. Selected project personnel attended the i-Three Corp meeting in San Antonio by eXtension and outlined project with Aaron Yoder. An email to 3 contacts in PA about the study and possible working with women in ag in their circles was sent. Three project members participated in NCERA-197 meeting in DC. OBJ 2.b. A lot of work is still needed in working with military veterans. However, the project director wrote an informative article for the newsletter on the needed programming for military veterans. Contact was made with the PA Veteran Farmer Project. We provided information to a veteran about PATF, OVR and FVC and we shared digital brochure with PA CAREs listserv as well as talked to a veteran on the phone about applying for the FVC Fellowship fund.OBJ 2.c. Project personnel attended a Working Women's Wednesday Dairy Extension event and networked with local dairy farmers and extension leaders. We exhibited and provided AgrAbility information and the PCO Farm Fest in Centre County and participated in the USDA Women in Ag conference call. OBJ 2.d. We added a question about Arthritis and the AF to our client assessment form and included information about Arthritis Foundation in Spring 2017 printed newsletter "Field Notes." We also provided arthritis information to all July clients and shared arthritis information on our social media. OBJ 2.e. Project personnel attended the 25th National AgrAbility and ordered the NTW order of booklets from NAP. We created content and submitted to the April, June, August, and Sept E-note. We joined the 2018 NTW planning as well as participated in Evaluation Committee conference call. We participated in marketing National AgrAbility Day (Sept 19) alongside NAP and SRAPs, participated in the staff meeting, provided a scholarship for a client to attend the NTW, provided a training workshop to NC AgrAbility staff, and updated McGill responses.OBJ 2.f. Project members attended Ag Progress Days meeting where we contacted clients about attending the 25th anniversary luncheon. We had a very successful APD tent! OBJ 3.a. The project assistant conducted a farm assessment for clients in Erie, Lackawanna, Susquehanna, York, Armstrong, Wyoming, Union, Fayette, Union, Westmoreland, Blair, Bedford, Centre, Lancaster, Crawford, Lawrence, McKean, Snyder, Lycoming, Huntingdon, Northampton, Indiana, Perry, Sullivan, Northumberland, Monroe, Schuylkill, Mercer, Washington, and Jefferson Counties. Several of these counties had multiple farmer clients. Plus, some farmer clients received OT/PT evaluations and depending upon the extent of their disability, were referred to PDLI-OVR. Just about all required follow-up evaluations by the project assistant and/or OT/PT professional. Recommendation reports were written for all clients. Funding of assistive technology continues to be an obstacle for many clients. Consequently, some were referred to PATF, local banks, charitable foundations, and OVR. We also referred a farmer to Ohio AgrAbility.OBJ 3.b. Work is needed for this objective.OBJ 3.c. We added home modification questions to the assessment form OBJ 4. We added a question to the farm assessment asking how farmers prefer to receive additional information (email, phone, mail, social media, etc.), added articles and information to website, added new and potential clients to the mailing list, contributed content to AgrAbility PA social media outlets, coordinated an Instagram "take over' with Paws and PATF and affection service dog organization, and created marketing campaign around National AgrAbility Day (Sept 19) that included enhanced promotion in social media, e-newsletter, legislative outreach, and with other affiliate organizations. We exhibited at Farm Fest in Center Hall, increased activity on Instagram, on FaceBook, Twitter, and Pinterest. We re-designed AgrAbility PA printed newsletter "Field Notes Spring 2016" and mailed to more than 1,800 contacts which featured a client story, arthritis information, assistive technology, upcoming events, and contact/social media information. We re-designed AgrAbility PA brochure. We participated in the Agricultural Health and Safety twitter chat #RuralHealthChat hosted by the Rural Health Information PSU HUB and posted AgrAbility Daily tips on Facebook and Twitter and uploaded article about Bridging Horizon to AgrAbility website

    Publications

    • Type: Theses/Dissertations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2018 Citation: Agole, D. (2018) Participation of Capacity Building Programs and the Implications for the Wellbeing of Young Farmers With and Without Disabilities. Ph.D. Dissertation. The Penn State University. 144 pp.