Ohio joins the national AgrAbility program

Ohio State University Extension received a 4-year, $720,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to assist farmers with disabilities through the national AgrAbility program. Visitors to Ohio State University’s Farm Science Review can stop by the Safety Education Area to learn more.

Farm Science Review will be held Sept. 22-24 at the Molly Caren Agricultural Center in London, Ohio.

“Visitors to Farm Science Review can stop by the booth to learn more about AgrAbility and what the program can do for them,” said Dee Jepsen, OSU Extension’s state safety leader. “The program has a mission to enable a lifestyle of high quality for farmers and other agricultural workers with disabilities, so that they, their families and their communities continue to succeed in rural America.”

Information on AgrAbility will be available throughout the show. Cake and refreshments will be served as part of a celebratory kick-off of the Ohio program, as they join 27 other states in their efforts.

With the grant, Jepsen and her colleagues will be advancing efforts to address a wide variety of disabling conditions faced by many working in agriculture, including arthritis, spinal cord injuries, back impairments, amputations, brain injury, visual impairments, hearing impairments, disabling diseases, cerebral palsy and respiratory impairments.

To learn more about the national AgrAbility program, visit http://www.agrabilityproject.org/ .

In addition to the AgrAbility program, specialists at Farm Science Review will also provide information on farm safety, display the new lighting and marking standards for horse-drawn vehicles, hold grain rescue demonstrations and demonstrate the safe handling of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs). The ATV safety program will focus on the proper way to dress, how to fit a rider, and how to properly operate an ATV.

Farm Science Review is sponsored by the College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, OSU Extension, and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center.

Tickets are $8 at the gate or $5 in advance when purchased from county offices of OSU Extension or participating agribusinesses. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 22-23 and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 24. For more information, visit http://fsr.osu.edu .

More Options