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Promoting Success in Agriculture for People with Disabilities and Their Families

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Fall 2006, Vol. 7, No. 1

Table of Contents at bottom PDF Version

Given West Virginia’s mountainous topography, which naturally divides arable land into small valleys, it is no surprise that 95% of its 20,812 farms are classified “small.” The mountainsides are home to many cow-calf operations, and the valleys home to vegetable, tree fruit, and other diverse direct-marketing farms. Beef, hog, and sheep producers have the highest injury and restricted workday rate of any agricultural sector in West Virginia.¹ Musculoskeletal conditions like arthritis take a more subtle but dramatic toll on farm populations, as West Virginia leads the nation in arthritis prevalence.² A high rate of diabetes in West Virginia also means an elevated risk of injury resulting from secondary complications.³

Since 2001, West Virginia AgrAbility (WVAG) has been a partnership between the West Virginia University (WVU) Safety and Health Extension, Northern West Virginia Center for Independent Living (NWVCIL), and the Center for Excellence in Disabilities at WVU (CED). The WVU Safety and Health Extension offers technical assistance with ergonomics, safety, and agromedicine, while the CED offers expertise in assistive technology, training, and outreach. NWVCIL manages direct client services and has long-standing success in disability advocacy and one-on-one technical assistance. Information and referral services are provided by both the CED and NWVCIL.  

One of the program’s strengths is its Steering Committee. Quarterly meetings of the committee function not as a reporting mechanism for staff, but as a brainstorming and sounding board for ideas and partnerships that take advantage of already existing resources. The WVAG Steering Committee is composed of dedicated representatives from WVU Extension, West Virginia Division of Rehabilitation Services (DRS), the WV School for the Deaf and Blind, the Agriculture and Extension Education Department at WVU, Natural Resource Conservation Service, West Virginia Farm Bureau, as well as several WVAG clients, including Becky Conrad.

Through the West Virginia Assistive Technology System, WVAG offers devices for consumers to borrow via an on-line loan library, which can either be mailed to clients or, as is more common, delivered on a farm visit.

About 37% of adults are diagnosed with some form of arthritis in West Virginia.²  The WVAG staff and the WV Bureau for Public Health, with support from the Arthritis Coalition, are developing a program entitled, “Green Thumbs, Healthy Joints”.  Stipends will be offered to Master Gardener groups to build raised beds and accessible gardens for West Virginians with arthritis. The stipends will cover material costs for constructing gardens at senior centers, libraries, and other public areas. The goal is to raise awareness about the benefits of outdoor activity.

WVAG recognizes the need to help farmers with the nuances of marketing.  Successful entrepreneurs go beyond producing their product by employ strategies such as direct-marketing, agri-tourism, and product specialization. WVAG provides technical assistance with resources on value-added processing and direct-marketing opportunities suitable to each individual’s interests and abilities.   

WVAG continues outreach efforts to health care professionals as well as public health associations to broaden the network for referrals. The goal is for farmers, injured or ill in a local clinic, to immediately know about WVAG’s services. The last thing farmers with a new limitation need before walking out of a hospital or clinic is to hear, “you might want to think about selling that farm and looking for a good office job.”  In addition, annual presentations to state FSA, NRCS, Rural Development, and Farm Bureau staff are heightening awareness of WVAG’s role in a changing (and aging) rural population.