©Rural and Agriclutral VocRehab

RURAL & AGRICULTURAL VOCREHAB

Rutland~ Howe Center 800-281-6977St. Albans ~ 278 S Main St 800-639-2130St. Johnsbury ~ 107 Eastern Ave 800-545-8920

Providing Services in Support of Employment to Rural

VermontersWith Disabilities since 1968

©Rural and Agriclutral VocRehab

Dedicated to:

• Vermont farmers, market gardeners, food producers, and agriculturalists who maintain the working landscape and provide safe, first quality, locally grown, produced and manufactured products for our communities and markets in Vermont, across the country and around the world.

©Rural and Agriclutral VocRehab

• Four Generations of a Vermont agricultural family

©Rural and Agriclutral VocRehab

Finding common ground

©Rural and Agriclutral VocRehab

Cultivating Healthy Communities

• Catamount Partnership Community Hero Awards ~ Honors local farmer for her work in helping others

©Rural and Agriclutral VocRehab

Maintaining good relationships in the office or on the road

©Rural and Agriclutral VocRehab

©Rural and Agriclutral VocRehab

Due to spinal stenosis this farmer needed a new air suspension seat to support him in his work.

©Rural and Agriclutral VocRehab

Tractor step extensions on both sides of this tractor greatly reduce the stress of getting on and off for the farmer who has had a hip replacement

“This was so simple I don’t know why I didn’t think of it long ago” ~ Orange County Farmer

©Rural and Agriclutral VocRehab

• Things we wish we’d thought of long ago

©Rural and Agriclutral VocRehab

This market gardener with multiple arthritic conditions demonstrates use of a flame thrower to weed and maintain her gardens.

©Rural and Agriclutral VocRehab

• Potatoes in wire baskets allow her to simply knock over the soil to harvest her crop of several varieties

©Rural and Agriclutral VocRehab

Modified used golf cart has freed the farmer to work many areas of her land that she can not reach on foot, carry supplies and have a safe shaded place to rest.

Yes she

Kayaks too!

©Rural and Agriclutral VocRehab

©Rural and Agriclutral VocRehab

The path to the back forty, fit for the golf cart

©Rural and Agriclutral VocRehab

Calf cart & power wagon help this farmer with multiple disabilities to work safer and smarter

©Rural and Agriclutral VocRehab

©Rural and Agriclutral VocRehab

©Rural and Agriclutral VocRehab

“Pick Your Own Blueberries” is this retired teachers dream, complicated orthopedic conditions present significant challenges.

©Rural and Agriclutral VocRehab

Get this mulch on these berries with this Gator!!

©Rural and Agriclutral VocRehab

Culled 3 times by hand this quality berry

product is delivered to 4 Farmers Markets

and 3 Food Cooperative

sin Addison

County

©Rural and Agriclutral VocRehab

The oldest live Elm

in Vermont

©Rural and Agriclutral VocRehab

Collaborations among agencies and programs brings expertise

and diversity to services.

©Rural and Agriclutral VocRehab

Vermont Arthritis Program

©Rural and Agriclutral VocRehab

• AgrAbility assists people with disabilities employed in agriculture by linking Cooperative Extension at land-grant universities with a nonprofit disability service organization to provide education and assistance that promotes independence in agricultural production and rural living.

©Rural and Agriclutral VocRehab

©Rural and Agriclutral VocRehab

©Rural and Agriclutral VocRehab

Northern New England AgrAbility• Services available at No Cost to Farm

Families include: • Assessing agricultural tasks and providing

guidance to accommodate for the disability • Evaluating (or "reviewing") agricultural

worksites and equipment and making suggestions or modifications.

• Researching commercially available products

• Identifying ways to prevent secondary injury and illnesses.

• Conducting training and workshops for rehabilitation and agricultural professionals.

©Rural and Agriclutral VocRehab

RAVR, Northern New England AgrAbility Project and a farmer who has significant mobility limitations.

collaborated to develop and install this lift

©Rural and Agriclutral VocRehab

Northern New England

AgrAbility

Farming Successfully with a Disability

©Rural and Agriclutral VocRehab

Certified Orthotist starts state of the art business in Townshend!

©Rural and Agriclutral VocRehab

Customers from all over the country are finding their way to VT for custom shoes made entirely by hand

©Rural and Agriclutral VocRehab

Her own orthopedic concerns sent this enterprising woman on a search for the perfect shoe….she found it in her own workshop

©Rural and Agriclutral VocRehab

©Rural and Agriclutral VocRehab

This kettle cook making specialty jams, jellies, and condiments is smiling and back to work after multiple orthopedic surgeries

©Rural and Agriclutral VocRehab

These VT made delicacies go to Farm Markets and Community Supported Agriculture programs in New York City weekly as well as local Farmers Markets and stores.

©Rural and Agriclutral VocRehab

©Rural and Agriclutral VocRehab

• Simple equipment modifications can be made to help people work during recovery and rehabilitation

©Rural and Agriclutral VocRehab

• This is one high class utility cart

©Rural and Agriclutral VocRehab

• Livestock is a 24/7 obligation, animals have to be tended regardless of how the farmer feels today

©Rural and Agriclutral VocRehab

• This piece of equipment picks up bales of hay from

©Rural and Agriclutral VocRehab

This piece

©Rural and Agriclutral VocRehab

• And stacks them on the hay wagon ~ so that

©Rural and Agriclutral VocRehab

This farmer can cut and bale thousands of bales of hay with the help of one other worker

©Rural and Agriclutral VocRehab

• Giving him plenty of time to fix the road

©Rural and Agriclutral VocRehab

UVM faculty and staff bring the excellence of the University to RAVR’s work

©Rural and Agriclutral VocRehab

Outreach to meet the audience who needs services

©Rural and Agriclutral VocRehab

©Rural and Agriclutral VocRehab

©Rural and Agriclutral VocRehab

©Rural and Agriclutral VocRehab

©Rural and Agriclutral VocRehab

©Rural and Agriclutral VocRehab

•There are no fees for service• Eligibility for Rural & Agricultural

VocRehab services:The presence of a physical or mental disability which, for the individual, constitutes or results in a substantial impediment to employment, and evidence that vocational rehabilitation services are needed to prepare for entering, engaging in, or retaining gainful employment.