WEBSITE: http://www.agrability.org/online-training/virtualntw/

The AgrAbility Virtual National Training Workshop is a three-day web annual conference usually featuring two 1-hour webinars per day for a total of six sessions. Presentations cover a wide range of topics related to disability and agriculture.

Tuesday, February 21

• 11:00 a.m. EST: Farm Hands: Maximizing Hand Health for the Workplace
  
  • Carla Wilhite and Trish Siegel, University of New Mexico
    
    • This session will introduce participants to the structure of the hand, its functions, and to mechanisms and types of injuries in farm work environments. Participants will focus on identifying strategies for prevention of primary and secondary injury of the hand, and maintaining general hand health in the agricultural workplace.
• 3:00 p.m. EST: Resources for Veteran Farmers/Ranchers
  • Erin Kimbrough, Texas AgrAbility
    
    • This presentation will highlight key resources for participants regarding programs specific for veterans and projects that serve this population. The session will provide education regarding the new BattleGround to Breaking Ground Entrepreneurial Training project that provides mentorships, online courses, and individual education plans to veterans and other beginning farmer/ranchers. The webinar will include time for projects to network and suggest additional resources.

Wednesday, February 22

• 11:00 a.m. EST: Assistive Technology to Prevent Secondary Injury in Aging Farmers
  • Ned Stoller, Michigan AgrAbility
    
    • As workers age, they are faced with increasing rates of arthritis, back pain, decreased strength/endurance, hearing impairments and other medical conditions.  These conditions increase the likelihood of slips and falls, being pushed by fast-moving livestock, accidents with machinery, and other dangers.  Assistive technology can help mitigate the impact of aging conditions and help older farmers work with more safety. The cost of assistive technology and safety is significantly less than the expense of injury on the farm.
• 3:00 p.m. EST: Updates from NIFA on AgrAbility and Related Programs
  • Aida Balsano, USDA/NIFA
    • AgrAbility's NIFA program leader discusses the latest developments at the federal level affecting AgrAbility and related programs.

Thursday, February 23

• 11:00 a.m. EST: Farm Service Agency (FSA) Farm Loan Programs
  
  • Norman Cummins, USDA/FSA
    
    • This session gives an overview of FSA’s Farm Loan Programs, such as those that offer opportunities to farmers and ranchers to:
      • Start, improve, expand, transition, market, and strengthen family farming and ranching operations
      • Beginning farmers, racial and ethnic minority farmers and women producers
      • Value-added, direct sale, organic, and specialty crop operations
      • Young People actively involved in agricultural youth organizations needing financial assistance for income-producing, educational, agricultural projects
      • Urban farmers and roof-top producers
      • Operations using alternative farming methods such as hydroponics, aeroponics, vertical farming, and freight container farming
• 3:00 p.m. EST: Getting to the Bottom: AgrAbility's Discussion on Seating Issues in Agricultural Machinery
  
  • Carla Wilhite, University of New Mexico
    
    • This "unconferencing" online group discussion session will focus on "what is known and unknown" about seating people with disabilities, especially those with spinal cord injuries, into agricultural machinery. The group will work toward prioritizing issues and making recommendations on where evidence needs to be developed to support the selection and implementation of interventions in seating. (Please note that this session will have a different URL than the others, so please make sure you specifically register for it if you plan to attend.)

To participate in any of these free webinars, register online by Friday, February 17. Instructions for accessing the session will be sent to registrants by Monday, February 20. Please pass on this invitation to others you believe may be interested. Contact AgrAbility at 800-825-4264 or email agrability@agrability.org if you have questions.