TN AgrAbility was privileged to work with five Tennessee State University occupational therapy students for the 5th consecutive year. These students were very eager to learn about a new program, especially how occupational therapy and agriculture relate. They were a fun group to work with.

Highlights from their fieldwork:

• Weekly Zooms with presenters: TSU New Farmer Academy; horticultural therapy; STAR Center; TN Technology Access Program (TTAP); and Center for Living & Learning
• Weekly links to view on AgrAbility and farmers with disabilities
• Attended two New Farmer Academy classes (presented on OTs and AgrAbility at class)
• Volunteered at the Center for Living & Learning residence
• Course Highlight: Farm visit to a Robertson County farmer (20 yr.-old) with a spinal cord injury and saw firsthand his assistive technology he recently received through TN Vocational Rehabilitation assisted by TN AgrAbility, STAR Center, and TTAP

Quotes from students:
“There’s so many amazing things I could say about AgrAbility! Overall, it was such an eye-opening experience and was so wonderful to see how many peoples’ lives you’re making a difference in. The farm visit and visit to the Center for Living and Learning were my favorite. I’d love to look more into horticulture therapy and how I could incorporate it into my practice in the future. I also got some great ideas and tips for the homestead I’d like to have one day when visiting New Farmer Academy!”

“Working with Tennessee AgrAbility this summer has given me so much perspective about the vital role farmers and their families play in our society, as well as some of the challenges they may face. What sticks with me the most is the love that farmers have for their professions. It is so much more than a job to them – it’s a way of life! It has been such a privilege to work with an organization that has a hand in preserving that way of life for families touched by challenges of different kinds. As occupational therapists, our goal is always to help people engage in activities that are meaningful or important to them. Nothing could be more aligned with that goal than the work that AgrAbility does.”

TN AgrAbility attended training and farm visits in Sevierville, TN, hosted by the Safe Farm Steward Project, a federally funded initiative supported by NIOSH and the Southeast Center for Agricultural Health and Injury Prevention. The project promotes safe farming practices and helps identify farms committed to safety stewardship. TN AgrAbility will assist Extension agriculture agents and FFA educators in the future to reach more farmers.