Before you swing into full gear for harvest, the late summer could be the perfect time to assess your farm’s ergonomics. If you have persistent use injuries, from tennis elbow to arthritis to a lower back you don’t want to aggravate, AgrAbility of Wisconsin aims to suggest tools, equipment, and practices that can improve how your body (and your employees’ bodies) feel at the end of the workday.

“Sometimes, it’s as easy as adding an extra step and handrail to your tractor or installing an automatic hitch,” says Andrea Klahn, Outreach Specialist for AgrAbility of Wisconsin.

Since 1991, AgrAbility of Wisconsin has been promoting success in agriculture for farmers and their families living with a farm injury, disability, or health limitation. How can we help you?

“After enrollment, a rep from the Easterseals FARM program will visit your farm and evaluate your situation,” explains Klahn. “They can take a closer look at equipment and processes. It’s fresh perspective for your operation.”

AgrAbility of Wisconsin serves all types of farmers and farms, large and small. This grant-funded program through USDA is free to farmers! You can easily enroll in our program on our website or give us a call. It takes 10 minutes. We ask you basic health information, but no medical records are required.

The AgrAbility program focuses on information and referrals. Once enrolled in our program, you will have a phone call from one of our case workers and set up a farm visit with one of our rural rehab specialists. A rehabilitation specialist will come out to your farm and watch the type of tasks you do on a daily basis, and can then offer tips and ideas of how to make the task easier with your pain and share ways to help you find monetary funds, if needed.

AgrAbility of Wisconsin is a partnership between the UW-Madison Extension and Easterseals Wisconsin. The program is available to farmers, farm workers and their families. Check out a database of Assistive Technology from the National AgrAbility Project at http://www.agrability.org/toolbox/.

Looking for more information on AgrAbility of Wisconsin? Give us a call 608-262-9336 or visit our website, https://agrability.bse.wisc.edu.

This article was posted in Other News and Resources and tagged AgrAbility, Andrea Klahn.