AgrAbility

Farming is one of the most hazardous occupations in America today. Additionally, the average age of a farmer is steadily increasing.  As a consequence, thousands of Tennessee farmers experience either farm or non-farm related injuries or illnesses each year. For many of these farmers, these illnesses and injuries result in temporary or permanent disabilities - making their routine farming tasks difficult, if not impossible.

The mission of AgrAbility is to enable individuals and their families to continue living and working as productively as possible. The Tennessee AgrAbility Project provides services to farmers, farm workers, and family members across the state.

 AgrAbility Project Helps Clare Count Calves

Eighty-one year-old Clare has lived in the same house in Trenton for 57 years. Her husband, a WW II veteran, passed away three years ago, but Clare is not alone in this world she has four children, 15 grandchildren, and three great grand daughters.

She also keeps busy maintaining the family farm, where she raises and sells calves. At her age, it’s been a challenge getting around the extensive property, but thanks to the Easter Seals AgrAbility Project and its program manager, Joetta White, Clare now has a golf cart to make that job easier.  

“I ride it every day, counting calves in the pastures and spraying thistles in the fields,” says Clare. “I don’t even have to get out of the cart to do the spraying.”    

The Tennessee AgrAbility Project is a cooperative effort of the University of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service and Easter Seals Tennessee. It provides individualized services on the farm or at the work setting to help individuals with disabilities return to farming, the community and independent living.

“It took a little while to get the funding secured,” says Joetta, “but when her son picked the golf cart up, I was very happy for Clare!”

And thanks to AgrAbility, that happiness is spreading!

Read more about AgrAbility.